Proper 23, Pentecost 21, Ordinary Time 28
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Series II, Cycle C Gospel Texts
Liturgical Color: Green
Gospel: Luke 17:11-19
Theme: The Story of the Ten Lepers. With which leper, or lepers, do you most identify?
Recognizing Who God Is
(Before planning this, and the Thanksgiving Eve/Day worship, read Margaret T. Applegarth's amazing book, Twelve Baskets Full, Harper and Brothers Publishers, New York.)
Music for Preparation
"Pastorale," Handel. (One minute of silence follows the song.)
Choral Invitation
"Enter God's Gates with a Song of Thanksgiving," Drury.
Pastoral Invitation
Pastor, Ministers, and Choir
In the name of the one who cleansed the lepers of his day, and who is able to cleanse the lepers of this day, welcome. First, thanks; then, giving -- with the right motivation, for the right reasons. So, I invite you to reverently shout the following invitation to the celebration:
P: Gladness is ours, because we belong to God.
C: Hallelujah!
M: Gladness belongs to us, because we belong to God.
P: Sing to the Lord with gratitude.
C: Glorious things God has done for, to, with us.
P: Hills, plains, rocks, sand,
M: Grass, trees, fields, clouds, sky,
P: Moon, stars, rain, wind, sun, snow,
M: Gladness is ours. Hallelujah! Amen!
C: Hallelujah! Amen!
M: People sing what the choir just sang, "Hallelujah! Amen!"
Hymn of Praise
"To God Compose a Song of Joy," Ruth C. Duck, 1986; Edwin R. Taylor, 1987. If possible, have as many of the musical instruments presented as represented in the hymn.
Prayer of Praise
Prayer titled "Thank You," from Michel Quoist's book titled Prayer. (See Appendix II for address.) You may want to revise it slightly.
Invitation To Discover Who We Are And Who We Can Become
Introduction to the Act of Recognizing Our Humanity
When we hear the story of the ten lepers, do we wonder how the nine could fail to give thanks? Consider, and write down, those things for which we fail to give thanks, namely, the most obvious, such as clean water, a flick of the switch for electricity, the availability of medical help, and so on. (One minute of silence.) Now, consider the other side of thanksgiving, when we offer to help another. Someone said, "The most subtle desire for power is our desire for thanks," which means that we expect the other to be dependent on us, even if momentarily. (Read that statement again. One minute of silence to digest its message.)
Unison Prayer of Confession
Holy and Loving God, we follow you, but usually, at some distance. We are selective in our giving thanks, and expecting thanks. We gratefully enjoy giving thanks for the successful "Hail Marys" offered by athletes. We are reluctant to give thanks for the difficult decisions of life which bring healing and growth. Forgive us for the thanks that we fail to offer, and for expecting people to thank us for our "generous" gifts. Forgive us, and make us thankful disciples.
Response
"Lord, Have Mercy Upon Us," any version.
Introduction to the Act of Receiving New Life
For this next week, and beyond, consider how you will emulate the one leper. (One minute of silence.)
Response
(Adult Choir) "Thanks Be to Thee," Handel.
Hearing The Truth Of The Good News
Message with the Children of All Ages
Do any of you know what a leper is? (Describe the plight of the leper in Jesus' day. Any expositor's Bible will describe it.) What do you think about their situation? Did you know that one of the Hawaiian Islands has a leper colony? Describe a time in your life when you felt a little bit like a leper. This probably occurred when you received a major rejection. Mine happened when a group of power-hungry people forced me to resign from a congregation. How about you children? If that happened, did you have anyone who reached out to you? Who was it? How did you feel, and what did you do? I, personally, reached out to thank those people who reached out to me.
Response
"Love Them Now," Richard Avery and Don Marsh, from The Avery and Marsh Songbook. (See Appendix I for address.) The second time, replace "love" with "thanks," and follow the directions Dick and Don give.
Dramatizing the Scripture
Prepare well ahead of time. Ask ten adults to wear signs or carry signs, indicating which modern leper they represent, as for example, person with AIDS, minority person, Native American, poor person, political enemy, and so on. "Jesus" walks down the aisle, and the ten plead with him to heal them. As "Jesus" does heal them they drop their signs and dash away. After a few moments, one leper returns to thank Jesus. And Jesus responds, "Thank you for returning; feel free to leave; your trustful action has made you whole."
