March 7, 2021
Worship Resources for
the Center for Faith and Giving
Lent III
http://seedstuff.blogspot.com/2018/02/lent-3-b-march-04.html
Remember to add a third candle to your worship visuals, if you’re adding one each week.
Call to Worship (from Psalm 19)
One: Welcome to this time of worship! Today, the Psalmist reminds us
Many: “The heavens are telling the glory of God!”
One: We look to the heavens and rejoice, for God’s decrees are sure,
Many: making wise the simple.
One: So let the words of our mouths
Many: and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to our Rock and
our Redeemer.
Opening Prayer
We’re grateful, God of all life, for these 40 days of Lent.
As we walk on this journey with Jesus, even knowing we’re moving toward the devastation of his death on the cross,
may we seek awareness of our own sin (transgressions)
and assurance of your greater love,
AMEN
Moment for Stewardship (John 2 connection)
Every time I hear or read the story of Jesus going ballistic in the temple, evicting the money changers and stampeding the ritual animals out of the courtyard, I wonder: what would happen if Jesus were to walk into our time of offering?
I wonder if he would question how people who have so much still find it difficult to give?
I wonder if Jesus would find us too passive, too emotion-less?
I wonder if he would rejoice over those among us who truly offer themselves and all that they have back to God, who gives us life?
Imagine how we would respond if Jesus were standing beside each of us, whether we’re in the sanctuary or in our own living room.
With this Christ as our companion, let us share our tithes, our offerings, our monetary gifts, all as symbols of offering God our whole selves.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Loving God, with these gifts we declare we are yours! May this money be translated into bringing your Realm more fully on earth, through the many ministries of this congregation. Use our tithes and offerings as symbols of our lives, and use US to proclaim you as Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer of all the earth. AMEN
Invitation to Communion (I Corinthians 1 connection)
In the season of Lent, Christians around the world recognize we are traveling ever closer to the cross. Paul calls that a “stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
When we come to the table of the Lord, we recognize God’s power and wisdom shows up in a new symbolic form: bread and juice.
What is ordinary becomes extraordinary.
What is simple becomes elaborate.
What is tiny becomes huge!
For Jesus, knowing he was gathered for the last time with his disciples, offered them new meaning for familiar objects.
Bread from their meal = “this is my body”.
The wine they’d shared = “this cup is the new covenant in my blood”.
Let us feast, for when we eat this bread and drink from the cup,
we proclaim Christ’s death until he comes.