The Lamb of God and the Calling of Several Disciples
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Series II, Cycle A Gospel Texts
Adoration And Praise
Invitation to the Celebration
(In advance, ask five or six people if you can use their names in the call to worship.) Remember the tobacco radio ad, "Call for Phillip Morris!"? Piggyback on this idea from the balcony, rear of the sanctuary, or on a megaphone. "Call for (name each person)." After finishing, offer one minute of silence, after asking, "How many of you received God's call as obviously as that?" (Show of hands.) Now, silently, consider how you did receive God's call. Was it somewhere between the call of Peter and Paul?
P: Lord, we know that you call us to be your persons in many ways.
M: Thanks for not expecting us to hear and to respond in the same way.
P: In this worship, give us your spirit to review and to renew our call.
M: We're waiting, with anticipation, to hear from you. Indeed we are! So, open our ears, and then, our voices, for the sake of the good news.
Response
"Be Thou My Vision."
Confession And Forgiveness
The Act of Recognizing Our Humanity
I invite us to examine our call to become Christ's person in light of the call that came to the biblical people. So, pick your favorite biblical character. As homework this week, find out as much as you can about him/her. Note their warts and wonders, strengths and weaknesses, denials and obediences. Notice how similar and different you are from that person. As a result of your study and your comparison, what do you decide about yourself? And how will that decision affect your confession of sin next week and from then on? Take a few minutes to choose your biblical person.
Response
"When I Had Not Yet Learned of Jesus" (Yoosun Lee, 1967; paraphrase c.1990, Jane Parker Huber; Westminster/John Knox Press).
The Act of Receiving New Life
Unfortunately, we have allowed ourselves to make heroes and heroines of the biblical people. As a result, many, inside and outside of the church, consider themselves inferior, inaccessible to God. Away with such rubbish! God receives a broken and contrite life. No sin keeps us from God, except one: Sin against Holy Spirit, which means that we keep saying "no"Êforever. And even if we do, God keeps pursuing us anyway. (Invite people to read The Hound of Heaven, by Francis Thompson; make copies available.)
P: The word of Christ is good news.
M: Our humanity has been received. We can be ourselves.
P: The past is forgiven -- all of it, up to this second! The future is before us -- all of it, beyond this second!
M: We live with courage and with a deep concern for people of all conditions and cultures.
P: I invite us to give thanks, and to embrace our lives.
M: Indeed we do! Be it so!
Response
"Fill My Cup, Lord." Soloist sings stanzas; people sing the chorus. (Words/music by Richard Blanchard; arranged by Eugene Clark; copyright assigned to Sacred Songs, Division of Word, Inc.; found in Folk Encounter, Hope Publishing Company. See Appendix I for address.)
Listening And Proclaiming
Message with the Children of All Ages
When your mother or dad or teacher calls you, what do they want you to do? (Give examples.) "Time for dinner!" "Come in out of the cold!" (Let them respond.) How do you suppose Jesus calls you? Any ideas? (Take your time. If no response, ask one of the older children who did not come forward. You may want to prepare this person in advance. Share your own call, only do so briefly. Point out the many ways that God calls people.)
Reading from the Newer Covenant
Drama group to act out the scene; or develop the scripture into a litany. Or, for the extra-creative, prepare a contemporary version of the scripture; or use the Cotton Patch version by Clarence Jordan (Association Press, New York).
Proclamation of the Good News
If you have good rapport with your congregation, speak on the theme, "How I Became a Christian."ÊBe certain to identify your doubts, questions, frustrations, resistances, as well as the joys of the struggle.
Stewardship Challenge
1. Hand out the stars to those who have not yet received one.
2. In advance, ask two people who received stars last week to share their experience. Continue to do this until the last Sunday of Epiphany.
Hymn of Commitment
(The result of the call) "Here I Am, Lord" (by Daniel Schutte, published by North American Liturgy Resources, found in The Presbyterian Hymnal, Presbyterian Church -- U.S.A.).
Charge to the Congregation
We are called, not to be another Christ, not to imitate Christ, but to obey Christ. Personally, I am not interested in listening to people say, "But what would Christ do?" Who cares what Christ would do? Besides, he's already done what he would do. What are you supposed to do? Stop blaming it all on Christ. Start addressing yourself, in his name, to his world (from Listen Pilgrim, slightly revised).
Meditation
"If one-tenth of the things we say we believe as Christians are true, then we ought to be ten times as excited as we are" (William James).
Music Possibilities In Addition To Those Already Suggested
Music for Preparation: Medley of Epiphany hymns. (See Epiphany 1.) Or, "Adagio," Sonata in E-flat, Bach.
Hymn of Praise: "Brightest and Best of the Sons (Ones) of the Morning," Reginald Heber, 1811; alt. 1972.
Older Testament: Use the hymn, "O Sing a New Song to the Lord," Pry's Welsh Psalter, 1621; or have the choir sing a version of Psalm 96.
Response to the Message with the Children: "A New Wind Blowin'," words/ music by David Yantis, copyright 1969, from New Wine, Songs for Celebration. (See Appendix I for address.)
Offertory: "Rejoice, My Soul," Karg-Elert.
Hymn of Commitment: "The Great Creator of the Worlds," from Epistle to Diogenetus, second or third century; para. by F. Bland Tucker, 1939, 1972.
