Covenants, Illustrated by Marriage
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Series II, Cycle B
Celebrating God's Presence And Power
Pastoral and Congregational Invitation
Welcome to the twentieth Sunday in Pentecost. Do you remember, from our Easter celebrations, that worship is a celebration of God, an ovation to God, and not a spectator sport? Who remembers? We celebrants are a congregation, not an audience. We are the actors in this celebration. We are here, not to wait for something to happen, but to create together what happens. God alone is the audience, though never a passive audience. God comforts and confronts us throughout all of worship. As active participants, then, I invite us to celebrate with praise and thanksgiving. How will you participate? (Wait for a response; if no response, offer some suggestions, including, if you are up to it, interrupting for clarification, disagreeing, affirming what happens.)
Hymn of Praise
"Praise to the Lord, the Almighty" (See Epiphany 8.)
Prayer of Praise
Include the themes of covenants and invitations.
Celebrating Our Forgiveness
Call to Confession
Marriage provides the greatest potential for the deepest growth that humans can have. And most begin with high hopes. Many end in the depth of despair and hostility. Consider the games we play in our marriage and families which cause pain and anguish. (Thirty seconds of silence.) When Eric Berne developed his theory about the "Games People Play," he identified one titled, "If It Weren't For You ..." Basically, when we play that game, we are saying, either to ourselves or to another, "If it weren't for you, my life would be great!" During the next two minutes, identify how you have played that game in your marriage and family this week. Conclude with a prayer of confession.
Response
Use one of the "Lord, Have Mercy" responses. Sing it several times. Each time, ask the people to identify, silently, the specific person with whom they have played the game.
Call to Pardon
Confession is more than mouthing words to God. Confession means that we change our behavior toward those whom we have offended. Write down how you will avoid playing the "If It Weren't For You Game" this coming week. When you leave today, I invite you also to apologize and to seek forgiveness from members of your family with whom you have played the game. During the week, you may want to extend this action to include others with whom you have played the same game.
Response
"The Other Side," Avery and Marsh. (See Proper 21.)
Celebrating God's Word
Message with the Children of All Ages
The disciples never did understand Jesus. Time and again, they insisted that he didn't have time for the children. (Give other examples.) The disciples often tried to squelch Jesus. (Define the term "squelch.") I wonder if any of us have ever done the same thing. That is, someone offers an idea, or makes a suggestion, and, without thinking, we say, "that's stupid, that's a dumb idea, that will never work, you can't do that." Whenever we do that, we contribute to the other person's death. That's what sin is, that is, criticizing or condemning someone else's original or not-so-original idea. We are hurt when someone does that to us. Offer some positive ways that we can respond to each other. Conclude with a prayer which incorporates the words, or ideas, of Jesus in verses 10:14b-15.
Reading of the Gospel
For reinforcement, dramatize the scripture. Use the congregation as the crowd. Have someone primed in advance to ask, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" Jesus responds. Then have the disciples ask Jesus about this. Following the scripture, give some background about divorce in Jesus' day, that the husband needed only to write "I divorce you," three times on a piece of paper.
Proclamation of the Gospel
To prepare for the message, ask several members to prepare it with you, using Dr. Donald Joy's Bonding: Human Relationships in the Image of God, a six-part video series. (For information, write to Word, Incorporated, P.O. Box 1790, Waco, Texas 76796. Study guides also are available. I suggest that you study this series over a period of six weeks. If you want to borrow this series from me, please send 25 dollars, with a promise to return it immediately after using it. I have two copies. Marriage and the family will take on a new dimension.)
Response
"How Happy Is Each Child of God," Dwyn M. Mounger, 1986; Este's Psalms, 1592. Because our society identifies happiness with things, change the word "happy" to "joyous."
Celebrating Our Obedience
Stewardship Challenge
How will we live out the stewardship of marriage and family by giving up our "If It Weren't For You" game-playing this coming week? Write down three specifics during the offering. Include an affirmation in the prayer of dedication.
Hymn of Commitment
"Love Them Now," Richard Avery and Don Marsh, from The Avery and Marsh Songbook. (See Appendix I for address.) Follow the directions suggested by the writers, as described in the hymnbook.)
Charge to the Congregation
One of the phone companies advertises: "Connection has never been easier." That may be true of phone connections; that is not true of family connections. This afternoon, invite every family to set aside one hour to discover ways that each member will use to make family connections more productive.
Meditation
John Bunyan has written that "Christianity is the best armor a person can have, but it is the worst cloak." "Game-playing represents the cloak; finding connections represents Christ's way" (WHK).
Music Possibilities In Addition To Those Already Suggested
Music for Preparation: "St. Matthew's Passion," J. S. Bach.
Hymn of Praise: "God of Our Life." (See Proper 6.)
Response to the Confession and Pardon: "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross," two tunes. (See Lent 6.)
Response to the Message with Children: "Come As A Child," Avery and Marsh. (See Proper 21).
Response to the Scripture: (Adult choir) "O Lord, Thou Hast Searched Me," Eugene Butler.
Response to the Stewardship Challenge: (Adult choir) "Before the Cross," Dupré.
Hymn of Commitment: "Jesus, Friend, So Kind and Gentle," Philip E. Gregory, 1948.
