Easter 4
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Series II, Cycle C Gospel Texts
Liturgical Color: White
Gospel: John 10:22-30
Theme: Confrontation Between Jesus and the Jews; Jesus' Claim That He and The Father Are One. What kind of a claim do we make about Jesus? And how does that claim inspire, direct, and fulfill our lives?
The Community Of Faith, Hope, Love Gathers For Worship
Music for Preparation
"Prelude and Sarabande," Corelli.
Recognizing Who God Is
Choral Invitation
"Glory to God in the Highest," Old Scottish chant; alt.; from The Presbyterian Hymnal, Westminster/John Knox, 1990.
Pastoral Invitation
In the name of God the Parent, God the Child, God the Spirit, welcome to the fourth Sunday of Easter. I invite you to follow my leading with Psalm 100. Repeat only the words and phrases that I repeat. "Make a joyful (joyful) noise to the Lord ... Serve the Lord with gladness (with gladness/with gladness). Know that the Lord is God (the Lord is God). For the Lord is good. God's steadfast love endures forever (forever, forever, forever, forever), and God's faithfulness (faithfulness) to all generations." Amen! (amen!)
Hymn of Praise
"Sing with Hearts," Jonathan Malicsi, 1983; Kalinga melody.
Prayer of Praise
Center on the Christ who reveals the heart, mind, strength, and will of God.
Realizing Who We Are
Introduction to the Act of Recognizing Our Humanity
Some, members and nonmembers alike, with irritation raise the question, "Why are you always talking about sin, sin, sin?" Many congregations now eliminate the confession of sin and the assurance of pardon, and replace them with a few praise hymns. To miss the essence of sin is to miss the essence of salvation, because, as one author has said, "The only thing that we contribute to our salvation is our sin." To reject or ignore our sin is to reject and ignore this Christ who died for it. We need continuous reminders about who Christ is in relation to who we can become in his forgiveness. I invite us to take two minutes to consider these ideas, and in their light, to offer our confession.
Response
(Adult Choir) "Psalm 1 and Gloria," Clokey.
Introduction to the Act of Receiving New Life
I keep reminding us, the Bible keeps reminding us, of our sin, not to drive us into guilt, but to invite us to be thankful to the one who receives and forgives us. This is to happen often. Surely, we tell our mates and children more than once that we love them. And surely, we need to ask more than once for their forgiveness. Saint Augustine, who was anything but a saint for many years, once said, "A Christian must be an 'alleluia' from head to foot." We can be that "alleluia" when we recognize the depth of our sin, and the depth to which Jesus went to forgive us.
Response
"Christ on the Cross Our Life Has Bought," Jane Parker Huber, 1981; Henry Baker, 1854, from Joy in Singing. (See Appendix I for address.)
Receiving The Biblical Truth
Message with the Children of All Ages
Center the message around who Jesus was. Ask the children to suggest some of the names given to Jesus. Let them know that not everyone agrees with who he claimed to be, or what others claimed for him. Give the example from the text about what some of his own people thought of him. Offer some ideas about what we mean when we pray, "In Jesus' name ..."
Response
"There's Something About That Name," Gloria and William Gaither, from Let the People Sing. (See Appendix I for address.)
Dramatizing the Scripture
Have a group of people gather around "Jesus" in the chancel and enact the conversation. "Jesus" responds with much energy, and maybe even a little sarcasm.
Proclamation of the Good News
You may want to explore the heresies surrounding this Jesus. For example, some said he was not a man but God (doceticism), or that he was more than a man but less than God (arianism), or that he began as a man and ended as God (monarchianism), or that he was simply a divine person inhabiting a human body (without human personality) for thirty years on earth (Apollinarianism), or that he was a man controlled by indwelling deity (Nestorianism), or that his manhood was swallowed up in his divinity (Eutylchianism), or that he was no more than a temporary mode of God's existence (Savellianism). The Nicene Creed ruled out all of those with these words, he was "truly God and truly man." The issue, of course, is what has all of this to do with us on a daily basis?
Response
A musical version of the Nicene Creed.
Responding To What We Believe
Stewardship Challenge
How does your stewardship reflect and refract your belief in Christ? (Pause.) Remember, we believe only what we obey.
Charge to the Congregation
We can argue with, and condemn, others that their thinking about the Christ doesn't fit our understanding. That's useless and non-biblical. The claim of Christ on us is a claim of love. Our mission to our neighbor, our methods of reaching out, evangelism, with the claim of Christ, is based on love, a love which always respects the freedom of the human spirit to say, "No." How many times and in how many ways did we say "no" until we said "yes."
Hymn of Obedience
"Ye (You) Servants of God, Your Master Proclaim," Charles Wesley, 1744; attr. William Croft, 1708; A Supplement to the New Version of the Psalms, 1708.
Meditation
The phrase, "the church of your choice," suggests that divine truth can be discovered in much the same way that we select a wardrobe. That is, we take what suits us best. Not biblical. Our presentation of Jesus the Christ as Lord must always disturb the atmosphere of pseudo-tolerance. Jesus' statement to the Jews about who he is strikes at the very root of our responding with a "yes" or "no."
Music Possibilities In Addition To Those Already Suggested
Music for Preparation: "All Praise to God in Highest Heaven," Michael Weisse, 1531; stanzas 1, 2, 4-6 trans. by Margaret Barclay, 1950; alt. 1972. Stanza 3 by Dalton E. McDonald, 1972.
Response to the Proclamation: "Psalm 23," pick a version.
Offertory: "Lord, Christ, Be Present Now," Boehm.
