Epiphany 7 / Ordinary Time 7
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook, Series IV, Cycle C
Soul Motion
Object:
A single song is being inflected through all the colorations of the human choir.
The way to become human is to recognize the lineaments of God in all the wonderful modulations of the face [of humankind].
-- Joseph Campbell, The Hero With a Thousand Faces
Call To Worship
Leader: Greetings! The year is not quite so new. But we're glad for the breath of life and for the opportunity to gather in this place.
People: We enjoy being together and we anticipate hearing God and responding with music, silence, and words.
Leader: Here we learn the teachings of Jesus, and we can practice them with each other.
People: It's easy to love one another here; it's easy to share our money and our clothes, our food and our homes.
Leader: It's not so easy, though, to practice at work and at city council Jesus' message: Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; don't retaliate; give your shirt.
People: Nor is it easy to be kind to family members when they have betrayed us, as Joseph was with his brothers who sold him!
Leader: Thank God, we can be forgiven and try again to live the teachings of Jesus! Let's sing and pray --
People: listen and hope!
Prayer Of Thanksgiving (Leader)
Architect of the Universe -- we do not understand the intricacies of living and dying or even remembering and forgiving. But we are awed with the beauty of the world and the way it works. We are grateful for companions to think and talk with about divine love, mortality, and eternity. We turn our attention to the images in this place that quiet our minds so we can hear your voice. Amen.
Call To Confession (Leader)
The psalmist expected God to intervene on behalf of people whose lifestyles conformed to religious expectations. Most of us have difficulty conforming to any set of rigid rules. The psalmist tells us not to spend our energy with concerns about others but to seek our own happiness and God will see to it that our hearts are satisfied. In these next minutes, let us explore our desires and our behaviors. If they are not aligned with God, we have opportunity to do that now. Pray with me.
Community Confession (Unison)
Loving God -- we have not always been able to do to others as we want them to do to us.
We have betrayed best friends.
We have avoided whole truths.
We have even used our power to aggrandize ourselves rather than provide for people in need of companionship or life's necessities.
We know that the consequences of our behavior are guilt and sometimes shame.
Free us and give us generous and joyous attitudes that are contagious. Amen.
Word Of Grace (Leader)
It is good news that when we confess our failings, we can find our souls cleansed and healed. Internal peace is a divine gift -- or as the psalmist says, "God will satisfy the desires of our hearts!"
Sermon Idea
Today's texts are reminders that though the scriptures have come to us across centuries and cultures, some destructive human behaviors hang around. Adults still sell children, make them carry weapons, and maim them. All the characters in these scriptures are male; they are concerned with other people's behavior and how some kind of justice should be meted out.
A theme/title might be: Balancing Act -- Hope and Action. In Luke's Sermon on the Plain, the underlying assumption that Jesus is responding to is that God is in charge of the world and has expectations for human behavior. Luke has Jesus indicating that people of God do not judge or condemn but give and forgive. Kingdom people do not retaliate against those who attempt to victimize them. Joseph does not condemn his brothers but offers to feed them, their families, and their animals. The psalmist's assumptions about God being in charge of the world and protector of his favorite people -- the Jews -- are clear.
Luke's report of Jesus teaching disciples about doing to others as we would have them do to us pulls the texts toward each other. If God is in charge as the psalmist and Paul suggest, then people who are righteous will experience an easier life -- Job's quandary. Joseph understands God to have been in charge of his being sold and his being the "savior" of his relatives -- a cause and effect explanation. However, psychologically, Jesus' message suggests passivity and repression of physical pain and loss.
For the contemporary reader, cause and effect are not so simple; giving your shirt upon demand may impoverish one beyond sustainability. If we are living the Sermon on the Mount, if we are caring for those affected by disaster and poverty, then why spend our energy and imagination trying to figure out with Paul what lies beyond life?
The other element that is shared by today's scriptures is the articulation of hope. Humans must hope to survive -- "the thing with feathers that perches in the soul," Emily Dickinson has called it. Maybe a description of hope for contemporary times is the longing for the experience of humanity being kind to each other so the world is a hospitable place and then we humans can in real time make peace.
Contemporary Affirmation (Unison)
Our senses recognize creation's beauties: we see, we hear, we touch, we smell, and we taste. God is the Designer and continues to create.
Our minds think about what we perceive and we choose to know and love God who comes to us in storms, in mountains, and in still small voices.
Our souls yearn to relate to God as a parent; we find ourselves loved.
Jesus of Nazareth was the Godbearer we relate to and to whom we give our loyalty.
The Holy Spirit, a gift promised by Jesus, lives within us and supports us as co-creators with God and as those journeying to eternity.
We are not alone. God is with us. Amen!
