The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Series II, Cycle A Gospel Texts
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Invitation to the Celebration
In the Name of the Living God, good morning. How are you doing? Even more importantly, how are you being? We often judge our own and other people's Christianity on what we, and they, do or don't do. God judges us mostly on our being, which, of course, leads to our doing, as we discover in today's Gospel lesson. Who we are in our relationship to God leads us directly into our behavior. We may try to kid ourselves, as did the wicked tenants; but we will never fool God. God invites us to find out what that means --Ênow!
P: I remind you that this day is beautiful and sacred, because God is alive!
M: But we see little beauty and sacredness outside of these cozy walls!
P: I remind you that God is beauty ... God is love. That which is ugly we have made.
M: Does God love us amidst our ugliness? Even amidst our lives that betray God and each other?
P: Look again at the cross ... it says that God loves us as we are ... do you understand that?
M: We understand. We understand that we are important creations of a concerned God! Now, we express our thanks to God for such awesome confidence in us! LEAD ON!
Prayer of Praise
Holy and Loving God, thank You for inviting us to worship, for leading us in worship, and for directing our lives following worship. Sometimes we hide the joy of our faith under a bundle of excuses; yet we know that all the excuses in the world will not stop Your pursuit of us. Keep reminding us of the cross and resurrection, that life is beautiful, and that You have given us time in order to celebrate the gift of life. Keep us from getting so involved in the crude pettiness and ugliness of life that we miss the big picture that You are in control ... (conclude with your own praises).
Hymn of Praise
(Keep on inviting people to bring their instruments to worship; encourage those who cannot sing to hum or whistle.) "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty."
We Seek Forgiveness
Introduction to Our Enmity, Hidden or Obvious
A woman said to her priest after worship, "I'm tired of hearing about love and peace and friendly 'rubbish.' All I want is the mass." She represents a contemporary version of the wicked tenants. We do, in fact, hate others to the same degree that we hate ourself. Our enemy becomes the enemy of God. We refuse to recognize that in our hatred and hostility, we are the enemy of God. (Three minutes of silence.) Invite people to write down their thoughts. Invite a courageous person to respond; take the risk of responding yourself.
Response
"Look All Around You" (words and music by John Fischer; found in New Wine, Hope Publishing Company. See Appendix I for address).
Introduction to Newness in Christ
God's love never changes. Against all who oppose or ignore God, God exposes love in wrath, a word we seldom hear in the church. In that same love, God took on judgment and death in Jesus the Christ, to bring us liberation and new life. I declare to you who mean business with God, that in the name of the Christ, you are forgiven.
M: God, we thank you for your promise. We believe you, and we receive your gift. And now, we are better equipped to seek forgiveness, and to offer forgiveness, each day, each hour.
Response
"Lord, I Want to Be a Christian in My Heart" (stanzas 1, 2, 3).
We Are Listening!
Message with the Children of All Ages
Tell the story of the text using a contemporary setting for children and young people. Then, ask them to remain while your actors dramatize the Gospel lesson.
Reading from the Newer Covenant
Before presenting the passage, ask, "What is your usual reason for reading the Bible -- comfort for yourself, or simply passages which you can use against those who disagree with you?"
Proclamation of the Good News
This may sound like bad news: In light of the passage, deal with the idea expressed in Bob Dylan's "God's On Our Side." It is so easy to see the wickedness of others and the purity of ourselves. God will have none of that! If we had been present on Jesus' death day, we would have reacted no differently from the crowd. When we choose to disobey, to live off-center, to justify our behavior, we are no different from the crowd or the wicked tenants.
Response
Include in the prayer the fact that it's easy for us to criticize the crowd, the wicked tenants, and decide that we are the "good ones." All of us need forgiveness, over and over, for our thoughts, words, feelings, behavior.
We Are Accountable!
Stewardship Challenge
"The Holy Spirit makes generosity a matter of the heart, not of the pocketbook, though the Holy Spirit never excludes the pocketbook checkbook, ATM, or charge card" (WHK).
Prayer Following the Offering
We have received the greatest gift in the world. Thank you. Grant that our response in thanks may exceed our speaking about thanks, for the sake of your world.
We Leave For Ministry!
Charge to the Congregation
Who's who in the Kingdom of God? Only those who produce the fruits of the Kingdom. And Jesus warns us, "Many who think that they are first may well be last; and the last may actually come in first." Instead of our deciding about others, I invite us, in the Spirit of God, to evaluate ourselves.
Response
Sing again, "Lord, I Want to Be A Christian."
Meditation
"Verbal commitment to Christ, membership in the local congregation, being pillars of the church, giving to keep the institution open, these guarantee no special favors. These do place on us grave responsibilities toward others. How well do we respond?" (WHK).
Music Possibilities In Addition To Those Already Suggested
Music for Preparation: "Praise to the Lord," Joachim Neander; trans. Catherine Winkworth. (Order from Hope Publishing Company. See Appendix I for address.)
Hymn of Praise: "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee," Henry Van Dyke, 1907.
Response to the Confession: "Judge Eternal, Throned in Splendor," Henry Scott Holland, 1902; alt.
Response to the Forgiveness: "Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation," Latin hymn, c. seventh century.
Hymn of Commitment: "How Firm a Foundation," Rippon's A Selection of Hymns, 1787; alt.
Response to the Benediction: (Choir) "Proclaim the Glory of the Lord," choral setting by Jack Schrader; words and music by Dwight Liles and Niles Borop. (Order from Bug and Bear Music/Word Music, LCS Music Group, Inc., P.O. Box 202406, Dallas, TX 75220.)
Music for Dismissal: "I To the Hills Will Lift My Eyes," from Psalm 121, The Psalter, 1912; alt., 1972.
