Rally Day
Worship
Special Days For Celebration
Worship Resources For Eighteen Occasions Throughout The Year
Comments on the Service
While I was attending college, my English literature instructor suggested that a short story should be long enough to cover the subject yet short enough to be interesting. Over the years I have found that to be a good yardstick for preparing either a sermon or a Sunday church school lesson. With the recent decline of church school attendance in our "old line" denominations, the legitimate question has raised eyebrows and ears: "How do we translate Christian education into a late twentieth century idiom?" We are trying. It is hoped that this Rally Day worship experience can serve as one good leap in that direction. The floodlight centers on God's truth. That ingredient is dispensed through (a) our ascent in God-praise, (b) our honesty in self-discovery, (c) our vision to empty it into crucial human needs.
Any quest for ultimate truth is reduced to a journey - implying a faith effort on our end. Following the greeting and "truth channel," where God is focused in, we move inward. The "Call to Confession" deals specifically with our encounter with his truth; the "Truth Nuggets for our Children" and "Dialogues" attempt to correlate his truth with our relationships with others.
Ultimately, his truth, to be fully accountable and redeemable, must sink its molars into the world. Sharing his resource-as-truth gives us that challenge. The 'dismissal' gets a high wind into our sails as we continue our journey outward.
Order of Worship
"Truth Explosion"
"... the truth will make you free." (John 8:32)
(*congregation stand)
A. Journey Upward
OVERTURES TO TRUTH "The Heavens are Telling" Beethoven
LET THERE BE LIGHT
* HYMN OF ASCENT "When Morning Gilds the Skies"
THE GREETING
Do you feel like an isolated computer chip or a video disc that's burned out by too much rock n' roll? If you are seeking a friendship that meets an inner need for acceptance, then you have entered the proper circuit. Readjust your antennae because the spirit of truth is circulating your way. Enter our gathering today so that you will find strength for tomorrow. The Truth Master welcomes you ... and so do we!
THE PSALTER (Lectionary)
ENTERING THE TRUTH CHANNEL
Our Father and Superconductor of healing truth, we sense the immediacy of your power. We thank you for plugging into our darkness. Move quickly into our inner vacuums created by sophisticated strategies which lead nowhere. Assure us again that it is truth which molds character and civilizations, not gadgetry with six-month warranties.
B. Journey In ward
ANTHEM "Setting People Free" Danielson
A CALL TO CONFESSION AND TRUTH
Leader:
Through the hatching of spiritual rebirth, Nicodemus found incredible potential for his life. Trusting that his truth works for us, we acquire wings to fulfil and nurture our destinies. Today, he extends that possibility to each of us.
People:
"... fulfill all the good pleasures of his goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of the Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you ..." (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12)
Leader:
Spiritual growth will require more than a tender loving care of our faith. The investment of time and study will get us on our way. The true test of his truth will be found more in the arena than in the classroom. Ultimately, his truth must bring healing to our world.
People:
Truth seekers are peacemakers. We want to be in control of our decisions and to really make a difference in the lives of others. "Teach me Your way, O Lord: I will walk in Your truth ..." (Psalm 86:11)
THE SHARING OF TRUTH NUGGETS WITH OUR CHILDREN
DIALOGUES
TEACHERS: It is an awesome task to be delegated Word-sharers. That means you have placed in us a great deal of confidence in our enthusiasm and ability to teach. This is a challenge we cannot assume by ourselves. Our faith in Christ and his truth will keep us going.
STUDENTS (congregation): We are grateful that you have made the decision to give us an important part of yourself. For your knowledge of the Bible, for your ability to raise questions when dealing with difficult issues, for your patience to help us understand ourselves, we are deeply indebted.
UNISON:
"If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed." (1 Timothy 4:6)
C. Journey Outward
* HYMN "Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken"
THE GOSPEL John 3:2
TRUTH SHARING "The Resource"
* OUR INVESTMENT IN TRUTH "Finsoria" Bach
Doxology
HYMN "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah"
* DISMISSAL
You made a great investment today. You deepened a friendship. God is that friend. When you pray to him this week, you will find his companionship warm and caring. He has welcomed you within the acceptance of his everlasting arms. Go, now, and greet others in that same caring spirit.