Offertory Statement (Leader)
Joseph in the Old Testament story made sure his brothers and their families had enough food to make it through times of famine. There are all kinds of famine around us that affect us and others in body and soul. Let us generously share what we have.
Doxology
Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow, tune: OLD HUNDREDTH
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures here below.
Praise God above you heavenly hosts.
Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost.
Prayer Of Thanksgiving (Leader)
For food and shelter in times of famine, we are grateful.
We appreciate the availability of resources and money sufficient for each day. Amen.
Intercessory Prayer (Leader or Readers)
Source of Life -- we do not understand the process of living and dying. We can only imagine what happens after we take our last breath. We do understand that there are consequences to our thoughts and our actions. Help us to think and live the teachings of Jesus because they give everyone in the global village a chance to have their needs met and enjoy their time on this earth.
Healer of Body and Soul -- we do know that we are mortal and that we are designed to die. How strange! We need one another to accompany us along this human journey as our bodies grow and our minds learn and our souls find peace. When we are wounded, soothe us; when we are ill, heal us; when we are sad, comfort us.
Artist of the Universe -- how we marvel at blue skies and sparkling waters! How frightened we are when the wind is strong! How gentle we feel when we walk among tall trees! We want to take care of all you have created. Help us to protect the planet so our children will have a home.
God for all Nations -- it is difficult to manage nations, to make laws that are fair, and to educate all children to live well in a scientific and technological world. We pray for enduring peace in every nation so that children grow up as good neighbors. We pray for peace that fills us all with hope. Help our leaders and all the world's leaders to take down fences and share resources so that all people are fed and housed. Amen.
Benediction (Leader)
Be like Joseph -- compassionate with all you meet.
Be like Jesus -- loving enemies and doing kindness.
Be like the psalmist -- hope amid trying times that things will get better and that God walks with you, giving you strength.
Be like Paul -- curious about how the body and soul work.
Go as peacemakers, wanting what you have and being your best self. Amen.
Music
Thuma Mina (Send Me Jesus)
Words and Music: South African
THUMA MINA
Lord, Whose Love Through Humble Service
Words: Albert F. Bayly, 1961
Music: attr. B. F. White, 1844; harm. Ronald A. Nelson, 1978
BEACH SPRING
Sois la Samilla (You Are The Seed)
Words: Caesaro Gabarain, 1979; trans. Raquel Gutierrez-Achon and Skinner Chavez-Melo
Music: Caesaro Gabarain, 1979; harm. Skinner Chavez-Melo, 1987
ID Y ENSENAD
The way to become human is to recognize the lineaments of God in all the wonderful modulations of the face [of humankind].
-- Joseph Campbell, The Hero With a Thousand Faces
Call To Worship
Leader: Greetings! The year is not quite so new. But we're glad for the breath of life and for the opportunity to gather in this place.
People: We enjoy being together and we anticipate hearing God and responding with music, silence, and words.
Leader: Here we learn the teachings of Jesus, and we can practice them with each other.
People: It's easy to love one another here; it's easy to share our money and our clothes, our food and our homes.
Leader: It's not so easy, though, to practice at work and at city council Jesus' message: Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; don't retaliate; give your shirt.
People: Nor is it easy to be kind to family members when they have betrayed us, as Joseph was with his brothers who sold him!
Leader: Thank God, we can be forgiven and try again to live the teachings of Jesus! Let's sing and pray --
People: listen and hope!
Prayer Of Thanksgiving (Leader)
Architect of the Universe -- we do not understand the intricacies of living and dying or even remembering and forgiving. But we are awed with the beauty of the world and the way it works. We are grateful for companions to think and talk with about divine love, mortality, and eternity. We turn our attention to the images in this place that quiet our minds so we can hear your voice. Amen.
Call To Confession (Leader)
The psalmist expected God to intervene on behalf of people whose lifestyles conformed to religious expectations. Most of us have difficulty conforming to any set of rigid rules. The psalmist tells us not to spend our energy with concerns about others but to seek our own happiness and God will see to it that our hearts are satisfied. In these next minutes, let us explore our desires and our behaviors. If they are not aligned with God, we have opportunity to do that now. Pray with me.
Community Confession (Unison)
Loving God -- we have not always been able to do to others as we want them to do to us.
We have betrayed best friends.
We have avoided whole truths.
We have even used our power to aggrandize ourselves rather than provide for people in need of companionship or life's necessities.
We know that the consequences of our behavior are guilt and sometimes shame.
Free us and give us generous and joyous attitudes that are contagious. Amen.
Word Of Grace (Leader)
It is good news that when we confess our failings, we can find our souls cleansed and healed. Internal peace is a divine gift -- or as the psalmist says, "God will satisfy the desires of our hearts!"
