The Baptism, Temptation, Message of Jesus
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Planning Ideas And Resources For The Entire Church Year
Pastoral Invitation to the Celebration
One pastor began this way:
Who are you? Who am I?
a man, woman? Male, female.
husband, wife, child.
employee, student, drop-out.
an entity, non-entity.
a child of God, a self-made person.
a saint, a sinner?
Who are you, according to your understanding?
Who are you, according to God's understanding?
(give a few moments of silence)
Then, continue, In the Name of God the Parent, Child, Spirit.
we come to celebrate our birth into a biological family,
and our birth into our theological family.
We celebrate both families.
Conclude with this litany which acknowledges our oneness in Christ:
Pastor:
The world which God loves needs a sense of community and family.
Ministers: God has called the church, you and me, into being, has given it, you and me, Holy Spirit, and continues to offer it, you and me, the Spirit's Presence and Power.
Pastor:
God's community and family begin here.
Ministers: God's community and family continue with, through us. God, help us to live our uniqueness in You.
The Act of Recognizing our Humanness and The Act of Receiving New Life
Consider this:
Today, we focus on Jesus' baptism, temptations, and message of repentance. I invite us to make this real to us through the use of this, or a similar, bidding prayer:
(give thirty seconds of silence after each petition.)
Pray for one person
1. Who is seated near you.
2. Whom you wish were seated near you.
3. From whom you are alienated.
4. Who brings you joy almost every time you are together.
5. To whom you will bring strength and encouragement this week.
Now, pray for the Holy Spirit, the Presence and Power of God, to make these prayers more than words, or promises during worship;
pray for the strength to throw our own lives after our prayers.
After a few moments of silence, offer this prayer:
God, we recognize our call to serve you at the time of our baptism; we recognize our temptation, because of our fear, in fulfilling that call. Forgive us when we permit our fears to stifle the proclamation of your message to all, "... repent, and believe in the gospel." (Mark 1:15b) Cause us to turn our minds, hearts, wills outwardly and upwardly, as well as inwardly and downwardly.
Take a risk, and ask the congregation to share the power of the confession, and the assurance of the pardon, with each other. At the end, after a few minutes, ask the congregation to shout reverently its affirmation of forgiveness.
Message with the Children of All Ages
Try this:
Invite the children to examine the baptismal font with you. Describe it and its purpose. Ask if they remember their baptism. Make certain that they under-stand it as the outward sign of the beginning of their life in Christ even though they don't remember. The church and their parents began their believing process for them, even as their parents begin their learning process for them, including sports and recreation. Children usually like the kinds of things their parents like. Tie this in with the beginning of Jesus' ministry, the questions and doubts he may have had, and the message he wanted to, and did, share with us.
Proclamation of the Word
Suggestion:
You may want to title your message, "The Conquest of Inner Space." Show the importance of God's affirmation to Jesus of his baptism, temptations, in order for him to preach the message of repentance. Define repentance as "rethinking" our lives. We've been thinking about life in one way, our way, now, God wants us to think about life in God's way - from "I want what I want when I want it, and never mind the consequences," to "Lord, what do you want me to do?"
Stewardship Challenge
Consider this:
The stewardship of our baptism: Our baptism signifies our ordination to service. Too often, we have concentrated on the significance of clergy and church officer ordination; and we have neglected the fact that every baptized person is ordained to Christ's ministry. What would happen in and through your life if you took your ordination seriously. Ask the people to write a brief statement, unsigned, to be placed in the offering plate, about how they will acknowledge their ordination this week.
Charge to the Congregation
Suggestion:
If you have been baptized, you have been ordained to the, as the, vocation and mission of Jesus the Christ, in his world of recreation, politics, economics, business, community, vacation. So, welcome to his ministry, reinforced weekly by and through the corporate celebration.
Planning for Your Congregation
Suggestions
Your Situation
I. Other Scriptures
Liturgist:
Psalm 25:1-10
Psalm 6
Genesis 9:8-17
Genesis 22:1-8
1 Peter 3:18-22
Romans 8:31-39
II. Suggested Hymns
Coordinator:
"God of Grace and God of Glory"
Harry Emerson Fosdick, 1930; alt., 1972
(consider using this for the hymn of praise for the first three Sundays in Lent.)
"O Christ, Whose Love Has Sought Us Out"
John Edgar Park, 1953; alt., 1972
"O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go"
George Matheson, 1882
III. Other Music Possibilities
Organist/Choir director:
Music for Preparation
Medley of Lenten Hymns
Response to the Children's Message
"Passed Thru the Waters" Richard Avery/Don Marsh
The Avery and Marsh Songbook Proclamation Publications Orange Square, Port Jervis
New York 12771
Response to the Proclamation
"Jesu, Word of God Incarnate" Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Arranged and Edited by Ivan Trusler
Response to the Stewardship Challenge
"What Signs Has God Revealed to Us?" Jane Parker Huber
A Singing Faith, Westminster Press
Music for Dismissal
Medley of Lenten Hymns
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:
Who are you? Who am I?
a man, woman? Male, female.
husband, wife, child.
employee, student, drop-out.
an entity, non-entity.
a child of God, a self-made person.
a saint, a sinner?
