– RCL and other Common Lectionaries

Archive for the ‘– RCL and other Common Lectionaries’ Category

Pentecost +18, Proper 20B

Posted in - RCL and other Common Lectionaries, Liturgical Texts: Eucharist, Year B, tagged Proper 20B on September 17, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Pentecost +18, Proper 20B

Sep. 23

This ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in West Virginia is supported by your gifts to Disciples Mission Fund.

Support Our Work … read how you can help keep lifeinliturgy.org available for use without subscription charges.

Scripture (from the Revised Common Lectionary, with links provided by TextWeek.com – a source for thoughtful worship and preaching throughout the year):

Click on Scripture Lessons below for study links and resources:

Proverbs 1:20-33 or Isaiah 50:4-9
Psalm 19 or Wisdom of Solomon 7:26-8:1 or Psalm 116:1-9
James 3:1-12
Mark 8:27-38

Suggested Hymns from Chalice Hymnal

4-Holy, holy, holy

687-In Christ there is no east or west

113-Jesus loves me

190-Tell me the stories of Jesus

384-Here at thy table, Lord

More hymn suggestions, as well as helpful references for use of the arts in worship, are available from the United Church of Christ website.

On Mark 9:30-37

The word of passion and of death

is spoken truthfully.

Yet, in our weakness and restraint,

we fail to comprehend.

Yet you complete the teaching, Lord,

the word beyond our ken.

For in the truth of life we find

we own the cross for aye.

In our dismay, we speak aside,

discover words that fail

to argue over scales of woe,

to see the better fare.

Then in desire, O Lord, you bring

a child to hold your eyes.

Whoever may receive the least,

whoever serves, finds you.

So, Lord within this harrowed dream,

when all we fondly chose

is set aside as ruse and false,

bring us unto your cross.

CM Suggested tune: St. Agnes (Dykes)

Dealing with the Psalm of the Day:

Since Chalice Hymnal does not provide a complete Psalter, there will be occasions when suggestions may be made for alternate Psalm use (or hymn equivalent). A metrical version of the Psalter, for those Psalms not provided in Chalice Hymnal, is being prepared by Rev. David Chafin. Where practical, these may be offered here as well. You may also want to visit http://lectionarypsalms.org/

This week: Psalm 1 is not in the hymnal. See Call to Worship

Concerning the Following Items: Except where otherwise noted, items are created or adapted by the editor. If you are aware of source notations which are missing, please bring them to his attention. No copyright infringement is intended, but is sure to happen.

Call to Worship

from Psalm 1

L: Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers;

P: But their delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law they meditate day and night.

L: They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither.

P: In all that they do, they prosper.

L: The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

P: For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

OR (adapted from the UCC)

L: We are summoned here as children of God, who calls us each by name, and gathers us together in the one family of Jesus Christ.

P: From classroom and kitchen and carpool, we are called into God’s presence. Young and old and middle-aged, individuals and families, softspoken and outspoken, we hear our names being called to join in worship.

L: This house of worship is a place to pursue God’s vision for all people: unity and joy and faith, expressed through different gifts.

P: Praise the Lord!

L: My friends, we are called to lives of prayerful awareness of ourselves, of our community, and of the world.

P: We gather to praise the living God, who hears and answers the outpouring of our prayers.

L: May we be awakened to the voice of Christ who calls us to faithfulness.

P: May our faith be seen in using God’s resources and resourcefulness in serving the world.

Invocation or Prayer of Approach

We are here, Lord. We come to be with your people, to join them in your praise, and to learn to live with them and with your world in peace. Give us your blessing, we pray, that as we seek to know your will for us, we may live lives worthy to be called “Christian”. Through your son Jesus, the Christ (who taught us to pray, “Our Father…”)

Gather us, O God, into the household of grace, the fold of your love. We recognize your holy presence, and are turned to toward a new day by the rising of the light of Christ. Help us to face this day, and all of our days, with the hope and promise made full for us in the person of Jesus Christ, as we unite ourselves with him once more and receive his heavenly food; for these and all of our prayers we lift to you in his name (who taught us to pray, “Our Father…”)

Pastoral Prayer – Prayers of the People – Intercessions

Gracious and loving God, we come to you with hearts that need to be opened to your word and your love. There is so much around us that tears at us and causes us to tremble. Keep us ever mindful of your presence and the hope that you have given us in your Son Jesus Christ.

Guide us, we pray, as your church, struggling to spread the good news. Keep us focused on the mission and ministry to which you have called us and lead us forward. We know, Lord, that there will often be bumps and holes in the road along the way. Save us from dwelling on them and make us secure in the goals you have placed before us.

Hear our prayers for all who need your tender touch of healing in their lives—those we name before you each day, and those who are known only to you in the depths of our hearts. Be with those who mourn. May we all remember the love and grace that your faithful people have brought to our world.

We pray for all your creation, always at odds with one another. Guide our leaders and those of other nations that this world might truly be as you created it to be—a world of peace, hope and love.

These are our prayers, together with those that lie on the hearts of all your faithful people, which we offer to you in the spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ who said “not my will, but thine be done.” Amen.

Prayers from Common Worship*

Collect

Almighty God,

you have made us for yourself,

and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you:

pour your love into our hearts and draw us to yourself,

and so bring us at last to your heavenly city

where we shall see you face to face;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Post Communion

Lord, we pray that your grace

may always precede and follow us,

and make us continually to be given to all good works;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Additional Collect

Gracious God,

you call us to fullness of life:

deliver us from unbelief

and banish our anxieties

with the liberating love of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Collect of the Day (from Book of Common Prayer, 1979**)

Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to

love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among

things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall

endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Mark 9:30-37

Against root intuition, O God,

your way in Jesus and your way in truth

confront us with reversals of all pride.

The least, you say, is first of all

and we demur; we do not understand.

Yet to receive the child for you

we may indeed receive your gift

sublime in our desire.

Service of Table

While all of our congregations navigate the Sacred Board in a different way, it seems, there are common elements in most, which are provided here. We would love to hear if your congregation has variations to these elements which we might address in the future.

Offertory / Invitation to Give

We would not steal for ourselves what God has entrusted to us for the benefit of our world neighbors. We would not claim as our own what God has loaned to us for our management in this lifetime. Therefore, we bring our offerings in joyful trust and service.

Offertory Prayer

Generous God, our lives are renewed as we remember your goodness. You have made us in your image and placed in our hearts the memory of your love made flesh in Jesus Christ. That memory calls us to give and to embrace your world as we offer these gifts. May our lives invested through these offerings create a new reality and extend your grace in remembrance of Jesus, in whose name we pray.

Invitation to the Table

Christ invites to this Table all who desire to draw close to God and to live at peace with God and their neighbors. Here, all of God’s promises are fulfilled; here, all hope is renewed.

Prayer of Thanksgiving (Prayers for Bread and Cup)

(The following may be offered as one prayer, or broken between two Elders, if that is the tradition to be followed)

Holy One, you speak to us in silence, yet all languages interpret you. Because you call us into this community, we are able to become a gift to one another. We pray for your Holy Spirit to descend upon us and upon these gifts of bread and wine, that in sharing them we may discern your presence which becomes our life. We thank you for your anointed one, Jesus, who through his life, crucifixion, death and resurrection lived fully the promise of redemptive wholeness that is available to all who would obey your creating will. We celebrate his gifts, we rejoice in your presence, loving God, now and always, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

O God, your grace exceeds our highest expectations, hopes, or dreams! You have given bread for not only those who love and follow you, but indeed enough for all your children. As we break this bread, may we receive it as the body of Christ who gives himself that we might know your abundant presence in our lives. As we bless this cup, may all who receive it as his blood know the forgiveness of sin, and the renewal to life everlasting, far greater than we could ever ask or imagine. May we all be bound together as your family through the love and self-giving of Jesus the Christ.

Receive our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, O God, which we offer to you in union with Christ’s sacrifice for us. Send down the power of your Spirit upon us, gathered here out of love for you, and upon this bread. May it be for us the body of Christ, that as we receive your gifts in communion with all your saints, we may be nourished to walk in your strength toward the brightness of your day which has no dawning and no sunset.

Pour out your Spirit, O God, upon this cup of our salvation. May this wine be for us the blood of Christ, that as people cleansed by his blood we may serve you with joy and renewed confidence by serving your thirsting world. May all of your children be united by your love, live in your truth, and show forth your grace in this day, and each new day which dawns upon our horizon.

Conclusion: Through him, with him, and in him, in the power of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor be to you, O God, now and forever. Amen.

If not previously offered: “And now with the confidence of your children, we offer the prayer our Savior taught us, ‘Our Father…’”

MORE…

Resources from the Jubilee Fund: This stewardship ministry serving the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) offers weekly emails for each Sunday’s service. Visit http://www.thejubileefund.com/ to learn more.

Rev. Tim Graves offers Liturgy Bits with valuable, culturally sensitive and creatively contemplative works, well worth your time.

