Lent 2
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Series II, Cycle C Gospel Texts
Liturgical Color: Purple
Gospel: Luke 13:31-35
Theme: Warning to Jesus by the Pharisees; Jesus' Message to Herod; Jesus' Sadness about Jerusalem; Jesus' Warning to His People. What are the mixed messages for our life as the church in this frightening Scripture?
Praise Of God
Pastoral Invitation
In the name of the Living God, welcome. We move one week closer to that Great Day. However, we're in for some rough times, if we want to take the Scriptures seriously. The question for each of us, for all of us, is this: Will we take the Scriptures seriously? I hope so, because we know that God is present with us in the struggle. Now, each week, we will move the hymn a little closer to the end of worship, where, on Easter, it will represent the beginning of new life. The choir will sing stanza one, while the congregation hums the tune. Then the people will sing stanza two, as they gaze at the cross. (To make the message more profound, have someone make an old rugged cross to place in the middle of the sanctuary.)
Prayer of Praise
The pastor begins praying, and then invites the people to offer sentence prayers of praise.
Forgiveness From God
Introduction to the Act of Recognizing Our Humanity
Read verse 34a, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you." Rewrite this verse in your own words, using the name of the community in which you live. Then ask, "How do we contemporary Christians go about stoning and killing? (Two minutes of silence; ask the people to write down their responses.) Anyone willing to share? (If no response, offer this one) Cars run down far fewer people than gossip, the 'Christian' way of getting rid of people. (You may have an example of this from your own experience.) (Two minutes of silence. Once again, ask) What method do you use to get rid of people who disagree with you?"
Response
"O Lamb of God Most Holy!" (See Lent 1.)
Introduction to the Act of Receiving New Life
Read verse 34b. "How often would I have gathered you people [of this community and congregation] as a hen gathers her brood ..." Fact: God wants our salvation more than we do. That's why God keeps pursuing us. (Read verse 1 of Frances Thompson's "Hounds of Heaven," and read it with much energy.) Receive this powerful gift from God!
Response
"Forgive Our Sins as We Forgive," Rosamond E. Herklots, 1969, 1983; Supplement to Kentucky Harmony, 1820; harm. Margaret W. Mealy, b. 1922.
Instruction About God
Message with the Children of All Ages
If possible, bring a chicken with its brood or bring a picture of a chicken, nestling its brood. Talk about the protection the mother hen gives to her chicks, and how they respond. Tell them that's a symbol of what God is like. Sometimes, though, we want to live our own life, away from God. Yet, God keeps inviting us back again and again.
Prayer Response
Incorporate the message into your prayer.
Dramatizing the Scripture
Plan far enough ahead so the actors can memorize the parts. Have the congregation respond after each transaction. For example, after verse 31, "Leave, Jesus, leave!" After verse 32, "Yeah," and applause. After 35a, a great moan. And after 35b, silence. (Ask them to write down their thoughts.)
Proclamation of the Good News
Ernest Fremont Tittle, in The Gospel According to Luke (Macmillan), suggests that Jesus is saying to us change your attitude, your ways, or you will bring judgment on yourselves. No one is clean, no person, no denomination, no local church. Therefore, there is no room for self-righteousness; there is abundant room for repentance.
Response
Three minutes of silence; invite the people to write down their thoughts. Conclude with, "And all the people said...."
Dedication To God
Stewardship Challenge
What does the stewardship of repentance mean in your daily walk? Who wins the battle, Christ or culture? The world makes us aware of our lack of vitamins, but not our lack of virtue; the condition of our complexion, but not the condition of our spirit; our deficiency of "it," but not our poverty of God. It makes us wary of doing anything silly but not of doing anything sinful.
Prayer Response
By your spirit, help us to sift out our obedience to the culture, so we are free to concentrate on our obedience to the Christ.
Charge to the Congregation
A picture in a Christian Century magazine shows a group of young children gathered around a dining table. The caption reads, "Rescued from a 'slave factory,' where they had worked at forced labor for years. These abandoned Thai orphan girls, ages eight to fifteen, are now under the care of the government welfare center at Bangkok. The 21 youngsters did factory work for twelve hours a day on starvation rations that resulted in death for two of them. They cannot remember their relatives' names; and no one has come forward to raise them." And now, what would we like to complain about this Lenten season?
Hymn of Obedience
"O Jesus Christ, May Grateful Hymns Be Rising," Bradford Gray Webster, 1954; David Evans, 1927.
Meditation
Using your nail: Place it where we, and others will see it. On our kitchen table, workbench, school desk, office desk, television set. Think and talk about it; let it become a conversation piece. Other ideas: Tape it to the phone handle; hang it from the car mirror; make a nail cross out of it; put it on your computer; tape it to the refrigerator. You get the idea!
Music Possibilities In Addition To Those Already Suggested
Music for Preparation: Medley of Lenten hymns; or, "Like a Shepherd, God Doth Lead Us," J. S. Bach.
Response to the Prayer of Praise: "Gloria Patri," Old Scottish.
Response to the Scripture: "You Are the Lord, Giver of Mercy" (See Lent 1.)
