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 17B LECTIONARY GENERATED LITURGY Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost Year B Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22; Psalm 124; James 5:13-20; Mark 9:38-50. 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 17B: BE OUR FREEDOM, LORD. Ed. Terry C.Falla, Openbook Publishers, Adelaide,South Australia, 1994; Uniting in Worship: Leader’s Book. Joint Board of Christian Education, Melbourne, Victoria, 1988. CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 124 Verse 8 NRSV Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. TIS 111/AHB 28: “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation” PRAYER OF PRAISE AND ADORATION (based on above hymn and call to worship) Eternal God - you who possess all power in heaven and earth - care for us. The immensity of such blessing is almost too much for us to grasp. With all the breath and life within us, we come with praises before you, O God. The experience of your goodness and mercy gives us fresh confidence to face the present and the future, knowing that they, and we, are in your hands. Gladly, O God, we adore you and praise you forever. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen TIS 716/SA 35: “Father, we adore you” Sung as a round OLD TESTAMENT: Esther 7: 1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22 SUGGESTION FOR CHILDREN’S TALK : As it is pretty difficult for children/young people to understand the story of Esther solely from the lectionary reading - it would probably make the story easier to grasp if the whole story was told in a shortened form in a way which brings out the courage of Esther and Mordecai. Perhaps something like the following - There was a King of Persia called Ahasuerus who was also known as Xerxes 1 who lived nearly 500 years before Jesus was born. Many Jewish people had been captured years before and forced to live in Persia; some of their descendants still lived there and one was called Mordecai. One of the king’s officials expected people to bow to him, something which Mordecai refused to do because he believed that one only bowed down before God. The king’s official was so angry at Mordecai that he persuaded the king to have all the Jewish people still living throughout their land killed. They were to be killed on the 13th day of either February or March, which wasn’t far away. Mordecai had adopted an orphaned cousin called Esther who was very, very beautiful and who was also Jewish. The king loved having beautiful women around him and he kept (seized?) lots of young beautiful women for his amusement- Esther was one of these women. The king thought Esther was so beautiful that he made her his queen. One day Mordecai overheard some people plotting to kill the king so he told Esther who warned the king and let him know who had told her, which put Mordecai in the king’s good books. The day was getting closer when all the Jewish people were to be killed and of course that included Esther although she had kept it secret from the king that she was Jewish. None of the women were allowed to approach the king, not even Esther, they had to wait until the King summoned them, but Esther knew that she had to talk with the king to try to save her people, even if it meant that she would be killed for breaking the rules. The king, however, must have been pleased to see Esther as he said that he would give her half of his kingdom - which would have made her very rich and very powerful. But, all that Esther asked for was that her people would be spared, which they were. The day when they were supposed to have been killed and the next day were set aside to be days of feasting and of sending gifts of food to each other and presents to the poor, for what originally would have been a month of mourning had instead become a time for joy and gladness. Even to this day Jewish people celebrate these days as very special. The question could be asked : what was so special about Esther? Perhaps the young folk could also be asked: if they were given the choice between being rich and powerful or risking their life to save people - what would they do - and why? It may be relevant to speak about the responsibilities attached to being a person of faith. We are always to be looking for ways to do faith-full things - following Jesus’ example such as: treating everyone as equal - being kind and caring - being interested in and informed about what goes on in our own and other countries and trying to identify how to help those who lack much of what we take for granted - clean water, food, medicine etc. 