You may also want to visit Worship Connection at MinistryMatters.com, which offers numerous helps, including electronic versions of print resources for worship and preaching planning.

Intercessions and other helpful planning materials geared to the Lectionary (using Roman Catholic version, but normally quite useful for all traditions) for preaching and worship are supplied for several weeks in advance at The Sunday Website of St. Louis University.

Common Worship Almanac and Lectionary for the year beginning Advent Sunday 2017. Compiled by Simon Kershaw August 2016 from the Common Worship Calendar and Lectionaries using Almanac Maker; compilation © Simon Kershaw 2017; Almanac Maker © Simon Kershaw 2010. The Revised Common Lectionary is copyright © the Consultation on Common Texts 1992. The Daily Eucharistic Lectionary is adapted from the Ordo Lectionum Missae of the Roman Catholic Church reproduced by permission of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy. Adaptations and additions to the RCL and the DEL, together with Second and Third Service lectionaries and the Weekday Lectionary for Morning and Evening Prayer are copyright © the Archbishops’ Council 1997-2010. http://almanac.oremus.org/lectionary

Book of Common Prayer (1979), Public domain.

NOTE: We hope you return to this posting often (and are subscribed to the feed by email, on Facebook or your favorite reader), since the content of each week’s posting may change several times before Sunday. We’d also like to include your content, even after the fact, since everything will roll around again in 3 years, and your contributions may find new life in the great cycle of the lectionary. Send your comments or content here.

Pentecost +17, Proper 19B

Posted in - RCL and other Common Lectionaries, Liturgical Texts: Eucharist, Year B, tagged Proper 19B on September 10, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Pentecost +17, Proper 19B

Sep. 16

This ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in West Virginia is supported by your gifts to Disciples Mission Fund.

Support Our Work … read how you can help keep lifeinliturgy.org available for use without subscription charges.

Scripture (from the Revised Common Lectionary, with links provided by TextWeek.com – a source for thoughtful worship and preaching throughout the year):

Click on Scripture Lessons below for study links and resources:

Proverbs 1:20-33 or Isaiah 50:4-9
Psalm 19 or Wisdom of Solomon 7:26-8:1 or Psalm 116:1-9
James 3:1-12
Mark 8:27-38

Suggested Hymns from Chalice Hymnal

21-Let the whole creation cry

627-I want Jesus to walk with me

612-O Jesus, I have promised

387-Bread of the world, in mercy broken

More hymn suggestions, as well as helpful references for use of the arts in worship, are available from the United Church of Christ website.

On James 3:1-12

Earnest in thy service,

Lord, we do confess well

that we seek in hope.

Ah, our Lord the savor

of your word constrains us

that we may be true.

Certainly, we hear the word,

seine delight – your fullest calling –

and by honor hold true.

Limits urge: be careful,

hold in truth and peace, love

that we follow sure.

Surely in constraint now,

in the fruitless warning

discipline holds line.

Yes, O Lord we harness fire,

take the moment on desire’s lunge

and seek to guide truly.

6.6.5.6.6.5.7.8.6. Suggested tune: Jesu Meine Freude

Dealing with the Psalm of the Day:

This week: Psalm 19 is, in part, on page 731

Call to Worship

L: We gather to give thanks for all the blessings and hope of life.

P: We praise God; we rejoice and give thanks.

L: We join our voices in praise and thanksgiving.

P: In all things, may God be glorified!

L: Come, friends, to a great celebration. In the midst of trouble, God is with us.

P: We come from our wanderings, our lost places; we bring our struggles, our lost souls.

L: God, who created all things, loses nothing. Do not fear: God holds you very close.

P: With hope for life and life eternal, we offer our prayers and praise to God.

Invocation or Prayer of Approach

You have brought us again to new life, O God, and gathered us in this community to be your people as we work and witness in this world. Feed us today with the presence of our risen Lord, and breathe into us your Spirit, that we may be enabled in all we say and do to glorify your name. (who taught us to pray, “Our Father…”)

God of Love, you have loved us first and continue to love us. We come before you a people longing to love you in return. We hunger for your healing love in our lives, for we long to love ourselves and our neighbors. Come to us this day and fill our longing. In Christ’s name we pray (as he taught us to pray, “Our Father…”) from “Flames of the Spirit”

Pastoral Prayer – Prayers of the People – Intercessions

Almighty God, maker of all, with joy we give thanks for all your goodness. We praise you for the love which has created and sustained us to this day, and for the gift of your Christ who brings us into covenant with you and with all your people of faith. Help us to treasure your gifts and to show our thankfulness by lives wholly given to your service.

We pray for your church whom you have redeemed by the sacrifice of Jesus. Give it pastors and ministers filled with your spirit, and strength to serve by the guidance of your word. Perfect it in love and in compassion, and establish it in the faith of your saints. Unite all your people that one holy church may bear witness to you and your glory.

We pray that you would move our nation toward the justice of your peace. Bless our national, state and local leaders to serve all people with integrity. Purge from us all hatred and prejudice, and build within us your love, that even in our dealings with the other nations of earth we may be servants of peace, truth and justice.

Bless our homes with the joy of your presence. Strengthen our covenants of family and of faith, that our children may grow into fullness of faith, that together we may show forth your praise in our world through deeds and words of love and compassion—especially with those who are alone and lonely.

Let your grace be seen in seed-time and harvest, in labor and business, in leisure and rest, in arts and culture of our people. May all who do work find fulfillment of their vocations, and all who are in need of work find the relief of new endeavors.

Comfort those who sorrow and are in need, sickness or adversity. Have mercy on those to whom death draws near. Bring consolation to those in mourning, and to all give your peace, for these and all our prayers we bring to you in the name of Jesus our Christ. Amen.

God of all that you have created, as a people gathered in hope, we are moved by the despair of others. As a people of love, we ache for those who are lonely, lost and fearful. As a people of life, we mourn with those who are touched by death. As people who struggle to trust more fully in you, help us to minister in the Spirit of Christ to all whom we meet, and to not lose heart as we try to live out the gospel.

We pray for the grieving—the hungry and homeless—the oppressed—the victims of war. We pray for our community and nation, and its president and leaders. We pray for those who are sick and recovering, and those whose sickness will lead to death. In life, in death, in life beyond death, you are with us, and for this we give you thanks. Empower this church and all your people to awaken to the reality of your presence, grace and love, and bring us at last with all your saints to the feast that has no end, which you have prepared for all who put their trust in you, through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayers from Common Worship*

Collect

O Lord, we beseech you mercifully to hear the prayers

of your people who call upon you;

and grant that they may both perceive and know

what things they ought to do,

and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil them;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Post Communion

Almighty God,

you have taught us through your Son

that love is the fulfilling of the law:

grant that we may love you with our whole heart

and our neighbours as ourselves;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Additional Collect

Lord of creation,

whose glory is around and within us:

open our eyes to your wonders,

that we may serve you with reverence

and know your peace at our lives’ end,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Collect of the Day (from Book of Common Prayer, 1979**)

O God, because without you we are not able to please you,

mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct

and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives

and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and

for ever. Amen.

Mark 8:27-38

Discovering your way, O God,

recovers our anxieties and frees us for rebuke.

For in your truth

the suffering of life endures

before the rising to demand.

Lead us in all the contraband of faith

to follow in the way your cross defines

in Jesus Christ.

Service of Table

Offertory / Invitation to Give

God is at work in the world, renewing, remaking, resurrecting, bringing hope through the faith, the gifts, and the work of the church. We trust in God, and together we work for peace and justice through God’s Spirit as we offer our tithes and gifts. Let us rejoice in our God-given opportunity to share in God’s work.

This is a day to live, not for ourselves, but for others. Christ has given himself for us, and God has called us to pattern our lives in such self-giving ways. May we who remember the sufferings of the past be called forward toward the joy that God has designed for our world – where all are loved, all are fed, all will have enough. Let us give ourselves by giving of the resources that God has entrusted to us, as stewards of God’s grace.

Offertory Prayer

As we gather at your table, O God, may we also be more aware of the opportunity that is ours to share with others the many blessings you have given us. May this be a time of joy as we give of our resources. Grant us wisdom to use these gifts in the fulfillment of your mission in the world, through Christ our Lord.

Thank you, God, for this high and holy moment in worship and in life when we have something to give that others need. Take our bread, our witness, our lives to benefit all your human family. May your glory be known among us and in all the world.

Invitation to the Table

Great occasions call for grand celebrations. Weddings, baptisms, holidays, birthdays, end of season banquets…name the day, and there are memories that arise within us of parties – feasts – attached to them. For many, these celebrations are most delicious to our memories because they mark for us a homecoming.