Who are you, according to your understanding?
Who are you, according to God's understanding?
(give a few moments of silence)
Then, continue, In the Name of God the Parent, Child, Spirit.
we come to celebrate our birth into a biological family,
and our birth into our theological family.
We celebrate both families.
Conclude with this litany which acknowledges our oneness in Christ:
Pastor:
The world which God loves needs a sense of community and family.
Ministers: God has called the church, you and me, into being, has given it, you and me, Holy Spirit, and continues to offer it, you and me, the Spirit's Presence and Power.
Pastor:
God's community and family begin here.
Ministers: God's community and family continue with, through us. God, help us to live our uniqueness in You.
The Act of Recognizing our Humanness and The Act of Receiving New Life
Consider this:
Today, we focus on Jesus' baptism, temptations, and message of repentance. I invite us to make this real to us through the use of this, or a similar, bidding prayer:
(give thirty seconds of silence after each petition.)
Pray for one person
1. Who is seated near you.
2. Whom you wish were seated near you.
3. From whom you are alienated.
4. Who brings you joy almost every time you are together.
5. To whom you will bring strength and encouragement this week.
Now, pray for the Holy Spirit, the Presence and Power of God, to make these prayers more than words, or promises during worship;
pray for the strength to throw our own lives after our prayers.
After a few moments of silence, offer this prayer:
God, we recognize our call to serve you at the time of our baptism; we recognize our temptation, because of our fear, in fulfilling that call. Forgive us when we permit our fears to stifle the proclamation of your message to all, "... repent, and believe in the gospel." (Mark 1:15b) Cause us to turn our minds, hearts, wills outwardly and upwardly, as well as inwardly and downwardly.
Take a risk, and ask the congregation to share the power of the confession, and the assurance of the pardon, with each other. At the end, after a few minutes, ask the congregation to shout reverently its affirmation of forgiveness.
Message with the Children of All Ages
Try this:
Invite the children to examine the baptismal font with you. Describe it and its purpose. Ask if they remember their baptism. Make certain that they under-stand it as the outward sign of the beginning of their life in Christ even though they don't remember. The church and their parents began their believing process for them, even as their parents begin their learning process for them, including sports and recreation. Children usually like the kinds of things their parents like. Tie this in with the beginning of Jesus' ministry, the questions and doubts he may have had, and the message he wanted to, and did, share with us.
Proclamation of the Word
Suggestion:
You may want to title your message, "The Conquest of Inner Space." Show the importance of God's affirmation to Jesus of his baptism, temptations, in order for him to preach the message of repentance. Define repentance as "rethinking" our lives. We've been thinking about life in one way, our way, now, God wants us to think about life in God's way - from "I want what I want when I want it, and never mind the consequences," to "Lord, what do you want me to do?"
Stewardship Challenge
Consider this:
The stewardship of our baptism: Our baptism signifies our ordination to service. Too often, we have concentrated on the significance of clergy and church officer ordination; and we have neglected the fact that every baptized person is ordained to Christ's ministry. What would happen in and through your life if you took your ordination seriously. Ask the people to write a brief statement, unsigned, to be placed in the offering plate, about how they will acknowledge their ordination this week.
Charge to the Congregation
Suggestion:
If you have been baptized, you have been ordained to the, as the, vocation and mission of Jesus the Christ, in his world of recreation, politics, economics, business, community, vacation. So, welcome to his ministry, reinforced weekly by and through the corporate celebration.
Planning for Your Congregation
Suggestions
Your Situation
I. Other Scriptures
Liturgist:
Psalm 25:1-10
Psalm 6
Genesis 9:8-17
Genesis 22:1-8
1 Peter 3:18-22
Romans 8:31-39
II. Suggested Hymns
Coordinator:
"God of Grace and God of Glory"
Harry Emerson Fosdick, 1930; alt., 1972
(consider using this for the hymn of praise for the first three Sundays in Lent.)
"O Christ, Whose Love Has Sought Us Out"
John Edgar Park, 1953; alt., 1972
"O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go"
George Matheson, 1882
III. Other Music Possibilities
Organist/Choir director:
Music for Preparation
Medley of Lenten Hymns
Response to the Children's Message
"Passed Thru the Waters" Richard Avery/Don Marsh
The Avery and Marsh Songbook Proclamation Publications Orange Square, Port Jervis
New York 12771
Response to the Proclamation
"Jesu, Word of God Incarnate" Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Arranged and Edited by Ivan Trusler
Response to the Stewardship Challenge
"What Signs Has God Revealed to Us?" Jane Parker Huber
A Singing Faith, Westminster Press
Music for Dismissal
Medley of Lenten Hymns
IV. Bulletin Cover
Church secretary:
V. Bulletin Symbols
VI. Miscellaneous Details (Assignments)
Ushers
Candlelighters
Hosts/Hostesses
Banners
Flowers
Greeters
Posters
Name-tags
Others