Invitation to the Celebration
In the Name of the Living God, good morning. How are you doing? Even more importantly, how are you being? We often judge our own and other people's Christianity on what we, and they, do or don't do. God judges us mostly on our being, which, of course, leads to our doing, as we discover in today's Gospel lesson. Who we are in our relationship to God leads us directly into our behavior. We may try to kid ourselves, as did the wicked tenants; but we will never fool God. God invites us to find out what that means --Ênow!
P: I remind you that this day is beautiful and sacred, because God is alive!
M: But we see little beauty and sacredness outside of these cozy walls!
P: I remind you that God is beauty ... God is love. That which is ugly we have made.
M: Does God love us amidst our ugliness? Even amidst our lives that betray God and each other?
P: Look again at the cross ... it says that God loves us as we are ... do you understand that?
M: We understand. We understand that we are important creations of a concerned God! Now, we express our thanks to God for such awesome confidence in us! LEAD ON!
Prayer of Praise
Holy and Loving God, thank You for inviting us to worship, for leading us in worship, and for directing our lives following worship. Sometimes we hide the joy of our faith under a bundle of excuses; yet we know that all the excuses in the world will not stop Your pursuit of us. Keep reminding us of the cross and resurrection, that life is beautiful, and that You have given us time in order to celebrate the gift of life. Keep us from getting so involved in the crude pettiness and ugliness of life that we miss the big picture that You are in control ... (conclude with your own praises).
Hymn of Praise
(Keep on inviting people to bring their instruments to worship; encourage those who cannot sing to hum or whistle.) "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty."
We Seek Forgiveness
Introduction to Our Enmity, Hidden or Obvious
A woman said to her priest after worship, "I'm tired of hearing about love and peace and friendly 'rubbish.' All I want is the mass." She represents a contemporary version of the wicked tenants. We do, in fact, hate others to the same degree that we hate ourself. Our enemy becomes the enemy of God. We refuse to recognize that in our hatred and hostility, we are the enemy of God. (Three minutes of silence.) Invite people to write down their thoughts. Invite a courageous person to respond; take the risk of responding yourself.
Response
"Look All Around You" (words and music by John Fischer; found in New Wine, Hope Publishing Company. See Appendix I for address).
Introduction to Newness in Christ
God's love never changes. Against all who oppose or ignore God, God exposes love in wrath, a word we seldom hear in the church. In that same love, God took on judgment and death in Jesus the Christ, to bring us liberation and new life. I declare to you who mean business with God, that in the name of the Christ, you are forgiven.
M: God, we thank you for your promise. We believe you, and we receive your gift. And now, we are better equipped to seek forgiveness, and to offer forgiveness, each day, each hour.
Response
"Lord, I Want to Be a Christian in My Heart" (stanzas 1, 2, 3).
We Are Listening!
Message with the Children of All Ages
Tell the story of the text using a contemporary setting for children and young people. Then, ask them to remain while your actors dramatize the Gospel lesson.
Reading from the Newer Covenant
Before presenting the passage, ask, "What is your usual reason for reading the Bible -- comfort for yourself, or simply passages which you can use against those who disagree with you?"
Proclamation of the Good News
This may sound like bad news: In light of the passage, deal with the idea expressed in Bob Dylan's "God's On Our Side." It is so easy to see the wickedness of others and the purity of ourselves. God will have none of that! If we had been present on Jesus' death day, we would have reacted no differently from the crowd. When we choose to disobey, to live off-center, to justify our behavior, we are no different from the crowd or the wicked tenants.
Response
Include in the prayer the fact that it's easy for us to criticize the crowd, the wicked tenants, and decide that we are the "good ones." All of us need forgiveness, over and over, for our thoughts, words, feelings, behavior.
We Are Accountable!
Stewardship Challenge
"The Holy Spirit makes generosity a matter of the heart, not of the pocketbook, though the Holy Spirit never excludes the pocketbook checkbook, ATM, or charge card" (WHK).
Prayer Following the Offering
We have received the greatest gift in the world. Thank you. Grant that our response in thanks may exceed our speaking about thanks, for the sake of your world.
We Leave For Ministry!
Charge to the Congregation
Who's who in the Kingdom of God? Only those who produce the fruits of the Kingdom. And Jesus warns us, "Many who think that they are first may well be last; and the last may actually come in first." Instead of our deciding about others, I invite us, in the Spirit of God, to evaluate ourselves.
Response
Sing again, "Lord, I Want to Be A Christian."
Meditation
"Verbal commitment to Christ, membership in the local congregation, being pillars of the church, giving to keep the institution open, these guarantee no special favors. These do place on us grave responsibilities toward others. How well do we respond?" (WHK).
Music Possibilities In Addition To Those Already Suggested
Music for Preparation: "Praise to the Lord," Joachim Neander; trans. Catherine Winkworth. (Order from Hope Publishing Company. See Appendix I for address.)
Hymn of Praise: "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee," Henry Van Dyke, 1907.
Response to the Confession: "Judge Eternal, Throned in Splendor," Henry Scott Holland, 1902; alt.
Response to the Forgiveness: "Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation," Latin hymn, c. seventh century.
Hymn of Commitment: "How Firm a Foundation," Rippon's A Selection of Hymns, 1787; alt.
Response to the Benediction: (Choir) "Proclaim the Glory of the Lord," choral setting by Jack Schrader; words and music by Dwight Liles and Niles Borop. (Order from Bug and Bear Music/Word Music, LCS Music Group, Inc., P.O. Box 202406, Dallas, TX 75220.)
Music for Dismissal: "I To the Hills Will Lift My Eyes," from Psalm 121, The Psalter, 1912; alt., 1972.
