People Argue Among Themselves
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Series II, Cycle B
Note
The idea for this celebration of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper comes from a sermon by Henry E. Kolbe, a United Methodist clergyman (now deceased). The sermon was printed in The Pulpit magazine (July-August, 1966). I used this idea previously in Lectionary Worship Workbook, Cycle B, published in 1990 by CSS Publishing Company. I invite you to consider using it, with appropriate variations, once a year. You may also want to use Henry Kolbe's sermon, "The Lord's Supper," copyright 1966 Christian Century Foundation, found in the July-August, 1966, issue of The Pulpit.
The Community Gathers To Celebrate
Pastoral Invitation (Pastor and Ministers)
The pastor, wearing a blue denim jacket, or Levis, or the latest outfit which identifies with those who work with their hands, enters the sanctuary. This reminds us that God became incarnate in an ordinary human. Share this with the people: Jesus was not born, nor did he minister in a palace of a king or the library of a scholar. For me, personally, the clothing identifies us with the motorcycle crowd, whom we write off as the incorrigibles, the unwanted and unwashed, the lowest of earth. It also reminds me of the farmers in our country, as well as the poor laborers of other countries, who provide us with the basics of life, even though some remain hungry. Many remain poor so that we will eat well. The clothing symbolizes Jesus and the church's identification with the oppressed, and those shut off from God, and Christ's body, the church.
P: Listen! Observe! Think! Do you see and hear the voice of God?
M: Sometimes we do; sometimes we do not. That all depends if we are more concerned about our own lives, or the lives of others.
P: I invite us, this hour, this week, to become and remain open to God's nudging and urging.
M: In the name of the Christ, who lived and died for the whole world, we shall.
Hymn of Praise
"God, Give Us Eyes and Hearts to See," Jane Parker Huber, 1982.
Prayer of Praise
Remind the people that God is a God of the whole world, not only our little niche; a God of those whom we do not like, yes, a God of our enemies.
Taking Responsibility For Our Attitudes And Actions
Introduction to the Act of Confession
One of our sins is to think that God offers the sacrament to us, as favored ones; or that God offers the sacrament to others only if we need have no relationship with those "others," so long as we send our mission dollars. Worship and the sacrament are corporate acts of the whole people of God. So, I invite us to offer our silent confession about how we are a part of these and other expressions of sin, such as self-centeredness, greed, waste, responsibility, not for, but to other persons. (One minute of silence.) (2) Being parasites, rather than contributors. (One minute of silence.) (3) Ignoring the tragedy of human separations. (One minute of silence.) (4) Add your own. (One minute of silence.)
Unison Prayer from Germany
This is our poverty -- that we do not belong to each other or serve one another. We go each our own way and do not care for our neighbor. We pray, Lord, deliver us from this estrangement; deliver us from our sin which divides us. Join us closely in true love. Have mercy upon all of your people. Lord, we believe; help us in our unbelief.
Response
Musical version of "Hear Our Prayer, O Lord." Sing as a round.
Introduction to the Act of Pardon
Well in advance of today's worship, ask several people to prepare to offer prayers of pardon and forgiveness. Let them know of the theme for today, and where they will offer their prayers in the specific order of worship.
The Community Responds To God's Truth
Message with the Children of All Ages
Invite the children to stay for the message, which may be taken from Henry Kolbe's sermon, "The Last Supper."
Reading the Gospel
Use the same litany as last week, with the addition of today's Gospel.
Proclamation of the Word
1. The table. Use an ordinary table, not the communion table. It symbolizes food, sustenance for the body and life, and thus, a remembering of Jesus, who said, "I am the bread of life" (John 6:48). It symbolizes fellowship; for eating is both a physical and spiritual act, both a biological and sociological act. In a sense, we eat on behalf of all of those who have nothing to eat.
2. The bread. Not neatly pre-cut into dainty cubes; not the soft, white, bleached, overly-refined bread, which loses its vital character. But rather, a bread made of whole grain flour, with all of the natural nutrients and roughage left in. So it is "the dark brown body of Jesus for you." Not ordinary brown bread, but a bread representing our political enemies, whom Christ also loves; Jewish bread, not ceremonial, but the kind used in homes at mealtime, symbolizing our Old Testament roots. Dark brown, symbolizing Christ's presence in the nonwhite culture, the poor and oppressed everywhere. Not pre-cut; each will break off a piece, symbolizing our active partaking of the body of Christ, and our participating in the whole community of faith of which the loaf is a symbol. No nibbling allowed!
