Easter 7
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Series III, Cycle A
Object:
As we move between the festivals of Ascension and Pentecost we are reminded on this day of the oneness that defines the church. Can you invite a congregation from another denomination to worship with you? Can you celebrate your common life as disciples of the living Lord? What a wonderful way to prepare for the coming of the season of Pentecost.
Prayer Of The Day
P: God of the swirling planets, God of the ever-expanding universe, your glory is eternal, your beauty without end. We pray that here, today, through word and sign, you would make yourself known in our lives, that we might know that every life is yours, created to give praise to you alone, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C: Amen.
Eucharistic Prayer
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them up to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give him thanks and praise.
P: It is indeed right and salutary ...
... we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
C: Holy, holy, holy ...
P: Blessed are you, O Lord, our God, king of the universe.
Blessed are you, and blessed is your will.
C: Before time began, your love brought all things into being
and all things were created for your glory.
P: Blessed are you, gracious Father,
for at the appointed time you sent your Son who sat at table
with his disciples and took the bread that you had made,
broke it and gave thanks to you, saying:
"Take and eat. This is my body, given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me."
C: Before time began, your love brought all things into being
and all things were created for your glory.
P: Again, after supper, he took the cup and giving thanks to you
he gave it to his disciples, saying:
"Take and drink. This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
poured out for you and for all people,
for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this for the remembrance of me."
C: Before time began, your love brought all things into being
and all things were created for your glory.
P: Come to us now, O Holy Spirit, that, partaking in this
meal, you would breathe life into us again.
Come to us now, O Holy Spirit, that, partaking in this meal,
you would make us one.
C: Before time began, your love brought all things into being.
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
may all things be created anew for your glory. Amen.
Post-Communion Blessing
P: Jesus said, "I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world." Blessed be the one true God who makes you his own.
C: Amen.
Benediction
P: May the God of all grace, who called you into his eternal glory in Christ, restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. To God be the power forever and ever. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
Hymns And Songs
O Morning Star How Fair And Bright -- LBW 76; UMH 247; PH 69; MBW 188
A Hymn Of Glory Let Us Sing -- LBW 157; PH 141
Alleluia! Sing To Jesus -- LBW 158; PH 144; MBW 373; G&P 419
Lord Jesus Christ, You Have Prepared -- LBW 208
Jesus Shall Reign -- LBW 530; UMH 157; PH 423; MBW 404
One Bread, One Body -- WOV 710; UMH 620; GATHER 599
Bind Us Together -- WOV 748
Lord, You Give The Great Commission -- WOV 756; UMH 584; PH 429; MBW 617
Oh, Sing To The Lord -- WOV 795; PH 472; GATHER 365
I Sing The Mighty Power Of God -- UMH 152 (alt. tune: ELLACOMBE); PH 288; G&P 668
Hail The Day That Sees Him Rise UMH 312; MBW 371
He's Got The Whole World In His Hands
Humble Yourselves In The Sight Of The Lord
Psalm Settings
Psalm 68: You Have Made A Home For The Poor -- GATHER 63
Choral Music
"A Hymn Of Glory" -- arr. James Engel (Augsburg)
"Alleluia! Sing To Jesus" -- arr. Carl Schalk (GIA)
"Lord Jesus Christ, You Have Prepared" -- LBW 208, vs. 1
Service Notes
If you have kept your geodes out at the baptismal font through the Easter season, have a few children carry them out with you during the closing hymn.
Liturgical Art And Community Activities For Summer
The calm summer of ordinary time will soon begin. We will hear Jesus' parables and walk with him from town to town. At the end of May, Trinity Sunday can be honored by showing Rublev's popular Trinity icon of the three angels who visited Abraham and Sarah to announce her pregnancy. For this Sunday, the white lace altar cloth of January might be used.
(illustrations in book)
To mark the coming "Long Green" season, a "Tree of Life" banner can be created by using green cloth strips that have been donated by members. Such a project shows that together we strengthen each other, and become more than the sum of our parts as we reach out to our communities. The strips can be braided together and then wound into circles like rag rugs which, when assembled together, become the leaves of the tree. A few darker strips can represent the trunk. A sturdy background of cloth or a triple thickness of light-colored netting is needed to hold the weight of all this cloth.