* POSTLUDE "A Parting Blessing" Franck
Children's Message
"Bread"
Text: "He also used this example: 'The Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a woman making bread. She takes a measure of flour and mixes in the yeast until it permeates every part of the
dough.' " (Matthew 13:33)
Objects: A small jar of plain flour. A small jar of self-rising flour. A small cake of leavened bread. A small cake of unleavened bread (made by mixing water or milk with plain flour).
"Things are not always what they seem to be." How many of you have heard that quotation before? Most of us have heard it many times and it is very true. Have any of you ever been offered a stick of gum and after you took it, you found your "friend" had removed the gum from the tinfoil and then placed it back in the wrapper? You were expecting a tasty chewing treat, but all you got was two pieces of paper neatly folded together.
People are not always what they seem to be either. There is no way to tell whether or not a person is a Christian simply by looking at him or her. But the Bible has given us a way to know whether or not a person is a Christian. The Scriptures compare Christians (members of the Kingdom of Heaven) to leavened flour. Before it is baked, leavened flour and unleavened flour look exactly the same. (Use the jar of flour.) It is only when we see what the flour becomes that we know which was leavened and which was not. (Use the cakes of bread.)
But what is leaven? When we are talking about baking bread, leaven is the baking powder or yeast that causes the dough to rise. Without the leaven, the bread is flat and hard; it's almost impossible to eat. But if the bread is leavened, it bakes up soft and moist and tasty.
What does this example say about people? How are people leavened or unleavened? If baking power and yeast are the leavening agents in bread, then Christ and the Holy Spirit are the leavening agents in human beings. Without Christ and the Holy Spirit in our lives, we can become hardened by sin and selfishness. Our lives are "flat" and meaningless and we find it almost impossible for us to deal with life. But when our lives are "leavened" by Christ and the Holy Spirit, life takes on meaning and we become the kind of persons who can love and help others.
Leavened and unleavened flour look alike from the outside, but it's what the flour becomes that shows us the difference. All people look pretty much the same on the outside; it's what they become, what they do with their lives that shows whether or not their lives are leavened by our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Preaching Resources
Title: "The Resource"
Text: John 3:3
Introduction. In 1949 Virginia Brasier accurately portrayed our lifestyle: "This is the age of the half-read page. And the quick hash and the mad dash. The bright night with the nerves tight. The plane hop and the brief stop. The lamp tan in a short span. The Big Shot in a good spot. And the brainstrain and the heart pain. And the cat naps til the spring snaps ... And the fun's done!" This is still applicable, isn't it? The attainment of truth is never a fast-food meal. It simply takes time for it to mature along with us.
1. Truth is a shaker. Nicodemus discovered immediately from Jesus that truth is in reality a spiritual awakening. It is never a sleeper. A youth group was making puppets for a passion play. In the drama they pursued a novel approach. After praying all night in Gethsemane, the Jesus puppet made the following observation about his friends: "They're asleep again! They just don't make disciples like they used to!" When we pursue it, God's truth has a way of getting our attention - and keeping us awake.
2. Truth is also a mover. Nicodemus thought he had religion cornered with all the circuits in the right place. Jesus upset that system. Once we are in tune with his frequency for our lives, we really make tracks. The artist Pablo Picasso confessed, "When I was a child, my mother said to me, 'If you become a soldier, you'll be a general. If you become a monk, you'll end up as pope.' Instead, I became a painter and wound up as Picasso."
B. DAVID HOSTETTER
World Communion Sunday
Order of Service
PRELUDE
CALL TO WORSHIP
Come from east and west and north and south and take your place at the table in the Kingdom of God. There are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.
INVOCATION
God of all time and all space, hear our prayers from this place where we gather around the table provisioned for us by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, your Son and our Savior. Lessen the gaps in understanding between us as we concentrate on having the mind of Christ so that our unity may be evident in all the world in the face of all doubt and unbelief, through Jesus, Friend of Sinners. Amen
HYMN "Jesus Shall Reign Where e'er the Sun" (or another similar hymn)
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Eternal One, who can know what tomorrow brings? You only know the beginning from the end and can bring us safely through whatever it holds for us. Forgive our undue anxiety for the future that reveals doubt in your sovereignty and your love for us. May our confession be the means of growing faith and stronger trust in your mercies which never fail in Jesus Christ, crucified, risen, and ascended to eternity. Amen
DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS
Hear the Good News! God will gather his elect from the four winds, so be comforted people of faith. Believe the Good News! In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
EXHORTATION
Love your neighbors as yourselves, whatever their language or yours, whatever their history or yours, whatever their sex or yours, whatever their status or yo.urs. Love God who has made of one blood all nations to dwell on the face of the earth.