3. The wine. Not the sweet juice of the grape, which is bland, and which is easily swallowed, leaving a mild, pleasant taste. We will use grape juice laced with vinegar. To drink of Jesus' blood means to make his life into our own, "for the blood is life" (Deuteronomy 12:23). Drinking of the blood can never be something pleasant and mild; it jars and offends. Vinegar is a reminder of the vinegar given in the sponge to Jesus at Golgotha (Matthew 27:48). He refused the first offer; he accepted the second. Point out the reason for doing so.
Response to the Proclamation
"I come with Joy," Brian Wren, 1968; rev. 1977; American folk melody; arr. Austin C. Lovelace, 1977.
Following communion, sing "For the Bread Which You Have Broken," Louis FitzGerald Benson, 1924; alt. (two tunes) Vicar Earle Copes, 1959 and John Stainer, 1887.
The Community Becomes Responsible To God's World
Stewardship Challenge
(For the extremely courageous) The stewardship of the sacrament: the church exists, not for our enjoyment, or comfort, or security; it exists for the doing of God's work in God's world, for the achievement of God's purpose in God's world. One pastor said to his congregation that it is blasphemous to regard the hosts of nominal, lukewarm members of existing churches as members of the body of Christ. Good for him!
Hymn of Commitment
"Living Word of God Eternal," Jeffery Rowthorn, 1983.
Charge to the Congregation
"At what point, or points, in worship and the sacrament, did we allow God to reach us? And how will we respond this coming week?" (WHK).
Meditation
"Without knowing what to emphasize and what to ignore, chaos reigns. Special events call attention to who we are, what has happened to us, and give meaning to us, bringing us constant recovery" (J. Ashbrook).
Music Possibilities In Addition To Those Already Suggested
Music for Preparation: "O Lamb of God," J. S. Bach.
Hymn of Praise: "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee," Charles Wesley, 1740; Malcolm Williamson (b. 1931).
Response to the Pastoral Invitation: (Adult choir) "As In the Solemn Stillness," Fiesinger.
Response to the Scriptures: (Adult choir) "See What Love," Felix Mendelssohn.
Invitation to the Sacrament: (Adult choir) "O Taste Ye and See," Tchesnikoff.
Response to the Stewardship Challenge: "Prayer," Guilmant.
Hymn of Commitment: "Upon Your Great Church Universal," J. M. de Carbon-Ferriere, 1823; trans. by Margaret House, 1949; alt., 1972.
Music for Dismissal: "Cantabile," Guilmant.
The idea for this celebration of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper comes from a sermon by Henry E. Kolbe, a United Methodist clergyman (now deceased). The sermon was printed in The Pulpit magazine (July-August, 1966). I used this idea previously in Lectionary Worship Workbook, Cycle B, published in 1990 by CSS Publishing Company. I invite you to consider using it, with appropriate variations, once a year. You may also want to use Henry Kolbe's sermon, "The Lord's Supper," copyright 1966 Christian Century Foundation, found in the July-August, 1966, issue of The Pulpit.
The Community Gathers To Celebrate
Pastoral Invitation (Pastor and Ministers)
The pastor, wearing a blue denim jacket, or Levis, or the latest outfit which identifies with those who work with their hands, enters the sanctuary. This reminds us that God became incarnate in an ordinary human. Share this with the people: Jesus was not born, nor did he minister in a palace of a king or the library of a scholar. For me, personally, the clothing identifies us with the motorcycle crowd, whom we write off as the incorrigibles, the unwanted and unwashed, the lowest of earth. It also reminds me of the farmers in our country, as well as the poor laborers of other countries, who provide us with the basics of life, even though some remain hungry. Many remain poor so that we will eat well. The clothing symbolizes Jesus and the church's identification with the oppressed, and those shut off from God, and Christ's body, the church.
P: Listen! Observe! Think! Do you see and hear the voice of God?
M: Sometimes we do; sometimes we do not. That all depends if we are more concerned about our own lives, or the lives of others.
P: I invite us, this hour, this week, to become and remain open to God's nudging and urging.
M: In the name of the Christ, who lived and died for the whole world, we shall.
Hymn of Praise
"God, Give Us Eyes and Hearts to See," Jane Parker Huber, 1982.
Prayer of Praise
Remind the people that God is a God of the whole world, not only our little niche; a God of those whom we do not like, yes, a God of our enemies.
Taking Responsibility For Our Attitudes And Actions
Introduction to the Act of Confession
One of our sins is to think that God offers the sacrament to us, as favored ones; or that God offers the sacrament to others only if we need have no relationship with those "others," so long as we send our mission dollars. Worship and the sacrament are corporate acts of the whole people of God. So, I invite us to offer our silent confession about how we are a part of these and other expressions of sin, such as self-centeredness, greed, waste, responsibility, not for, but to other persons. (One minute of silence.) (2) Being parasites, rather than contributors. (One minute of silence.) (3) Ignoring the tragedy of human separations. (One minute of silence.) (4) Add your own. (One minute of silence.)
