Jesus, the Bread of Life and the Disciples Expectations and Demands
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Series II, Cycle B
Adoration
Pastoral Invitation (Pastor and Ministers)
In the name of the risen, active Christ, welcome to the eleventh Sunday of Pentecost. As we begin worship, consider, silently, your expectations of yourself, others, God. Write them down. (Wait.) Do they focus on physical or spiritual bread? (Wait.)
P: Jesus said, "I am the bread of life."
M: We receive your gift.
P: I offer my bread to the world. You are to share it.
M: In your name, Lord, we share your life with a world which is dying to hear about, and receive, it.
Response
"Awake, My Soul, and with the Sun," Thomas Ken, 1695; alt. Fran ois Hipolyte Barthélémon, 1785; as in The Church Hymnal for the Christian Year, 1917.
Prayer of Adoration
Focus on the Bread-maker and Provider, the One who puts our expectations in the proper perspective. Perhaps you will want to conclude with a prayer similar to this: God, our Parent, Child, Spirit, we rejoice that you have invited us to gather in corporate worship to celebrate your relationship with us, and our relationship with each other. Prepare our hearts, minds, wills to receive the truth of Jesus, the Breadgiver, as we think and act upon your word, and celebrate your presence and power in scripture and song, in the prayers and the proclamation, in the offering and the dedication. For Christ's sake and the world's.
Confession and Forgiveness
Introduction to the Act of Confession
I invite us to think about when we think about God. (One minute of silence.) Anyone? If no response, offer some possibilities; for example, in worship, in crisis, when we want something, when we want to blame God when some tragedy occurs? When? (Thirty seconds of silence.) Now, for those who mean business with our confession, I invite us to pray this prayer: God, we confess that we are often disrupted by disappointments, especially when we fail to get our own way. We plan and scheme for our lives and others, and are unsettled when things do not work out as we have planned. Therefore, we are frustrated when things do not go smoothly, according to our demands and expectations. We fume and fuss when our agenda gets ignored. We confess our need of your indwelling power to help us see ourselves and others as we are. We know that we will not make a fresh start until we are honest with you about our lives. We have wandered from you, expected the wrong things from you, and wasted your gifts. Have mercy on us, Lord. We are sorry for the secret sins which have blighted our trust in you, and made us superficial with others. (Silence for one minute.)
Response
"Seek Ye First," from Singing the Lord's Song. (See Appendix I for address.)
Introduction to the Act of Forgiveness (Pastor and Ministers)
Ask, "Do I believe that my confession leads to my forgiveness?" (Wait.) God's answer is "yes!" And, forgiveness leads to a new way of life, in the way we talk, work, study, play, worship, live. So, rejoice!
P: God has accepted our life.
M: We embrace our life.
P: Christ has called us to responsibility and set us free.
M: We are free, and responsible.
P: We are new people, in a new day, with new lives.
Response
"Free at Last," Jim Newton, from Singing the Lord's Song.
Proclamation
Message with the Children of All Ages
Have you ever said to a friend, or to your parents, "I'll do something for you if you do something for me"? (Give time to respond; give examples from your own life.) That sounds similar to what the people expected of Jesus in verses 28-31. Distinguish between Jesus' giving physical and spiritual bread.
Reading from the Gospel
Dramatize the Gospel, using a reader, "Jesus," and someone to represent the crowd. Encourage "Jesus" to memorize his words.
Proclamation of the Good News
Identify our expectations with God's responses. Often, our expectations become our demands, or at least, a conditional faith. "You scratch my back; I'll scratch yours."
Dedication
Stewardship Challenge
Do we secretly expect God to reward us, depending on the amount of our offering? And how much do we withhold if our local congregation or national church does something of which we do not approve? Gift or manipulation?
Hymn of Commitment
"Be Known to Us in Breaking Bread," James Montgomery, 1825; Day's Psalter, 1562.
Charge to the Congregation
An advertisement for a vacation church school read, "God has only good things for you." A sign on a car read, "God is so good." How do we read those statements? Strictly for ourselves? What about that part of the world which sees no such signs, and which still waits for both Jesus' physical bread, in addition to spiritual bread?
Meditation
"Saint Augustine once said that God is always trying to give good things to us, but our hands are too full to receive them. If our hands are too full, they are full of the things to which we are addicted" (Gerald May).
Music Possibilities In Addition To Those Already Suggested
Music for Preparation: Use the hymns which pertain to bread and life in your hymnbooks.
Hymn of Adoration: "We Praise Thee, O God, Our Redeemer," Julia C. Cory; Old Netherlands melody in The Collection, Adrianus Valerlius, 1625.
Response to the Confession: "You Are the Lord, Giver of Mercy," Appalachian folk melody.
Response to the Proclamation: "Fill My Cup, Lord," words and music by Richard Blanchard; arr. by Eugene Clark, from Folk Encounter. (See Appendix I for address.)
Response to the Stewardship Challenge: "For Your Gracious Blessings," source unknown, from Music For Young Voices, 1972, Hope Publishing Co. (See Appendix I for address.)
