SermonStudio

Hymns
Eat This Bread (CBH471, UM628)
Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah (CBH582, UM127, NCH18, 19, PH281)
Glorious Things Of Thee Are Spoken (CBH619, UM731, PH416, NCH307)
Sing Praise To God (NCH6, PH483, UM126, CBH59)
Before Your Cross, O Jesus (NCH191)
Come, Labor On (NCH532, PH415)
O Jesus, I Have Promised (LBW503, NCH493, PH388, 389, CBH447, UM396)
Lead On, O King Eternal (LBW495, NCH573, PH447, 448, UM580)

Anthems
What Is Life But Christ?, Philip Young, Broadman, SATB/trumpet
O Give Thanks Unto The Lord, Jean Berger, Hinshaw, SATB/div
Brethren, We Have Met To Worship, arr. Pethel, CGA, Unison/2--part or SATB
Sing Praise To God, Leaf, CGA, Unison

Call to Worship
Leader: Draw near to God. Come into God's sanctuary with singing.
People: With a voice of singing, we come to God's house filled with praise.
Leader: God is here and ready to hear our song.
People: Let us sing, "To God all praise and glory."

Opening Hymn
Sing Praise To God

Call to Confession
God heard the complaining of the Israelites when they were in the wilderness. He answered their cries of hunger with bread. God hears our complaining and answers us also, offering us forgiveness. Let us pray together, confessing our sins.

Prayer of Confession
Glorious God, we look around us and everywhere there are signs of your goodness, yet we don't see it. We are in too much of a hurry to listen to the bird in the tree or watch the dew sparkle on the grass. We must get somewhere: to work, to school, to exercise, to our chores. We don't take time to be with you, to tell you our problems, and to thank you for your goodness to us. We don't want to wait for anything, not even you, God. We are too full of ourselves and our wants - like the ancient Israelites, we don't put our trust in you. We only trust ourselves, and we're not even sure about that. Forgive us, God, for not knowing what is important - for not spending time in prayer, for not seeing the bounty that you have given us. Help us slow down and put our trust in you, giver of all good gifts. Amen.

Assurance of Forgiveness
God has given us the greatest gift of all - his son, Jesus Christ. And in the gift he has shown us his great favor and his willingness to partner with us forever. Jesus Christ is our redeemer and by his death has given us the gift of forgiveness. Amen.

Scripture Readings
Exodus 16:2--15: Use the choral speaking choir. In the pattern shown below, X represents the Israelites.
G
X X
X X
X M A X
3 2
X X
X X
1

Voice 1: The whole congregation of the Israelites set out from Elim; and Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. The Israelites said to them,

Israelites: If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

Voice 2: Then the Lord said to Moses,

God: I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on the other days.

Voice 3: So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites,

Moses and Aaron: In the evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your complaining against the Lord. For what are we, that you complain against us?

Voice 1: And Moses said,

Moses: When the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the Lord has heard the complaining that you utter against him - what are we? Your complaining is not against us but against the Lord.

Voice 2: Then Moses said to Aaron,

Moses: Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, "Draw near to the Lord, for he has heard your complaining."

Voice 3: And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. The Lord spoke to Moses and said,

God: I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, "At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God."

Voice 3: In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground.

Voice 1: When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another,

Israelites: What is it?

Voice 1: For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them,

Moses: It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.

Matthew 20:1--16: Use the choral speaking choir, or the passage could also be done by one person dressed as Jesus, telling the parable.
5
4 6
3 7
2 8
1 L 9

All: For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

Voices 1, 2, and 3: After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard.

Voices 4, 5, and 6: When he went out about 9 o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them,

Landowner: You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.

Voices 4, 5, and 6: So they went.

Voices 7, 8, and 9: When he went out again about noon and about 3 o'clock, he did the same.

Voice 1: And about 5 o'clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them,

Landowner: Why are you standing here idle all day?

Voice 2: They said to him,

All: Because no one has hired us.

Landowner: You also go into the vineyard.

Voice 3: When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager,

Landowner: Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.

Voices 4, 5, and 6: When those hired about 5 o'clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage.

Voices 7, 8, and 9: Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received the usual daily wage.

Voice 1: And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying,

Voices 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6: These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.

Voice 7: But he replied to one of them,

Landowner: Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?

All Voices: So the last will be first, and the first will be last.

Call to Offering
The Israelites asked, and God brought quails, and gave them food from heaven in abundance, for God remembered his holy promise. Let us give of ourselves, in abundance.

Prayer of Dedication
Gracious God, accept the gifts we bring you today. May they be used to help people wandering in the wilderness of hunger, poverty, drought, and warfare. May they bring joy to people where there has been no joy. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Benediction
Leader: Live your life worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
People: We will stand firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel.
Leader: Do not be intimidated by the prevailing culture. Go out as one of God's children.
People: We go out in joy to show God's love to the world.

Choral Response
I've Got The Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy Down In My Heart