Worship Resources for
the Center for Faith and Giving
Proper 13C
Psalm 107:1-9, 43
Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11
Call to Worship (inspired by Psalm 107)
One: Come! Let’s give thanks to God, who is good.
Many: God’s steadfast love redeems and restores!
One: We celebrate God’s actions in the past,
and God’s promises for the future
Many: God acts in love for all creation.
One: God’s steadfast love endures forever!
Many: We rejoice in what God does, and delight in God’s love!
Opening Prayer
Loving God, we do give you thanks for who you are, and for what you do. We offer you our praise today, calling to mind the ways
you gather us in, provide for us, and bring us into your Light.
Fill us with gratitude, wash us with your grace, and welcome us into your presence, for you are good, and your steadfast love never ends! AMEN
Moment for Stewardship (inspired by Luke 12)
Jesus spent time teaching both his disciples and the crowds who gathered,
often using parables as one form of instruction/inspiration.
“The parable of the rich fool” may be heard as WARNING. But it also may be heard as an invitation.
For those living selfishly, the warning sounds like a threat of life coming to an early end because of one’s greed and desire to pile up MORE.
For those living “rich toward God”, this comes as an invitation to wisely apportion one’s wealth.
Here’s the question: how are you living?
Week by week, when we gather to worship God, we have opportunities to demonstrate ways we are aligned with God’s design for living.
Do we exhibit fruit of the Spirit: joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). Or do we exhibit works of the flesh: … anger, quarrels, strife, jealousy …(Gal.5: 19-21)
Do we acknowledge our identity as part of community/ies such as
this congregation, our neighborhood, service organizations, public service…?
Do we share what we have (money, possessions, space, privilege…)?
Please hear the invitation via the rich fool.
Share now, as we receive our morning offering.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
God of all good gifts,
thank you for this opportunity helping us learn from Jesus’ parable.
Thank you for all who today acted out their desire to be rich toward you.
Receive these gifts.
Help us use them to build up a world where
believers lead the way with generosity and
all know the goodness of sharing in a life of abundance. AMEN
Invitation to Communion
Part of the beauty of communion comes in the simplicity of both
the elements (simple bread and small sips of juice),
and the way Christ’s invitation is extended to all who are here.
This feast demonstrates in real time the lack of greed we seek to carry into our everyday lives. No one tries to hoard all the bread, or drink all the juice.
No one fences off the Table, refusing admittance to some while bowing and scraping to welcome more important/wealthier folk to the meal.
So know you are invited to participate, whether you’ve been to this Table for decades, or this is your first time. You’re welcome in this place, whether you’re a long-time Christian or taking your first steps to join the community.
May you find here food for your spirit and Spirit for your life.