Signs of the end - The return of Christ symbolized by the fig tree
Worship
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Planning Ideas And Resources For The Entire Church Year
Pastoral Invitation to the Celebration
Consider this:
Welcome to the party! How have you prepared for this party today? How we prepare for this weekly party will determine partly, how we prepare for the final one. The Scripture gives us signs; God gives us Spirit; the Church gives us symbols.
Continue with this litany between pastor and ministers:
Pastor:
Here is God's Word to us. Don't get stuck in the past; Update your faith. God keeps on doing new things. Do you perceive them?
Ministers: Yes, we come to worship to be healed of the memories which rob us of freedom, to remember the gracious love of God, and to discover the new thing that God is ready to do in and through us.
Pastor:
Our time together today can mean the beginning of a new life for all of us. We can receive power to become new people motivated by the love of God, liberated by the forgiveness of God, and guided by the Spirit of God.
Ministers: We picture the people, problems, potentials of our life.
We celebrate in preparation, in order to serve in obedience.
Pastor:
The living God is here! God knows what we need. I invite us to open ourselves to God's Spirit and to worship with joy and abandoned delight!
Ministers: So be it! So be it!
(source unknown, revised.)
The Act of Recognizing our Humanness and The Act of Receiving New Life
Consider this:
Martin Luther once said that security is the ultimate idol. That goes for personal, as well as national and military security. The friends and enemies of Jesus always wanted to pin him down when God would wrap everything up. One of our national political leaders has said that "there are worse things than a nuclear war," a stupid statement, yet many church members agree with him; because they believe that God will usher in the Eternal Kingdom with a nuclear war. Again, security, needing to know the unknowable, is an idol that gets much press, from the world and church.
I invite us to consider in what ways we have made security and the desire to know the unknowable our god.
(three minutes of silence.)
For the assurance, incorporate these ideas: We can wander around with the unknowable for years; we can spend our whole lifetime seeking security, and we shall fail. For as Augustine has said, "We can know only that which we love." And Christ, having risen from the dead, gives us the power of an endless life, beginning now.
Conclude with this litany:
Pastor: Christ has freed us from having to know only what God knows.
Ministers: Whew! What a relief. Now we can live in the precious present moment.
Message with the Children of All Ages
Suggestion:
As a follow-up of Pentecost 26, ask, Do you enjoy scaring others? What do you get out of it, big laugh, power over your friend, what? Give them time to think about it without giving your answer. Sometimes people use the Bible to scare us; a giant with a big club, telling us to shape up or ship out. God does give us laws for life, ways to live well, and consequences if we do not obey; but not as an ogre. It's more this way: God has set up the world as it is; so that "we do not break God's law; we break ourselves upon that law." We see how that happens with people who get hooked on drugs, and any other addiction.
Proclamation of the Word
Consider these ideas:
We may prefer to ignore this aspect of the good news. Yet, because we cannot ignore this part of Jesus' teaching, we do the next best thing. We think that these words have nothing to do with us. We tame God; we create God in our own image. We stick God in our back pocket. We make God an indulgent parent, or a benevolent grandparent, whom we interrupt on occasion when life goes sour, dead.
One man has said that "he begins every day with the belief that he is on trial for his life, and probably will not be acquitted."
We need to know that God is to be taken seriously, not lightly; and that we judge ourselves in the light of our obedience each day.
Stewardship Challenge
Suggestion:
You may have seen the sign on the automobile: "God is so good." You may have heard someone say, "The Lord's been good to me," which usually means in the areas of food, clothing, shelter, gadgets and luxuries. What does that mean about and to the millions who have little or none of the above? Does it mean, "The Lord's been bad to you." I invite us to weigh our words before speaking them; that's also a part of stewardship.
Charge to the Congregation
Consider this:
Use this idea: "God's love (agape) never changes. Against all who oppose God, God expresses love in wrath and judgment. In the same love, God took upon self judgment and death in Jesus the Christ, to bring us to repentance, liberation, and new life."
God provides all the signs we need to respond to love and justice.
Planning for Your Congregation
Suggestions
Your Situation
I. Other Scriptures
Liturgist:
Psalm 111
Daniel 7:9-10
Hebrews 13:20-21
II. Suggested Hymns
Coordinator:
"O Worship the King"
Based on Psalm 104
Robert Grant, 1833; alt.
"Breathe on Me, Breath of God"
Edwin Hatch, 1886
"Allelu!" Words and Music by Ray Repp
F.E.L.
Church Publications, Ltd.
"O Jesus Christ, Life of the Earth"
Jane Parker Huber A Singing Faith, Jane Parker Huber, Westminster Press
"All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name"
St. 1, 2, Edward Perronet, 1779, 1780; alt. St. 3, 4, John Rippon, 1787
III. Other Music Possibilities
Organist/Choir director:
Music for Preparation
"Chorale in E Major"
Franck
Response to the Assurance of Pardon
"Breathe on Me, Breath of God"
Response to the Scripture
"Gloria Patri" Richard Avery and Don Marsh
The Avery and Marsh Songbook Proclamation Productions, Inc. Orange Square, Port Jervis, New York 12771
Response to the Proclamation Adult Choir
"Joy in the Morning"
Natalie Sleeth
Response to the Stewardship Challenge
"Lord, Be Present Now"
Bach
Music for Dismissal
"All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name"
IV. Bulletin Cover
Church secretary:
V. Bulletin Symbols
VI. Miscellaneous Details (Assignments:)
Ushers
Candlelighters
Hosts/Hostesses
Banners
Flowers
Greeters
Posters
Name-tags
Others
Consider this:
Welcome to the party! How have you prepared for this party today? How we prepare for this weekly party will determine partly, how we prepare for the final one. The Scripture gives us signs; God gives us Spirit; the Church gives us symbols.