In our life together as church, we celebrate an ultimate feast whenever we gather. It’s simple fare – only bread and the fruit of the vine, but it marks a priceless, precious moment for all who believe: a truly holy homecoming. Here, as we receive the gift of Communion, we celebrate with God that moment in which Jesus made a way for all of us, Gods wandering sons and daughters, to come home to God’s welcoming embrace. As we break bread together today, as in all days, we remember the gift of Jesus Christ to our world, and his self-giving love made visible on the cross. And we hear God’s call to all of us to simply come, receive grace, to be loved and embraced, and be home.

Come to the table, whoever you are, wherever you have wandered. The Table is set, and God wants to lavish love upon you. Come to the Table. Come home.

O God, you have offered your steadfast and forgiving love to us in the life of your Son Jesus Christ. As we give thanks for him at the table he has prepared, and as we break this bread, we ask that your Spirit would descend upon us, to make us more in his likeness, serving and giving from the fullness of life which you provide. Bless this cup, we pray, that all of us who partake of it may be made one with Christ, one with you, and one with each other in fellowship and service to all the world.

Prayer of Thanksgiving (Prayers for Bread and Cup)

(The following may be offered as one prayer, or broken between two Elders, if that is the tradition to be followed)

Merciful Father, we thank you for these gifts of your creation, this bread and this wine, and we pray that we who eat and drink them in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit in obedience to our Saviour Christ in remembrance of his death and passion may be partakers of his body and his blood. With this bread and this cup, we do as our Saviour has commanded: we celebrate the redemption he has won for us; we proclaim his perfect sacrifice, made once for all upon the cross, his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension; and we look for his coming to fulfil all things according to your will. Renew us by your Holy Spirit, unite us in the body of your Son, and bring us with all your people into the joy of your eternal kingdom.

Conclusion: Through him, with him, and in him, in the power of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor be to you, O God, now and forever. Amen.

If not previously offered: “And now with the confidence of your children, we offer the prayer our Savior taught us, ‘Our Father…’”

MORE…

Rev. Tim Graves offers Liturgy Bits with valuable, culturally sensitive and creatively contemplative works, well worth your time.

You may also want to visit Worship Connection at MinistryMatters.com, which offers numerous helps, including electronic versions of print resources for worship and preaching planning.

Book of Common Prayer (1979), Public domain.

Read Full Post »

Pentecost +16, Proper 18B

Posted in - RCL and other Common Lectionaries, Liturgical Texts: Eucharist, Year B, tagged Proper 18B on September 4, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Pentecost +16, Proper 18B

Sep. 9

This ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in West Virginia is supported by your gifts to Disciples Mission Fund.

Support Our Work … read how you can help keep lifeinliturgy.org available for use without subscription charges.

Scripture (from the Revised Common Lectionary, with links provided by TextWeek.com – a source for thoughtful worship and preaching throughout the year):

Click on Scripture Lessons below for study links and resources:

Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 or Isaiah 35:4-7
Psalm 125 or Psalm 146
James 2:1-10, (11-13), 14-17
Mark 7:24-37

Suggested Hymns from Chalice Hymnal

5-O for a thousand tongues

357-We call ourselves Disciples

600-Jesu, Jesu

588 – Have thine own way, Lord

391-These I lay down

411-For the bread, which you have broken

More hymn suggestions, as well as helpful references for use of the arts in worship, are available from the United Church of Christ website.

On Isaiah 35: 4-7a

Behold, our God has come to save,

to shelter and receive in hope.

Fear not, then; majesty applies

to grateful hearts the hope to rise.

Constantly alert, become now

the agent of devoted love.

That day, that day blind eyes will see,

deaf ears will hear, lame legs will leap.

O sing for joy, thou silent lips,

and let lithe praises dance at heart.

For now is hope the Saviors sign

to lure delight by pure delight.

The desolate of land in bloom,

fresh water in the desert’s clime:

so brings refreshment to all life

the saving God who is our joy.

Ah, certainly alive are we

in gardens raised by God’s desire.

8.8.8.8.8.8. Suggested tune: Stella

Dealing with the Psalm of the Day:

This week: Psalm 146 is on page 766.

Call to Worship from Psalm 113

L: Praise God! O servants of God, praise God’s name!

P: Blessed be God’s name from this time forth and forever!

L: From the rising of the sun to its setting, God’s name is to be praised!

P: Praise the Lord!

(loosely adapted from Chalice Worship)

L: Friends in Christ, come apart from the chaos for a while, and linger in the presence of God who is our source of life.

P: God calls us to renew ourselves, and to find our life’s purpose.

L: The One who has made us would not have us journey alone. We gather as a sacred community of love, together on the quest to know God’s hope for our lives and for this church.

P: May we truly seek to live more faithfully as Christ’s family, listening for the voice of God in our midst.

Invocation or Prayer of Approach

Most gracious and loving God, you fill our hearts with praise for renewed life in Christ Jesus. Fill our minds with meditations which are noble and true, that we may be strengthened in our union with Him, for we offer our prayers and our worship in his name (who taught us to pray, “Our Father…”)

We come to you, O God of wonder, because you first came to us. You have known us long before we came into this world, and you have searched for a relationship with us and with all your children. Draw us back into the wonder of searching for a deeper connection with you. And in that searching, may we come to better know ourselves as we truly are, and as you would want us to be. This we pray through Christ our Lord (who taught us to pray, “Our Father…”)

Creator of all worlds, we lift up our souls to you. All the earth is yours, all who dwell here are your children. We seek once more to experience your truth, to receive your blessing, to ascend above the limitations we have known. You are strong and mighty beyond our imagining. We aspire to become more than we have believed ourselves to be, individually and together. This we pray through Christ our Lord (who taught us to pray, “Our Father…”)

Pastoral Prayer – Prayers of the People – Intercessions

How vast and deep is your love O God, for us and for all the world. As we give you thanks for the beauty of creation and for the gift of life, we turn to you for strength and guidance to help those of our world in need of care and healing.

We pray for our community, our nation and world that peace and justice might be made known. We pray for our families and friends, especially those who are hurting, sick, grieving or alone. We pray for our own burdens and needs, both spoken and unspoken…

We yield our lives to you as we offer our prayers in the strong and saving name of Jesus. Amen.

Center us now, O God, on your presence in this place among your people, as we lift up our hearts desires, our soul’s deep needs, our hungers, fears and failures.

As we have often failed to be obedient to your will in our lives as individual disciples and as church, we pray that you will forgive us and enliven us to be and to do the gospel of Christ. Open us to your Spirit’s urgings, and awaken us to live faithfully as your people in a changing, often hurting world.

We pray for those around us who need your care, and ask that you would make of us your instruments of healing, peace and redemption. We pray especially for those we have named to you this day, and others we lift to you in the silence of our hearts.

God, you have made each of us with gifts to express, and continually call us to discover and use them, as we fulfill our vocations in communion with you, for the common good. Make us aware of your calling in our lives, and help us to find creative ways in which to use our gifts to fulfill your calling, so that in all of our labors we may glorify you. As we give thanks to you for the work to which you have called us, and the opportunities you have provided for us to earn a living, we pray for those who are unemployed or underemployed, and who struggle to find their way forward in a difficult time. Help us to help them with the compassion and encouragement we find in Christ Jesus.

Reveal your presence with all of those for whom we pray, and with us, God of life, that as people of renewed faith and vitality, we may be empowered to serve your world, and so give glory to you; for we offer our prayers and our lives in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

Prayers from Common Worship*

Collect

God, who in generous mercy sent the Holy Spirit

upon your Church in the burning fire of your love:

grant that your people may be fervent

in the fellowship of the gospel

that, always abiding in you,

they may be found steadfast in faith and active in service;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Post Communion

Keep, O Lord, your Church, with your perpetual mercy;

and, because without you our human frailty cannot but fall,

keep us ever by your help from all things hurtful,

and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Additional Collect

Lord God,

defend your Church from all false teaching

and give to your people knowledge of your truth,

that we may enjoy eternal life

in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Collect of the Day (from Book of Common Prayer, 1979**)

Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; for, as

you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength,

so you never forsake those who make their boast of your

mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

Mark 7:24-37

Into the way of your desire, O God,

we stumble daily on the unaccustomed wants

and needs that batter our solemnity.

Yet, as the crumbs may fill sufficiently,

we answer you with longing

and discover your release.

And in the closing of our life

you come and open us beyond all strife.

All thanks to you, Lord God.

Service of Table

Offertory / Invitation to Give

God, who has given us food in due season, calls us to share our bread with the hungry. In the name of the one who lived God’s truth among us, we commit ourselves anew to bearing witness. The Holy Spirit, whose winds restore our breath, sends us forth as life-givers. Celebrate this opportunity to give.

All good things come from God, the giver of life. This includes our financial resources, as well as our vocations and our ability to work. We are called as stewards of God’s gifts to share in fulfillment of God’s purposes for creation in our labors as well as our management of what comes from them. As stewards of the kingdom of God, let us give from our abundance with thanksgiving.