FIRST LESSON Isaiah 40:28-31
PSALM 142 [Paraphrased] (Have two readers lead two sections of the congregation, reading antiphonally)
I cry aloud to the Majestic One:
I LIFT UP MY VOICE TO THE REGAL ONE FOR MERCY.
I pour out my complaint before the Eternal One:
BEFORE WHOM I TELL MY TROUBLE.
When my spirit grows faint within me, It is you who knows my way:
IN THE PATH WHERE I WALK YOU SEE THERE IS DANGER AND TEMPTATION.
No one is concerned for my survival:
I have no refuge.
NO ONE CARES FOR MY LIFE.
I cry to you, magnificent One:
I SAY, "YOU ARE MY REFUGE, MY PROVIDER IN THE LAND OF THE LIVING."
Listen to my cry,
For I am in desperate need.
RESCUE ME FROM THOSE WHO PURSUE ME,
FOR THEY ARE TOO STRONG FOR ME.
Set me free from my encirclement that I may praise your name.
THEN THE RIGHTEOUS WILL GATHER ABOUT ME
BECAUSE WE SHARE YOUR GOODNESS TO US.
GLORIA PATRI
SECOND LESSON Revelation 21:9-14
GOSPEL Matthew 8:5-13
PRAYER OF THE DAY
God of the Universe, save us from any pride that pretends only our faith is satisfactory and only our prayers count with you. Grant us the humility of the approachable Jesus who was, like you, accessible to all who called upon him. Amen
CHILDREN'S SERMON
"The Biggest Reunion Picnic of Them All"
HYMN "In Christ There Is No East or West"
SERMON
"Communion by the Compass, the Calendar, and the Clock"
Preparation for Communion. On World Communion Sunday consider using a representation of breads from varying cultures, like: pita bread, matzos, rye, soda crackers, Irish potato bread, whole wheat, Italian, French, pumpernickel. If you have people with national costumes have them bring in their bread to the table in procession. Suggest that people receive the bread in a kind to which they may not be accustomed.
Similarly have red wines from different countries: Welch's from the U.S.A., Lambrusco from Italy, Sake from Japan, Carmel from Israel, wines from Portugal or Yugoslavia or Australia, Romania, etc. These may be brought in procession and poured into a large clear chalice so that the color is visible to all.
THE CREED
INVITATION TO HOLY COMMUNION
(The scriptural account of the disciples' preparation for the Passover may be read as people bring in the bread and wine to set the table.)
THE EUCHARIST
God of creation, Christ of earth and heaven, Spirit in the church, we worship you in awe for the magnificence of the creation on the large scale and the mystery of the microscopic and the invisible. We lift grateful hearts to you in response to your love made personal in Jesus of Nazareth, Mary's Son and yours. We resonate to the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace that ties us to all other Christians in the world.
(As a Sanctus, the congregation may sing the first verse of "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty" - Heber)
Heavenly Parent, we thank you for ypur child Jesus, born of woman, a new Adam born without sin.
Creator-Redeemer, we thank you that the last Adam brought resurrection of the dead, to overcome the death brought into the world by the first human and all of us thereafter.
Sharing our humanity, Jesus knew the hunger for food and the thirst for drink and the joy of a meal with friends.
Breaking bread with disciples from Emmaus, the risen Christ was recognized as the Messiah, come to save his people from their sins and the fear of death.
Teaching the meaning of the Old Testament, Jesus became the living Word, the New Testament.
Suffering as the Messiah, Christ became our risen ruler, conqueror of death.
Spirit of Truth, dance as a fire within our hearts, so that as we break bread and drink the cup, we may recognize the presence of the Christ at this table where he is remembered.
God of the living, we are yours in life and in death, gathered around this table to receive this sacrament with solemnity and joy, anticipating the feast in your heavenly realm.
Our Father in Heaven ...
Celebrant: When the time came Jesus took his place at the table, and the apostles with him, and he said to them, "How I have longed to eat this Passover with you before my death! For I tell you, never again shall I eat it until the time comes when it finds its fulfilment in the realm of God" ... Then, he took bread, gave thanks, and broke it: and he gave it to them, with the words:
"This is my body."
