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Pentecost 21B LECTIONARY GENERATED LITURGY Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost Year B Job 42:1-6,10-17; Psalm 34:1-8,19-22; Hebrews 7:23-28; Mark 10:46-52 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 21B: An overhead projector/ powerpoint image with a picture of a heart with an eye in it; Scripture in Song , CMC Australasia, Unit 9/147 Marshalltown Road, Grovedale, Victoria 3216; Jesus our Future. Bruce D. Prewer, Openbook Publishers, Adelaide, South Australia, 1998. CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 34:verses 1-8,19-22 read responsively or the following based on verses 1-7..... Let our praise and thanksgiving for all the Lord’s gracious acts towards us gladden the hearts of all who hear. For we are acknowledging that when we seek the Lord, we are heard and answered, saved and set free from all our fears. So - let our love for the Lord shine out for all to see. Hallelujah! Amen! TIS 112/AHB 30: “Through all the changing scenes of life” TIS 134/AHB 68: “Praise, my soul, the king of heaven” TIS 124/AHB 52: “Great God, we sing that mighty hand” PRAYER OF APPROACH We could not approach you, O God, were it not for the person of Jesus, Lord and Saviour, Servant and Friend. His perfect love and life could have widened the gap between us and you, but instead he offered himself as the way to you, by living out the truth of your love and by gracing our lives with the gift of his life. Accept our prayers and praise, our spoken and unspoken words of thankfulness for being able to approach you, O God, through Jesus - the way, the truth and the life. May this time of worship increase our desire to live lives which honour and glorify you. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. SCRIPTURE IN SONG 584: “Lord, your face so shines upon me” SUGGESTION FOR CHILDREN’S TALK : Overhead projector. Picture of a heart with an eye drawn on it on an overhead or powerpoint screen. Begin by projecting/picturing the image very much out of focus and ask if anything wrong. There should be a chorus of voices telling how the picture is impossible to see because the focus is wrong. Correct the focus and before saying anything about the picture, say that in the gospel story today, we discover that even although a man called Bartimaeus had been blind, he was still able to focus on Jesus and the possibility of being healed of his blindness Emphasise the last sentence of the gospel reading - “Immediately Bartimaeus regained his sight he followed Jesus ....” When Bartimaeus was able to see, he readjusted the focus of his life by following Jesus. Compare with last week’s gospel where James and John asked Jesus for positions of honour - they, unlike Bartimaeus, had the focus wrong. They were focussing on themselves rather than on Jesus. Its a bit like the difference between having sight and having insight. Sight usually means that we are able to use our eyes to focus on people, objects etc; insight means that we have a kind of inner sight - a bit like this picture of a heart with an eye on it. I think that Jesus was able to ‘see’ with his heart - able to focus on people and their needs in a very precious and loving way. Following Jesus means that we are to focus on people as Jesus did - to ‘see’ them with the eyes of our hearts, so that we can serve them with the same love that he did. TIS 547/AHB 455: “Be thou my vision” Verses 1 and 5 - point out how old this hymn is -about the 8th century - and how the language reflects its age - but it is still a great hymn to sing. TIS 748: “There once was a man as mean as could be” v. 2 relates to Bartimaeus PRAYER OF CONFESSION - Lord Jesus Christ, even in the midst of a large, probably noisy crowd, you helped Bartimaeus move from blindness to sight by focussing your power on his cries for mercy and healing. The crowd and the attempt by some to silence Bartimaeus did not distract you from responding to the needs of this blind beggar. This interruption to your journey provides an example of the life you call your disciples to live. The question, however, disturbs us - would we have been among those who called out for Bartimaeus to be quiet? When we find interruptions to our plans a source of irritation rather than an opportunity for serving others in your name, forgive us, Lord. TIS 729: “Jesus Christ have mercy on us” sung as a response by choir or solo Bartimaeus’ desperation and cry for mercy is echoed in the lives of many people in our own communities and throughout the world. When we close our ears and our hearts to these cries and remind us that following you means responding to those who cry for mercy, forgive us, Lord,. TIS 729: “Jesus Christ have mercy on us” sung as a response by choir or solo Immediately Bartimaeus regained his sight, he followed Jesus on the way. The way to discipleship is entered when our eyes are graciously opened to see and to follow Christ in faith. When we find excuses to delay responding to your call to discipleship, forgive us, Lord . TIS 729: “Jesus Christ have mercy on us” sung as a response by choir or solo Jesus, Saviour and Lord, enlighten our minds with your wisdom, and imprint the image of your love once more on our hearts so that we can focus anew on your presence and your power whenever and wherever you call us to serve people in your name. Amen ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS: Jesus is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25) . Hear then the good news that in and through Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Thanks be to God! OLD TESTAMENT: Job 42:1-6, 10-17 EPISTLE: Hebrews 7: 23-28 GOSPEL: Mark 10:46-52 SERMON TIS 624/SA 17: “Christ be my leader by night as by day” TIS 217/AHB 148: “Love divine, all loves excelling” TIS 210/AHB 141: “O for a thousand tongues” TIS 223/AHB 158: “How sweet the name of Jesus sounds” SUGGESTIONS FOR PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING AND INTERCESSION “Illusion of Absence” Page 50; “Touch our eyes” Page 59; “The Opposition” Page 93 in Jesus our Future THE LORD’S PRAYER OFFERING OFFERTORY PRAYER Gracious and merciful God, we offer these gifts and our lives in response to the blessings we receive as followers of Jesus, your Son, our Lord. Empower us with your Spirit to hear those who cry out for mercy that we may be loving and committed bearers of the gospel in word and in deed. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen TIS 606/AHB 529: “Son of God, eternal Saviour” TIS 161/AHB 109: “Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord!” TIS 160/AHB 104: “Father all-loving and ruling in majesty” BENEDICTION: Go into this week, with the mercy of God embracing you, the healing power of Jesus enfolding you, and the energy of the Holy Spirit sustaining you. THREEFOLD AMEN |