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...” Even if these hymns were sung last week would be good to sing either again. ; AHB 551: “I sing a song of the saints of God” PRAYER OF CONFESSION - Today, O God, we ponder what you say to us through scripture and wonder what has changed. In the story of Esther, we hear about the abuse of power and the exploitation of women. We learn about the planned destruction of foreigners in the land. Each of these issues concern the use of power to take advantage of those who are powerless - major causes still of people being denied the possibility of experiencing lives of dignity and worth. Forgive us if our actions, or lack of action, have contributed to continuing powerlessness in people’s lives. A time of silence to contemplate these words. In today’s gospel reading - the disciples want to make decisions about “who’s in” and “who’s out” among Jesus’ followers. It sounds all too familiar as we often make similar decisions on the basis of people’s theology; their sexual preference; their cultural background; their political stance.... (conclude with local examples). Forgive us if our actions, or lack of action, have contributed to whether people feel welcomed into, or excluded from, our fellowship. A time of silence to contemplate these words. Jesus declares that those who are welcoming and caring and do not cause others to stumble, are indeed blessed. We are to be ‘salted’ with the purifying influence of the Holy Spirit, so that we shall not be contaminated by selfishness and self-seeking, by resentment and anger and envy. Forgive us if our actions, or lack of action, have contributed to whether we are “salty” followers of Jesus or not. A time of silence to contemplate these words. Strengthen us all to witness to our faith with a freshness that attracts; a sincerity that convinces, and an integrity which confirms our allegiance to Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen SSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS: James entreats us to “confess our sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that we may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16) We have confessed our sins to one another, and to God, and we believe that prayer is powerful and effective. In that belief, I declare to you, in Jesus Christ we are healed and forgiven. Thanks be to God! EPISTLE: James 5:13-20 GOSPEL: Mark 9:38-50 SERMON TIS 608/AHB 532: “Where cross the crowded ways of life” TIS 686: “Lord Jesus we belong to you” (based on the gospel) TIS 472/SA 33: “Father of mercy, God of consolation” SUGGESTIONS FOR PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING AND INTERCESSION “Between already and not yet” on page 208 of Be our Freedom, Lord. OFFERING OFFERTORY PRAYER Bless these gifts, O God, for we offer them and our lives to be used to proclaim the good news of Jesus in ways that empower people’s lives. May our faith be so evident through our deeds and our words that others are brought to faith and lives are transformed. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen TIS 254/SA 69: “O changeless Christ, for ever new TIS 498: “Draw near and take the body of our Lord” TIS 505/AHB 426: “Jesus invites his saints” TIS 516/AHB 438: “Here, gracious Lord, we see you face to face” INVITATION This is the joyful feast of the Lord. People come from east and west, from north and south, and eat at the table of the Lord. (based on Luke 13:29) GREAT PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise We praise you O God for establishing a fruitful garden where people you loved into being were invited to live in harmony with you. When they turned away from you and closed their ears to your words, you did not abandon them. Through the prophets you spoke to them in many and various ways, simply because they were chosen and beloved by you. You revealed how unchanging your love is by speaking a new word in the person of Jesus Christ, who blesses our lives with healing and wholeness and a love, which like yours, is unending and unconditional. And so, with all the company of heaven and earth we rejoice before you and praise your holy name saying: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. At this table we bear witness to the love which has been poured into our hearts and lives. We remember when Jesus washed his disciples’ feet and sat down at a table to share the meal with them. At that meal - he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. We remember and we give thanks for such outpouring of love . Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us, O God, and upon these gifts of bread and wine, that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ - his life in us. Renewed by his life and recreated in his image, we set our minds on fulfilling your purpose for us and for this world of which we are a part. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen THE LORD’S PRAYER BREAKING OF THE BREAD LAMB OF GOD DISTRIBUTION PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION Holy God, we give you thanks that we have been fed and renewed by Christ’s life in us and we go now to share that life with others. Send us forth equipped with the power of your Spirit to follow Jesus, and to spread the message of his love to all whom we meet. In his name we pray. Amen TIS 674: “Inspired by love and anger” TIS 658/ALL TOGETHER EVERYBODY 296: “I, the Lord of sea and sky” (Here I am, Lord) TIS 618/AHB 568: “What does the Lord require” BENEDICTION: Go, blessed by the unlimited grace of God, the unconditional love of Jesus Christ, and the unquenchable flame of the Holy Spirit. THREEFOLD AMEN |