Unison Prayer from Germany
This is our poverty -- that we do not belong to each other or serve one another. We go each our own way and do not care for our neighbor. We pray, Lord, deliver us from this estrangement; deliver us from our sin which divides us. Join us closely in true love. Have mercy upon all of your people. Lord, we believe; help us in our unbelief.
Response
Musical version of "Hear Our Prayer, O Lord." Sing as a round.
Introduction to the Act of Pardon
Well in advance of today's worship, ask several people to prepare to offer prayers of pardon and forgiveness. Let them know of the theme for today, and where they will offer their prayers in the specific order of worship.
The Community Responds To God's Truth
Message with the Children of All Ages
Invite the children to stay for the message, which may be taken from Henry Kolbe's sermon, "The Last Supper."
Reading the Gospel
Use the same litany as last week, with the addition of today's Gospel.
Proclamation of the Word
1. The table. Use an ordinary table, not the communion table. It symbolizes food, sustenance for the body and life, and thus, a remembering of Jesus, who said, "I am the bread of life" (John 6:48). It symbolizes fellowship; for eating is both a physical and spiritual act, both a biological and sociological act. In a sense, we eat on behalf of all of those who have nothing to eat.
2. The bread. Not neatly pre-cut into dainty cubes; not the soft, white, bleached, overly-refined bread, which loses its vital character. But rather, a bread made of whole grain flour, with all of the natural nutrients and roughage left in. So it is "the dark brown body of Jesus for you." Not ordinary brown bread, but a bread representing our political enemies, whom Christ also loves; Jewish bread, not ceremonial, but the kind used in homes at mealtime, symbolizing our Old Testament roots. Dark brown, symbolizing Christ's presence in the nonwhite culture, the poor and oppressed everywhere. Not pre-cut; each will break off a piece, symbolizing our active partaking of the body of Christ, and our participating in the whole community of faith of which the loaf is a symbol. No nibbling allowed!
3. The wine. Not the sweet juice of the grape, which is bland, and which is easily swallowed, leaving a mild, pleasant taste. We will use grape juice laced with vinegar. To drink of Jesus' blood means to make his life into our own, "for the blood is life" (Deuteronomy 12:23). Drinking of the blood can never be something pleasant and mild; it jars and offends. Vinegar is a reminder of the vinegar given in the sponge to Jesus at Golgotha (Matthew 27:48). He refused the first offer; he accepted the second. Point out the reason for doing so.
Response to the Proclamation
"I come with Joy," Brian Wren, 1968; rev. 1977; American folk melody; arr. Austin C. Lovelace, 1977.
Following communion, sing "For the Bread Which You Have Broken," Louis FitzGerald Benson, 1924; alt. (two tunes) Vicar Earle Copes, 1959 and John Stainer, 1887.
The Community Becomes Responsible To God's World
Stewardship Challenge
(For the extremely courageous) The stewardship of the sacrament: the church exists, not for our enjoyment, or comfort, or security; it exists for the doing of God's work in God's world, for the achievement of God's purpose in God's world. One pastor said to his congregation that it is blasphemous to regard the hosts of nominal, lukewarm members of existing churches as members of the body of Christ. Good for him!
Hymn of Commitment
"Living Word of God Eternal," Jeffery Rowthorn, 1983.
Charge to the Congregation
"At what point, or points, in worship and the sacrament, did we allow God to reach us? And how will we respond this coming week?" (WHK).
Meditation
"Without knowing what to emphasize and what to ignore, chaos reigns. Special events call attention to who we are, what has happened to us, and give meaning to us, bringing us constant recovery" (J. Ashbrook).
Music Possibilities In Addition To Those Already Suggested
Music for Preparation: "O Lamb of God," J. S. Bach.
Hymn of Praise: "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee," Charles Wesley, 1740; Malcolm Williamson (b. 1931).
Response to the Pastoral Invitation: (Adult choir) "As In the Solemn Stillness," Fiesinger.
Response to the Scriptures: (Adult choir) "See What Love," Felix Mendelssohn.
Invitation to the Sacrament: (Adult choir) "O Taste Ye and See," Tchesnikoff.
Response to the Stewardship Challenge: "Prayer," Guilmant.
Hymn of Commitment: "Upon Your Great Church Universal," J. M. de Carbon-Ferriere, 1823; trans. by Margaret House, 1949; alt., 1972.
Music for Dismissal: "Cantabile," Guilmant.
