Trinity
Pentecost 2B
Pentecost 3B
Pentecost 4B
Pentecost 5B
Pentecost 6B
Pentecost 7B
Pentecost 8B
Pentecost 9B
Pentecost 10B
Pentecost 11B
Pentecost 12B
Pentecost 13B
Pentecost 14B
Pentecost 15B
Pentecost 16B
Pentecost 17B
Pentecost 18B
Pentecost 19B
Pentecost 20B
Pentecost 21B
Pentecost 22B
Pentecost 23B
Pentecost 24B
Reign of Christ B
New Year C CD
|
Pentecost 16B LECTIONARY GENERATED LITURGY Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost Year B Proverbs 31:10-31; Psalm 1; James 3:13-4:3,7-8a; Mark 9:30-37 Rec. text -NRSV. Hymns are from the Australian Hymn Book (AHB) or Together in Song (TIS) unless otherwise indicated. Worship Leader - normal type. Congregational responses - bold type Permission is granted to churches to use this material in services of worship. This liturgy remains the property of Moira B Laidlaw Additional resources for Pentecost 16B: ALL TOGETHER OK, Openbook Publishers, Adelaide, South Australia, 1996; Scripture in Song , CMCAustralasia, Unit 9/147 Marshalltown Road, Grovedale, Victoria 3216; BE OUR FREEDOM, LORD. Ed. Terry C.Falla, Openbook Publishers, Adelaide, South Australia, 1994, ALL TOGETHER WHATEVER , Openbook Publishers, Adelaide, South Australia, 2001. This is Social Justice Sunday - check this site out for resources - http://assembly.uca.org.au/unitingjustice CALL TO WORSHIP: Based on Psalm 1 NRSV Blessed are those who delight in God’s law, who take time to ponder its meaning. They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and whose leaves do not wither. But those who reject God’s way are like parched and dried out earth in which nothing good grows. So let us worship and praise God as we seek to live nourished and shaped by God’s righteousness. TIS 1: “Happy are they who walk in God’s wise way”; TIS 448/AHB 376: “Blest are the pure in heart” TIS 78/AHB 394: “I was overjoyed”; TIS 107/AHB 25: “ Sing praise and thanksgiving” PRAYER OF PRAISE AND ADORATION God of all time and space, of all wisdom and knowledge - we worship and adore you. You could have remained far beyond our understanding yet you chose to reveal yourself in the person of Jesus, your Son, our Saviour. He widened the horizons of minds and hearts when he made your love and your wisdom known through his gentleness, compassion and humility. And you empower us with your Holy Spirit so that we can apply your wisdom to all our words and actions, making them gentle, compassionate and humble. Gracious and wise God, accept our praise and adoration in response to all your gifts to us, especially the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen SUGGESTION FOR CHILDREN’S TALK : The following story is based on the gospel lesson for today but takes up the message of the other readings about wisdom necessarily including kindness, gentleness, etc. I heard this story number of years ago and do not know its source- I have elaborated on what I remember of the original story. A teddy bear or similar toy would be a good prop to have. Amy and Sarah lived next door to each other and they were both seven years old. This particular day, they had been invited to take their favourite toy to school. Amy took her teddy bear and Sarah took a lovely china doll that had belonged to her mother - with instructions to look after it very carefully. They walked to the school which was only about ten minutes from their homes. After school that day, the children were not home at their usual time, and their mothers were getting very anxious, especially Amy’s mother, as they were going to visit Amy’s Gran after school, something Amy had been looking forward to. Just as Amy’s mum was getting ready to walk to school, the girls came running up the street and into their homes. “Where on earth have you been, Amy?” her mother asked, “I was getting really worried about you.” “Oh, Mum, something awful happened on the way home - that big bully in our class ran after us and pushed Sarah and she dropped her china doll. It broke into little bits on the footpath.” “Oh, dear” said her mother “I suppose you stopped to help her pick up the pieces.” “Well, yes” said Amy “but I really stopped to help her cry.” Isn’t this what Jesus calls us to do no matter what our age is? To stop and to be there for people. Relate this story to the gospel reading where Jesus takes the disciples to task for arguing about who was the greatest. Point out how Jesus wants us all