(illustrations in book)
The summer stories of Matthew can be illustrated with a few simple items. Matthew 7:21-29 (Proper 4/Pentecost 2) tells of houses that are built on sand and rock. A small pile of lumber and some tools might represent Habitat for Humanity. In Matthew 9:18-26 (Proper 5/Pentecost 3), a woman touches Jesus and Jesus brings his healing touch to a girl. The importance of touch might be emphasized. (The sharing of the peace may be the only healing and/or appropriate touch that an isolated individual receives that week.)
(illustrations in book)
June brings with it many graduations. Create a banner with a labyrinth design adorned with cloth representations of all the graduates' feet. This can show the companionship of God on their journeys.
To illustrate Matthew 9:35--10:8 (Proper 6/Pentecost 4), a table in the narthex might hold the items Jesus advised for traveling (no money in their belts, no bag with an extra tunic and sandals, no staff) and what we take for our travels. "Affluenza" might be discussed.
For the three "seed" stories of July, a portable soil bed on a cart can be used to show the path, rocks, weeds, and good soil; the wheat and weeds; and the mustard seed and the tree that held the birds.
For the Matthew 14:13-21 text (Proper 13/Pentecost 11), the congregation might be invited to bring bread, smoked fish, and summer fruits to worship as a way to remember the feeding of the 5,000. Afterward, the food can be shared with honey butters and jams to go on the bread.
A picture of Mother Teresa can be featured for Pentecost 15/Proper 13 (Matthew 15:21-28) showing how she took the "scraps" of society and honored them.
In Matthew 16:13-20 (Proper 16/Pentecost 14), Jesus asks his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" Janet McKenzie's Jesus of the People might be displayed in one part of the sanctuary or narthex. (It was picked by the National Catholic Reporter from 1,678 entries to portray Jesus in the new millennium.) In another part of the church, display an icon of Jesus, such as Christ as Ruler of the Universe from the twelfth century; or have your arts committee ask a few congregational artists to paint or draw their image of Christ Jesus. A good discussion on the text could follow. You may also want to ask members to discuss the concept of "the gaze that saves" alongside of the "faith that hears."
Prayer Of The Day
P: God of the swirling planets, God of the ever-expanding universe, your glory is eternal, your beauty without end. We pray that here, today, through word and sign, you would make yourself known in our lives, that we might know that every life is yours, created to give praise to you alone, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C: Amen.
Eucharistic Prayer
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them up to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give him thanks and praise.
P: It is indeed right and salutary ...
... we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
C: Holy, holy, holy ...
P: Blessed are you, O Lord, our God, king of the universe.
Blessed are you, and blessed is your will.
C: Before time began, your love brought all things into being
and all things were created for your glory.
P: Blessed are you, gracious Father,
for at the appointed time you sent your Son who sat at table
with his disciples and took the bread that you had made,
broke it and gave thanks to you, saying:
"Take and eat. This is my body, given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me."
C: Before time began, your love brought all things into being
and all things were created for your glory.
P: Again, after supper, he took the cup and giving thanks to you
he gave it to his disciples, saying:
"Take and drink. This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
poured out for you and for all people,
for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this for the remembrance of me."
C: Before time began, your love brought all things into being
and all things were created for your glory.
P: Come to us now, O Holy Spirit, that, partaking in this
meal, you would breathe life into us again.
Come to us now, O Holy Spirit, that, partaking in this meal,
you would make us one.
C: Before time began, your love brought all things into being.
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
may all things be created anew for your glory. Amen.
Post-Communion Blessing
P: Jesus said, "I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world." Blessed be the one true God who makes you his own.
C: Amen.
