Proper 9
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Series IV, Cycle A
Hymns
Come, Thou Fount Of Every Blessing (LBW499, NCH459, PH356, CBH521, UM400)
Camina, Pueblo de Dios (Go Forth, O People Of God) (NCH614, UM305)
Make Me A Captive, Lord (CBH539, UM421, PH378)
How Clear Is Our Vocation, Lord (CBH54, PH419)
There Is A Place Of Quiet Rest (CBH5, UM472, PH527)
I Heard The Voice Of Jesus Say (NCH489, CBH493)
There Is A Balm In Gilead (NCH553, CBH627, UM375, PH394)
Just As I Am (CBH516, UM357, PH370)
Anthems
Come Unto Me, Dale Wood, AMSI, SATB
Be Thou My Vision, Alice Parker, Hinshaw, SATB
El--Shaddai, John Thompson, Word, 2--part mixed
Jesus, Son Of God Most High, Lindh and Cox, CGA, Unison, optional descant, flute, guitar, congregation
Call to Worship
Leader: In the heat of the summer, we come together to praise God!
People: It is good and pleasant to give God praise!
Leader: We remember God's goodness to all God's people.
People: We listen to the stories of God's grace and the people's struggle.
All: Let us worship God.
Prayer of Invocation
Covenanting God, we know we are part of your promise to Abraham and his descendants. You are a great God who promises to be faithful generation after generation. Help us to keep the faith and continue the struggle. As we listen to your story spoken through music and word, may we be renewed in our own faith. Give us energy to continue your work in this world. Through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
Scripture Readings
Genesis 24:34--38, 58--67: The Genesis passage can be used as a chancel drama, but because of the number of people involved, it might be better done by a choral speaking choir. Voices needed include Abraham's Servant, Rebekah, Rebekah's Brothers, and the choir as Narrator.
X X X X
B X X
B R
AS
Servant: I am Abraham's servant. The Lord has greatly blessed my master, and he has become wealthy; he has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female slaves, camels and donkeys. And Sarah, my master's wife, bore a son to my master when she was old; and he has given him all that he has. My master made me swear, saying, "You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live; but you shall go to my father's house, to my kindred and get a wife for my son." I said to my master, "Perhaps the woman will not follow me."
I came today to the spring, and said, "O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now you will only make successful the way I am going! I am standing here by the spring of water; let the young woman who comes out to draw, to whom I shall say, 'Please give me a little water from your jar to drink,' and who will say to me, 'Drink, and I will draw for your camels also' - let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master's son." Before I had finished speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah coming out with her water jar on her shoulder; and she went down to the spring and drew. I said to her, "Please let me drink." She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder, and said,
Rebekah: Drink, and I will also water your camels.
Servant: So I drank, and she also watered the camels. Then I asked her, "Whose daughter are you?" She said,
Rebekah: The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him.
Servant: (To audience) So I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her arms. Then I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to obtain the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son. "Now then, if you will deal loyally and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so that I may turn either to the right hand or to the left."
Back Row: And they called Rebekah, and said to her,
Brothers: Will you go with this man?
Rebekah: I will.
Back Row: So they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse along with Abraham's servant and his men. And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,
Brothers: May you, oh, sister, become thousands of myriads; may your offspring gain possession of the gates of their foes.
1 Female Voice: Then Rebekah and her maids rose up, mounted the camels, and followed the man; thus the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.
1 Voice: Now Isaac had come from Beerlahiroi, and was settled in the Negeb. Isaac went out in the evening to walk in the field; and looking up, he saw camels coming. And Rebekah looked up, and when she saw Isaac, she slipped quickly from the camel, and said to the servant,
Rebekah: Who is the man over there, walking in the field to meet us?
Servant: It is my master.
1 Female Voice: Then she took her veil and covered herself.
1 Voice: And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.
Another Voice: Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent. He took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her.
All: So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.
Romans 7:15--25a: This is a soliloquy by Paul as he struggles with his own sin. It would be best done if memorized, but could be read. The person should be moving around, as if arguing with himself and talking to God.
Matthew 11:16--19, 25--30: This is a soliloquy in which Jesus is teaching. It could be done in the same way as Paul, by the same person, but Jesus could be sitting or leaning. It is not as filled with passion as the Paul passage. When the speaker comes to verses 28--38, he should go into the congregation, as if Jesus was moving through the crowd.
Call to Offering
Jesus said, "Come unto me all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." Let us give freely of what we have been given to help others whose burdens are heavier than our own.
Prayer of Dedication (from the hymn We Give Thee But Thine Own)
Leader: We give you back your own, whatever the gift may be.
People: All that we have is yours alone, a trust, O God, from you.
Leader: To comfort and to bless, to find a balm for sadness,
People: To tend the lone and homeless is our own work for you.
Leader: And we believe your word, though dim our faith may be
People: Whatever we do for you, O God, we do it in your name. Amen.
Benediction
Leader: Jesus said, "Come unto me, all you that are weary."
People: We came and found refreshment for our souls.
Leader: Jesus said, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me."
People: We have learned from your word. We are eager to do your will, remembering that your yoke is easy and your burden light.
Leader: With joy in the name of Christ, you are blessed. Amen.