to treat one another as special people - no greatest and least - no bullies and victims - but as people equally loved by him and therefore by us. TIS 650/SA 14 “Brother sister, let me serve you” ALL TOGETHER OK 341: “If you’re black or if you’re white” PRAYER OF CONFESSION - Lord Jesus Christ, there are times when we all feel like victims - pawns in the powerplays which are so much a part of life these days. As usual, however, you look into our hearts and question what part we play in these power games. We know that in your eyes it is not social status, or wealth or reputation that count, and we confess how easily our lives can become enmeshed in such wordly values. You risked personal comfort and security when you reached out to those on the edge of your society, lepers and sinners - people whom others considered unclean. Forgive us when we fail to meet your challenge to identify with those whom society would call worthless. You showed us that the journey of discipleship is a journey into servanthood and powerlessness. Forgive us for being tempted to pursue power and to favour competition over compassion. You, Lord, saw the good in everyone and showed us exactly what it means to be the servant of all. While too often we see others as rivals in the race for success, influence and popularity. “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” ALL: Imprint these words on our hearts and put your living Spirit within us, we pray, so that we serve others and you with wisdom, understanding, love and compassion. Amen SCRIPTURE IN SONG 84 “The Spirit of the Lord is now upon me” ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS: When we submit ourselves to God, we are drawn into the heart of divine love and forgiveness. Out of that deep love for us God sent Jesus into the world to save sinners - and to make all things new. And so I declare to you, in Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Thanks be to God! OLD TESTAMENT: Proverbs 31:10-31 EPISTLE: James 3:13-4:3 GOSPEL: Mark 9:30-37 SERMON TIS 609/AHB 537: “May the mind of Christ my Saviour ...” TIS 256: “From heaven you came, helpless babe” (The Servant King) TIS 665: “Jesus Christ is waiting, waiting in the streets” TIS 608/AHB 532: “Where cross the crowded ways of life” SUGGESTIONS FOR PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING AND INTERCESSION Give thanks for the vulnerability of Jesus. Born a helpless baby, he lived his life vulnerable to all the pain that people endure. Give thanks that Jesus could identify with people’s pain and was enabled to use his power to heal wounds and to bring grace and mercy to those in distress. Give thanks that his wisdom and understanding were grounded in gentleness, love and compassion. Pray that we might be Spirit-filled followers of Jesus, not in name only, but people whose lives are grounded in his gentleness and love and compassion. Pray that our discipleship might truly bring forth a harvest of peace and righteousness. Pray for specific areas in the world where conflict reigns - that they may experience peace - pray for people caught up in conflict and the use of inappropriate power - especially where such power is used for selfish purposes. Pray for local concerns... Pray for the will to discern what is possible to be done- even if only small - as disciples rather than despairing over what might not be possible at this time. Pray for the desire to welcome people in Jesus’ name with joy and genuine acceptance..... THE LORD’S PRAYER OFFERING and OFFERTORY PRAYER Gracious God, in your great wisdom you revealed your human face of love in Jesus and he gave further expression to your wisdom by putting no limits or conditions on his love. We show our gratitude by offering these gifts and our lives to be used to love and serve others as Jesus has loved and served us. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen ALL TOGETHER WHATEVER 506: “Oh, let’s get up to love and serve” TIS 613/AHB 546: “Lord of all hopefulness” TIS 681/ BE OUR FREEDOM, LORD pp 432,433 : “Lord let me see, see more and more, see the beauty of a person, not the colour of the skin” TIS 629/AHB 558: “When I needed a neighbour...” BENEDICTION: Go into the world, blessed with the wisdom and understanding of God, filled with the gentleness and compassion of Jesus Christ empowered by the enthusiasm and passion of the Holy Spirit THREEFOLD AMEN |