(After the fraction and distribution of the breads)
Recognize the Risen Christ in our breaking of the bread. Happy is the person who eats bread in the dominion of God.
(After the bread has been eaten:)
Then Jesus took a cup, and after giving thanks, he said, "Take this and share it among yourselves: for I tell you, from this moment I shall drink from the fruit of the vine no more until the time when the rule of God comes."
(The passing of the cup)
Jesus said to his disciples, "You shall eat and drink at my table in my dominion."
(After the drinking of the cup:)
The grace of our Lord Christ be with you all.
Amen
Sovereign God Almighty, you are and you were. You have used your great power and have begun to rule. The power to rule over the world belongs to you and to the Messiah, who will rule forever and ever! Amen
HYMN "The Day Thou Gayest, Lord, Is Ended"
(Omit the first verse and sing only the following. Or, you may wish to incorporate them in the sermon.)
We thank thee that only thy church unsleeping,
While earth rolls onward into light,
Through all the world her watch is keeping,
And rests not now by day or night.
As o'er each continent and island
The dawn leads on another day
The voice of prayer is never silent
Nor dies the strain of praise away.
The sun that bids us rest is waking
Our brethren 'neath the western sky,
And hour by hour fresh lips are making
Thy wondrous doing heard on high.
So be it, Lord! Thy throne shall never
Like earth's proud empires, pass away;
Thy kingdom stands and grows for ever,
Till all Thy creatures own Thy sway.
- John Ellerton, 1826-1893
Children's Message
"The Biggest Reunion Picnic of Them All"
Object:
a compass.
Scripture: Matthew 8:11. "... many will come from the east and the west and will take their places at the feast ..."
Who knows how to use a compass? (If you have volunteers willing to explain its use, have them point to the four directions: north, south, east, and west; or do it yourself. Be ready to name one place in each direction and ask in which direction it is from where you are.)
Do any of you attend family reunions? (Look for a response.) If you do, do other people come here or do you go somewhere else? (If you are not sure in advance that there are families with such experience, you may want to do some research ahead of time, or supply your own experience of when people gathered from the four points of the compass, citing particular places from which they came.)
In the Gospel today, Jesus told about the great reunion of the people of God at the end of life or the climax of history. He reminded his own people that faith made it possible for others who did not share the same ancestors to seek God's favor. Mark spoke of the same promise of Jesus that God would "... gather his elect from the four winds ..."
What a family reunion that will be! It would be fun just to imagine everyone flying in on their own national airline. For me, it is even more fun to imagine some arriving on the back of an elephant, or riding a horse or leading a llama carrying their baggage or with their whole family riding in an oxcart.
Would it be confusing if we did not speak the same language? I suppose it would, but then if there were lots of food at this feast it would not matter very much because we could be very friendly just passing the food around. And with Jesus as the host of this family reunion, I'm sure we would have a very good time however far we had come from east and west and from north and south.
A Preaching Resource
"Communion by the Compass, the Calendar, and the Clock"
Luke 13:29 People will come from east and west and north and south and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last. (NIV)
Introduction. Compare this text with Matthew 8:13, where the healing of the centurion's servant has taken place and the text includes Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as the patriarchs (not mentioning the matriarchs) around whom people of faith are gathered from the Gentiles.
1. The Communion Compass. North, South, East, and West the church is wherever the Gospel has been preached and where people have confessed that Jesus is Lord.
2. The Communion Clock. Our time of worship may be the same as that of many others who live directly north and south of us but there is an hourly chain of prayer and communiqji. Imagine a long table north and south with all who are coming to the "board of the Lord" in this hour from the Arctic to the Antarctic. There is a growing table as leaf after leaf lengthens the table to the west as others to the east have already today risen from the table. Others to the west are preparing to come to communion until the last serving reaches the international date line in the Pacific.
(If your congregation has relatives or church connections with others in other time zones, cite specific names of peop!e or churches who are celebrating at specific times. If the hymn, "The Day Thou Gayest Lord Is Ended" is not used in the service, some of it may be quoted here.)
East and West: we have a daily diversity of night and day.
3. By The communion calendar we have, in Northern and Southern hemispheres, the seasonal reversal of summer and winter, spring and fall. The first Sunday of October fits into the fall season in the Northern hemisphere and in the spring in the Southern hemisphere.