Come, Thou Fount Of Every Blessing (LBW499, NCH459, PH356, CBH521, UM400)
Camina, Pueblo de Dios (Go Forth, O People Of God) (NCH614, UM305)
Make Me A Captive, Lord (CBH539, UM421, PH378)
How Clear Is Our Vocation, Lord (CBH54, PH419)
There Is A Place Of Quiet Rest (CBH5, UM472, PH527)
I Heard The Voice Of Jesus Say (NCH489, CBH493)
There Is A Balm In Gilead (NCH553, CBH627, UM375, PH394)
Just As I Am (CBH516, UM357, PH370)
Anthems
Come Unto Me, Dale Wood, AMSI, SATB
Be Thou My Vision, Alice Parker, Hinshaw, SATB
El--Shaddai, John Thompson, Word, 2--part mixed
Jesus, Son Of God Most High, Lindh and Cox, CGA, Unison, optional descant, flute, guitar, congregation
Call to Worship
Leader: In the heat of the summer, we come together to praise God!
People: It is good and pleasant to give God praise!
Leader: We remember God's goodness to all God's people.
People: We listen to the stories of God's grace and the people's struggle.
All: Let us worship God.
Prayer of Invocation
Covenanting God, we know we are part of your promise to Abraham and his descendants. You are a great God who promises to be faithful generation after generation. Help us to keep the faith and continue the struggle. As we listen to your story spoken through music and word, may we be renewed in our own faith. Give us energy to continue your work in this world. Through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
Scripture Readings
Genesis 24:34--38, 58--67: The Genesis passage can be used as a chancel drama, but because of the number of people involved, it might be better done by a choral speaking choir. Voices needed include Abraham's Servant, Rebekah, Rebekah's Brothers, and the choir as Narrator.
X X X X
B X X
B R
AS
Servant: I am Abraham's servant. The Lord has greatly blessed my master, and he has become wealthy; he has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female slaves, camels and donkeys. And Sarah, my master's wife, bore a son to my master when she was old; and he has given him all that he has. My master made me swear, saying, "You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live; but you shall go to my father's house, to my kindred and get a wife for my son." I said to my master, "Perhaps the woman will not follow me."
I came today to the spring, and said, "O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now you will only make successful the way I am going! I am standing here by the spring of water; let the young woman who comes out to draw, to whom I shall say, 'Please give me a little water from your jar to drink,' and who will say to me, 'Drink, and I will draw for your camels also' - let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master's son." Before I had finished speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah coming out with her water jar on her shoulder; and she went down to the spring and drew. I said to her, "Please let me drink." She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder, and said,
Rebekah: Drink, and I will also water your camels.
Servant: So I drank, and she also watered the camels. Then I asked her, "Whose daughter are you?" She said,
Rebekah: The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him.
Servant: (To audience) So I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her arms. Then I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to obtain the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son. "Now then, if you will deal loyally and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so that I may turn either to the right hand or to the left."
Back Row: And they called Rebekah, and said to her,
Brothers: Will you go with this man?
Rebekah: I will.
Back Row: So they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse along with Abraham's servant and his men. And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,
Brothers: May you, oh, sister, become thousands of myriads; may your offspring gain possession of the gates of their foes.
1 Female Voice: Then Rebekah and her maids rose up, mounted the camels, and followed the man; thus the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.
1 Voice: Now Isaac had come from Beerlahiroi, and was settled in the Negeb. Isaac went out in the evening to walk in the field; and looking up, he saw camels coming. And Rebekah looked up, and when she saw Isaac, she slipped quickly from the camel, and said to the servant,
Rebekah: Who is the man over there, walking in the field to meet us?
Servant: It is my master.
1 Female Voice: Then she took her veil and covered herself.
1 Voice: And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.
Another Voice: Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent. He took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her.
All: So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.
Romans 7:15--25a: This is a soliloquy by Paul as he struggles with his own sin. It would be best done if memorized, but could be read. The person should be moving around, as if arguing with himself and talking to God.
Matthew 11:16--19, 25--30: This is a soliloquy in which Jesus is teaching. It could be done in the same way as Paul, by the same person, but Jesus could be sitting or leaning. It is not as filled with passion as the Paul passage. When the speaker comes to verses 28--38, he should go into the congregation, as if Jesus was moving through the crowd.
Call to Offering
Jesus said, "Come unto me all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." Let us give freely of what we have been given to help others whose burdens are heavier than our own.
Prayer of Dedication (from the hymn We Give Thee But Thine Own)
Leader: We give you back your own, whatever the gift may be.
People: All that we have is yours alone, a trust, O God, from you.
Leader: To comfort and to bless, to find a balm for sadness,
People: To tend the lone and homeless is our own work for you.
Leader: And we believe your word, though dim our faith may be
People: Whatever we do for you, O God, we do it in your name. Amen.
Benediction
Leader: Jesus said, "Come unto me, all you that are weary."
People: We came and found refreshment for our souls.
Leader: Jesus said, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me."
People: We have learned from your word. We are eager to do your will, remembering that your yoke is easy and your burden light.
Leader: With joy in the name of Christ, you are blessed. Amen.
