For Sunday February 21, 2016
Year C, Second Sunday in Lent
INCLUDING REGULAR AND
WEEK OF COMPASSION
STEWARDSHIP MOMENTS
Second Sunday in Lent :: Purple :: Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 :: Psalm 27 :: Philippians 3:17-4:1 :: Luke 13:31-35
Call to Worship (Responsive)
Adapted from Psalm 27
L: The LORD is my light and my salvation;
P: Whom shall I fear?
L: The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
P: Of whom shall I be afraid?
L: Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud;
P: Be gracious to me and answer me.
L: Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage;
P: We will wait for the LORD!
Invocation:
We come into your sanctuary, O God, seeking to be imitators of Christ. We come into your sanctuary, O God, hoping for healing and wholeness, and weeping for your people. We come into your sanctuary, O God, longing to be able to live as citizens of Heaven, but knowing we are subject to earth. We come into your sanctuary, O God, crying aloud our petitions, and praying for your gracious answer. Draw us nearer to your presence, O God, for we come into YOUR sanctuary.
Stewardship Moment for Week of Compassion:
When Abraham was still known as Abram, he cried out to God in his despair, that he had no heir or offspring other than a slave in his house. God brought Abram outside and told him “Look toward heaven and count the stars if you are able . . . so shall your descendants be.” When a human saw hopelessness and nothing, God saw abundance fueled by love. Today we bring our gifts for the Week of Compassion, our disaster and recovery ministry. We are all constantly hearing about the terrible refugee crisis in the Middle East and Africa. Because you support Week of Compassion, we have been there, are there and will be there. We will bring our tithes and our special offerings for Week of Compassion which make these ministries possible.
Stewardship Moment – Ordinary Observance
When Abraham was still known as Abram, he cried out to God in despair, because he had no heir or offspring other than a slave in his house. God brought Abram outside and told him “Look toward heaven and count the stars if you are able . . . so shall your descendants be.” When a human could only see hopelessness and nothing, God saw abundance fueled by love. Today as we bring our tithes and offerings, it would be tempting to look at each gift and say “This is pointless, it won’t make a difference.” But where we humans see hopelessness and nothing, God see abundance. Bring your gifts, join them with others, that they may become as plentiful as the stars in sky.
Offertory Prayer:
Help us, O God, to see the abundance with which you have blessed us. Even when the situation seems hopeless, you are ready to respond. Let us never forget. Likewise, O God, as we bring these gifts before you, increase our awareness of your multiplying power. Use these gifts to increase your reign. Increase our willingness to share in abundant gratitude. We offer these gifts and our prayers in the Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Communion Meditation:
The story of Abram begins with the promise of descendants which number with the stars, and ends with what we commonly refer to as the “First Covenant.” This was the promise which was fulfilled in the promised land. The Covenant was made by God, marked at an altar, and set into motion with a God initiated ritual. Today we come to this table, this “altar” to remember the New Covenant: Made by God and marked and remembered at this altar, and set continually into motion by our God initiated rituals and practices.
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