Conclusion. Our communion today may depart slightly from our usual form in order to note the worldwide links we have with other Christians.
While I was attending college, my English literature instructor suggested that a short story should be long enough to cover the subject yet short enough to be interesting. Over the years I have found that to be a good yardstick for preparing either a sermon or a Sunday church school lesson. With the recent decline of church school attendance in our "old line" denominations, the legitimate question has raised eyebrows and ears: "How do we translate Christian education into a late twentieth century idiom?" We are trying. It is hoped that this Rally Day worship experience can serve as one good leap in that direction. The floodlight centers on God's truth. That ingredient is dispensed through (a) our ascent in God-praise, (b) our honesty in self-discovery, (c) our vision to empty it into crucial human needs.
Any quest for ultimate truth is reduced to a journey - implying a faith effort on our end. Following the greeting and "truth channel," where God is focused in, we move inward. The "Call to Confession" deals specifically with our encounter with his truth; the "Truth Nuggets for our Children" and "Dialogues" attempt to correlate his truth with our relationships with others.
Ultimately, his truth, to be fully accountable and redeemable, must sink its molars into the world. Sharing his resource-as-truth gives us that challenge. The 'dismissal' gets a high wind into our sails as we continue our journey outward.
Order of Worship
"Truth Explosion"
"... the truth will make you free." (John 8:32)
(*congregation stand)
A. Journey Upward
OVERTURES TO TRUTH "The Heavens are Telling" Beethoven
LET THERE BE LIGHT
* HYMN OF ASCENT "When Morning Gilds the Skies"
THE GREETING
Do you feel like an isolated computer chip or a video disc that's burned out by too much rock n' roll? If you are seeking a friendship that meets an inner need for acceptance, then you have entered the proper circuit. Readjust your antennae because the spirit of truth is circulating your way. Enter our gathering today so that you will find strength for tomorrow. The Truth Master welcomes you ... and so do we!
THE PSALTER (Lectionary)
ENTERING THE TRUTH CHANNEL
Our Father and Superconductor of healing truth, we sense the immediacy of your power. We thank you for plugging into our darkness. Move quickly into our inner vacuums created by sophisticated strategies which lead nowhere. Assure us again that it is truth which molds character and civilizations, not gadgetry with six-month warranties.
B. Journey In ward
ANTHEM "Setting People Free" Danielson
A CALL TO CONFESSION AND TRUTH
Leader:
Through the hatching of spiritual rebirth, Nicodemus found incredible potential for his life. Trusting that his truth works for us, we acquire wings to fulfil and nurture our destinies. Today, he extends that possibility to each of us.
People:
"... fulfill all the good pleasures of his goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of the Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you ..." (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12)
Leader:
Spiritual growth will require more than a tender loving care of our faith. The investment of time and study will get us on our way. The true test of his truth will be found more in the arena than in the classroom. Ultimately, his truth must bring healing to our world.
People:
Truth seekers are peacemakers. We want to be in control of our decisions and to really make a difference in the lives of others. "Teach me Your way, O Lord: I will walk in Your truth ..." (Psalm 86:11)
THE SHARING OF TRUTH NUGGETS WITH OUR CHILDREN
DIALOGUES
TEACHERS: It is an awesome task to be delegated Word-sharers. That means you have placed in us a great deal of confidence in our enthusiasm and ability to teach. This is a challenge we cannot assume by ourselves. Our faith in Christ and his truth will keep us going.
STUDENTS (congregation): We are grateful that you have made the decision to give us an important part of yourself. For your knowledge of the Bible, for your ability to raise questions when dealing with difficult issues, for your patience to help us understand ourselves, we are deeply indebted.
UNISON:
"If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed." (1 Timothy 4:6)
C. Journey Outward
* HYMN "Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken"
THE GOSPEL John 3:2
TRUTH SHARING "The Resource"
* OUR INVESTMENT IN TRUTH "Finsoria" Bach
Doxology
HYMN "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah"
* DISMISSAL
You made a great investment today. You deepened a friendship. God is that friend. When you pray to him this week, you will find his companionship warm and caring. He has welcomed you within the acceptance of his everlasting arms. Go, now, and greet others in that same caring spirit.