Music for Dismissal: Medley of Epiphany hymns. Coordinate them with the theme of the day.
Invitation to the Celebration
(In advance, ask five or six people if you can use their names in the call to worship.) Remember the tobacco radio ad, "Call for Phillip Morris!"? Piggyback on this idea from the balcony, rear of the sanctuary, or on a megaphone. "Call for (name each person)." After finishing, offer one minute of silence, after asking, "How many of you received God's call as obviously as that?" (Show of hands.) Now, silently, consider how you did receive God's call. Was it somewhere between the call of Peter and Paul?
P: Lord, we know that you call us to be your persons in many ways.
M: Thanks for not expecting us to hear and to respond in the same way.
P: In this worship, give us your spirit to review and to renew our call.
M: We're waiting, with anticipation, to hear from you. Indeed we are! So, open our ears, and then, our voices, for the sake of the good news.
Response
"Be Thou My Vision."
Confession And Forgiveness
The Act of Recognizing Our Humanity
I invite us to examine our call to become Christ's person in light of the call that came to the biblical people. So, pick your favorite biblical character. As homework this week, find out as much as you can about him/her. Note their warts and wonders, strengths and weaknesses, denials and obediences. Notice how similar and different you are from that person. As a result of your study and your comparison, what do you decide about yourself? And how will that decision affect your confession of sin next week and from then on? Take a few minutes to choose your biblical person.
Response
"When I Had Not Yet Learned of Jesus" (Yoosun Lee, 1967; paraphrase c.1990, Jane Parker Huber; Westminster/John Knox Press).
The Act of Receiving New Life
Unfortunately, we have allowed ourselves to make heroes and heroines of the biblical people. As a result, many, inside and outside of the church, consider themselves inferior, inaccessible to God. Away with such rubbish! God receives a broken and contrite life. No sin keeps us from God, except one: Sin against Holy Spirit, which means that we keep saying "no"Êforever. And even if we do, God keeps pursuing us anyway. (Invite people to read The Hound of Heaven, by Francis Thompson; make copies available.)
P: The word of Christ is good news.
M: Our humanity has been received. We can be ourselves.
P: The past is forgiven -- all of it, up to this second! The future is before us -- all of it, beyond this second!
M: We live with courage and with a deep concern for people of all conditions and cultures.
P: I invite us to give thanks, and to embrace our lives.
M: Indeed we do! Be it so!
Response
"Fill My Cup, Lord." Soloist sings stanzas; people sing the chorus. (Words/music by Richard Blanchard; arranged by Eugene Clark; copyright assigned to Sacred Songs, Division of Word, Inc.; found in Folk Encounter, Hope Publishing Company. See Appendix I for address.)
Listening And Proclaiming
Message with the Children of All Ages
When your mother or dad or teacher calls you, what do they want you to do? (Give examples.) "Time for dinner!" "Come in out of the cold!" (Let them respond.) How do you suppose Jesus calls you? Any ideas? (Take your time. If no response, ask one of the older children who did not come forward. You may want to prepare this person in advance. Share your own call, only do so briefly. Point out the many ways that God calls people.)
Reading from the Newer Covenant
Drama group to act out the scene; or develop the scripture into a litany. Or, for the extra-creative, prepare a contemporary version of the scripture; or use the Cotton Patch version by Clarence Jordan (Association Press, New York).
Proclamation of the Good News
If you have good rapport with your congregation, speak on the theme, "How I Became a Christian."ÊBe certain to identify your doubts, questions, frustrations, resistances, as well as the joys of the struggle.
Stewardship Challenge
1. Hand out the stars to those who have not yet received one.
2. In advance, ask two people who received stars last week to share their experience. Continue to do this until the last Sunday of Epiphany.
Hymn of Commitment
(The result of the call) "Here I Am, Lord" (by Daniel Schutte, published by North American Liturgy Resources, found in The Presbyterian Hymnal, Presbyterian Church -- U.S.A.).
Charge to the Congregation
We are called, not to be another Christ, not to imitate Christ, but to obey Christ. Personally, I am not interested in listening to people say, "But what would Christ do?" Who cares what Christ would do? Besides, he's already done what he would do. What are you supposed to do? Stop blaming it all on Christ. Start addressing yourself, in his name, to his world (from Listen Pilgrim, slightly revised).
Meditation
"If one-tenth of the things we say we believe as Christians are true, then we ought to be ten times as excited as we are" (William James).
Music Possibilities In Addition To Those Already Suggested
Music for Preparation: Medley of Epiphany hymns. (See Epiphany 1.) Or, "Adagio," Sonata in E-flat, Bach.
Hymn of Praise: "Brightest and Best of the Sons (Ones) of the Morning," Reginald Heber, 1811; alt. 1972.
Older Testament: Use the hymn, "O Sing a New Song to the Lord," Pry's Welsh Psalter, 1621; or have the choir sing a version of Psalm 96.
Response to the Message with the Children: "A New Wind Blowin'," words/ music by David Yantis, copyright 1969, from New Wine, Songs for Celebration. (See Appendix I for address.)
Offertory: "Rejoice, My Soul," Karg-Elert.
Hymn of Commitment: "The Great Creator of the Worlds," from Epistle to Diogenetus, second or third century; para. by F. Bland Tucker, 1939, 1972.
Music for Dismissal: Medley of Epiphany hymns. Coordinate them with the theme of the day.
