Friendship with God
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Planning Ideas And Resources For The Entire Church Year
Pastoral Invitation to the Celebration
Consider these ideas:
(1) Print at the beginning of the order of worship these words: "The reason that dogs have so many friends is that they wag their tails instead of their tongues."
(2) Pastor says: True friendship is based upon God's love for and forgiveness of us, and our willingness to accept God's unconditional gift to us, and to share God's unconditional gift with others.
(3) Develop a litany around the Scripture for the day, between pastor, choir, congregation.
The Act of Recognizing our Humanness and The Act of Receiving New Life
Suggestion:
Print these words by D. H. Lawrence under the Act of Recognizing our Humanness: "Those who go searching for love only make manifest their own lovelessness; and the loveless never find love; only the loving find love, and they never have to seek for it." (source unknown)
Begin the confession by asking, "What's your favorite sin that keeps you from becoming a friend of God, others, self? And, what do you think is the favorite sin of the person sitting next to you, which keeps him from becoming a friend of God, others, self? Eric Berne once suggested that human beings, out of relationships, have three basic scripts: joylessness, mindlessness, lovelessness. These lead to all kinds of sins from gossip to apathy. Yet, these are only symptoms.
Biblically, sin is alienation, rebellion, broken relationships, I-centeredness,
which lead to contempt. Sin is the attempt to justify our existence, and to discount/condemn the behavior of others.
Give five minutes of silence for the people to consider these ideas.
Someone has written a chorus to the ending of 1 Corinthians 13, to the tune of the popular song, "500 Miles." Invite the congregation to sing it several times, in different ways.
"Faith and hope and love abide - love is greatest of the three. Faith and hope abide, but love the greatest is."
Message with the Children of All Ages
Suggestion:
Ask the children if they have any friends. Then ask, how do they know if those friends are friends. Tie this in with God's friendship toward us, and how Jesus shows in many ways his friendship toward us.
Proclamation of the Word
Consider these ideas:
Title possibilities: "The Fine Art of Friendship,"
or,
"The Greatest Love"
One night, at a wedding rehearsal, the husband-to-be said in the presence of his wife-to-be, about his ex-wife, "She is my best friend." Not likely!
Reality: We have many acquaintances; few friends.
The poet says that three friends in a lifetime makes us rich.
Identify some of the qualities of friendship:
1. Willingness to listen.
2. Trust.
3. Patience.
4. Confrontation, assertively, not aggressively.
5. Commitment. In my book, "Achieving and Receiving Intimacy," I define love this way: "Love is not a feeling; love is a commitment which contains all of the feelings that people feel. Sometimes we're sad with each other; sometimes, angry at each other; sometimes, scared of each other; sometimes, confused around each other; and sometimes, joyful in each other."
Stewardship Challenge
Suggestion:
Bruce Larson once said that "we would rather give a service, than be a servant." I say that we would rather have servants than be servants. Friendship involves servanthood.
After the offering, pray this prayer: "We are mindful that you ask all from us, God; we are grateful that you give all to us."
Charge to the Congregation
Consider this:
Use 2 Corinthians 13:10-11 in a contemporary version. Before reading that Scripture, you may want to introduce it with words similar to these: "To have a friend, you will need to be a friend; therefore, if you were someone else, would you like to be a friend of yours?"
Planning for Your Congregation
Suggestions
Your Situation
I. Other Scriptures
Liturgist:
Psalm 98
Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48
Acts 11:19-30
1 John 5:1-6
1 John 4:1-11
II. Suggested Hymns
Coordinator:
"God Is Love; Let Heaven Adore Him"
Timothy Rees (1874-1939); alt.
"Love Divine, All Loves Excelling"
Charles Wesley, 1747; alt.
"Called by Christ to Love Each Other"
Jane Parker Huber (from A Singing Faith, Jane Parker Huber Westminster Press, Philadelphia, Pa.)
III. Other Music Possibilities
Organist/Choir director:
Music for Preparation
Medley of popular songs on Friendship
Response to the Sermon
Popular song on friendship
Response to the Old Testament
"Kum Ba Yah"
add, "laughing"
Music for Dismissal
"They'll Know We Are Christians By Our Love"
Peter Scholtes, 1966
IV. Bulletin Cover
Church secretary:
V. Bulletin Symbols
VI. Miscellaneous Details (Assignments:)
Ushers
Candlelighters
Hosts/Hostesses
Banners
Flowers
Greeters
Posters
Name-tags
Others
Consider these ideas:
(1) Print at the beginning of the order of worship these words: "The reason that dogs have so many friends is that they wag their tails instead of their tongues."
