November 17, 2019
Worship Resources for
the Center for Faith and Giving
Proper 28
2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
Luke 21:5-19
Call to Worship (from Isaiah 12)
One: Come! Give thanks to the Lord, call out the name:
Many: “The Lord!” We sing our praise.
One: Let this be known in all the earth.
Many: Sing for joy! For great in our midst is the Holy One of Israel.
One: Trust, and do not be afraid,
Many: for the Lord God is our strength and has become our salvation!
Opening Prayer
Gracious God, we do give you our thanks and sing your praise.
We celebrate your presence in the midst of this congregation,
and turn our hearts to you as we worship.
So hear our prayers and respond to our petitions,
as we lift your name with shouts of joy! AMEN
Moment for Stewardship (II Thessalonians 3:6-13)
The author of II Thessalonians accepts the opportunity to lay out instructions for the people. This may sound like an exhortation many of us have heard from our grand-parents, parents, teachers and bosses:
“imitate us! Work for what you receive, as we do.
Anyone unwilling to work should not eat.”
This is a strong word for believers. Do not be dependent on others! If we are capable of working for our own well-being, do not fall into idleness.
When we understand ourselves to be stewards of God’s many gifts, that pushes each of us to recognize our life is a gift. In gratitude for the amazing gift of LIFE, we put our time and talent to work, and grow up into individuals able to provide for ourselves and share with others.
How is it you are imitating those who have gone before you? Who is the model for you, as you decide how to fill your day? When you look to those who have diligently worked, are you filled with pleasure, knowing you imitate those individuals?
With grateful hearts, let us share symbols of our hard work, as we receive our morning tithes, gifts and offerings.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
We offer these gifts to you, God of all Creation, with cheerful hearts. Thank you for the life you’ve freely given each one of us. Build us up in these days, that we might work diligently and share generously. AMEN
Invitation to Communion
In II Thessalonians, we read simple counsel: “do not be weary in doing what is right.”
How often do you come to this table and recognize your own weariness?
For some, that weariness comes from the exhaustion caused by hard labor: shoveling asphalt, harvesting beans, teaching teenagers, lifting weights to be ready to play ball. (choose appropriate examples from your congregation)
For others, weariness may come from the years of life we’ve lived, and a heart which no longer pumps efficiently. It may come, too, from medical treatments which leave us listless.
Others, still, may be weary because of the strain under which we live: addictions which suck life out of us, relationships breaking asunder, economic difficulties which appear like a mountain before us.
When we come to this Table, however, we’re able to lean our weariness on Jesus. You are invited to be a participant here; it’s the right thing to do!
Sing with me this description of our relationship with Jesus:
“Here, O My Lord, I See Thee Face to Face” CH 416,
the last line of the first verse reads “and all my weariness upon thee lean.”