Continue with this litany between pastor and ministers:
Pastor:
Here is God's Word to us. Don't get stuck in the past; Update your faith. God keeps on doing new things. Do you perceive them?
Ministers: Yes, we come to worship to be healed of the memories which rob us of freedom, to remember the gracious love of God, and to discover the new thing that God is ready to do in and through us.
Pastor:
Our time together today can mean the beginning of a new life for all of us. We can receive power to become new people motivated by the love of God, liberated by the forgiveness of God, and guided by the Spirit of God.
Ministers: We picture the people, problems, potentials of our life.
We celebrate in preparation, in order to serve in obedience.
Pastor:
The living God is here! God knows what we need. I invite us to open ourselves to God's Spirit and to worship with joy and abandoned delight!
Ministers: So be it! So be it!
(source unknown, revised.)
The Act of Recognizing our Humanness and The Act of Receiving New Life
Consider this:
Martin Luther once said that security is the ultimate idol. That goes for personal, as well as national and military security. The friends and enemies of Jesus always wanted to pin him down when God would wrap everything up. One of our national political leaders has said that "there are worse things than a nuclear war," a stupid statement, yet many church members agree with him; because they believe that God will usher in the Eternal Kingdom with a nuclear war. Again, security, needing to know the unknowable, is an idol that gets much press, from the world and church.
I invite us to consider in what ways we have made security and the desire to know the unknowable our god.
(three minutes of silence.)
For the assurance, incorporate these ideas: We can wander around with the unknowable for years; we can spend our whole lifetime seeking security, and we shall fail. For as Augustine has said, "We can know only that which we love." And Christ, having risen from the dead, gives us the power of an endless life, beginning now.
Conclude with this litany:
Pastor: Christ has freed us from having to know only what God knows.
Ministers: Whew! What a relief. Now we can live in the precious present moment.
Message with the Children of All Ages
Suggestion:
As a follow-up of Pentecost 26, ask, Do you enjoy scaring others? What do you get out of it, big laugh, power over your friend, what? Give them time to think about it without giving your answer. Sometimes people use the Bible to scare us; a giant with a big club, telling us to shape up or ship out. God does give us laws for life, ways to live well, and consequences if we do not obey; but not as an ogre. It's more this way: God has set up the world as it is; so that "we do not break God's law; we break ourselves upon that law." We see how that happens with people who get hooked on drugs, and any other addiction.
Proclamation of the Word
Consider these ideas:
We may prefer to ignore this aspect of the good news. Yet, because we cannot ignore this part of Jesus' teaching, we do the next best thing. We think that these words have nothing to do with us. We tame God; we create God in our own image. We stick God in our back pocket. We make God an indulgent parent, or a benevolent grandparent, whom we interrupt on occasion when life goes sour, dead.
One man has said that "he begins every day with the belief that he is on trial for his life, and probably will not be acquitted."
We need to know that God is to be taken seriously, not lightly; and that we judge ourselves in the light of our obedience each day.
Stewardship Challenge
Suggestion:
You may have seen the sign on the automobile: "God is so good." You may have heard someone say, "The Lord's been good to me," which usually means in the areas of food, clothing, shelter, gadgets and luxuries. What does that mean about and to the millions who have little or none of the above? Does it mean, "The Lord's been bad to you." I invite us to weigh our words before speaking them; that's also a part of stewardship.
Charge to the Congregation
Consider this:
Use this idea: "God's love (agape) never changes. Against all who oppose God, God expresses love in wrath and judgment. In the same love, God took upon self judgment and death in Jesus the Christ, to bring us to repentance, liberation, and new life."
God provides all the signs we need to respond to love and justice.
Planning for Your Congregation
Suggestions
Your Situation
I. Other Scriptures
Liturgist:
Psalm 111
Daniel 7:9-10
Hebrews 13:20-21
II. Suggested Hymns
Coordinator:
"O Worship the King"
Based on Psalm 104
Robert Grant, 1833; alt.
"Breathe on Me, Breath of God"
Edwin Hatch, 1886
"Allelu!" Words and Music by Ray Repp
F.E.L.
Church Publications, Ltd.
"O Jesus Christ, Life of the Earth"
Jane Parker Huber A Singing Faith, Jane Parker Huber, Westminster Press
"All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name"
St. 1, 2, Edward Perronet, 1779, 1780; alt. St. 3, 4, John Rippon, 1787
III. Other Music Possibilities
Organist/Choir director:
Music for Preparation
"Chorale in E Major"
Franck
Response to the Assurance of Pardon
"Breathe on Me, Breath of God"
Response to the Scripture
"Gloria Patri" Richard Avery and Don Marsh
The Avery and Marsh Songbook Proclamation Productions, Inc. Orange Square, Port Jervis, New York 12771
Response to the Proclamation Adult Choir
"Joy in the Morning"
Natalie Sleeth
Response to the Stewardship Challenge
"Lord, Be Present Now"
Bach
Music for Dismissal
"All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name"
IV. Bulletin Cover
Church secretary:
V. Bulletin Symbols
VI. Miscellaneous Details (Assignments:)
Ushers
Candlelighters
Hosts/Hostesses
Banners
Flowers
Greeters
Posters
Name-tags
Others