Offertory Prayer

All the world is your vineyard, O God, and we are laborers in it. The fruits of our labors are yours, but you allow us to manage them for you. Most we use for our own benefit, but today we bring a portion to help others, as you have called us to do. We do so joyfully, asking you to bless the work of your church here and everywhere, and to help us to be more faithful stewards of your gifts.

With hearts of praise, O Lord, we dedicate to you these gifts as tokens of our lives and work. Use them, as you use us, to the fulfilling of your purposes for creation, that we might give glory to you not only in the hearing, but in the doing of your word.

Invitation to the Table

Out of the gracious love of God, a feast has been prepared. Bread has been offered – fruit of the earth, and shaped by human labor into what will be for us our spiritual food; and the wine is poured – fruit of the earth, shaped by human labor to be for us our spiritual drink. God is the provider, and Christ himself has made the invitation. May all of us rest from our labors, hear the voice of God, and come with joy and gratitude to the Table Christ has prepared.

Christ’s table is spread for all of us—a place of gathering, of fellowship and of praise. Let us rejoice as we respond to God’s gracious invitation to receive these gifts of Christ’s body and blood that we may be strengthened to live as faithful disciples.

Prayer of Thanksgiving (Prayers for Bread and Cup)

(The following may be offered as one prayer, or broken between two Elders, if that is the tradition to be followed)

Loving God, who has nurtured and fed your pilgrim people through the generations to this day, receive our praise and thanksgiving as we gather at the table you have spread through your servant Jesus. As we break this bread and drink this cup, may the power of your Holy Spirit descend upon these gifts and upon us, that we may be transformed into his likeness, living faithfully, serving generously, giving selflessly for the sake of your glory. We offer ourselves anew to you, O God, in trust and faith through Christ Jesus our Lord.

You, O God, have given us all good things. As we celebrate your love which calls us into being, calls us apart into your community of faith, the Church, and calls us into new ways of living, help us to find fulfillment in you, and in being faithful to the sound of your voice in our daily lives. Send forth your Spirit upon this bread and upon this wine, that they may be our spiritual food and drink, strengthening us for the labors you have set before us in Christ Jesus, for we offer ourselves to you in his name.

At your gracious invitation, O God, we offer up ourselves to you as we receive the Bread of Christ, in which we are made one with you and with each other. Strengthen, we pray, the unity of your Church through this communion, that together we may always live as your thankful children. Pour out your spirit upon this bread and cup, and upon us gathered here out of love for you, that as we take the cup of Christ, the offering in his blood, we may be enlivened to do and to be your good news in this world.

Conclusion: Through him, with him, and in him, in the power of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor be to you, O God, now and forever. Amen.

If not previously offered: “And now with the confidence of your children, we offer the prayer our Savior taught us, ‘Our Father…’”

MORE…

Rev. Tim Graves offers Liturgy Bits with valuable, culturally sensitive and creatively contemplative works, well worth your time.

You may also want to visit Worship Connection at MinistryMatters.com, which offers numerous helps, including electronic versions of print resources for worship and preaching planning.

Book of Common Prayer (1979), Public domain.

Read Full Post »

Pentecost +15, Proper 17B

Posted in - RCL and other Common Lectionaries, Liturgical Texts: Eucharist, Year B, tagged Proper 17B on August 27, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Pentecost +15, Proper 17B

Sep. 2

This ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in West Virginia is supported by your gifts to Disciples Mission Fund.

Support Our Work … read how you can help keep lifeinliturgy.org available for use without subscription charges.

Scripture (from the Revised Common Lectionary, with links provided by TextWeek.com – a source for thoughtful worship and preaching throughout the year):

Click on Scripture Lessons below for study links and resources:

Song of Solomon 2:8-13 or Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9
Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9 or Psalm 15
James 1:17-27
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Suggested Hymns from Chalice Hymnal

2-Joyful, joyful, we adore thee

287-As a chalice cast of gold

543-Blessed Assurance

453-Called as partners in Christ’s service,

665-Where cross the crowded ways of life

429-You satisfy the hungry heart

386-We come as guests invited

More hymn suggestions, as well as helpful references for use of the arts in worship, are available from the United Church of Christ website.

On Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

The rally of the Savior

is for the heart indeed,

a savor of the honor

of generosity.

Defilement lurks for ever

against all purity,

yet all that insolence marks

the murmur of the heart.

Inside is where the fault lies,

the welling of deceit.

This breeds contamination

of all that lives and breathes.

Indeed, it is the mercy

of breeding love about

that satisfies the needing

and purifies the heart.

7.6.7.6.D Suggested tune: Ewing

Dealing with the Psalm of the Day:

This week: Psalm 15 (alt. for the day) is on p. 729

Call to Worship

(from the United Church of Christ)

L: Be still and know that God is.

P: God was, also, in the beginning.

L: And when all human striving has ceased, God will still be.

P: From everlasting to everlasting, God is God, and alone is worthy to be worshiped.

L: In the best and worst of times, we hear the call of faith to join in worship.

P: From deep within, we sense the need to offer praise and offer up our burdens.

L: Despite the circumstances we face, God desires to provide the very best for all of earth’s children.

P: So we come to the Table of Christ, where we find God’s provisions in abundance, satisfying the true hungers of our hearts.

Invocation or Prayer of Approach

Gracious God, we gather this morning in this house of worship which, thanks to your love, is our home away from home. We come to add our human voices to the chorus of praise raised by your creation! We come as we are – distracted and weary, hopeful and open – know that you accept us and are ever mindful of our cares and joys. Still in us now the many voices that clamor for attention, that we might center ourselves upon you. Speak to us in word and melody and quiet, that we may be renewed in our faith and strengthened for your service. This we pray through Christ our Lord (who taught us to pray, “Our Father…”)

O God, your desire has always been that each of your children might be made whole, and live abundantly and freely in your presence. Center our hearts and minds that we may be prepared to receive the gifts you so freely give to all, and empower us to share with others from grateful hearts, so that all may know your love and gracious provisions. This we pray through Christ our Lord (who taught us to pray, “Our Father…”)

Pastoral Prayer – Prayers of the People – Intercessions

Lord God, we give you thanks for all your gifts to us—for daily food, for health, for each breath we take, for freedom to choose, and for the gifts of your word, your power and your love. Our hearts are truly overwhelmed, O God, when we consider how you have entrusted so much to us. May we be worthy of that trust—may we be a people who are unafraid to live as fully and as richly as you want us to live.

Help us, O God, as followers of Jesus, to multiply all that you have given us, to risk spreading your word and perhaps see it misunderstood, to gamble by loving those whom others think worthy only of hate, to take chances by doing good to those who have not done good to us. Help us be faith filled and desire to increase your glory and your goodness in this world. Make us people who share in both word and deed that which you have given to us.

We pray for the church gathered today, both here and around the world, that it may encourage all of its members to discover, develop and use all their gifts, those of nature and those of grace.

We pray for those who are poor in body or in spirit, for those oppressed and heavy laden, for those sick or in despair. Minister by your Spirit and by us, to all those for whom we have prayed, and help us walk faithfully in the path of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Prayers from Common Worship*

Collect

Almighty God,

whose only Son has opened for us

a new and living way into your presence:

give us pure hearts and steadfast wills

to worship you in spirit and in truth;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Post Communion

Lord God, the source of truth and love,

keep us faithful to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship,

united in prayer and the breaking of bread,

and one in joy and simplicity of heart,

in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Additional Collect

Merciful God,

your Son came to save us

and bore our sins on the cross:

may we trust in your mercy

and know your love,

rejoicing in the righteousness

that is ours through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Collect of the Day (from Book of Common Prayer, 1979**)

Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good

things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in

us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth

in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God

for ever and ever. Amen.

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

O God, let us not defile ourselves

by thoughts of pettiness

and acts of proud designs.

Indeed, it is the heart that quivers;

rouse in us, O God,

the qualities at home

with your delight.

Service of Table

Offertory / Invitation to Give

The apostle writes: “My sisters and brothers, I implore you by God’s mercy to offer your very selves to God; a living sacrifice, dedicated and fit for God’s acceptance, the worship offered by mind and heart. Adapt yourselves no longer to the pattern of this present world, but let your minds be remade and your whole nature be transformed. Then you will be able to discern the will of God, and know what is good, acceptable and perfect.

God has made every provision for our lives on this earth, giving not only enough in creation to keep us alive, but to give us life that is abundant and rich with possibilities. How do we respond to such graciousness and love? May it be by offering not only what we feel obligated to give, but what God’s example has set for us, and what God’s Spirit inspires in us – the very first fruits, the very best of our lives and of our labors.

Offertory Prayer

We dedicate this money as one evidence of our stewardship, loving God. Our silver and gold have no value except as they are invested according to your purposes. Our lives gain value as we give our time and talents in loving service. Use all that we have and give to build the community you intend, through Christ our Lord.

By your grace, O God, you have provided abundantly for us. May these offerings from that abundance bring forth fullness of life for your children here and around the world, for the sake of Christ our Lord. Amen.