Music for Dismissal: "Jesus, Lead Thou On," Chorale.
Gospel: John 10:22-30
Theme: Confrontation Between Jesus and the Jews; Jesus' Claim That He and The Father Are One. What kind of a claim do we make about Jesus? And how does that claim inspire, direct, and fulfill our lives?
The Community Of Faith, Hope, Love Gathers For Worship
Music for Preparation
"Prelude and Sarabande," Corelli.
Recognizing Who God Is
Choral Invitation
"Glory to God in the Highest," Old Scottish chant; alt.; from The Presbyterian Hymnal, Westminster/John Knox, 1990.
Pastoral Invitation
In the name of God the Parent, God the Child, God the Spirit, welcome to the fourth Sunday of Easter. I invite you to follow my leading with Psalm 100. Repeat only the words and phrases that I repeat. "Make a joyful (joyful) noise to the Lord ... Serve the Lord with gladness (with gladness/with gladness). Know that the Lord is God (the Lord is God). For the Lord is good. God's steadfast love endures forever (forever, forever, forever, forever), and God's faithfulness (faithfulness) to all generations." Amen! (amen!)
Hymn of Praise
"Sing with Hearts," Jonathan Malicsi, 1983; Kalinga melody.
Prayer of Praise
Center on the Christ who reveals the heart, mind, strength, and will of God.
Realizing Who We Are
Introduction to the Act of Recognizing Our Humanity
Some, members and nonmembers alike, with irritation raise the question, "Why are you always talking about sin, sin, sin?" Many congregations now eliminate the confession of sin and the assurance of pardon, and replace them with a few praise hymns. To miss the essence of sin is to miss the essence of salvation, because, as one author has said, "The only thing that we contribute to our salvation is our sin." To reject or ignore our sin is to reject and ignore this Christ who died for it. We need continuous reminders about who Christ is in relation to who we can become in his forgiveness. I invite us to take two minutes to consider these ideas, and in their light, to offer our confession.
Response
(Adult Choir) "Psalm 1 and Gloria," Clokey.
Introduction to the Act of Receiving New Life
I keep reminding us, the Bible keeps reminding us, of our sin, not to drive us into guilt, but to invite us to be thankful to the one who receives and forgives us. This is to happen often. Surely, we tell our mates and children more than once that we love them. And surely, we need to ask more than once for their forgiveness. Saint Augustine, who was anything but a saint for many years, once said, "A Christian must be an 'alleluia' from head to foot." We can be that "alleluia" when we recognize the depth of our sin, and the depth to which Jesus went to forgive us.
Response
"Christ on the Cross Our Life Has Bought," Jane Parker Huber, 1981; Henry Baker, 1854, from Joy in Singing. (See Appendix I for address.)
Receiving The Biblical Truth
Message with the Children of All Ages
Center the message around who Jesus was. Ask the children to suggest some of the names given to Jesus. Let them know that not everyone agrees with who he claimed to be, or what others claimed for him. Give the example from the text about what some of his own people thought of him. Offer some ideas about what we mean when we pray, "In Jesus' name ..."
Response
"There's Something About That Name," Gloria and William Gaither, from Let the People Sing. (See Appendix I for address.)
Dramatizing the Scripture
Have a group of people gather around "Jesus" in the chancel and enact the conversation. "Jesus" responds with much energy, and maybe even a little sarcasm.
Proclamation of the Good News
You may want to explore the heresies surrounding this Jesus. For example, some said he was not a man but God (doceticism), or that he was more than a man but less than God (arianism), or that he began as a man and ended as God (monarchianism), or that he was simply a divine person inhabiting a human body (without human personality) for thirty years on earth (Apollinarianism), or that he was a man controlled by indwelling deity (Nestorianism), or that his manhood was swallowed up in his divinity (Eutylchianism), or that he was no more than a temporary mode of God's existence (Savellianism). The Nicene Creed ruled out all of those with these words, he was "truly God and truly man." The issue, of course, is what has all of this to do with us on a daily basis?
Response
A musical version of the Nicene Creed.
Responding To What We Believe
Stewardship Challenge
How does your stewardship reflect and refract your belief in Christ? (Pause.) Remember, we believe only what we obey.
Charge to the Congregation
We can argue with, and condemn, others that their thinking about the Christ doesn't fit our understanding. That's useless and non-biblical. The claim of Christ on us is a claim of love. Our mission to our neighbor, our methods of reaching out, evangelism, with the claim of Christ, is based on love, a love which always respects the freedom of the human spirit to say, "No." How many times and in how many ways did we say "no" until we said "yes."
Hymn of Obedience
"Ye (You) Servants of God, Your Master Proclaim," Charles Wesley, 1744; attr. William Croft, 1708; A Supplement to the New Version of the Psalms, 1708.
Meditation
The phrase, "the church of your choice," suggests that divine truth can be discovered in much the same way that we select a wardrobe. That is, we take what suits us best. Not biblical. Our presentation of Jesus the Christ as Lord must always disturb the atmosphere of pseudo-tolerance. Jesus' statement to the Jews about who he is strikes at the very root of our responding with a "yes" or "no."
Music Possibilities In Addition To Those Already Suggested
Music for Preparation: "All Praise to God in Highest Heaven," Michael Weisse, 1531; stanzas 1, 2, 4-6 trans. by Margaret Barclay, 1950; alt. 1972. Stanza 3 by Dalton E. McDonald, 1972.
Response to the Proclamation: "Psalm 23," pick a version.
Offertory: "Lord, Christ, Be Present Now," Boehm.
Music for Dismissal: "Jesus, Lead Thou On," Chorale.