Sermon Idea
Today's texts are reminders that though the scriptures have come to us across centuries and cultures, some destructive human behaviors hang around. Adults still sell children, make them carry weapons, and maim them. All the characters in these scriptures are male; they are concerned with other people's behavior and how some kind of justice should be meted out.
A theme/title might be: Balancing Act -- Hope and Action. In Luke's Sermon on the Plain, the underlying assumption that Jesus is responding to is that God is in charge of the world and has expectations for human behavior. Luke has Jesus indicating that people of God do not judge or condemn but give and forgive. Kingdom people do not retaliate against those who attempt to victimize them. Joseph does not condemn his brothers but offers to feed them, their families, and their animals. The psalmist's assumptions about God being in charge of the world and protector of his favorite people -- the Jews -- are clear.
Luke's report of Jesus teaching disciples about doing to others as we would have them do to us pulls the texts toward each other. If God is in charge as the psalmist and Paul suggest, then people who are righteous will experience an easier life -- Job's quandary. Joseph understands God to have been in charge of his being sold and his being the "savior" of his relatives -- a cause and effect explanation. However, psychologically, Jesus' message suggests passivity and repression of physical pain and loss.
For the contemporary reader, cause and effect are not so simple; giving your shirt upon demand may impoverish one beyond sustainability. If we are living the Sermon on the Mount, if we are caring for those affected by disaster and poverty, then why spend our energy and imagination trying to figure out with Paul what lies beyond life?
The other element that is shared by today's scriptures is the articulation of hope. Humans must hope to survive -- "the thing with feathers that perches in the soul," Emily Dickinson has called it. Maybe a description of hope for contemporary times is the longing for the experience of humanity being kind to each other so the world is a hospitable place and then we humans can in real time make peace.
Contemporary Affirmation (Unison)
Our senses recognize creation's beauties: we see, we hear, we touch, we smell, and we taste. God is the Designer and continues to create.
Our minds think about what we perceive and we choose to know and love God who comes to us in storms, in mountains, and in still small voices.
Our souls yearn to relate to God as a parent; we find ourselves loved.
Jesus of Nazareth was the Godbearer we relate to and to whom we give our loyalty.
The Holy Spirit, a gift promised by Jesus, lives within us and supports us as co-creators with God and as those journeying to eternity.
We are not alone. God is with us. Amen!
Offertory Statement (Leader)
Joseph in the Old Testament story made sure his brothers and their families had enough food to make it through times of famine. There are all kinds of famine around us that affect us and others in body and soul. Let us generously share what we have.
Doxology
Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow, tune: OLD HUNDREDTH
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures here below.
Praise God above you heavenly hosts.
Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost.
Prayer Of Thanksgiving (Leader)
For food and shelter in times of famine, we are grateful.
We appreciate the availability of resources and money sufficient for each day. Amen.
Intercessory Prayer (Leader or Readers)
Source of Life -- we do not understand the process of living and dying. We can only imagine what happens after we take our last breath. We do understand that there are consequences to our thoughts and our actions. Help us to think and live the teachings of Jesus because they give everyone in the global village a chance to have their needs met and enjoy their time on this earth.
Healer of Body and Soul -- we do know that we are mortal and that we are designed to die. How strange! We need one another to accompany us along this human journey as our bodies grow and our minds learn and our souls find peace. When we are wounded, soothe us; when we are ill, heal us; when we are sad, comfort us.
Artist of the Universe -- how we marvel at blue skies and sparkling waters! How frightened we are when the wind is strong! How gentle we feel when we walk among tall trees! We want to take care of all you have created. Help us to protect the planet so our children will have a home.
God for all Nations -- it is difficult to manage nations, to make laws that are fair, and to educate all children to live well in a scientific and technological world. We pray for enduring peace in every nation so that children grow up as good neighbors. We pray for peace that fills us all with hope. Help our leaders and all the world's leaders to take down fences and share resources so that all people are fed and housed. Amen.
Benediction (Leader)
Be like Joseph -- compassionate with all you meet.
Be like Jesus -- loving enemies and doing kindness.
Be like the psalmist -- hope amid trying times that things will get better and that God walks with you, giving you strength.
Be like Paul -- curious about how the body and soul work.
Go as peacemakers, wanting what you have and being your best self. Amen.
Music
Thuma Mina (Send Me Jesus)
Words and Music: South African
THUMA MINA
Lord, Whose Love Through Humble Service
Words: Albert F. Bayly, 1961
Music: attr. B. F. White, 1844; harm. Ronald A. Nelson, 1978
BEACH SPRING
Sois la Samilla (You Are The Seed)
Words: Caesaro Gabarain, 1979; trans. Raquel Gutierrez-Achon and Skinner Chavez-Melo
Music: Caesaro Gabarain, 1979; harm. Skinner Chavez-Melo, 1987
ID Y ENSENAD