* POSTLUDE "A Parting Blessing" Franck
Children's Message
"Bread"
Text: "He also used this example: 'The Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a woman making bread. She takes a measure of flour and mixes in the yeast until it permeates every part of the
dough.' " (Matthew 13:33)
Objects: A small jar of plain flour. A small jar of self-rising flour. A small cake of leavened bread. A small cake of unleavened bread (made by mixing water or milk with plain flour).
"Things are not always what they seem to be." How many of you have heard that quotation before? Most of us have heard it many times and it is very true. Have any of you ever been offered a stick of gum and after you took it, you found your "friend" had removed the gum from the tinfoil and then placed it back in the wrapper? You were expecting a tasty chewing treat, but all you got was two pieces of paper neatly folded together.
People are not always what they seem to be either. There is no way to tell whether or not a person is a Christian simply by looking at him or her. But the Bible has given us a way to know whether or not a person is a Christian. The Scriptures compare Christians (members of the Kingdom of Heaven) to leavened flour. Before it is baked, leavened flour and unleavened flour look exactly the same. (Use the jar of flour.) It is only when we see what the flour becomes that we know which was leavened and which was not. (Use the cakes of bread.)
But what is leaven? When we are talking about baking bread, leaven is the baking powder or yeast that causes the dough to rise. Without the leaven, the bread is flat and hard; it's almost impossible to eat. But if the bread is leavened, it bakes up soft and moist and tasty.
What does this example say about people? How are people leavened or unleavened? If baking power and yeast are the leavening agents in bread, then Christ and the Holy Spirit are the leavening agents in human beings. Without Christ and the Holy Spirit in our lives, we can become hardened by sin and selfishness. Our lives are "flat" and meaningless and we find it almost impossible for us to deal with life. But when our lives are "leavened" by Christ and the Holy Spirit, life takes on meaning and we become the kind of persons who can love and help others.
Leavened and unleavened flour look alike from the outside, but it's what the flour becomes that shows us the difference. All people look pretty much the same on the outside; it's what they become, what they do with their lives that shows whether or not their lives are leavened by our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Preaching Resources
Title: "The Resource"
Text: John 3:3
Introduction. In 1949 Virginia Brasier accurately portrayed our lifestyle: "This is the age of the half-read page. And the quick hash and the mad dash. The bright night with the nerves tight. The plane hop and the brief stop. The lamp tan in a short span. The Big Shot in a good spot. And the brainstrain and the heart pain. And the cat naps til the spring snaps ... And the fun's done!" This is still applicable, isn't it? The attainment of truth is never a fast-food meal. It simply takes time for it to mature along with us.
1. Truth is a shaker. Nicodemus discovered immediately from Jesus that truth is in reality a spiritual awakening. It is never a sleeper. A youth group was making puppets for a passion play. In the drama they pursued a novel approach. After praying all night in Gethsemane, the Jesus puppet made the following observation about his friends: "They're asleep again! They just don't make disciples like they used to!" When we pursue it, God's truth has a way of getting our attention - and keeping us awake.
2. Truth is also a mover. Nicodemus thought he had religion cornered with all the circuits in the right place. Jesus upset that system. Once we are in tune with his frequency for our lives, we really make tracks. The artist Pablo Picasso confessed, "When I was a child, my mother said to me, 'If you become a soldier, you'll be a general. If you become a monk, you'll end up as pope.' Instead, I became a painter and wound up as Picasso."
B. DAVID HOSTETTER
World Communion Sunday
Order of Service
PRELUDE
CALL TO WORSHIP
Come from east and west and north and south and take your place at the table in the Kingdom of God. There are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.
INVOCATION
God of all time and all space, hear our prayers from this place where we gather around the table provisioned for us by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, your Son and our Savior. Lessen the gaps in understanding between us as we concentrate on having the mind of Christ so that our unity may be evident in all the world in the face of all doubt and unbelief, through Jesus, Friend of Sinners. Amen
HYMN "Jesus Shall Reign Where e'er the Sun" (or another similar hymn)
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Eternal One, who can know what tomorrow brings? You only know the beginning from the end and can bring us safely through whatever it holds for us. Forgive our undue anxiety for the future that reveals doubt in your sovereignty and your love for us. May our confession be the means of growing faith and stronger trust in your mercies which never fail in Jesus Christ, crucified, risen, and ascended to eternity. Amen
DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS
Hear the Good News! God will gather his elect from the four winds, so be comforted people of faith. Believe the Good News! In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.
