Jesus' awareness of the cost of discipleship
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Planning Ideas And Resources For The Entire Church Year
Pastoral Invitation to the Celebration
One pastor began this way:
Welcome to this celebration. Unlike many celebrations, the reason we don't sell tickets is because we don't want spectators. God calls us, not as an audience to judge the value of worship, but as a congregation, responsible for worship. Spectators have no place in worship. So, our response is not, "I liked it, or didn't like it." Our response is, "Here I am, Lord, how do you want me to live your life this week?"
You may want to use this litany:
Pastor:
Jesus - called the Christ - has offered us a way of being fully human.
Ministers: He has presented us a new style of life based on love and peace and justice for all persons.
Pastor: He has invited the church to declare this new way of life.
Ministers: We are the church at worship so we will be the church in mission.
Pastor: I invite us to celebrate life in Christ.
Ministers: We shall. We do. Amen! So be it!
The Act of Recognizing our Humanness and The Act of Receiving New Life
Suggestion:
Begin, Now that it's all over, what did I do yesterday that's worth mentioning?
(give several moments of silence.)
You may want to ask the saints to pray this prayer:
Gracious, Holy and Loving God, I haveforgotten, often, this past week of what love and forgiveness mean in my life. I have been reluctant to respond to my neighbor's needs; often, I've never even taken the time to find out his needs. I have talked behind his back when he could not defend self. I have held on selfishly to spiritual and material idols when I knew better. Forgive me again, Lord. Help me to see, and create, a joyful tomorrow, where you and I and the world can/will work together for this thing you call mercy.
Following the verbal praying of this prayer, ask the people to pray it silently, by putting some specific names to it.
Then, you may want to conclude with this litany:
Pastor:
The Word of Christ is Good News.
Ministers: Our humanness has been received. We will be ourselves.
Pastor:
The past is forgiven, all of it. The future is before us, all of it.
Ministers: We live with courage and with a deep concern for others.
Pastor:
I invite us to give thanks and embrace our lives, and the lives of each other.
Ministers: We do! Amen! Yes!
Message with the Children of All Ages
Try this:
Bring some pictures of people's expressions when they don't get their own way. Before showing the pictures, ask the children how they look when they don't get their own way. Possibilities: pouty lips, angry voices, going silent, etc. Peter got angry one day when he didn't get his own way with Jesus. Describe the scene. Then, point out this hard saying to Jesus. Compare this when our parents demand/command that we obey them. We often don't like it, or them, at the time. We may understand years later. The disciples understood years later, after Jesus rose, what he insisted would be in store for them.
Proclamation of the Word
Consider this:
Possible title: "Of Course, I'm a Christian - Isn't Everyone?"
Most of us prefer to center our lives on the comfortable words of Jesus. Today, we look at one of the hard sayings, the confronting words of Jesus. In preparation for this message, or in preparation for the message, ask the people to write a definition of a Christian. Here's what a young person wrote once: "A Christian is someone who goes to church every Sunday and to other church meetings, even when he has something which may be more fun to do ... " Many long-time church members have never gotten beyond that kind of thinking. Many never get beyond the demand, "What can I get from it; what's in it for me?", to "What will I bring to it; what will I do in response to God's love for me and the world?"
Stewardship Challenge
Consider this:
What parts of ourselves will we commit to God and to Christ's mission this week. Pretend that your offering represents that part of yourself. Now, what obstacles are you permitting to block the other parts from responding?
Charge to the Congregation
Suggestion:
In a football game, if a team huddles for more than twenty-five seconds, it is penalized. The huddle is as important for a football team as the huddle of corporate worship is for the community of faith. All that God ever intended the worship to be is the huddle. We come together for the purpose of going out and hitting the lines. So - the huddle is over - it's time to get back into the thick of the action; because worship is not something that happens between the church and God, but rather, something that happens between the world and God.
Planning for Your Congregation
Suggestions
Your Situation
I. Other Scriptures
Liturgist:
Psalm 105:1-11
Psalm 115:1, 9-18
Psalm 116:10, 15-19
Genesis 17:1-10, 15-19
Genesis 28:10-17 (18-22)
Genesis 22:1-2, 9-13, 15-18
Romans 4:16-25
Romans 5:1-11
Romans 8:31-34
II. Suggested Hymns
Coordinator:
"God of Grace and God of Glory"
Harry Emerson Fosdick, 1930 (continue to use this as a hymn for Lent)
"O God of Bethel, by Whose Hand"
Philip Doddridge, 1736, and others as in Scottish Paraphrases, 1781; alt. 1972
"Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah"
William Williams, 1745 St. 1 trans. by Peter Williams, 1771
Sts. 2, 3 trans. by William or John Williams, 1772
"Lord of the Strong, When Earth You Trod"
Donald Hankey (1884-1916)
"He Who Would Valiant Be"
John Bunyan, 1684
Adapted by Percy Dearmer, 1906
"For Perfect Love So Freely Spent"
Louise Marshall McDowell, 1965
(for celebrating the sacrament of the Lord's Supper)
III. Other Music Possibilities
Organist/Choir director:
Music for Preparation
"Pastorale"
Franck
For other responses: Use any of the hymns above that the congregation will not sing.
