LiturgicalResources
For Sunday February 2, 2014
Year A, Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany :: Green :: Micah 6:1-8 :: Psalm 15 :: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 :: Matthew 5:1-12
Call to Worship(Responsive)
Adapted from Psalm 15
L: O LORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holymountain?
P: The ones whose walkis blameless;
L: The ones who do what is righteous;
P: The ones who speakthe truth from their hearts.
L: The ones whose tongues utter no slander;
P: The ones who do nowrong to a neighbor.
L: Whoever does these things will never be shaken;
P: Thanks be to God!Amen!
Invocation:
We are gathered O God in the Holy Name of your Son, Jesus the Christ. Wehave come out of our love for you and desire to please you. As we cometogether, Almighty and Wonderful God, we ask your blessing. We bringbefore you our offerings: our love for justice, our desire for kindness and ourwillingness to walk humbly with you. Guide our Spirits and fill ourhearts with a desire for you and your will. We offer ourselves in worshipof Jesus Christ.
Stewardship Moment:
First Corinthians 1: 26 reads: “Consider your own call, brothers and sisters:not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not manywere of noble birth.” We toss around the language of “call” frequently in thechurch. Most often, we are talking about Ministers and their response toGod’s call on their lives. Other times we talk about ways God calls us to servethe mission of the church. Nominating committees are famous for using “call” tofind one more Elder. Others are called to sing in the choir or praise band,serve as committee chairs, or even be moderator of the church. But there is onething we are all called to do: support the mission of THIS church. The easiestway to do that is to faithfully bring your tithes and offerings. They may notbe a king’s ransom, representing your noble birth, they may not have the powerand might of the Bill Gates Foundation, but they are yours, and bringing themis wise. Together we do far more than we would ever do apart. As Disciples, arelatively small group in the North American Religious scene, we have outreachministries on which the sun never sets, we founded and support colleges anduniversities with world renown, and we house, clothe and feed thousands ofpeople every day. Though none of us are Rockefellers or even Wal-MartWaltons, together, we do great things. Let us now bring the tithes andofferings which alone might seem weak or even foolish, and bring them togetherfor the glory of God.
Offertory Prayer:
O Noble God of might and wisdom. We bring forth these gifts today inconfidence that you will be able to do great things with them. Take thesetithes and offerings, bless and multiply them that the world may come to knowyour greatness, and we the givers may rest assured that we have followed ourcall to serve your mission. Amen.
Communion Meditation:
Around the Lord’s Table, I find myself drawn to the fourth Beatitude: “Blessedare those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will befilled”. Bread and Cup seem to blend so well with Hunger andThirst. But if that is true, where does righteousness fit in? Is itrighteous to simply accept the gift of Bread and Cup? Is it righteous toembrace the teachings and the Commandments of Christ symbolized in the Breadand Cup? Is righteousness found in the forgiveness of sin we seek as wecome to the table? I think yes, yes, and yes again. The beauty ofthis Table, friends, is that we seek the righteousness of God, in all thoseways and more, and this table reminds us not so much that WE are righteous, butthat God is. We come hungering and thirsting for God’s righteousness, andGod gives us Bread and Cup: reminders of Christ.
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