Music for Dismissal: Ask your young people to find some popular or country-western music that reinforces positive family relationships.
Pastoral and Congregational Invitation
Welcome to the twentieth Sunday in Pentecost. Do you remember, from our Easter celebrations, that worship is a celebration of God, an ovation to God, and not a spectator sport? Who remembers? We celebrants are a congregation, not an audience. We are the actors in this celebration. We are here, not to wait for something to happen, but to create together what happens. God alone is the audience, though never a passive audience. God comforts and confronts us throughout all of worship. As active participants, then, I invite us to celebrate with praise and thanksgiving. How will you participate? (Wait for a response; if no response, offer some suggestions, including, if you are up to it, interrupting for clarification, disagreeing, affirming what happens.)
Hymn of Praise
"Praise to the Lord, the Almighty" (See Epiphany 8.)
Prayer of Praise
Include the themes of covenants and invitations.
Celebrating Our Forgiveness
Call to Confession
Marriage provides the greatest potential for the deepest growth that humans can have. And most begin with high hopes. Many end in the depth of despair and hostility. Consider the games we play in our marriage and families which cause pain and anguish. (Thirty seconds of silence.) When Eric Berne developed his theory about the "Games People Play," he identified one titled, "If It Weren't For You ..." Basically, when we play that game, we are saying, either to ourselves or to another, "If it weren't for you, my life would be great!" During the next two minutes, identify how you have played that game in your marriage and family this week. Conclude with a prayer of confession.
Response
Use one of the "Lord, Have Mercy" responses. Sing it several times. Each time, ask the people to identify, silently, the specific person with whom they have played the game.
Call to Pardon
Confession is more than mouthing words to God. Confession means that we change our behavior toward those whom we have offended. Write down how you will avoid playing the "If It Weren't For You Game" this coming week. When you leave today, I invite you also to apologize and to seek forgiveness from members of your family with whom you have played the game. During the week, you may want to extend this action to include others with whom you have played the same game.
Response
"The Other Side," Avery and Marsh. (See Proper 21.)
Celebrating God's Word
Message with the Children of All Ages
The disciples never did understand Jesus. Time and again, they insisted that he didn't have time for the children. (Give other examples.) The disciples often tried to squelch Jesus. (Define the term "squelch.") I wonder if any of us have ever done the same thing. That is, someone offers an idea, or makes a suggestion, and, without thinking, we say, "that's stupid, that's a dumb idea, that will never work, you can't do that." Whenever we do that, we contribute to the other person's death. That's what sin is, that is, criticizing or condemning someone else's original or not-so-original idea. We are hurt when someone does that to us. Offer some positive ways that we can respond to each other. Conclude with a prayer which incorporates the words, or ideas, of Jesus in verses 10:14b-15.
Reading of the Gospel
For reinforcement, dramatize the scripture. Use the congregation as the crowd. Have someone primed in advance to ask, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" Jesus responds. Then have the disciples ask Jesus about this. Following the scripture, give some background about divorce in Jesus' day, that the husband needed only to write "I divorce you," three times on a piece of paper.
Proclamation of the Gospel
To prepare for the message, ask several members to prepare it with you, using Dr. Donald Joy's Bonding: Human Relationships in the Image of God, a six-part video series. (For information, write to Word, Incorporated, P.O. Box 1790, Waco, Texas 76796. Study guides also are available. I suggest that you study this series over a period of six weeks. If you want to borrow this series from me, please send 25 dollars, with a promise to return it immediately after using it. I have two copies. Marriage and the family will take on a new dimension.)
Response
"How Happy Is Each Child of God," Dwyn M. Mounger, 1986; Este's Psalms, 1592. Because our society identifies happiness with things, change the word "happy" to "joyous."
Celebrating Our Obedience
Stewardship Challenge
How will we live out the stewardship of marriage and family by giving up our "If It Weren't For You" game-playing this coming week? Write down three specifics during the offering. Include an affirmation in the prayer of dedication.
Hymn of Commitment
"Love Them Now," Richard Avery and Don Marsh, from The Avery and Marsh Songbook. (See Appendix I for address.) Follow the directions suggested by the writers, as described in the hymnbook.)
Charge to the Congregation
One of the phone companies advertises: "Connection has never been easier." That may be true of phone connections; that is not true of family connections. This afternoon, invite every family to set aside one hour to discover ways that each member will use to make family connections more productive.
Meditation
John Bunyan has written that "Christianity is the best armor a person can have, but it is the worst cloak." "Game-playing represents the cloak; finding connections represents Christ's way" (WHK).
Music Possibilities In Addition To Those Already Suggested
Music for Preparation: "St. Matthew's Passion," J. S. Bach.
Hymn of Praise: "God of Our Life." (See Proper 6.)
Response to the Confession and Pardon: "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross," two tunes. (See Lent 6.)
Response to the Message with Children: "Come As A Child," Avery and Marsh. (See Proper 21).
Response to the Scripture: (Adult choir) "O Lord, Thou Hast Searched Me," Eugene Butler.
Response to the Stewardship Challenge: (Adult choir) "Before the Cross," Dupré.
Hymn of Commitment: "Jesus, Friend, So Kind and Gentle," Philip E. Gregory, 1948.
Music for Dismissal: Ask your young people to find some popular or country-western music that reinforces positive family relationships.