Music for Dismissal: Use the hymns which pertain to bread and life in your hymnbook.
Pastoral Invitation (Pastor and Ministers)
In the name of the risen, active Christ, welcome to the eleventh Sunday of Pentecost. As we begin worship, consider, silently, your expectations of yourself, others, God. Write them down. (Wait.) Do they focus on physical or spiritual bread? (Wait.)
P: Jesus said, "I am the bread of life."
M: We receive your gift.
P: I offer my bread to the world. You are to share it.
M: In your name, Lord, we share your life with a world which is dying to hear about, and receive, it.
Response
"Awake, My Soul, and with the Sun," Thomas Ken, 1695; alt. Fran ois Hipolyte Barthélémon, 1785; as in The Church Hymnal for the Christian Year, 1917.
Prayer of Adoration
Focus on the Bread-maker and Provider, the One who puts our expectations in the proper perspective. Perhaps you will want to conclude with a prayer similar to this: God, our Parent, Child, Spirit, we rejoice that you have invited us to gather in corporate worship to celebrate your relationship with us, and our relationship with each other. Prepare our hearts, minds, wills to receive the truth of Jesus, the Breadgiver, as we think and act upon your word, and celebrate your presence and power in scripture and song, in the prayers and the proclamation, in the offering and the dedication. For Christ's sake and the world's.
Confession and Forgiveness
Introduction to the Act of Confession
I invite us to think about when we think about God. (One minute of silence.) Anyone? If no response, offer some possibilities; for example, in worship, in crisis, when we want something, when we want to blame God when some tragedy occurs? When? (Thirty seconds of silence.) Now, for those who mean business with our confession, I invite us to pray this prayer: God, we confess that we are often disrupted by disappointments, especially when we fail to get our own way. We plan and scheme for our lives and others, and are unsettled when things do not work out as we have planned. Therefore, we are frustrated when things do not go smoothly, according to our demands and expectations. We fume and fuss when our agenda gets ignored. We confess our need of your indwelling power to help us see ourselves and others as we are. We know that we will not make a fresh start until we are honest with you about our lives. We have wandered from you, expected the wrong things from you, and wasted your gifts. Have mercy on us, Lord. We are sorry for the secret sins which have blighted our trust in you, and made us superficial with others. (Silence for one minute.)
Response
"Seek Ye First," from Singing the Lord's Song. (See Appendix I for address.)
Introduction to the Act of Forgiveness (Pastor and Ministers)
Ask, "Do I believe that my confession leads to my forgiveness?" (Wait.) God's answer is "yes!" And, forgiveness leads to a new way of life, in the way we talk, work, study, play, worship, live. So, rejoice!
P: God has accepted our life.
M: We embrace our life.
P: Christ has called us to responsibility and set us free.
M: We are free, and responsible.
P: We are new people, in a new day, with new lives.
Response
"Free at Last," Jim Newton, from Singing the Lord's Song.
Proclamation
Message with the Children of All Ages
Have you ever said to a friend, or to your parents, "I'll do something for you if you do something for me"? (Give time to respond; give examples from your own life.) That sounds similar to what the people expected of Jesus in verses 28-31. Distinguish between Jesus' giving physical and spiritual bread.
Reading from the Gospel
Dramatize the Gospel, using a reader, "Jesus," and someone to represent the crowd. Encourage "Jesus" to memorize his words.
Proclamation of the Good News
Identify our expectations with God's responses. Often, our expectations become our demands, or at least, a conditional faith. "You scratch my back; I'll scratch yours."
Dedication
Stewardship Challenge
Do we secretly expect God to reward us, depending on the amount of our offering? And how much do we withhold if our local congregation or national church does something of which we do not approve? Gift or manipulation?
Hymn of Commitment
"Be Known to Us in Breaking Bread," James Montgomery, 1825; Day's Psalter, 1562.
Charge to the Congregation
An advertisement for a vacation church school read, "God has only good things for you." A sign on a car read, "God is so good." How do we read those statements? Strictly for ourselves? What about that part of the world which sees no such signs, and which still waits for both Jesus' physical bread, in addition to spiritual bread?
Meditation
"Saint Augustine once said that God is always trying to give good things to us, but our hands are too full to receive them. If our hands are too full, they are full of the things to which we are addicted" (Gerald May).
Music Possibilities In Addition To Those Already Suggested
Music for Preparation: Use the hymns which pertain to bread and life in your hymnbooks.
Hymn of Adoration: "We Praise Thee, O God, Our Redeemer," Julia C. Cory; Old Netherlands melody in The Collection, Adrianus Valerlius, 1625.
Response to the Confession: "You Are the Lord, Giver of Mercy," Appalachian folk melody.
Response to the Proclamation: "Fill My Cup, Lord," words and music by Richard Blanchard; arr. by Eugene Clark, from Folk Encounter. (See Appendix I for address.)
Response to the Stewardship Challenge: "For Your Gracious Blessings," source unknown, from Music For Young Voices, 1972, Hope Publishing Co. (See Appendix I for address.)
Music for Dismissal: Use the hymns which pertain to bread and life in your hymnbook.
