The Faith of a Syrophoenician Woman
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Series II, Cycle B
The Community Gathers To Celebrate
Pastoral Invitation (Pastor and Ministers)
(Several days, maybe weeks, before worship ask a variety of people of what they were healed and to prepare to share in worship.) In the name of the Great Healer, welcome to this sixteenth Sunday in Pentecost. I invite you to share of what God has healed you. Remind them that God is invested in many kinds of healings, as, for example, physical, emotional, relational, environmental, political, and so forth, all of which come under the theme of spiritual. Give plenty of time. Share one of your own healings. After each expression of healing, have the congregation respond with these, or similar, words: "Praise God for healing (name of the person) from (name the healing).
P: We rejoice in the God who brings healing to a broken world.
M: We are glad to receive healing, and to be healers.
Response
"Holy Spirit, Lord of Love," William Dalrymple Maclagen, c. 1873; alt.; Jacob Hintze, 1678; harm. J. S. Bach (1685-1750), as in Hymns Ancient and Modern, 1861.
Prayer of Adoration
Focus on God the Healer. Avoid giving the impression that all healing is physical, and that it is only for the faithful who "pray hard, or harder."
Hymn of Adoration
"God Created Heaven and Earth," Taiwanese hymn; trans. Boris and Clare Anderson, 1981; Pi-po melody; harm. I-to Loh, 1963; rev. 1982.
Taking Responsibility For Our Attitudes And Actions
Introduction to the Act of Confession
What blocks you from receiving God's healing? (One minute of silence.) Any response? If not, share some of your own blocks, even though the people expect you to have none. Is it possible that we really do not want God's healing? Perhaps we only want to complain about our distress. Many people get tremendous mileage from being "ill," whatever form the illness may take. Is that possible for us? (One minute of silence.) Following the silence, ask the congregation for sentence prayers of confession; or, offer your own, on behalf of the congregation, incorporating the ideas suggested in the questions.
Introduction to the Act of Pardon
(Some thoughts offered by J. Edward Lantz, in an article, "Healing as Release," Church Management, June 1956.) "Have you ever thought of healing as release from that which keeps you from being the kind of person God wants you to be? For example, if you are free of cancer, then cancer has no power over you. You are released from its ability to harm and restrict your activities. This also is true of other kinds of afflictions. If we allow God's healing Spirit to separate us from those forces which we allow to pollute us, then we are healed and made whole." (Slightly revised) (One minute of silence.) Following your prayer, ask the people to respond, repeating after you, line by line, these words from Isaiah, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, (name), because he has anointed me, (name) to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me, (name) to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." (Repeat, for emphasis.)
Response
"O Christ, the Healer," Fred Pratt Green, 1969; Klug's Geistliche Lieder, 1543; harm. J. S. Bach, 1725; alt.
The Community Responds To God's Truth
Message with the Children of All Ages
Dramatize the healing of the deaf and dumb man. Let the congregation be the crowd. Have "Jesus" enact the healing. In advance, ask several people in the pews to show surprise and speak together, "He has done everything well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."
Response
Sing "O Christ, the Healer," again; or at least the stanza that serves as the best response to the message.
Dramatize the Scripture
Use a reader, a woman, and "Jesus" to enact the Gospel.
Proclamation of the Good News
You can focus on the faith of the woman; the faith of some people; the instructions of Jesus not to tell anyone; and the amazement of the crowd.
The Community Becomes Responsible To God's World
Stewardship Challenge
How goes your stewardship of healing? This week, keep track of your "healing" words and your "hurting" words, spoken directly to people, or behind their backs.
Hymn of Commitment
"The Spirit of the Lord," words and music by Richard Avery and Don Marsh, from Let the People Sing. (See Appendix I for address.)
Charge to the Congregation
"If we have allowed the truth of today's worship to grasp us, then we know that we have the power to bring healing or hurt wherever we go, with whomever we speak. What an awesome privilege and responsibility. God gives us courage to be what God calls us to be" (WHK).
Response
"Let the Beauty of Jesus, Albert Osborn, from Folk Encounter. (See Appendix 1 for address.)
Meditation
"We take almost more care to conceal our love than our hate" (Borne). "It is time for us to reveal our love and to give up our hate" (WHK).
Music Possibilities In Addition To Those Already Suggested
Music for Preparation: "Two Chorales," Buxtehude.
Hymn of Adoration: "When Morning Guilds the Skies," German hymn, c. 1800; trans. Edward Caswall, 1853, 1858; alt.; Joseph Barnby, 1868.
Response to the Pardon: "The Touch of the Master's Hand," author unknown.
Response to the Stewardship Challenge: "No Greater Love," Carmichael.
Hymn of Commitment: "I'll Praise My Maker," Isaac Watts; adapt. John Wesley, 1736; alt. 1988; attr. MatthŠus Greiter (c. 1500-1552); harm. Vicar Earle Copes, 1964.
Music for Dismissal: "O Sing a New Song to the Lord," Charles H. Gabriel (1856-1932); alt.; Percy C. Buck, 1918.