(2) Pastor says: True friendship is based upon God's love for and forgiveness of us, and our willingness to accept God's unconditional gift to us, and to share God's unconditional gift with others.
(3) Develop a litany around the Scripture for the day, between pastor, choir, congregation.
The Act of Recognizing our Humanness and The Act of Receiving New Life
Suggestion:
Print these words by D. H. Lawrence under the Act of Recognizing our Humanness: "Those who go searching for love only make manifest their own lovelessness; and the loveless never find love; only the loving find love, and they never have to seek for it." (source unknown)
Begin the confession by asking, "What's your favorite sin that keeps you from becoming a friend of God, others, self? And, what do you think is the favorite sin of the person sitting next to you, which keeps him from becoming a friend of God, others, self? Eric Berne once suggested that human beings, out of relationships, have three basic scripts: joylessness, mindlessness, lovelessness. These lead to all kinds of sins from gossip to apathy. Yet, these are only symptoms.
Biblically, sin is alienation, rebellion, broken relationships, I-centeredness,
which lead to contempt. Sin is the attempt to justify our existence, and to discount/condemn the behavior of others.
Give five minutes of silence for the people to consider these ideas.
Someone has written a chorus to the ending of 1 Corinthians 13, to the tune of the popular song, "500 Miles." Invite the congregation to sing it several times, in different ways.
"Faith and hope and love abide - love is greatest of the three. Faith and hope abide, but love the greatest is."
Message with the Children of All Ages
Suggestion:
Ask the children if they have any friends. Then ask, how do they know if those friends are friends. Tie this in with God's friendship toward us, and how Jesus shows in many ways his friendship toward us.
Proclamation of the Word
Consider these ideas:
Title possibilities: "The Fine Art of Friendship,"
or,
"The Greatest Love"
One night, at a wedding rehearsal, the husband-to-be said in the presence of his wife-to-be, about his ex-wife, "She is my best friend." Not likely!
Reality: We have many acquaintances; few friends.
The poet says that three friends in a lifetime makes us rich.
Identify some of the qualities of friendship:
1. Willingness to listen.
2. Trust.
3. Patience.
4. Confrontation, assertively, not aggressively.
5. Commitment. In my book, "Achieving and Receiving Intimacy," I define love this way: "Love is not a feeling; love is a commitment which contains all of the feelings that people feel. Sometimes we're sad with each other; sometimes, angry at each other; sometimes, scared of each other; sometimes, confused around each other; and sometimes, joyful in each other."
Stewardship Challenge
Suggestion:
Bruce Larson once said that "we would rather give a service, than be a servant." I say that we would rather have servants than be servants. Friendship involves servanthood.
After the offering, pray this prayer: "We are mindful that you ask all from us, God; we are grateful that you give all to us."
Charge to the Congregation
Consider this:
Use 2 Corinthians 13:10-11 in a contemporary version. Before reading that Scripture, you may want to introduce it with words similar to these: "To have a friend, you will need to be a friend; therefore, if you were someone else, would you like to be a friend of yours?"
Planning for Your Congregation
Suggestions
Your Situation
I. Other Scriptures
Liturgist:
Psalm 98
Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48
Acts 11:19-30
1 John 5:1-6
1 John 4:1-11
II. Suggested Hymns
Coordinator:
"God Is Love; Let Heaven Adore Him"
Timothy Rees (1874-1939); alt.
"Love Divine, All Loves Excelling"
Charles Wesley, 1747; alt.
"Called by Christ to Love Each Other"
Jane Parker Huber (from A Singing Faith, Jane Parker Huber Westminster Press, Philadelphia, Pa.)
III. Other Music Possibilities
Organist/Choir director:
Music for Preparation
Medley of popular songs on Friendship
Response to the Sermon
Popular song on friendship
Response to the Old Testament
"Kum Ba Yah"
add, "laughing"
Music for Dismissal
"They'll Know We Are Christians By Our Love"
Peter Scholtes, 1966
IV. Bulletin Cover
Church secretary:
V. Bulletin Symbols
VI. Miscellaneous Details (Assignments:)
Ushers
Candlelighters
Hosts/Hostesses
Banners
Flowers
Greeters
Posters
Name-tags
Others