Benediction
P: May the God of all grace, who called you into his eternal glory in Christ, restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. To God be the power forever and ever. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
Hymns And Songs
O Morning Star How Fair And Bright -- LBW 76; UMH 247; PH 69; MBW 188
A Hymn Of Glory Let Us Sing -- LBW 157; PH 141
Alleluia! Sing To Jesus -- LBW 158; PH 144; MBW 373; G&P 419
Lord Jesus Christ, You Have Prepared -- LBW 208
Jesus Shall Reign -- LBW 530; UMH 157; PH 423; MBW 404
One Bread, One Body -- WOV 710; UMH 620; GATHER 599
Bind Us Together -- WOV 748
Lord, You Give The Great Commission -- WOV 756; UMH 584; PH 429; MBW 617
Oh, Sing To The Lord -- WOV 795; PH 472; GATHER 365
I Sing The Mighty Power Of God -- UMH 152 (alt. tune: ELLACOMBE); PH 288; G&P 668
Hail The Day That Sees Him Rise UMH 312; MBW 371
He's Got The Whole World In His Hands
Humble Yourselves In The Sight Of The Lord
Psalm Settings
Psalm 68: You Have Made A Home For The Poor -- GATHER 63
Choral Music
"A Hymn Of Glory" -- arr. James Engel (Augsburg)
"Alleluia! Sing To Jesus" -- arr. Carl Schalk (GIA)
"Lord Jesus Christ, You Have Prepared" -- LBW 208, vs. 1
Service Notes
If you have kept your geodes out at the baptismal font through the Easter season, have a few children carry them out with you during the closing hymn.
Liturgical Art And Community Activities For Summer
The calm summer of ordinary time will soon begin. We will hear Jesus' parables and walk with him from town to town. At the end of May, Trinity Sunday can be honored by showing Rublev's popular Trinity icon of the three angels who visited Abraham and Sarah to announce her pregnancy. For this Sunday, the white lace altar cloth of January might be used.
(illustrations in book)
To mark the coming "Long Green" season, a "Tree of Life" banner can be created by using green cloth strips that have been donated by members. Such a project shows that together we strengthen each other, and become more than the sum of our parts as we reach out to our communities. The strips can be braided together and then wound into circles like rag rugs which, when assembled together, become the leaves of the tree. A few darker strips can represent the trunk. A sturdy background of cloth or a triple thickness of light-colored netting is needed to hold the weight of all this cloth.
(illustrations in book)
The summer stories of Matthew can be illustrated with a few simple items. Matthew 7:21-29 (Proper 4/Pentecost 2) tells of houses that are built on sand and rock. A small pile of lumber and some tools might represent Habitat for Humanity. In Matthew 9:18-26 (Proper 5/Pentecost 3), a woman touches Jesus and Jesus brings his healing touch to a girl. The importance of touch might be emphasized. (The sharing of the peace may be the only healing and/or appropriate touch that an isolated individual receives that week.)
(illustrations in book)
June brings with it many graduations. Create a banner with a labyrinth design adorned with cloth representations of all the graduates' feet. This can show the companionship of God on their journeys.
To illustrate Matthew 9:35--10:8 (Proper 6/Pentecost 4), a table in the narthex might hold the items Jesus advised for traveling (no money in their belts, no bag with an extra tunic and sandals, no staff) and what we take for our travels. "Affluenza" might be discussed.
For the three "seed" stories of July, a portable soil bed on a cart can be used to show the path, rocks, weeds, and good soil; the wheat and weeds; and the mustard seed and the tree that held the birds.
For the Matthew 14:13-21 text (Proper 13/Pentecost 11), the congregation might be invited to bring bread, smoked fish, and summer fruits to worship as a way to remember the feeding of the 5,000. Afterward, the food can be shared with honey butters and jams to go on the bread.
A picture of Mother Teresa can be featured for Pentecost 15/Proper 13 (Matthew 15:21-28) showing how she took the "scraps" of society and honored them.
In Matthew 16:13-20 (Proper 16/Pentecost 14), Jesus asks his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" Janet McKenzie's Jesus of the People might be displayed in one part of the sanctuary or narthex. (It was picked by the National Catholic Reporter from 1,678 entries to portray Jesus in the new millennium.) In another part of the church, display an icon of Jesus, such as Christ as Ruler of the Universe from the twelfth century; or have your arts committee ask a few congregational artists to paint or draw their image of Christ Jesus. A good discussion on the text could follow. You may also want to ask members to discuss the concept of "the gaze that saves" alongside of the "faith that hears."
