September 16, 2018

September 16, 2018          Pentecost 17

Proverbs 1:20-33  Psalm 19 

James 3:1-12   Mark 8:27-38

Call to Worship

(one possibility; use a music video of Hayden’s “The Heavens are Telling”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Pa1KZwijpM
or  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTYJm5Ae0Xo)

Or:

One:  The heavens are telling the glory of God!
Many:   Even the skies proclaim God’s creative labor!
One:  Gathered in this place,
Many:  we come to tell with amazement the joy of God’s perfect decrees.
One:  All around us, we celebrate God, our rock and our redeemer.
Many:  So let us worship the Lord with the words of our mouths and
the meditations of our hearts.

Opening Prayer  

God, every new day brings opportunity to praise you! So today,
we gather to give you thanks for your creation, your commandments,
your mercy and your welcome.
Let all that we do and all that we say be acceptable to you. AMEN

Stewardship Moment  

The disciple Peter was a Jew (as were all the other disciples, and Jesus).  Part of the Jewish faith for many believers in the first century was an anticipation of a coming Messiah.

So what a gift, for Peter to recognize and claim Jesus as “the Messiah”, or the Christ!

Today, we encourage believers in the church to make their “good confession” (“Jesus is the Christ/the Messiah”), as one step in becoming a member of the church.

Today, we recognize it’s that truth which is the foundation for our lives as followers. Because I know Jesus is the Christ, I choose to support the Body of Christ with my gifts, tithes and offerings.
Who do you say this Jesus is?
If you, too, claim Jesus as the Christ, the Lord of your life, let your contribution match your confession.

 

Prayer of Thanksgiving

God, you made a way for Jesus to be born, to live, to die and to be raised up into eternal life.  So now, make a way for our lives, and the life of this congregation, to be raised up and strengthened through the gifts we’ve shared and the faith we confess.   AMEN

Invitation to Communion   

The old story goes that a hen and a pig were in conversation in the barnyard one day. They both were singing the praises of the farmer, who kept them fed, provided a comfortable place for each of them to live, and talked with them every day.

“Let’s do something to show our thanks”, suggested the pig.

“Great! What if we fix breakfast for our farmer?” asked the hen

“What do you suggest for this thanksgiving meal?” queried the pig.

“Eggs and bacon!” exclaimed the happy pen.

The frightened pig declared, “Wait a minute!  For you, that’s a contribution.  For me, it’s total commitment!”

We come to this table, reminding ourselves once more of Jesus’ willing and total commitment to the God who had given him life. In these eucharist (thanksgiving) elements of bread and cup, we show forth his death until he comes again.