Jesus' calming of the sea: the disciples' fear and awe
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Planning Ideas And Resources For The Entire Church Year
Pastoral Invitation to the Celebration
One pastor did this:
Pause for several moments, even several moments after the congregation is silent and waiting for you to begin. You may want to wait until the people are edgy, and anxious for you to begin. Then, slowly and deliberately, say, "Peace be still." Again, wait for several moments before continuing. Then, add, "Are you now ready to begin worship?" If no response, ask again and again until you get a response.
You may want to continue with this litany between pastor and ministers:
Pastor:
What is the purpose of life?
Ministers: To glorify God and to enjoy God forever.
Pastor:
Why do you suppose God created us?
Ministers: To celebrate life in its wholeness.
Pastor:
Why have you come to worship?
Ministers: To sing praise to God, to receive God's power, and to become equipped to minister to and in God's world.
Pastor:
Then, let's do just that.
Ministers: Indeed we shall; indeed we do. Amen
The Act of Recognizing our Humanness and The Act of Receiving New Life
Suggestion:
The disciples asked the same question that we often ask, "Lord, do you care if we live or die? Do we matter to you? We become frightened when we focus on ourselves and our survival."
Follow with this printed prayer: Pray in unison:
With openness of heart and mind and will, I acknowledge before you, God, the thoughts I often allow to enter my life and to influence my actions. I confess, Lord, that I deceive myself about where my obvious duties lie; that, by concealing my real motives, I pretend and fake my way through life; that, my honesty, sometimes, is only a matter of policy; that, my affection for my friends, sometimes, is only a refined form of self-interest; that, often, my sparing of my enemy, is due to nothing more than cowardice; that, often, I do good deeds only to be seen of others, and shun evil deeds only because I fear that someone may find me out; that I, sometimes, refer to myself as your disciple, and live as though it were not true; that I, sometimes, make a verbal profession of faith, and do not follow through in consistent witness. Holy One, let the fire of your love enter my heart, and burn up my meanness and hypocrisy, and make my heart as the heart of a little child. (Ask the people to pray this prayer silently now.) (source unknown)
After several moments of silence, you may want to use this litany. Before the litany, use some of the statements in Sister Corita's and Joseph Pintauro's To Believe in God, published by Harper and Row.
Pastor:
I invite us to remember the good news of our liberation.
Ministers: Jesus the Christ has declared our self-worth.
Pastor:
Christ has forgiven, accepted, received us.
Ministers: Christ has forgiven the past. Christ has given the present new meaning. Christ has made the future full of possibilities.
Pastor:
I invite us to live fully and responsibly. In Christ, we are freed and free.
Ministers: Indeed we are! So be it! Amen!
Message with the Children of All Ages
Try this:
Act out the Scripture passage with the children. As you act it out together, get to the feeling level, especially fear. Apply it to their daily experiences. Are you ever afraid? When? What happens? How do you get over your fear, or do you? Sometimes people develop phobias, and keep them forever. Talk about one of your phobias, and what you do with it. Conclude with a prayer which includes Jesus' words, "Peace be still."
Proclamation of the Word
Consider this:
Topic:
How Good Is Christ's Word - And Your Response?
Faith begins when we receive. Our danger is that we want to inherit the Kingdom by osmosis rather than by obedience. Dietrich Bonhoeffer pointed out that obedience is required before faith is possible. As we obey, we believe.
Stewardship Challenge
Consider this:
The stewardship of faith: Palladin on "Have Gun, Will Travel," once said. "I choose my life and my own way of living it and that's my responsibility." Someone else has said that responsibility is "my response to God's ability."
Charge to the Congregation
Suggestion:
You may find a similar example to conclude worship: One time I asked a non-participating member why she no longer participated in worship. She said, "I don't like the informal worship." She paused for a moment, and then added, "No, that's not the real reason; I don't want to be that committed."
How committed do you, and you, and you want to be; so we can integrate Jesus' words, "Peace! be still!"
Planning for Your Congregation
Suggestions
Your Situation
I. Other Scriptures
Liturgist:
Psalm 48
Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32
2 Samuel 5:1-12
Job 38:1-11
2 Corinthians 5:18--6:2
II. Suggested Hymns
Coordinator:
"Praise the Lord, Who Reigns Above"
Based on Psalm 150 Charles Wesley, 1743
"All Praise Be Yours; for You, O King Divine"
F. Bland Tucker, 1938; 1972
"God, You Spin the Whirling Planets"
Jane Parker Huber A Singing Faith, Jane Parker Huber The Westminster Press, Philadelphia
"Take Thou Our Minds, Dear Lord"
William H. Foulkes; Sts. 1-3, 1918; St. 4, 1920
III. Other Music Possibilities
Organist/Choir director:
Music for Preparation
"Our Father in Heaven"
Bach
Response to the Prayer of Praise
"The Lord's Prayer"
West Indian folk tune
Melody set down by Olive Pattison, 1945
Harm. by Richard D. Wetzel, 1972
Response to the Scripture Reading
"Cause Us, O Lord"
Ron Nelson
Response to the Stewardship Challenge
"Andante"
Marchand
Response to the Children's Message
"Put Your Hand in the Hand"
Words and Music by Gene MacLellan from Folk Encounter, Hope Publishing Company 380 South Main Place, Carol Stream, Illinois 60187
Music for Dismissal
Medley of Pentecost 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 did this:
Pause for several moments, even several moments after the congregation is silent and waiting for you to begin. You may want to wait until the people are edgy, and anxious for you to begin. Then, slowly and deliberately, say, "Peace be still." Again, wait for several moments before continuing. Then, add, "Are you now ready to begin worship?" If no response, ask again and again until you get a response.
