Worship Resources for
the Center for Faith and Giving
Proper 8C
Galatians 5:1, 13-25
Luke 9:51-62
Call to Worship (inspired by Psalm 77)
One: How great is our God!
Many: We give thanks for God, who works wonders.
One: The Holy One redeems and leads God’s own people.
Many: So we’ve come to remember God’s works of old,
and rejoice in all that is yet to come.
One: Let us offer our praise to the One who guides us,
Many: we’ll lift our voices to give God praise!
Opening Prayer
God, even when we’re troubled and fear-filled,
we trust in your steadfast love.
Today, we seek your strength and search for your path
through the challenges which lie before us.
Guard us and guide us, we pray,
that we might become lights for others
and leaders out of chaos into your Way of love. AMEN
Moment for Stewardship (inspired by Galatians 5)
As we move toward the anniversary of our nation’s independence, we hear many voices speaking up for “freedom”. Paul, writing to the people of Galatia, acknowledged how they have been set free by Christ. What about us?
We’ve been set free, but not so we can create a nation, a church, a family, or a life simply to indulge in doing whatever-the-heck we want to do. Paul teaches freedom in Christ means “you shall love your neighbor as yourself”, and goes on to caution “If you…bite and devour one another, take care you are not consumed by one another.”
Today, we’re invited to put our money where our faith leads us. Not for self-indulgence, but for love of our neighbor. This is a day to confirm our understanding of ourselves as truly free in Christ; free enough to support our ____________ (what is your congregation doing to demonstrate love of neighbor? Food pantry? Clothing bank? Community garden? Lobbying for additional SNAP funds?)
So you are invited to act out your freedom as we receive our morning offering. Freely give, recognizing you demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit as you share your finances, your time, and your love.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
God, we so often get confused about what true freedom means. Pour into us your life-giving, love-inspiring breath once more, that what we’ve offered you today and all we will offer you in this coming week will sign how we truly want to be guided by your Spirit. AMEN
Invitation to Communion
Summertime brings to so many of us the delight of fresh fruits and vegetables. Such beauty in the farmers’ market booths and grocery store displays! Such a joy in our own gardens and fruit trees (mention any specific ones you know, or describe your own)!
Such a bountiful array helps us grasp the abundance of what comes to us when we gather around this Table. To our physical eyes, we see only small quantities of juice and tiny fragments of bread, but to our inner eyes, we recognize these elements as symbols of the fruit of the Spirit embodied in Jesus.
In gratitude, we come to receive what is offered, knowing the fruit of the Table is grape juice, but the fruit of the Spirit which stands behind the cup is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
So come! Drink deeply of what is offered here at Christ’s table.
All are welcome,
and all are invited to take in – and then pour out – the gifts of all this fruit.