Jesus' healing of the leper
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Planning Ideas And Resources For The Entire Church Year
Pastoral Invitation to the Celebration
Try this:
As pastor and choir process into the sanctuary, touch some of the people, or stop and greet them. If you do not process, without announcing the purpose, come from the chancel and do the same.
Then, welcome people to worship. Along with the phone company, ask them to reach out and touch someone. Remind them to go cautiously; because some may not want to be touched. The handshake is usually more acceptable than any other kind of touch.
The Act of Recognizing our Humanness and The Act of Receiving New Life
Consider this:
Begin, the human potential movement taught us to touch, a ministry often neglected by the main-line church. The human-potential movement spawned many excesses, unhealthy excesses. Consider silently what the touch of another human has meant in your life, either positively or negatively. (Remember that many in the congregation have been abused physically, and sexually, and emotionally.) You may want to point that out to the people; for some will get in contact with some painful feelings.
Give five minutes of silence for the people.
Follow
the silence with your prayer for healing of the past. Take your time; pray slowly and deliberately. Bring in the Scripture of Jesus' touching the leper, of others who touch AIDS victims.
You may want to use this prayer as a basis for your prayer:
Because, God, we can hide nothing, including ourselves and our past from You, we have faced our pain. We may need more than this moment to receive healing. Grant that we may seek persons who can help us to reclaim our wholeness no matter what has happened to us in the past. Remove from us the guilt which destroys, and the fear which betrays our trust in You, in the name of Christ, the Sin-bearer and Reconciler.
Message with the Children of All Ages
Consider this:
Tell the children about leprosy, and a few of the requirements for cleansing, even from acne and skin rash. Jesus touched even a leper, and asked the person to go through the same process of cleansing with the priest. Then, Jesus told him to say nothing to anyone. Do you think that you would have been silent? When Jesus touches us, we want to tell everyone.
Presenting the Scripture
Consider this:
Instead of reading the passage, act it out with a couple of members of the congregation. Invite the congregation to respond to the healing.
Proclamation of the Word
Suggestion:
Topic:
The Ministry of the Touch.
The word "touch" literally means "to tend to hold," or, "to cling to." Jesus did not just nick him with his fingernail, but held the leper and did not with-draw quickly.
I. Discuss why we do not touch. Not the thing to do because some may think we're getting too friendly; or because we may use this touch as an excuse for getting something from the other, which equals manipulation and seduction.
II. Discuss why we need to touch. The touch, carefully done, means something to the other. Perhaps you have seen the picture of the woman walking along the street with signboard which says, "Touch me - wrinkles are not contagious." God uses our touch as agents of power and love, which flow through us into the life and personality of the other. The touch may affect the person's life for eternity. A woman committed suicide, and left a note, which read in part, "I have always felt unworthy of peoples' touch."
Our goal: To help people, through God's Spirit, to move from the touch that kills to the touch that cures. That is the meaning of Jesus' touch; that is the meaning of the touch of Jesus' people.
Stewardship Challenge
Consider this:
The stewardship of the touch. Everything we touch reflects and refracts heaven or hell. The greatest damage we will do to another is to withhold our touch -
by the letters we never write,
by the visits we never make,
by the phone calls we never place,
by the deeds we never do,
by the words we never speak,
by the touch we never give.
What will you do about the ministry of the touch this week?
Charge to the Congregation
Suggestion:
Ask once again, how will you offer the ministry of the touch to your family, neighbor, community, world this week? I invite you, as you leave, to begin now. Greet one another. Some may want to use the handshake, or the hug, or even the Holy Kiss about which the Bible speaks.
Planning for Your Congregation
Suggestions
Your Situation
I. Other Scriptures
Liturgist:
Psalm 32
2 Kings 5:1-14
Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
1 Corinthians 10:31--11:1
II. Suggested Hymns
Coordinator:
"Angels, from the Realms of Glory" James Montgomery, 1816, 1825; alt., 1972
"Immortal Love, Forever Full" John Greenleaf Whittier, 1866
"We Bear the Strain of Earthly Care" Ozora S. Davis, 1909
III. Other Music Possibilities
Organist/Choir director:
Music for Preparation and Dismissal
Medley of Epiphany Hymns
(continue to keep these hymns alive)
Preparation for the Confession Kyrie
Response to the Stewardship Challenge
"Elevation" Zipoli (1688-1726)
IV. Bulletin Cover
Church secretary:
V. Bulletin Symbols
VI. Miscellaneous Details (Assignments:)
Ushers
Candlelighters
Hosts/Hostesses
Banners
Flowers
Greeters
Posters
Name-tags
Others
Try this:
As pastor and choir process into the sanctuary, touch some of the people, or stop and greet them. If you do not process, without announcing the purpose, come from the chancel and do the same.
