November 14, 2021

Worship Resources for 
the Center for Faith and Giving

Pentecost XXV

1 Samuel 1:4-20  

1 Samuel 2:1-19

Hebrews 10:11-14 (15-18), 19-25

 
Mark 13:1-8

Call to Worship  (from Hebrews 10)  

One:  With true hearts, assured of our faith, let’s grab hold of all
              our faithful God is promising!
Many:  We’re meeting together (virtual and in our sanctuary), to
              encourage one another.
One:  Today is the right time to provoke one another to love
Many:    and good deeds!
One:  This is the time for us to rejoice, for Jesus the Christ offers
             forgiveness and peace to all!
Many:  So let us worship the Lord, our God, 
             who remembers our sin no more.

Opening Prayer  

Gracious God, 
 
Like hungry teenagers heading to a feast, we’re drawn to your presence.
You’ve given us your Spirit, and offered us a Savior in Jesus Christ.  
With joy, we recognize our true home in you.
Thank you for the ways you give us renewed hearts, sprinkled clean,
    and renewed lives, through the wonder of baptism.
Receive our praise, accept our worship, and allow us to hold fast to our hope
as we offer you the fullness of our lives, 
AMEN

Moment for Stewardship  (from Mark 13)

Do you shake your head, sometimes, when you read of the confusion and seeming slow-wittedness of Jesus’ disciples? 

It almost makes me laugh when Peter, James, John and Andrew (the first-to-be-called) want Jesus to give them private info about when the Temple would be destroyed.  Were they hoping to avoid the place when destruction began?  Or wondering if they could be the first to tweet the news, grabbing the rights to a “breaking news” story?

Jesus doesn’t oblige.  Rather, he suggests they beware!  Don’t be led astray.

We don’t get private info given to us, just because we’re followers of the Jesus Way (like the State Farm commercials of all the folks who believe they’ve been given special rates).  Rather, our task is to stay aligned with Jesus  — no matter what “birthpangs” we may observe around us.  Despite the wars and rumors of war, despite the earthquakes and famines, our task is clear.

Day by day we act out our faith.  Week by week, we register our intention to follow Jesus with the gifts we bring.  We deliberately give away some of what is “ours”, offering financial support along with our time and talents, to proclaim our desire to move the dial one more tick toward God’s Realm.

What will you offer, today, as a sign you choose to follow Jesus? 


Prayer of Thanksgiving

Loving God,

All things come from you.  
Thank you for the abundance with which we are surrounded.  
We offer these gifts to you, to help us serve as witnesses to the Realm which Jesus demonstrated.  Receive them, multiply them, and help us use them to build up Realm realities.  We yearn to be faith-filled and faith-full followers of Jesus, the Christ, in whose name we pray,
AMEN

Invitation to Communion  

When it comes to the end of an athletic season, teams often move toward sectional, regional or conference competitions.  It’s common, at the high school level, for teams to eat together as they prepare for the next big game.

We’re moving toward the end of this Christian year, recognizing it’s just two weeks until the cycle begins again with the first Sunday of Advent.  Today, therefore, I invite you to participate in this meal as part of the Jesus team!

There may be tough times ahead.  There may be challenges we must face as individuals and as a congregation.  Let’s gather our strength and recognize the nourishment which comes as we share in these gifts of bread and cup.

Come!  You are part of the team, the table is set and all are welcome.