EXHORTATION
Love your neighbors as yourselves, whatever their language or yours, whatever their history or yours, whatever their sex or yours, whatever their status or yo.urs. Love God who has made of one blood all nations to dwell on the face of the earth.
FIRST LESSON Isaiah 40:28-31
PSALM 142 [Paraphrased] (Have two readers lead two sections of the congregation, reading antiphonally)
I cry aloud to the Majestic One:
I LIFT UP MY VOICE TO THE REGAL ONE FOR MERCY.
I pour out my complaint before the Eternal One:
BEFORE WHOM I TELL MY TROUBLE.
When my spirit grows faint within me, It is you who knows my way:
IN THE PATH WHERE I WALK YOU SEE THERE IS DANGER AND TEMPTATION.
No one is concerned for my survival:
I have no refuge.
NO ONE CARES FOR MY LIFE.
I cry to you, magnificent One:
I SAY, "YOU ARE MY REFUGE, MY PROVIDER IN THE LAND OF THE LIVING."
Listen to my cry,
For I am in desperate need.
RESCUE ME FROM THOSE WHO PURSUE ME,
FOR THEY ARE TOO STRONG FOR ME.
Set me free from my encirclement that I may praise your name.
THEN THE RIGHTEOUS WILL GATHER ABOUT ME
BECAUSE WE SHARE YOUR GOODNESS TO US.
GLORIA PATRI
SECOND LESSON Revelation 21:9-14
GOSPEL Matthew 8:5-13
PRAYER OF THE DAY
God of the Universe, save us from any pride that pretends only our faith is satisfactory and only our prayers count with you. Grant us the humility of the approachable Jesus who was, like you, accessible to all who called upon him. Amen
CHILDREN'S SERMON
"The Biggest Reunion Picnic of Them All"
HYMN "In Christ There Is No East or West"
SERMON
"Communion by the Compass, the Calendar, and the Clock"
Preparation for Communion. On World Communion Sunday consider using a representation of breads from varying cultures, like: pita bread, matzos, rye, soda crackers, Irish potato bread, whole wheat, Italian, French, pumpernickel. If you have people with national costumes have them bring in their bread to the table in procession. Suggest that people receive the bread in a kind to which they may not be accustomed.
Similarly have red wines from different countries: Welch's from the U.S.A., Lambrusco from Italy, Sake from Japan, Carmel from Israel, wines from Portugal or Yugoslavia or Australia, Romania, etc. These may be brought in procession and poured into a large clear chalice so that the color is visible to all.
THE CREED
INVITATION TO HOLY COMMUNION
(The scriptural account of the disciples' preparation for the Passover may be read as people bring in the bread and wine to set the table.)
THE EUCHARIST
God of creation, Christ of earth and heaven, Spirit in the church, we worship you in awe for the magnificence of the creation on the large scale and the mystery of the microscopic and the invisible. We lift grateful hearts to you in response to your love made personal in Jesus of Nazareth, Mary's Son and yours. We resonate to the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace that ties us to all other Christians in the world.
(As a Sanctus, the congregation may sing the first verse of "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty" - Heber)
Heavenly Parent, we thank you for ypur child Jesus, born of woman, a new Adam born without sin.
Creator-Redeemer, we thank you that the last Adam brought resurrection of the dead, to overcome the death brought into the world by the first human and all of us thereafter.
Sharing our humanity, Jesus knew the hunger for food and the thirst for drink and the joy of a meal with friends.
Breaking bread with disciples from Emmaus, the risen Christ was recognized as the Messiah, come to save his people from their sins and the fear of death.
Teaching the meaning of the Old Testament, Jesus became the living Word, the New Testament.
Suffering as the Messiah, Christ became our risen ruler, conqueror of death.
Spirit of Truth, dance as a fire within our hearts, so that as we break bread and drink the cup, we may recognize the presence of the Christ at this table where he is remembered.
God of the living, we are yours in life and in death, gathered around this table to receive this sacrament with solemnity and joy, anticipating the feast in your heavenly realm.
Our Father in Heaven ...
Celebrant: When the time came Jesus took his place at the table, and the apostles with him, and he said to them, "How I have longed to eat this Passover with you before my death! For I tell you, never again shall I eat it until the time comes when it finds its fulfilment in the realm of God" ... Then, he took bread, gave thanks, and broke it: and he gave it to them, with the words:
"This is my body."