Invitation to the Table

God is the great provider. From earth’s bounty we receive this bread, worked by human hands, and brought to us to be offered as our spiritual food; and this wine, made by human labor to be brought to this Table as our spiritual drink. All of this is God’s doing, and not just for us, but for all the world. Christ himself invites us to receive with thanksgiving the blessings of God’s hand. Let us come near the Table he has spread with joy and gratitude.

As we hear the call of Jesus for us to follow in the way of discipleship, may we remember that this journey of life involves a cross. Here, at his Table, we are starkly reminded of his suffering and death, and of his victory of life. As we break the bread and drink the cup, his body and his blood, may we be healed by his sacrificial love and recreated to serve God in all the days ahead.

Prayer of Thanksgiving (Prayers for Bread and Cup)

(The following may be offered as one prayer, or broken between two Elders, if that is the tradition to be followed)

adapted from William Flewelling’s prayer at Epiphany

We rejoice, O God, that you have come to us, revealing yourself in Jesus Christ our Lord. In thankful adoration, Lord, we listen to your Beloved Son. In joy we turn to meet the fullness of your presence borne upon us. In expectation, Lord, we long to learn your searching Holy Spirit in our lives.

Your Word reveals in us your coming. And we hear your speaking plainly now over bread our Jesus took and blessed and broke for us [[saying: This is my body.]]

We taste your presence spoken in the cup of wine he blessed, [[saying: This is my blood of the new covenant.]]

Come now, Lord our God, to feed us that we might find within our hearts and, more, within our shared communion your revealing unity in us as in Jesus Christ our Lord.

You, O God, have provided your very best for us in this creation, and in your giving of yourself to us in Jesus Christ. Sanctify these gifts of bread and wine, which we offer now to you as a sign of our dependence on your provisions. Send forth your Spirit upon them and upon us, that as we receive them as the body and blood of our Savior, we may become his true body in this world, empowered by your Spirit to live faithfully and generously in the days to come.

Conclusion: Through him, with him, and in him, in the power of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor be to you, O God, now and forever. Amen.

If not previously offered: “And now with the confidence of your children, we offer the prayer our Savior taught us, ‘Our Father…’”

MORE…

Rev. Tim Graves offers Liturgy Bits with valuable, culturally sensitive and creatively contemplative works, well worth your time.

You may also want to visit Worship Connection at MinistryMatters.com, which offers numerous helps, including electronic versions of print resources for worship and preaching planning.

Book of Common Prayer (1979), Public domain.

Read Full Post »

Pentecost +14, Proper 16B

Posted in - RCL and other Common Lectionaries, Liturgical Texts: Eucharist, Year B, tagged Proper 16B on August 21, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Pentecost +14, Proper 16B

Aug. 26

This ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in West Virginia is supported by your gifts to Disciples Mission Fund.

Support Our Work … read how you can help keep lifeinliturgy.org available for use without subscription charges.

Scripture (from the Revised Common Lectionary, with links provided by TextWeek.com – a source for thoughtful worship and preaching throughout the year):

Click on Scripture Lessons below for study links and resources:

1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11), 22-30, 41-43 or Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18
Psalm 84 or Psalm 34:15-22
Ephesians 6:10-20
John 6:56-69

Suggested Hymns from Chalice Hymnal

56-For the beauty of the earth

65-A mighty fortress

100-When morning gilds the skies

66-Immortal, invisible God only wise

429-You satisfy the hungry heart

386-We come as guests invited

More hymn suggestions, as well as helpful references for use of the arts in worship, are available from the United Church of Christ website.

On Proverbs 9:1-6

Inviting us, Wisdom desires that we come

and find in this company all is supplied.

The banquet is open, the cup overflows

and gentle the greeting that Wisdom applies.

Where everything bounds us in simple arrays

and every deception insists on its ways,

we find that this offer is boldest and true,

the bread and mixed wine are abundant for all.

We seek, then the insight to mysteries all,

the deeper refreshment that urges to life.

And so is the hostess, God’s Wisdom indeed

providing the gentle desires that appeal.

11.11.11.11. Suggested tune: St. Denio

Dealing with the Psalm of the Day:

This week: Psalm 84 is on p. 745.

Call to Worship

L: Thank the Lord with all your heart, in the gathered assembly of God’s people.

P: Mighty are the deeds of the Lord; great are God’s works,

studied by all who have pleasure in them.

L: Holy and awesome is God’s name!

To worship the Lord is the highest wisdom; those who do so know all that is good.

P: God’s praises will last forever.

L: As one season presses into the next, the lives we lead are ever changing.

P: Yet our God is steadfast, faithful in every season, every generation.

L: When our confidence is shaken or hope is interrupted, where will we find help?

P: Our help is in God, whose love is from everlasting to everlasting. Praise the Lord!

Invocation or Prayer of Approach

We who have come to know your love, O Lord, are here to worship you. We ask your blessing upon us in this offering of our praise, and we ask your presence in every act of our lives, that we…your Church…may be confirmed in our faith, and give glory to your son Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray (as he taught us to pray, “Our Father…”)

God of every season, even now we sense the promise of autumn creeping in. Days are growing shorter. Children are returning to the routines of school. Time moves ever faster, it seems, and yet you remain constant—always with us, ever urging us into your holy presence. Help us to draw nearer to your gracious heart, as we seek to become a more complete and faithful church family.

Pastoral Prayer – Prayers of the People – Intercessions

Mighty and merciful God, may your kindness be known to all. Hear the prayers of all who cry to you; open the eyes of those who never pray for themselves; have mercy on those who are in misery; deal gently with those who sit in darkness; increase the number of those who love and serve you daily. Preserve our land from all things hurtful, preserve our Church from all dangerous error, preserve our people from forgetting that you are their Lord and Saviour. Be gracious to those countries that are made desolate by war, famine, disease, or persecution, and grant that the course of the world may be so ordered in obedience to your will that the people may live in security and freedom from want, and their children grow up to be makers of peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Prayers from the Book of Common Order, Church of Scotland, on oremus.org)

Loving God, you are the great giver of gifts. You have set before us the way of life, and given us breath and health to live it. You have granted to this earth resources for sustaining our bodies and our families and our communities, and given us a call and a blessing to learn to wisely use them for the good of all. You have given us salvation, a path to life eternal with you in the form of the man Jesus, who healed the sick, and freed the captives, raised the dead, and ate and drank with sinners. In him, we have the path toward living out your desire for this world in the community of your church, our loving family gathered here.

Thank you, God, for placing such varied gifts in our midst in the flesh and blood and spirits of our brothers and sisters here who have said “yes” to living as Christ’s disciples. That is what we seek, O God. We offer our lives and the gifts you have implanted within us to you – to be blessed and to be made useful, so that all of our world’s tomorrows will be a little better, and your church more effective in meeting them with hope for those who are hurting, freedom for those in chains, joy for the sorrowful, light for those in darkness, and healing for those who are ill.

We pray for those people every time we gather, God. Now, we offer up ourselves to follow the leadership of your Spirit in offering our gifts to be the hands and feet and heart and words of Christ to those we pray for. Use us, O God, by teaching us to better use the gifts you’ve given us long ago, when you knew us most intimately, within our mother’s wombs, and in the cradles of our infancy…filled with wonder, gifted, and blessed. For we offer our prayers in Christ’s name.

Prayers from Common Worship*

Collect

Almighty God,

who called your Church to bear witness

that you were in Christ reconciling the world to yourself:

help us to proclaim the good news of your love,

that all who hear it may be drawn to you;

through him who was lifted up on the cross,

and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Post Communion

God our creator,

you feed your children with the true manna,

the living bread from heaven:

let this holy food sustain us through our earthly pilgrimage

until we come to that place

where hunger and thirst are no more;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Additional Collect

Almighty God,

you search us and know us:

may we rely on you in strength

and rest on you in weakness,

now and in all our days;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Collect of the Day (from Book of Common Prayer, 1979**)

Grant, O merciful God, that your Church, being gathered

together in unity by your Holy Spirit, may show forth your

power among all peoples, to the glory of your Name;

through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you

and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

John 6:56-69

Against the choice abiding in the Lord, O God,

as he abides in us

by gnawing on delight, we shudder.

Yet, as dissonance invades our settled ways,

we find we stay

for here we know the words, the way,

the Holy One of God, our life.

Service of Table

Offertory / Invitation to Give

Through our offerings, we are invited to put God first in our lives, to show our gratitude and our commitment. We owe everything to God: our lives, our health, people who love us, meaningful work and activities. Let us respond in proportion to our gratitude.

Giving is not a casual act—it relates God’s work to our work. Peter writes: “as each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace, that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.” Let us give as people whose work is inextricably linked to God’s great works of creation, redemption and empowerment.