Then, welcome people to worship. Along with the phone company, ask them to reach out and touch someone. Remind them to go cautiously; because some may not want to be touched. The handshake is usually more acceptable than any other kind of touch.
The Act of Recognizing our Humanness and The Act of Receiving New Life
Consider this:
Begin, the human potential movement taught us to touch, a ministry often neglected by the main-line church. The human-potential movement spawned many excesses, unhealthy excesses. Consider silently what the touch of another human has meant in your life, either positively or negatively. (Remember that many in the congregation have been abused physically, and sexually, and emotionally.) You may want to point that out to the people; for some will get in contact with some painful feelings.
Give five minutes of silence for the people.
Follow
the silence with your prayer for healing of the past. Take your time; pray slowly and deliberately. Bring in the Scripture of Jesus' touching the leper, of others who touch AIDS victims.
You may want to use this prayer as a basis for your prayer:
Because, God, we can hide nothing, including ourselves and our past from You, we have faced our pain. We may need more than this moment to receive healing. Grant that we may seek persons who can help us to reclaim our wholeness no matter what has happened to us in the past. Remove from us the guilt which destroys, and the fear which betrays our trust in You, in the name of Christ, the Sin-bearer and Reconciler.
Message with the Children of All Ages
Consider this:
Tell the children about leprosy, and a few of the requirements for cleansing, even from acne and skin rash. Jesus touched even a leper, and asked the person to go through the same process of cleansing with the priest. Then, Jesus told him to say nothing to anyone. Do you think that you would have been silent? When Jesus touches us, we want to tell everyone.
Presenting the Scripture
Consider this:
Instead of reading the passage, act it out with a couple of members of the congregation. Invite the congregation to respond to the healing.
Proclamation of the Word
Suggestion:
Topic:
The Ministry of the Touch.
The word "touch" literally means "to tend to hold," or, "to cling to." Jesus did not just nick him with his fingernail, but held the leper and did not with-draw quickly.
I. Discuss why we do not touch. Not the thing to do because some may think we're getting too friendly; or because we may use this touch as an excuse for getting something from the other, which equals manipulation and seduction.
II. Discuss why we need to touch. The touch, carefully done, means something to the other. Perhaps you have seen the picture of the woman walking along the street with signboard which says, "Touch me - wrinkles are not contagious." God uses our touch as agents of power and love, which flow through us into the life and personality of the other. The touch may affect the person's life for eternity. A woman committed suicide, and left a note, which read in part, "I have always felt unworthy of peoples' touch."
Our goal: To help people, through God's Spirit, to move from the touch that kills to the touch that cures. That is the meaning of Jesus' touch; that is the meaning of the touch of Jesus' people.
Stewardship Challenge
Consider this:
The stewardship of the touch. Everything we touch reflects and refracts heaven or hell. The greatest damage we will do to another is to withhold our touch -
by the letters we never write,
by the visits we never make,
by the phone calls we never place,
by the deeds we never do,
by the words we never speak,
by the touch we never give.
What will you do about the ministry of the touch this week?
Charge to the Congregation
Suggestion:
Ask once again, how will you offer the ministry of the touch to your family, neighbor, community, world this week? I invite you, as you leave, to begin now. Greet one another. Some may want to use the handshake, or the hug, or even the Holy Kiss about which the Bible speaks.
Planning for Your Congregation
Suggestions
Your Situation
I. Other Scriptures
Liturgist:
Psalm 32
2 Kings 5:1-14
Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
1 Corinthians 10:31--11:1
II. Suggested Hymns
Coordinator:
"Angels, from the Realms of Glory" James Montgomery, 1816, 1825; alt., 1972
"Immortal Love, Forever Full" John Greenleaf Whittier, 1866
"We Bear the Strain of Earthly Care" Ozora S. Davis, 1909
III. Other Music Possibilities
Organist/Choir director:
Music for Preparation and Dismissal
Medley of Epiphany Hymns
(continue to keep these hymns alive)
Preparation for the Confession Kyrie
Response to the Stewardship Challenge
"Elevation" Zipoli (1688-1726)
IV. Bulletin Cover
Church secretary:
V. Bulletin Symbols
VI. Miscellaneous Details (Assignments:)
Ushers
Candlelighters
Hosts/Hostesses
Banners
Flowers
Greeters
Posters
Name-tags
Others