(After the fraction and distribution of the breads)
Recognize the Risen Christ in our breaking of the bread. Happy is the person who eats bread in the dominion of God.
(After the bread has been eaten:)
Then Jesus took a cup, and after giving thanks, he said, "Take this and share it among yourselves: for I tell you, from this moment I shall drink from the fruit of the vine no more until the time when the rule of God comes."
(The passing of the cup)
Jesus said to his disciples, "You shall eat and drink at my table in my dominion."
(After the drinking of the cup:)
The grace of our Lord Christ be with you all.
Amen
Sovereign God Almighty, you are and you were. You have used your great power and have begun to rule. The power to rule over the world belongs to you and to the Messiah, who will rule forever and ever! Amen
HYMN "The Day Thou Gayest, Lord, Is Ended"
(Omit the first verse and sing only the following. Or, you may wish to incorporate them in the sermon.)
We thank thee that only thy church unsleeping,
While earth rolls onward into light,
Through all the world her watch is keeping,
And rests not now by day or night.
As o'er each continent and island
The dawn leads on another day
The voice of prayer is never silent
Nor dies the strain of praise away.
The sun that bids us rest is waking
Our brethren 'neath the western sky,
And hour by hour fresh lips are making
Thy wondrous doing heard on high.
So be it, Lord! Thy throne shall never
Like earth's proud empires, pass away;
Thy kingdom stands and grows for ever,
Till all Thy creatures own Thy sway.
- John Ellerton, 1826-1893
Children's Message
"The Biggest Reunion Picnic of Them All"
Object:
a compass.
Scripture: Matthew 8:11. "... many will come from the east and the west and will take their places at the feast ..."
Who knows how to use a compass? (If you have volunteers willing to explain its use, have them point to the four directions: north, south, east, and west; or do it yourself. Be ready to name one place in each direction and ask in which direction it is from where you are.)
Do any of you attend family reunions? (Look for a response.) If you do, do other people come here or do you go somewhere else? (If you are not sure in advance that there are families with such experience, you may want to do some research ahead of time, or supply your own experience of when people gathered from the four points of the compass, citing particular places from which they came.)
In the Gospel today, Jesus told about the great reunion of the people of God at the end of life or the climax of history. He reminded his own people that faith made it possible for others who did not share the same ancestors to seek God's favor. Mark spoke of the same promise of Jesus that God would "... gather his elect from the four winds ..."
What a family reunion that will be! It would be fun just to imagine everyone flying in on their own national airline. For me, it is even more fun to imagine some arriving on the back of an elephant, or riding a horse or leading a llama carrying their baggage or with their whole family riding in an oxcart.
Would it be confusing if we did not speak the same language? I suppose it would, but then if there were lots of food at this feast it would not matter very much because we could be very friendly just passing the food around. And with Jesus as the host of this family reunion, I'm sure we would have a very good time however far we had come from east and west and from north and south.
A Preaching Resource
"Communion by the Compass, the Calendar, and the Clock"
Luke 13:29 People will come from east and west and north and south and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last. (NIV)
Introduction. Compare this text with Matthew 8:13, where the healing of the centurion's servant has taken place and the text includes Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as the patriarchs (not mentioning the matriarchs) around whom people of faith are gathered from the Gentiles.
1. The Communion Compass. North, South, East, and West the church is wherever the Gospel has been preached and where people have confessed that Jesus is Lord.
2. The Communion Clock. Our time of worship may be the same as that of many others who live directly north and south of us but there is an hourly chain of prayer and communiqji. Imagine a long table north and south with all who are coming to the "board of the Lord" in this hour from the Arctic to the Antarctic. There is a growing table as leaf after leaf lengthens the table to the west as others to the east have already today risen from the table. Others to the west are preparing to come to communion until the last serving reaches the international date line in the Pacific.
(If your congregation has relatives or church connections with others in other time zones, cite specific names of peop!e or churches who are celebrating at specific times. If the hymn, "The Day Thou Gayest Lord Is Ended" is not used in the service, some of it may be quoted here.)
East and West: we have a daily diversity of night and day.
3. By The communion calendar we have, in Northern and Southern hemispheres, the seasonal reversal of summer and winter, spring and fall. The first Sunday of October fits into the fall season in the Northern hemisphere and in the spring in the Southern hemisphere.
Conclusion. Our communion today may depart slightly from our usual form in order to note the worldwide links we have with other Christians.