Offertory Prayer

We bring our gifts to you, and offer them as symbol of sacrifice and service. We seek to share the story of suffering love that fulfills and conquers death. Bless these gifts and all who give; use our wealth, our time, our abilities for the good of all your people, O Lord.

O God, we thank you for your great generosity. All that we are and all that we have is a gift from you. Help us to serve one another and so reflect your spirit and goodness. Accept these offerings and grant that the cause to which they are devoted may prosper under your guidance.

Invitation to the Table

Prayer of Thanksgiving (Prayers for Bread and Cup)

(The following may be offered as one prayer, or broken between two Elders, if that is the tradition to be followed)

O God, who knows the hunger and thirst of your children far better than we know it ourselves, as we give thanks to you for the bread broken and the wine outpoured at this table which you have spread, we pray that your Holy Spirit would come upon these gifts and upon us, your people. Make of us a new family, united in Christ, and ready to move at his bidding; that the world might know of your great love to us made known in your Beloved Son.

Holy God, we praise and bless you for creation and the gift of life; and for your abiding love which brings us close to you, the source of all blessing. We thank you that in the fullness of time you sent Jesus, born of Mary, to live in our midst, to share in our suffering, and to accept the pain of death at the hands of those whom he loved. We rejoice that in a perfect victory over the grave, you raised Christ with power to become sovereign in your realm. We celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit to gather your church by whom your work may be done in the world, and the life we have within your family on earth and in heaven. Send the power of your Spirit upon us and upon these gifts of bread and wine, that they may be for us Christ’s body and blood, and that we might be for the world Christ’s body, until at last we feast with him and all your people at the table of unending joy.

Conclusion: Through him, with him, and in him, in the power of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor be to you, O God, now and forever. Amen.

If not previously offered: “And now with the confidence of your children, we offer the prayer our Savior taught us, ‘Our Father…’”

MORE…

Rev. Tim Graves offers Liturgy Bits with valuable, culturally sensitive and creatively contemplative works, well worth your time.

You may also want to visit Worship Connection at MinistryMatters.com, which offers numerous helps, including electronic versions of print resources for worship and preaching planning.

Book of Common Prayer (1979), Public domain.

Read Full Post »

Pentecost +13, Proper 15B

Posted in - RCL and other Common Lectionaries, Liturgical Texts: Eucharist, Year B, tagged Back to School, Proper 15B on August 13, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Pentecost +13, Proper 15B

Aug. 19

This ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in West Virginia is supported by your gifts to Disciples Mission Fund.

Support Our Work … read how you can help keep lifeinliturgy.org available for use without subscription charges.

Scripture (from the Revised Common Lectionary, with links provided by TextWeek.com – a source for thoughtful worship and preaching throughout the year):

Click on Scripture Lessons below for study links and resources:

1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14 or Proverbs 9:1-6
Psalm 111 or Psalm 34:9-14
Ephesians 5:15-20

John 6:51-58

Suggested Hymns from Chalice Hymnal

595-Be thou my vision

254-Breathe on my breath of God

322-O Word of God Incarnate

655-Community of Christ

408-Come, share the Lord

428-An upper room with evening lamps ashine

More hymn suggestions, as well as helpful references for use of the arts in worship, are available from the United Church of Christ website.

On Proverbs 9:1-6

Inviting us, Wisdom desires that we come

and find in this company all is supplied.

The banquet is open, the cup overflows

and gentle the greeting that Wisdom applies.

Where everything bounds us in simple arrays

and every deception insists on its ways,

we find that this offer is boldest and true,

the bread and mixed wine are abundant for all.

We seek, then the insight to mysteries all,

the deeper refreshment that urges to life.

And so is the hostess, God’s Wisdom indeed

providing the gentle desires that appeal.

11.11.11.11. Suggested tune: St. Denio

Back to School

The following collects may be of use in this season as schools resume:

Journeying God, as we return to our Fall routines, help us to keep our eyes open to the changes around us, to be open to the new things in life and to appreciate the many jewels that you place before us. (Sunday Intercessions for the Church Year, 2002, ELCIC National Office)

Gracious God, you have given us the keys to the kingdom, keep us mindful of the gifts you have given us and encourage us as we share our gifts with one another as we minister in your name. (Sunday Intercessions for the Church Year, 2002, ELCIC National Office)

Knowledgeable God, we have so much to learn about your world, your people and your gifts. Schools are a place where knowledge begins and tools are given to continue that learning. Thank you for teachers, principals and the volunteers who are examples of your Son, who is also a teacher to us (Sunday Intercessions for the Church Year, 2002, ELCIC National Office)

Encouraging God, the road ahead of us is unknown and there are many things that may make us uncomfortable and make us ask difficult questions. Give us the courage to take up our cross when things are difficult and follow you, trusting the promise of your Son who bore his cross for us. (Sunday Intercessions for the Church Year, 2002, ELCIC National Office)

As all of God’s children begin a new part of their journey away from their supports and comforts of home, give them the knowledge to make sound decisions, the strength to ask for help, and the lightness of heart to enjoy the journey. (Sunday Intercessions for the Church Year, 2002, ELCIC National Office)

Give us the eyes to see in the simple, yet extraordinary things of this world, the risen Christ, and help us to be examples of that to one another. (Sunday Intercessions for the Church Year, 2002, ELCIC National Office)

Teacher of Wisdom, there is so much we have yet to learn and experience in this world. Help us to keep our eyes, ears and heart open to your teachings and your presence in our lives through the people that we encounter. (Sunday Intercessions for the Church Year, 2002, ELCIC National Office)

Dealing with the Psalm of the Day:

This week: Psalm 111 is not in the hymnal. See Call to Worship below.

Call to Worship from Psalm 111

L: Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.

P: Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them.

L: Full of honor and majesty is God’s work, whose righteousness endures forever.

God has gained renown by his wonderful deeds; the LORD is gracious and merciful.

P: God provides food for those who fear him, and is ever mindful of his covenant.

L: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. P: God’s praise endures forever.

L: The Spirit of God gave the universe birth.

P: The Spirit of God delivered the world.

L: Our God is the first; our God is the last.

P: No other god declares the word of creation.

L: Yet this same God invites us, saying, “Do not be afraid!”

P: We worship the One who banishes fear, who comforts the trembling and quickens the faint! We worship the One whose creation is renewed and whose creatures are never forsaken!

Invocation or Prayer of Approach adapted from the Tradition

O God, light of all hearts that seek you, life of all souls that love you and strength of the thoughts that reach to you, we praise you. To turn from you is to fall, but to be turned to you is to rise. To live in you is to stand firm forever. We rejoice at the thought of your nearness. You are here in our midst, at our side, in our hearts, knowing, understanding, caring and helping. And so we life our hearts to glorify you in praise and adoration through Christ our Lord (who taught us to pray, “Our Father…”)

O God, source of all beauty and goodness, your grace comes fresh every morning. In each new day you give us light. We praise your for your never‑failing love that satisfies our needs and shows us the way to follow. We rejoice in your constant care, for you are faithful in love for all people, offering the world salvation through Jesus Christ (who taught us to pray, “Our Father…”)

As we worship this morning, O God, we pray that your spirit will be our strength, your word will be our guide, your love will be our comfort, and your promises will be our hope (for we pray as our Savior Christ has taught us, “Our Father…”)

Pastoral Prayer – Prayers of the People – Intercessions

O God, the creator and preserver of all, we pray for people of all sorts and conditions. Make your purpose known in the earth, your saving power among the nations. We pray for the well-being of the catholic Church.

So guide and guard it by your good Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in the unity of the Spirit and in righteousness of life. We commend to your generous goodness all those who are in any way afflicted or distressed, in mind, body, or circumstances. Comfort and relieve them according to their individual needs; give them patience under their sufferings, and a happy release out of all their afflictions. All this we ask for the sake of Jesus Christ. (Prayers from the Book of Common Order, Church of Scotland, on oremus.org)

In these quieter times, God of peace, as in the busyness of our hectic days, you hear the true prayers of not just what we say, but also what we do and who we are. Hear us as we join our hearts in unity to pray for your church. May we be united in your truth, committed in your love, and sanctified by your grace, that with one heart and one voice we might proclaim your gospel in word and deed, praising you for your abiding presence in our midst as a community of faith.

We pray for our fellow creatures, this world which you lovingly made, and the people of earth with all their diversity and commonality. We lift to you those in our world who weep, and those who cause their weeping; those without food, clothing, shelter or a means of sustaining life with the dignity of one whom you have created. We pray for those who distort the good news of the gospel, who make gods out of things, out of themselves, out of their systems, institutions or structures…and who find it all so hollow and empty.

We pray for those who live without meaning and hope, who live as objects of the whims of others, and those who live in broken families, broken communities, and a broken world. Lead your church, we pray, toward a new vision of our mission to them in Christ—the vision of shalom—with those who are afar off in other lands, but also with those here, where each of us may encounter them personally.