Music for Dismissal: Medley of Lenten hymns.
Gospel: Luke 13:31-35
Theme: Warning to Jesus by the Pharisees; Jesus' Message to Herod; Jesus' Sadness about Jerusalem; Jesus' Warning to His People. What are the mixed messages for our life as the church in this frightening Scripture?
Praise Of God
Pastoral Invitation
In the name of the Living God, welcome. We move one week closer to that Great Day. However, we're in for some rough times, if we want to take the Scriptures seriously. The question for each of us, for all of us, is this: Will we take the Scriptures seriously? I hope so, because we know that God is present with us in the struggle. Now, each week, we will move the hymn a little closer to the end of worship, where, on Easter, it will represent the beginning of new life. The choir will sing stanza one, while the congregation hums the tune. Then the people will sing stanza two, as they gaze at the cross. (To make the message more profound, have someone make an old rugged cross to place in the middle of the sanctuary.)
Prayer of Praise
The pastor begins praying, and then invites the people to offer sentence prayers of praise.
Forgiveness From God
Introduction to the Act of Recognizing Our Humanity
Read verse 34a, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you." Rewrite this verse in your own words, using the name of the community in which you live. Then ask, "How do we contemporary Christians go about stoning and killing? (Two minutes of silence; ask the people to write down their responses.) Anyone willing to share? (If no response, offer this one) Cars run down far fewer people than gossip, the 'Christian' way of getting rid of people. (You may have an example of this from your own experience.) (Two minutes of silence. Once again, ask) What method do you use to get rid of people who disagree with you?"
Response
"O Lamb of God Most Holy!" (See Lent 1.)
Introduction to the Act of Receiving New Life
Read verse 34b. "How often would I have gathered you people [of this community and congregation] as a hen gathers her brood ..." Fact: God wants our salvation more than we do. That's why God keeps pursuing us. (Read verse 1 of Frances Thompson's "Hounds of Heaven," and read it with much energy.) Receive this powerful gift from God!
Response
"Forgive Our Sins as We Forgive," Rosamond E. Herklots, 1969, 1983; Supplement to Kentucky Harmony, 1820; harm. Margaret W. Mealy, b. 1922.
Instruction About God
Message with the Children of All Ages
If possible, bring a chicken with its brood or bring a picture of a chicken, nestling its brood. Talk about the protection the mother hen gives to her chicks, and how they respond. Tell them that's a symbol of what God is like. Sometimes, though, we want to live our own life, away from God. Yet, God keeps inviting us back again and again.
Prayer Response
Incorporate the message into your prayer.
Dramatizing the Scripture
Plan far enough ahead so the actors can memorize the parts. Have the congregation respond after each transaction. For example, after verse 31, "Leave, Jesus, leave!" After verse 32, "Yeah," and applause. After 35a, a great moan. And after 35b, silence. (Ask them to write down their thoughts.)
Proclamation of the Good News
Ernest Fremont Tittle, in The Gospel According to Luke (Macmillan), suggests that Jesus is saying to us change your attitude, your ways, or you will bring judgment on yourselves. No one is clean, no person, no denomination, no local church. Therefore, there is no room for self-righteousness; there is abundant room for repentance.
Response
Three minutes of silence; invite the people to write down their thoughts. Conclude with, "And all the people said...."
Dedication To God
Stewardship Challenge
What does the stewardship of repentance mean in your daily walk? Who wins the battle, Christ or culture? The world makes us aware of our lack of vitamins, but not our lack of virtue; the condition of our complexion, but not the condition of our spirit; our deficiency of "it," but not our poverty of God. It makes us wary of doing anything silly but not of doing anything sinful.
Prayer Response
By your spirit, help us to sift out our obedience to the culture, so we are free to concentrate on our obedience to the Christ.
Charge to the Congregation
A picture in a Christian Century magazine shows a group of young children gathered around a dining table. The caption reads, "Rescued from a 'slave factory,' where they had worked at forced labor for years. These abandoned Thai orphan girls, ages eight to fifteen, are now under the care of the government welfare center at Bangkok. The 21 youngsters did factory work for twelve hours a day on starvation rations that resulted in death for two of them. They cannot remember their relatives' names; and no one has come forward to raise them." And now, what would we like to complain about this Lenten season?
Hymn of Obedience
"O Jesus Christ, May Grateful Hymns Be Rising," Bradford Gray Webster, 1954; David Evans, 1927.
Meditation
Using your nail: Place it where we, and others will see it. On our kitchen table, workbench, school desk, office desk, television set. Think and talk about it; let it become a conversation piece. Other ideas: Tape it to the phone handle; hang it from the car mirror; make a nail cross out of it; put it on your computer; tape it to the refrigerator. You get the idea!
Music Possibilities In Addition To Those Already Suggested
Music for Preparation: Medley of Lenten hymns; or, "Like a Shepherd, God Doth Lead Us," J. S. Bach.
Response to the Prayer of Praise: "Gloria Patri," Old Scottish.
Response to the Scripture: "You Are the Lord, Giver of Mercy" (See Lent 1.)
Music for Dismissal: Medley of Lenten hymns.
