Worship Resources for
the Center for Faith and Giving
Proper 12A Pentecost +10
Romans 9:1-5
Matthew 14:13-21
Call to Worship (inspired by Genesis 32)One: When Jacob wrestled at Jabbok, he would not give up until he gained
a blessing.
Many: Sometimes we find ourselves wrestling with God, yearning for
a blessing.
One: May this hour of worship open the door for each of us, and all of us,
to pursue the gifts God willingly provides.
Many: Today we continue our search for the face of God,
One: knowing in God’s presence we’ll find our peace.
Many: Let us worship the Lord our God!
Opening Prayer
Loving God,
out of our fear, our anxiety and our discouragement, we come to you.
In our energy, our excitement and our delight, we come to you.
Help us recognize your presence in the midst of our own situations,
even as we seek your blessing for our own lives,
and for the life of ALL your creation.
Walk with us in this hour and in each day as we limp and laugh with you. AMEN
Moment for Stewardship (in response to Matthew 14)
Perhaps some of you can sympathize with Jesus.
He’d been working non-stop, healing, teaching, and responding to the demands of the crowds. When he heard of the murder of John the Baptist, he tried to break away for some time alone.
Yet when he looked up from the boat he’d taken across to what he hoped would be a deserted place, a crowd had already gathered! Instead of turning around, or simply dropping anchor out on the water, Jesus came ashore, and “had compassion for them”.
Even when we are exhausted, discouraged, uncertain or depressed, we have the model of Jesus standing before us. Jesus engaged, once more, with people who needed food in that deserted place. So he took what was available, gave thanks to God for the bread and fish, and gave the food to his disciples to pass to the crowds.
Today, we have opportunity to demonstrate our compassion – our “pity with” others. Not the only way, but one way to respond to the needs of those without food, without shelter, without clothing, without hope, comes by sharing our morning offering.
Will you put compassion to the forefront for this moment? Will you respond, knowing a portion of our offering goes to ____________________ (support the food pantry, provide new underwear for those coming to our free clothing shop, pay our minister as s/he counsels with disconsolate folks)?
Let us present our gifts as signs and symbols of the compassion we know most clearly from the life of Jesus, the Christ.
Prayer of Thanksgiving (adapted from P. 126, Gifts of Many Cultures, Maren C. Tirabasi and Kathy Wonson Eddy, 1995, Pilgrim Press)
As one family we sing
while these, our gifts, to God we bring;
who in love has made us one
in the church of Christ, God’s Son.
Use us and use our gifts, good Lord,
for holy service in the world.
Hope to all your people give
as to your glory we now live. AMEN
Invitation to Communion (inspired by Matthew 14)
Each time we come to this Table, we hear an invitation extended to all who will come. Here there are no tests to pass, no threshold of giving to exceed, no affirmation from some authority to present. Here we find the gifts of God for the people of God, presented in simple bread and juice.
Counting on the compassion of Jesus Christ, we recognize our hunger and our thirst may be assuaged here even as we remember in a deserted place, long ago,
Jesus took simple foods,
blessed them,
broke the bread
and gave the bread and fish.
So, today, knowing these gifts will not fill our stomachs, but can satisfy our soul hunger, we remember Jesus taking bread,
blessing it,
breaking it,
giving it.
With gratitude, come to receive the bread of life and the cup of salvation.