Tender and compassionate friend, give us the assurance that you are here among your people, and in the gifts of quiet and rest in this celebration of your word and table. Enable us with your guidance to be your church and to do your will in our common life together. Pour out your Spirit on those who are suffering, especially as we lift to you our own needs and the needs of those whose lives are closely linked with our own:__________, and those we name in the silence of our hearts.

Bless us to follow in the paths of those saints who have gone before us in faith, whose steps were taken in the sure and certain comfort of your presence, that we may faithfully glorify you now, in your church and your world, forever. For these prayers we offer in the name and spirit of Jesus, your Christ, our Lord. Amen.

OR (new school year)

God of grace and glory, even amidst the days of August we feel the cool of autumn creeping in. Days are growing shorter again. Children are returning to the routines of school. Time moves ever faster, it seems, and yet you remain constant—always with us, ever urging us into your sanctuary of prayer. Help us to draw nearer to your gracious heart, and to entrust to you our every burden and care, as we pray for our world and its peoples, for this community and those around us, for this our church family and those we seek to serve in you.

Ours are concerns of health and fulfillment, of peace and survival. We long to experience your healing presence in our lives and the lives of those we love, especially as we lift to you (_____and) those we name in the silence of our hearts.

We remember with joy and praise your faithfulness to those who have finished their course and rest with you. Strengthen us to be faithful disciples in an ever-changing world. Remind us that you love this world, and are ever-giving yourself for it, even as you gave your ultimate self to us in Jesus the Christ, in whose name we pray (even as he taught us, saying…)

Prayers from Common Worship*

Collect

Almighty and everlasting God,

you are always more ready to hear than we to pray

and to give more than either we desire or deserve:

pour down upon us the abundance of your mercy,

forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid

and giving us those good things

which we are not worthy to ask

but through the merits and mediation

of Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Post Communion

God of all mercy,

in this eucharist you have set aside our sins

and given us your healing:

grant that we who are made whole in Christ

may bring that healing to this broken world,

in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Additional Collect

God of constant mercy,

who sent your Son to save us:

remind us of your goodness,

increase your grace within us,

that our thankfulness may grow,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Collect of the Day (from Book of Common Prayer, 1979**)

Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a

sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us

grace to receive thankfully the fruits of his redeeming work,

and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

John 6:51-58

Met boldly with the bread come down from heaven,

O God,

we attend the challenge to approach,

to savor well the bread provided,

the flesh of Jesus, as he says.

For in this yielding together, O God, we find

the life full in your age

the resurrection life in Jesus Christ.

Service of Table

Offertory / Invitation to Give

Through our offerings we identify with the cause of Christ. We proclaim our concern for all people, and we name them all as our next of kin. We identify with their suffering and grief and we rejoice when good comes to them. God gives both our material resources and our personal time and effort to us. Let us now extend them through the body of Christ into this moment of history and into the whole world.

Our offerings take us into the mainstream of God’s work through the church. Jesus said that whatever we do to the least of his brothers and sisters we do to him. May our offerings bring him comfort, relief and joy.

Offertory Prayer

God of our ancestors, God of our here and now, you laws are timeless and whose ways empower the church, we bring to you the results of our labors. We would recognize all our moments and days as precious gifts from you. We dedicate ourselves anew to the fulfilling of your will through all you entrust to us, not just through the portion we here return. Bless all that the church seeks to accomplish in Christ’s name.

Invitation to the Table

Friends, this is the joyful feast of the people of God. They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit at the table in the kingdom of God. This is the Lord’s table. Jesus invites all who seek to trust him to share in the feast which he has prepared. Let us come to his table now with hope and confidence as God’s children.

Prayer of Thanksgiving (Prayers for Bread and Cup)

(The following may be offered as one prayer, or broken between two Elders, if that is the tradition to be followed)

Loving God, in the mystery of Christ’s offering of himself for the world, we gather at his Table. As surely as we do not know the breadth of your love for us, we do not fully understand the meaning of what you have called us to do. And yet we come at your bidding to eat this bread and drink this cup, the body and blood of our Lord Jesus, in faith and with thanksgiving. Send now the power of your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts, that as we receive them in your presence and in the company of all your people of faith, we may be united as one with Son Jesus Christ, and may find in him life that is eternal.

Loving God, whose will it is that all of your children should be fed, unite your people at this Table, we pray, with a new commitment to share your gifts with all. As we give thanks for this bread and this cup, pour forth your Holy Spirit upon us and upon them, that your presence may be known in our lives and given freely to the world, through Jesus Christ our Lord who makes us one.

Blessed are you, Lord our God; you bring forth bread from the earth, and wine in its season. Your holiness calls to us today, Lord, as you called to your people in the life of Jesus Christ. Although many rejected him and reject him still, we remember and celebrate his presence with us.

Send your power and strength to us, Lord, as we gather here in love for you, and upon these gifts of bread and wine. Make them to be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we might be his true body, going about his work in our time and place; that in all things all glory might be given to you, Almighty God, now and forever.

Conclusion: Through him, with him, and in him, in the power of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor be to you, O God, now and forever. Amen.

If not previously offered: “And now with the confidence of your children, we offer the prayer our Savior taught us, ‘Our Father…’”

MORE…

Rev. Tim Graves offers Liturgy Bits with valuable, culturally sensitive and creatively contemplative works, well worth your time.

You may also want to visit Worship Connection at MinistryMatters.com, which offers numerous helps, including electronic versions of print resources for worship and preaching planning.

Book of Common Prayer (1979), Public domain.

Read Full Post »

Pentecost +12, Proper 14B

Posted in - RCL and other Common Lectionaries, Liturgical Texts: Eucharist, Year B, tagged Proper 14B on August 6, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Pentecost +12, Proper 14B

Aug. 12

This ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in West Virginia is supported by your gifts to Disciples Mission Fund.

Support Our Work … read how you can help keep lifeinliturgy.org available for use without subscription charges.

Scripture (from the Revised Common Lectionary, with links provided by TextWeek.com – a source for thoughtful worship and preaching throughout the year):

Click on Scripture Lessons below for study links and resources:

2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33 or 1 Kings 19:4-8
Psalm 130 or Psalm 34:1-8
Ephesians 4:25 – 5:2
John 6:35, 41-51

Suggested Hymns from Chalice Hymnal

546-Amazing grace

487-Help us accept each other

277-Christians, we have met to worship

622-Guide me, O thou great Jehovah

419-All who hunger, gather gladly (same tune as 277 above)

423-Become to us the Living Bread

More hymn suggestions, as well as helpful references for use of the arts in worship, are available from the United Church of Christ website.

On John 6:35, 41-51

O bread of heaven, come to feed,

begin the bounty here.

For in the entrance to delight

burns faith in active love.

Begun upon our offered word,

announced unto our ears,

we come to eat, take feast, enjoy

the sanctity of God.

Indeed, O Savior of your own

to all invested here,

who own substantial joy and yield,

provide the roots of life

For in our coming to your care,

in yielding hearts and hands,

we dare our dear investment here

with you who feeds with life.

CM Suggested tune: St. Bernard

Dealing with the Psalm of the Day:

This week: Psalm 130 is on p. 762

Call to Worship

L: Christ our Lord united his followers together in Christian love.

P: His presence makes our fellowship a happy experience.

L: When Christ is our life, our fellowship takes on the nature of Christ, we experience unity, love and humility toward one another.

P: May Christ live in us, that we may be like him.

L: We celebrate the God of infinite power and love, who has called us into community.

P: We gather with God’s people of every age and place who have, by faith, found their true citizenship in heaven.

L: We journey together with hope, knowing that God who has fulfilled every promise in the coming of Jesus Christ will fulfill the promises of kingdom life for us and for all God’s children.

P: Thanks be to God for the faith that makes our life in Christ complete and promises life everlasting to all who believe.

Invocation or Prayer of Approach

Eternal God, we long for truths that are lasting, yet we want our faith to be alive to the people and problems of today. As we move forward in an ever changing world, may faith in Christ be our anchor, and your love be our guide through the presence and power of the Spirit. Unite our hearts, even as we unite our voices in your praise, through Christ our Lord (who taught us to pray, “Our Father…”)

God of the depths of the sea, as well as of the heavens and earth: Hear your people’s cry for your presence in our lives. Awaken us to your Spirit’s power and your ever-willingness to save us when we call to you from the chaos of our lives, even as Jesus heard and saved his friends when they floundered in the storms of yesterday. You are our God and Savior, the One who will keep us able to face tomorrow’s storms, and we praise you, through Christ our Lord (who taught us to pray, “Our Father…”)

Pastoral Prayer – Prayers of the People – Intercessions

God of all love and holiness, on this day of love and wonder, we are awakened to the mysteries of life that you create. As we give thanks to you for your wonderful deeds of love and grace, we pray for the human family that we might be renewed and restored to love in your image.

Hear our prayers for our earthly families and for those who journey alone, that we might establish within your church such a glowing love and acceptance that friendship might be strengthened and the joy of fellowship be known, that none may journey in loneliness.