Proclamation of the Good News
Larry Squires, in a Church Management article titled "Where Are The Nine?" (January, 1959), describes the kinds of lepers who went to Jesus that day. For example, he suggested that one was simply ungrateful, one too busy, one lazy, one did show himself to the priest (who convinced him not to return to Jesus), one whose experience failed to touch his life, one afraid of himself, one afraid of outside things, one who expected Jesus to come by where he waited but Jesus went another way, and one too full of false pride.
Prayers of Thanksgiving by the People
Include a caution about expecting thanks for services rendered. Print a half-sheet for the bulletin, titled "Prayers of Thanks,"aand ask the people to fill them out in the early part of worship.
Response
"Canon of Praise," Pachelbel.
Responding To What We Say We Believe
Stewardship Challenge
In your stewardship, with what leper, or lepers, do you most identify? (One minute of silence.)
Hymn of Dedication
"O God, Our Faithful God," Johann Heermann, 1630; trans. Catherine Winkworth, 1858; alt.; Neu ordentlich Gesangbuch, 1646; harm. J. S. Bach (1685-1750); alt.
Charge to the Congregation
From an article in Christianity Today titled "How Not to Give Thanks": (1) By spoiling nature, a gift of God. (2) By remaining unconcerned as cities stagnate and decay; and despair overtakes their hapless residents. (3) By failing to speak out against obvious injustices that trample the rights of others, and destroy the dignity of humans made in God's image. (4) By enthroning self, worshiping things, and idolizing affluence. (5) By clinging to things that are temporal, and forsaking things that are eternal.
Response to the Benediction
A thanksgiving chorus.
Meditation
We begin with thanks; we continue with giving. For only through the giving of ourselves, the first-fruits of our resources, can we hope to live a life of thanksgiving. When this happens, thanksgiving becomes thanksliving. Heartfelt gratitude within ourselves leads to hope-filling service beyond ourselves. Of course, this isn't easy; but then, Christ's death wasn't easy either.
Music Possibilities In Addition To Those Already Suggested
Music for Preparation: Medley of Thanksgiving music.
Hymn of Praise: "God of Our Life." (See Pentecost 4.)
Response to the Gospel: "You Are the Lord, Giver of Mercy," any version.
Offertory: "Fugue on the Doxology," J. S. Bach.
Hymn of Obedience: "The World Abounds with God's Free Grace," David G. Mehrtens, 1980; George Frederick Handel, 1748; harm. C. Winfred Douglas, 1941.
Music for Dismissal: Medley of Thanksgiving music.
Gospel: Luke 17:11-19
Theme: The Story of the Ten Lepers. With which leper, or lepers, do you most identify?
Recognizing Who God Is
(Before planning this, and the Thanksgiving Eve/Day worship, read Margaret T. Applegarth's amazing book, Twelve Baskets Full, Harper and Brothers Publishers, New York.)
Music for Preparation
"Pastorale," Handel. (One minute of silence follows the song.)
Choral Invitation
"Enter God's Gates with a Song of Thanksgiving," Drury.
Pastoral Invitation
Pastor, Ministers, and Choir
In the name of the one who cleansed the lepers of his day, and who is able to cleanse the lepers of this day, welcome. First, thanks; then, giving -- with the right motivation, for the right reasons. So, I invite you to reverently shout the following invitation to the celebration:
P: Gladness is ours, because we belong to God.
C: Hallelujah!
M: Gladness belongs to us, because we belong to God.
P: Sing to the Lord with gratitude.
C: Glorious things God has done for, to, with us.
P: Hills, plains, rocks, sand,
M: Grass, trees, fields, clouds, sky,
P: Moon, stars, rain, wind, sun, snow,
M: Gladness is ours. Hallelujah! Amen!
C: Hallelujah! Amen!
M: People sing what the choir just sang, "Hallelujah! Amen!"
Hymn of Praise
"To God Compose a Song of Joy," Ruth C. Duck, 1986; Edwin R. Taylor, 1987. If possible, have as many of the musical instruments presented as represented in the hymn.
Prayer of Praise
Prayer titled "Thank You," from Michel Quoist's book titled Prayer. (See Appendix II for address.) You may want to revise it slightly.
Invitation To Discover Who We Are And Who We Can Become
Introduction to the Act of Recognizing Our Humanity
When we hear the story of the ten lepers, do we wonder how the nine could fail to give thanks? Consider, and write down, those things for which we fail to give thanks, namely, the most obvious, such as clean water, a flick of the switch for electricity, the availability of medical help, and so on. (One minute of silence.) Now, consider the other side of thanksgiving, when we offer to help another. Someone said, "The most subtle desire for power is our desire for thanks," which means that we expect the other to be dependent on us, even if momentarily. (Read that statement again. One minute of silence to digest its message.)