Response to the Benediction
"Day by Day" from "Godspell"
St. Richard of Chichester (alt.) Stephen Schwartz
Music for Dismissal
One of the above hymns, give the hymn number so people will follow
IV. Bulletin Cover
Church secretary:
V. Bulletin Symbols
VI. Miscellaneous Details (Assignments)
Ushers
Candlelighters
Hosts/Hostesses
Banners
Flowers
Greeters
Posters
Name-tags
Others
One pastor began this way:
Welcome to this celebration. Unlike many celebrations, the reason we don't sell tickets is because we don't want spectators. God calls us, not as an audience to judge the value of worship, but as a congregation, responsible for worship. Spectators have no place in worship. So, our response is not, "I liked it, or didn't like it." Our response is, "Here I am, Lord, how do you want me to live your life this week?"
You may want to use this litany:
Pastor:
Jesus - called the Christ - has offered us a way of being fully human.
Ministers: He has presented us a new style of life based on love and peace and justice for all persons.
Pastor: He has invited the church to declare this new way of life.
Ministers: We are the church at worship so we will be the church in mission.
Pastor: I invite us to celebrate life in Christ.
Ministers: We shall. We do. Amen! So be it!
The Act of Recognizing our Humanness and The Act of Receiving New Life
Suggestion:
Begin, Now that it's all over, what did I do yesterday that's worth mentioning?
(give several moments of silence.)
You may want to ask the saints to pray this prayer:
Gracious, Holy and Loving God, I haveforgotten, often, this past week of what love and forgiveness mean in my life. I have been reluctant to respond to my neighbor's needs; often, I've never even taken the time to find out his needs. I have talked behind his back when he could not defend self. I have held on selfishly to spiritual and material idols when I knew better. Forgive me again, Lord. Help me to see, and create, a joyful tomorrow, where you and I and the world can/will work together for this thing you call mercy.
Following the verbal praying of this prayer, ask the people to pray it silently, by putting some specific names to it.
Then, you may want to conclude with this litany:
Pastor:
The Word of Christ is Good News.
Ministers: Our humanness has been received. We will be ourselves.
Pastor:
The past is forgiven, all of it. The future is before us, all of it.
Ministers: We live with courage and with a deep concern for others.
Pastor:
I invite us to give thanks and embrace our lives, and the lives of each other.
Ministers: We do! Amen! Yes!
Message with the Children of All Ages
Try this:
Bring some pictures of people's expressions when they don't get their own way. Before showing the pictures, ask the children how they look when they don't get their own way. Possibilities: pouty lips, angry voices, going silent, etc. Peter got angry one day when he didn't get his own way with Jesus. Describe the scene. Then, point out this hard saying to Jesus. Compare this when our parents demand/command that we obey them. We often don't like it, or them, at the time. We may understand years later. The disciples understood years later, after Jesus rose, what he insisted would be in store for them.
Proclamation of the Word
Consider this:
Possible title: "Of Course, I'm a Christian - Isn't Everyone?"
Most of us prefer to center our lives on the comfortable words of Jesus. Today, we look at one of the hard sayings, the confronting words of Jesus. In preparation for this message, or in preparation for the message, ask the people to write a definition of a Christian. Here's what a young person wrote once: "A Christian is someone who goes to church every Sunday and to other church meetings, even when he has something which may be more fun to do ... " Many long-time church members have never gotten beyond that kind of thinking. Many never get beyond the demand, "What can I get from it; what's in it for me?", to "What will I bring to it; what will I do in response to God's love for me and the world?"
Stewardship Challenge
Consider this:
What parts of ourselves will we commit to God and to Christ's mission this week. Pretend that your offering represents that part of yourself. Now, what obstacles are you permitting to block the other parts from responding?
Charge to the Congregation
Suggestion:
In a football game, if a team huddles for more than twenty-five seconds, it is penalized. The huddle is as important for a football team as the huddle of corporate worship is for the community of faith. All that God ever intended the worship to be is the huddle. We come together for the purpose of going out and hitting the lines. So - the huddle is over - it's time to get back into the thick of the action; because worship is not something that happens between the church and God, but rather, something that happens between the world and God.
Planning for Your Congregation
Suggestions
Your Situation
I. Other Scriptures
Liturgist:
Psalm 105:1-11
Psalm 115:1, 9-18
Psalm 116:10, 15-19
Genesis 17:1-10, 15-19
Genesis 28:10-17 (18-22)
Genesis 22:1-2, 9-13, 15-18
Romans 4:16-25
Romans 5:1-11
Romans 8:31-34
II. Suggested Hymns
Coordinator:
"God of Grace and God of Glory"
Harry Emerson Fosdick, 1930 (continue to use this as a hymn for Lent)
"O God of Bethel, by Whose Hand"
Philip Doddridge, 1736, and others as in Scottish Paraphrases, 1781; alt. 1972
"Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah"
William Williams, 1745 St. 1 trans. by Peter Williams, 1771
Sts. 2, 3 trans. by William or John Williams, 1772
"Lord of the Strong, When Earth You Trod"
Donald Hankey (1884-1916)
"He Who Would Valiant Be"
John Bunyan, 1684
Adapted by Percy Dearmer, 1906
"For Perfect Love So Freely Spent"
Louise Marshall McDowell, 1965
(for celebrating the sacrament of the Lord's Supper)
III. Other Music Possibilities
Organist/Choir director:
Music for Preparation
"Pastorale"
Franck
For other responses: Use any of the hymns above that the congregation will not sing.
Response to the Benediction
"Day by Day" from "Godspell"
St. Richard of Chichester (alt.) Stephen Schwartz
Music for Dismissal
One of the above hymns, give the hymn number so people will follow
IV. Bulletin Cover
Church secretary:
V. Bulletin Symbols
VI. Miscellaneous Details (Assignments)
Ushers
Candlelighters
Hosts/Hostesses
Banners
Flowers
Greeters
Posters
Name-tags
Others