Help us, we pray, to be a strength to the friendships and romance that you kindle in the hearts of people who love, that relationships between them might blossom according to your will, and that homes of peace and grace would spring up in this age of selfishness and hate.

Free us in love to serve our neighbors, especially as we consider the poor, the hungry, the oppressed and the ill, as we remember…_____ And help us to serve as agents of healing to our nation which is struggling to regain its footing in a time of distrust, pain and upheaval. May we be empowered to make our communities, grounded in your love for our world, places of forgiveness and reconciliation, where love is practiced in practical ways in our dealings with others who need us and need you.

Fill us with your Spirit as a people of faith that we may serve you all our days, and look forward to your heavenly feast of joy and love in Christ Jesus our Lord, for it is in his name that we pray.

We yield our lives to you as we offer our prayers in the strong and saving name of Jesus. Amen.

Prayers from Common Worship*

Collect

O God, you declare your almighty power

most chiefly in showing mercy and pity:

mercifully grant to us such a measure of your grace,

that we, running the way of your commandments,

may receive your gracious promises,

and be made partakers of your heavenly treasure;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Post Communion

Lord of all mercy,

we your faithful people have celebrated that one true sacrifice

which takes away our sins and brings pardon and peace:

by our communion

keep us firm on the foundation of the gospel

and preserve us from all sin;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Additional Collect

God of glory,

the end of our searching,

help us to lay aside

all that prevents us from seeking your kingdom,

and to give all that we have

to gain the pearl beyond all price,

through our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Collect of the Day (from Book of Common Prayer, 1979**)

Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always

those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without

you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will;

through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you

and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

John 6:35, 41-51

Begun, O God, we come again

while hearing evermore of bread

that is in Jesus Christ.

We fumble on our words, distress our thoughts

and dally over thoughts that strain our wills.

Become before our eyes, O God,

the breaking of the bread we prize

that in the eating we allow

the feeding that endows for evermore.

Service of Table

Offertory / Invitation to Give

By the goodness of God, we are called into the family of the church. By God’s grace, we rejoice to share in the church’s life of mission and ministry. Let us offer our tithes and gifts to God’s glory as a token of the offering of our very lives.

As a people whose citizenship is not of this earth, but joined in holy community with all of God’s people and recorded in heaven, let us manage our lives accordingly. Our earthly journey is one that brings numerous resources our way, and yet we are reminded that they are not our own, but are ours to steward for the good of others. And so we hold them loosely, always watching for where they may best serve Christ’s mission in this world. Let us offer the gifts that God has poured into our lives freely, with thankful hearts, into the hands of God to be transformed and used for the good of Christ’s coming reign.

Offertory Prayer

Receive, O God, these fruits of earth, and the products of our labors, which we offer to you in token of the sacrifice of our lives. Accept them, we pray, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Lord Jesus, you who expressed your kingship not by taking but by giving, not by demanding but by sacrificing – bless us now as we follow your example in giving our lives back into your hands for the sake of others. May these gifts offered freely represent our faith in God’s all-sufficient provision for our lives in this world and the world to come.

Invitation to the Table

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. You who come to me shall not hunger; you who believe in me shall never thirst.” In company with all who hunger for spiritual food, we come to this table to know the risen Christ in the sharing of this life-giving bread. God has offered us Christ, the Bread of Life, in these gifts – fruit of the earth and work of human hands – to be our spiritual food and drink. May we receive Christ into our lives anew as we profess our faith and gather at his Table.

At this table, the church remembers and celebrates the love of God. The act of sharing bread and wine is a statement of faith and an expression of assurance. Communion happens in many different ways in different churches throughout the world, and in each place brings a new meaning of life in the Spirit of God that is right for that community. But above all, here believers join themselves to the Lord of life. Death, which shows itself in sins, injustice, oppression and despair, yields to concrete demonstrations of life which produce peace, justice, hope, liberation and salvation. This meal is an act of expectation. We, in the midst of our daily lives, proclaim the imminent manifestation of the reign of God, as citizens of that kingdom. Hope replaces sorrow; joy surpasses tears; the power of life triumphs over the reign of death. As an act of faith surpassing the limits of time and place, we sing along with John in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ: “Now God’s home is with mortals! He will live with them and they shall be his people. God will personally be with them, and will be their God. God will wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there will be an end to death. There will be no more grief nor crying nor pain, for the old order has passed away.”

Prayer of Thanksgiving (Prayers for Bread and Cup)

(The following may be offered as one prayer, or broken between two Elders, if that is the tradition to be followed)

God, Lord of all creation, we praise you for your goodness and your love. When we turned away you did not reject us. You came to meet us in your Son, welcomed us as your children, and prepared a table where we might feast with you. As we give thanks for the gift of this bread, Lord Jesus, we bless you: you are the bread of life. And as we lift up the cup of your covenant, Lord Jesus, we bless you: you are the true vine. Holy Spirit, giver of life, come upon us now; may this bread and wine be to us the body and blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ. As we eat and drink these holy gifts make us, who know our need of grace, one in Christ, our risen Lord. O Blessed Trinity: with your whole Church throughout the world we offer you this sacrifice of thanks and praise. Thanks be to you, our God, for your gift beyond words.

O God, in your Son Jesus Christ you have called out to us to live without fear, and indeed to confront even our most challenging turmoil with confidence and hope. Here, at your Table, you give tangible evidence of your ever-present love for us and for the world which you have so lovingly created. Pour out your Spirit, Lord, and bless this bread and this wine, that they may be for us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that we who are fed and nourished here may be empowered to face the days ahead in the certain reality of his abiding presence, and to share the gift of new life with all the world.

Conclusion: Through him, with him, and in him, in the power of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor be to you, O God, now and forever. Amen. (adapted from the Church of Ireland)

If not previously offered: “And now with the confidence of your children, we offer the prayer our Savior taught us, ‘Our Father…’”

MORE…

Rev. Tim Graves offers Liturgy Bits with valuable, culturally sensitive and creatively contemplative works, well worth your time.

You may also want to visit Worship Connection at MinistryMatters.com, which offers numerous helps, including electronic versions of print resources for worship and preaching planning.

Book of Common Prayer (1979), Public domain.

Read Full Post »

Older Posts »

Share on Any Site!

Share
Email Subscription

Enter your email address to subscribe to this site and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 390 other followers
Regional Calendar
Find Posts
Find Posts
Visit our Regional Home

Go to the homepage of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in West Virginia or visit our seasonal devotional page, Mountain Prayerscapes.
Subject Matter
Subject Matter
Search

Search for:
RSS Feed
- RSS - Posts
- RSS - Comments
Life in Liturgy by Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in WV is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at lifeinliturgy.wordpress.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at mailto:dchafin@wvdisciples.org.
Follow us!

Follow this blog
Seasonal Devotions from WV Disciples Clergy
- Prayerscapes for Easter, 2018
  Easter Sunday, Apr. 1 Read Mark 16:1-8 From Thaddaeus B. Allen Regional Minister Look! Look and see! Our Lord is Risen from the dead! “He has been raised; he is not here.” This is the central message of the Church and a word to be shared with the world. We love and serve the Risen Christ […]
- Prayerscapes for Holy Saturday
  Holy Saturday, Mar. 31 Read Mark 15:42-47 From Janet Hellner-Burris Pittsburgh, PA Christian Church of Wilkinsburg The Saturday before Easter is a busy day with preparations for Easter services and family celebrations. It never had a holy significance for me, until I met my neighbors. Every Holy Saturday they take a turn at their Russian […]
- Prayerscapes for Good Friday
  Good Friday, Mar. 30 Read Isaiah 52:13—53:12 From Valerie Parsons Wheeling, WV Island Christian Church In the church that I was raised in, we celebrated Psalm Sunday, and then Easter with no other services between the two. It wasn’t until I was a teenager that I first began to contemplate the events of Passion Week. […]
- Prayerscapes for Holy Thursday
  Holy Thursday, Mar. 29 Read John 13:1-17,31b-35 From Kenneth M. Hardway Wheeling, WV First Christian Church Association Regional Minister, WV, for Youth and Young Adults Baptism. Humility. Servant-leadership. Human denial. Betrayal. Even faithful disciples are ignorant in response. The example of Christ so pervasive, so everlasting. This night is ric […]
- Prayerscapes for Holy Wednesday
  Holy Wednesday, Mar. 28 Read Mark 14:1-11 From D. Marie Tribble Lemoyne, PA First Christian Church When was the last time you voluntarily gave your last to a complete stranger, with no expectation of receiving anything in return? I am not referring to the non perishable food items from the back of your cupboard that […]

Strengthening the Church in praise…

Archive for the ‘– RCL and other Common Lectionaries’ Category

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share on Any Site!

Email Subscription

Regional Calendar

Find Posts

Visit our Regional Home

Subject Matter

Search

RSS Feed

Follow us!