You may want to continue with this litany between pastor and ministers:
Pastor:
What is the purpose of life?
Ministers: To glorify God and to enjoy God forever.
Pastor:
Why do you suppose God created us?
Ministers: To celebrate life in its wholeness.
Pastor:
Why have you come to worship?
Ministers: To sing praise to God, to receive God's power, and to become equipped to minister to and in God's world.
Pastor:
Then, let's do just that.
Ministers: Indeed we shall; indeed we do. Amen
The Act of Recognizing our Humanness and The Act of Receiving New Life
Suggestion:
The disciples asked the same question that we often ask, "Lord, do you care if we live or die? Do we matter to you? We become frightened when we focus on ourselves and our survival."
Follow with this printed prayer: Pray in unison:
With openness of heart and mind and will, I acknowledge before you, God, the thoughts I often allow to enter my life and to influence my actions. I confess, Lord, that I deceive myself about where my obvious duties lie; that, by concealing my real motives, I pretend and fake my way through life; that, my honesty, sometimes, is only a matter of policy; that, my affection for my friends, sometimes, is only a refined form of self-interest; that, often, my sparing of my enemy, is due to nothing more than cowardice; that, often, I do good deeds only to be seen of others, and shun evil deeds only because I fear that someone may find me out; that I, sometimes, refer to myself as your disciple, and live as though it were not true; that I, sometimes, make a verbal profession of faith, and do not follow through in consistent witness. Holy One, let the fire of your love enter my heart, and burn up my meanness and hypocrisy, and make my heart as the heart of a little child. (Ask the people to pray this prayer silently now.) (source unknown)
After several moments of silence, you may want to use this litany. Before the litany, use some of the statements in Sister Corita's and Joseph Pintauro's To Believe in God, published by Harper and Row.
Pastor:
I invite us to remember the good news of our liberation.
Ministers: Jesus the Christ has declared our self-worth.
Pastor:
Christ has forgiven, accepted, received us.
Ministers: Christ has forgiven the past. Christ has given the present new meaning. Christ has made the future full of possibilities.
Pastor:
I invite us to live fully and responsibly. In Christ, we are freed and free.
Ministers: Indeed we are! So be it! Amen!
Message with the Children of All Ages
Try this:
Act out the Scripture passage with the children. As you act it out together, get to the feeling level, especially fear. Apply it to their daily experiences. Are you ever afraid? When? What happens? How do you get over your fear, or do you? Sometimes people develop phobias, and keep them forever. Talk about one of your phobias, and what you do with it. Conclude with a prayer which includes Jesus' words, "Peace be still."
Proclamation of the Word
Consider this:
Topic:
How Good Is Christ's Word - And Your Response?
Faith begins when we receive. Our danger is that we want to inherit the Kingdom by osmosis rather than by obedience. Dietrich Bonhoeffer pointed out that obedience is required before faith is possible. As we obey, we believe.
Stewardship Challenge
Consider this:
The stewardship of faith: Palladin on "Have Gun, Will Travel," once said. "I choose my life and my own way of living it and that's my responsibility." Someone else has said that responsibility is "my response to God's ability."
Charge to the Congregation
Suggestion:
You may find a similar example to conclude worship: One time I asked a non-participating member why she no longer participated in worship. She said, "I don't like the informal worship." She paused for a moment, and then added, "No, that's not the real reason; I don't want to be that committed."
How committed do you, and you, and you want to be; so we can integrate Jesus' words, "Peace! be still!"
Planning for Your Congregation
Suggestions
Your Situation
I. Other Scriptures
Liturgist:
Psalm 48
Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32
2 Samuel 5:1-12
Job 38:1-11
2 Corinthians 5:18--6:2
II. Suggested Hymns
Coordinator:
"Praise the Lord, Who Reigns Above"
Based on Psalm 150 Charles Wesley, 1743
"All Praise Be Yours; for You, O King Divine"
F. Bland Tucker, 1938; 1972
"God, You Spin the Whirling Planets"
Jane Parker Huber A Singing Faith, Jane Parker Huber The Westminster Press, Philadelphia
"Take Thou Our Minds, Dear Lord"
William H. Foulkes; Sts. 1-3, 1918; St. 4, 1920
III. Other Music Possibilities
Organist/Choir director:
Music for Preparation
"Our Father in Heaven"
Bach
Response to the Prayer of Praise
"The Lord's Prayer"
West Indian folk tune
Melody set down by Olive Pattison, 1945
Harm. by Richard D. Wetzel, 1972
Response to the Scripture Reading
"Cause Us, O Lord"
Ron Nelson
Response to the Stewardship Challenge
"Andante"
Marchand
Response to the Children's Message
"Put Your Hand in the Hand"
Words and Music by Gene MacLellan from Folk Encounter, Hope Publishing Company 380 South Main Place, Carol Stream, Illinois 60187
Music for Dismissal
Medley of Pentecost Hymns
IV. Bulletin Cover
Church secretary:
V. Bulletin Symbols
VI. Miscellaneous Details (Assignments:)
Ushers
Candlelighters
Hosts/Hostesses
Banners
Flowers
Greeters
Posters
Name-tags
Others