Pastoral Invitation (Pastor and Ministers)
(Several days, maybe weeks, before worship ask a variety of people of what they were healed and to prepare to share in worship.) In the name of the Great Healer, welcome to this sixteenth Sunday in Pentecost. I invite you to share of what God has healed you. Remind them that God is invested in many kinds of healings, as, for example, physical, emotional, relational, environmental, political, and so forth, all of which come under the theme of spiritual. Give plenty of time. Share one of your own healings. After each expression of healing, have the congregation respond with these, or similar, words: "Praise God for healing (name of the person) from (name the healing).
P: We rejoice in the God who brings healing to a broken world.
M: We are glad to receive healing, and to be healers.
Response
"Holy Spirit, Lord of Love," William Dalrymple Maclagen, c. 1873; alt.; Jacob Hintze, 1678; harm. J. S. Bach (1685-1750), as in Hymns Ancient and Modern, 1861.
Prayer of Adoration
Focus on God the Healer. Avoid giving the impression that all healing is physical, and that it is only for the faithful who "pray hard, or harder."
Hymn of Adoration
"God Created Heaven and Earth," Taiwanese hymn; trans. Boris and Clare Anderson, 1981; Pi-po melody; harm. I-to Loh, 1963; rev. 1982.
Taking Responsibility For Our Attitudes And Actions
Introduction to the Act of Confession
What blocks you from receiving God's healing? (One minute of silence.) Any response? If not, share some of your own blocks, even though the people expect you to have none. Is it possible that we really do not want God's healing? Perhaps we only want to complain about our distress. Many people get tremendous mileage from being "ill," whatever form the illness may take. Is that possible for us? (One minute of silence.) Following the silence, ask the congregation for sentence prayers of confession; or, offer your own, on behalf of the congregation, incorporating the ideas suggested in the questions.
Introduction to the Act of Pardon
(Some thoughts offered by J. Edward Lantz, in an article, "Healing as Release," Church Management, June 1956.) "Have you ever thought of healing as release from that which keeps you from being the kind of person God wants you to be? For example, if you are free of cancer, then cancer has no power over you. You are released from its ability to harm and restrict your activities. This also is true of other kinds of afflictions. If we allow God's healing Spirit to separate us from those forces which we allow to pollute us, then we are healed and made whole." (Slightly revised) (One minute of silence.) Following your prayer, ask the people to respond, repeating after you, line by line, these words from Isaiah, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, (name), because he has anointed me, (name) to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me, (name) to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." (Repeat, for emphasis.)
Response
"O Christ, the Healer," Fred Pratt Green, 1969; Klug's Geistliche Lieder, 1543; harm. J. S. Bach, 1725; alt.
The Community Responds To God's Truth
Message with the Children of All Ages
Dramatize the healing of the deaf and dumb man. Let the congregation be the crowd. Have "Jesus" enact the healing. In advance, ask several people in the pews to show surprise and speak together, "He has done everything well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."
Response
Sing "O Christ, the Healer," again; or at least the stanza that serves as the best response to the message.
Dramatize the Scripture
Use a reader, a woman, and "Jesus" to enact the Gospel.
Proclamation of the Good News
You can focus on the faith of the woman; the faith of some people; the instructions of Jesus not to tell anyone; and the amazement of the crowd.
The Community Becomes Responsible To God's World
Stewardship Challenge
How goes your stewardship of healing? This week, keep track of your "healing" words and your "hurting" words, spoken directly to people, or behind their backs.
Hymn of Commitment
"The Spirit of the Lord," words and music by Richard Avery and Don Marsh, from Let the People Sing. (See Appendix I for address.)
Charge to the Congregation
"If we have allowed the truth of today's worship to grasp us, then we know that we have the power to bring healing or hurt wherever we go, with whomever we speak. What an awesome privilege and responsibility. God gives us courage to be what God calls us to be" (WHK).
Response
"Let the Beauty of Jesus, Albert Osborn, from Folk Encounter. (See Appendix 1 for address.)
Meditation
"We take almost more care to conceal our love than our hate" (Borne). "It is time for us to reveal our love and to give up our hate" (WHK).
Music Possibilities In Addition To Those Already Suggested
Music for Preparation: "Two Chorales," Buxtehude.
Hymn of Adoration: "When Morning Guilds the Skies," German hymn, c. 1800; trans. Edward Caswall, 1853, 1858; alt.; Joseph Barnby, 1868.
Response to the Pardon: "The Touch of the Master's Hand," author unknown.
Response to the Stewardship Challenge: "No Greater Love," Carmichael.
Hymn of Commitment: "I'll Praise My Maker," Isaac Watts; adapt. John Wesley, 1736; alt. 1988; attr. MatthŠus Greiter (c. 1500-1552); harm. Vicar Earle Copes, 1964.
Music for Dismissal: "O Sing a New Song to the Lord," Charles H. Gabriel (1856-1932); alt.; Percy C. Buck, 1918.