Unison Prayer of Confession
Holy and Loving God, we follow you, but usually, at some distance. We are selective in our giving thanks, and expecting thanks. We gratefully enjoy giving thanks for the successful "Hail Marys" offered by athletes. We are reluctant to give thanks for the difficult decisions of life which bring healing and growth. Forgive us for the thanks that we fail to offer, and for expecting people to thank us for our "generous" gifts. Forgive us, and make us thankful disciples.
Response
"Lord, Have Mercy Upon Us," any version.
Introduction to the Act of Receiving New Life
For this next week, and beyond, consider how you will emulate the one leper. (One minute of silence.)
Response
(Adult Choir) "Thanks Be to Thee," Handel.
Hearing The Truth Of The Good News
Message with the Children of All Ages
Do any of you know what a leper is? (Describe the plight of the leper in Jesus' day. Any expositor's Bible will describe it.) What do you think about their situation? Did you know that one of the Hawaiian Islands has a leper colony? Describe a time in your life when you felt a little bit like a leper. This probably occurred when you received a major rejection. Mine happened when a group of power-hungry people forced me to resign from a congregation. How about you children? If that happened, did you have anyone who reached out to you? Who was it? How did you feel, and what did you do? I, personally, reached out to thank those people who reached out to me.
Response
"Love Them Now," Richard Avery and Don Marsh, from The Avery and Marsh Songbook. (See Appendix I for address.) The second time, replace "love" with "thanks," and follow the directions Dick and Don give.
Dramatizing the Scripture
Prepare well ahead of time. Ask ten adults to wear signs or carry signs, indicating which modern leper they represent, as for example, person with AIDS, minority person, Native American, poor person, political enemy, and so on. "Jesus" walks down the aisle, and the ten plead with him to heal them. As "Jesus" does heal them they drop their signs and dash away. After a few moments, one leper returns to thank Jesus. And Jesus responds, "Thank you for returning; feel free to leave; your trustful action has made you whole."
Proclamation of the Good News
Larry Squires, in a Church Management article titled "Where Are The Nine?" (January, 1959), describes the kinds of lepers who went to Jesus that day. For example, he suggested that one was simply ungrateful, one too busy, one lazy, one did show himself to the priest (who convinced him not to return to Jesus), one whose experience failed to touch his life, one afraid of himself, one afraid of outside things, one who expected Jesus to come by where he waited but Jesus went another way, and one too full of false pride.
Prayers of Thanksgiving by the People
Include a caution about expecting thanks for services rendered. Print a half-sheet for the bulletin, titled "Prayers of Thanks,"aand ask the people to fill them out in the early part of worship.
Response
"Canon of Praise," Pachelbel.
Responding To What We Say We Believe
Stewardship Challenge
In your stewardship, with what leper, or lepers, do you most identify? (One minute of silence.)
Hymn of Dedication
"O God, Our Faithful God," Johann Heermann, 1630; trans. Catherine Winkworth, 1858; alt.; Neu ordentlich Gesangbuch, 1646; harm. J. S. Bach (1685-1750); alt.
Charge to the Congregation
From an article in Christianity Today titled "How Not to Give Thanks": (1) By spoiling nature, a gift of God. (2) By remaining unconcerned as cities stagnate and decay; and despair overtakes their hapless residents. (3) By failing to speak out against obvious injustices that trample the rights of others, and destroy the dignity of humans made in God's image. (4) By enthroning self, worshiping things, and idolizing affluence. (5) By clinging to things that are temporal, and forsaking things that are eternal.
Response to the Benediction
A thanksgiving chorus.
Meditation
We begin with thanks; we continue with giving. For only through the giving of ourselves, the first-fruits of our resources, can we hope to live a life of thanksgiving. When this happens, thanksgiving becomes thanksliving. Heartfelt gratitude within ourselves leads to hope-filling service beyond ourselves. Of course, this isn't easy; but then, Christ's death wasn't easy either.
Music Possibilities In Addition To Those Already Suggested
Music for Preparation: Medley of Thanksgiving music.
Hymn of Praise: "God of Our Life." (See Pentecost 4.)
Response to the Gospel: "You Are the Lord, Giver of Mercy," any version.
Offertory: "Fugue on the Doxology," J. S. Bach.
Hymn of Obedience: "The World Abounds with God's Free Grace," David G. Mehrtens, 1980; George Frederick Handel, 1748; harm. C. Winfred Douglas, 1941.
Music for Dismissal: Medley of Thanksgiving music.
