Proper 7
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Series IV, Cycle A
Hymns
Great Is Thy Faithfulness (NCH423, PH276, UM140)
O Lord, Hear My Prayer (CBH348, Taize)
Lift High The Cross (NCH198, CBH321, UM159, PH371)
Crown Him With Many Crowns (CBH 116, UM327)
The Strife Is O'er (CBH263, UM306)
We Know That Christ Is Raised (UM610, PH495)
Take Up Your Cross (CBH536, PH393, UM415)
God's Eye Is On The Sparrow (NCH475)
Anthems
Great Is Thy Faithfulness, Cynthia Dobrinski, Agape, 3 to 5--octave handbells
O Savior Of The World, John Goss, G. Schirmer, SATB
It Is Well With My Soul, John Ness Beck, Beckenhorst, SATB
Lord Jesus, Be My Song, Kosche, CGA, Unison
Call to Worship (based on Psalm 86)
Leader: Give ear, O God, to our prayers; listen to our cries of supplication.
People: There is none like you, O God, and there are no works like yours.
Leader: All the nations you have made shall come and bow down before you, O God, and shall glorify your name.
People: For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God.
Call to Confession
God is always listening, even when we don't really want to talk. God knows our every thought. Let us come together to confess our sins to our God, even though we don't want to be reminded, or especially because we don't believe we have sinned. Let us pray.
Prayer of Confession
Give ear, O God, to our prayers. We ask that you hear our confession simply because it is so hard for us to confess. Every day we do something that strains our relationship with you. We listen to gossip, we yell at those we love the most, we lie about something we've done, and we let a homeless person pass by without helping. Every day we do something, Lord. We are so sorry, God, because we know we shouldn't. Some days, we try to excuse our behavior - and sometimes we just about convince ourselves - but not really. Forgive us, God, for our inhumanity. Amen.
Assurance of Forgiveness
Hear the good news as found in Romans 6. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives in God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Alleluia! We are forgiven.
Scripture Readings
Genesis 21:8--21: This passage is a hard one - casting out someone we care about. Have the choral speaking choir do this passage using three solo voices: Sarah, Hagar, and God.
X
X X
X H X
S X X G
Voice 1: The child grew, and was weaned;
Voices 2, 3, and 4: And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.
Voice 5 (female): But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac.
All: So she said to Abraham:
Sarah: Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac.
Voices 6 and 7: The matter was very distressing to Abraham on account of his son.
Voice 1: But God said to Abraham,
God: Do not be distressed because of the boy and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be named for you. As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring.
Voices 2 and 3: So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away.
Voice 3: And she departed, and wandered about in the wilderness of Beersheba. When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes.
Voice 5: Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said,
Hagar: Do not let me look on the death of the child.
Voice 5: And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept.
Voice 4: And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her,
God: What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him.
Voice 5: Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. She went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink.
All: God was with the boy, and he grew up;
Voice 6: He lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow.
Voice 7: He lived in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
Matthew 10:24--39: This passage continues Jesus' instructions to the disciples. Have the speaking choir stand in a straight line across the chancel.
All: A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master;
Voice 1: It is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they malign those of his household!
Voice 2: So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known.
Voice 3: What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops.
Voice 4: Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Voice 5: Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
All: Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.
Voice 6: Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
Voices 7 and 8: For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter--in--law against her mother--in--law; and one's foes will be members of one's own household.
Voices 9 and 10: Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
All: Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.
Benediction
Jesus said, "What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops." Arise, your light has come, the Spirit's call obey. With energy and love, go from this place with courage and fortitude. Let us obey Christ's call to newness of life in all we do and say. And may the peace of God go with us. Amen.
Great Is Thy Faithfulness (NCH423, PH276, UM140)
O Lord, Hear My Prayer (CBH348, Taize)
Lift High The Cross (NCH198, CBH321, UM159, PH371)
Crown Him With Many Crowns (CBH 116, UM327)
The Strife Is O'er (CBH263, UM306)
We Know That Christ Is Raised (UM610, PH495)
Take Up Your Cross (CBH536, PH393, UM415)
God's Eye Is On The Sparrow (NCH475)
Anthems
Great Is Thy Faithfulness, Cynthia Dobrinski, Agape, 3 to 5--octave handbells
O Savior Of The World, John Goss, G. Schirmer, SATB
It Is Well With My Soul, John Ness Beck, Beckenhorst, SATB
Lord Jesus, Be My Song, Kosche, CGA, Unison
Call to Worship (based on Psalm 86)
Leader: Give ear, O God, to our prayers; listen to our cries of supplication.
People: There is none like you, O God, and there are no works like yours.
Leader: All the nations you have made shall come and bow down before you, O God, and shall glorify your name.
People: For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God.
Call to Confession
God is always listening, even when we don't really want to talk. God knows our every thought. Let us come together to confess our sins to our God, even though we don't want to be reminded, or especially because we don't believe we have sinned. Let us pray.
Prayer of Confession
Give ear, O God, to our prayers. We ask that you hear our confession simply because it is so hard for us to confess. Every day we do something that strains our relationship with you. We listen to gossip, we yell at those we love the most, we lie about something we've done, and we let a homeless person pass by without helping. Every day we do something, Lord. We are so sorry, God, because we know we shouldn't. Some days, we try to excuse our behavior - and sometimes we just about convince ourselves - but not really. Forgive us, God, for our inhumanity. Amen.
Assurance of Forgiveness
Hear the good news as found in Romans 6. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives in God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Alleluia! We are forgiven.
Scripture Readings
Genesis 21:8--21: This passage is a hard one - casting out someone we care about. Have the choral speaking choir do this passage using three solo voices: Sarah, Hagar, and God.
X
X X
X H X
S X X G
Voice 1: The child grew, and was weaned;
Voices 2, 3, and 4: And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.
Voice 5 (female): But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac.
All: So she said to Abraham:
Sarah: Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac.
Voices 6 and 7: The matter was very distressing to Abraham on account of his son.
Voice 1: But God said to Abraham,
God: Do not be distressed because of the boy and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be named for you. As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring.
Voices 2 and 3: So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away.
Voice 3: And she departed, and wandered about in the wilderness of Beersheba. When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes.
Voice 5: Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said,
Hagar: Do not let me look on the death of the child.
Voice 5: And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept.
Voice 4: And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her,
God: What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him.
Voice 5: Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. She went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink.
All: God was with the boy, and he grew up;
Voice 6: He lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow.
Voice 7: He lived in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
Matthew 10:24--39: This passage continues Jesus' instructions to the disciples. Have the speaking choir stand in a straight line across the chancel.
All: A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master;
Voice 1: It is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they malign those of his household!
Voice 2: So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known.
Voice 3: What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops.
Voice 4: Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Voice 5: Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
All: Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.
Voice 6: Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
Voices 7 and 8: For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter--in--law against her mother--in--law; and one's foes will be members of one's own household.
Voices 9 and 10: Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
All: Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.
Benediction
Jesus said, "What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops." Arise, your light has come, the Spirit's call obey. With energy and love, go from this place with courage and fortitude. Let us obey Christ's call to newness of life in all we do and say. And may the peace of God go with us. Amen.
