Worship Resources for
the Center for Faith and Giving
Pentecost +7 Proper 9A
Romans 8:1-11
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
Call to Worship (adapted from Psalm 119:105)
(If you have someone who can lead, or the congregation knows this,
sing your call to worship: “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path”. The first 30 seconds are sung here by Amy Grant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6LC8cu03Ig)
OR
One: Gathered to worship God, let us celebrate, with the Psalmist, declaring
Many: God’s word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path!
One: Together to praise God, we come to learn God’s laws,
Many: for we want to keep God’s decrees!
One: Eagerly we tune our hearts,
Many: because we know following God’s commandments is our joy.
All: Let us worship the Lord, our God.
Opening Prayer
Ever-loving God, you’ve offered us the gift of life, and shown us boundaries that mark safe and loving ways to act, speak and love. Thank you for this
hour of worship. Help us grow in our understanding, so even when we’re tempted to launch out on our own, we’ll draw back to lives bordered by your decrees and statutes. Raise us up today and each day to praise you! AMEN
Moment for Stewardship
Summertime, and we can see the results of what happens when we “scatter sow” – that is, if we have a handful of seed and toss it out. Jesus shared the parable, and an explanation of it. Leaning into this parable, let’s think about what our giving says about the kind of “soil” we are.
For some of us, the idea of giving financially to the church is absurd; we’re “hard”ly able to do what we want. Giving away any money at all seems crazy.
For others, we’re willing to give a little when the appeal is great, but see no point in making weekly contributions; we’re easily distracted by the allure of other things to do with our money.
Yet others agree giving regularly to the mission of the church is important, but we find there’s a big demand on our finances for basic bills, for treat times, and for participating in the “shop, see more, shop more” response to all the advertising present in our daily lives.
And, for others, regular giving (and even sacrificial giving) gives us pleasure, counter-acts our “hoarding/stingy” genes, and builds up opportunities for caring for “the least, the lost, the lonely” of our sisters and brothers.
Dolly Parton, world-renowned performer, grew up in poverty and in a strict Christian church. For years after becoming a wealthy woman, she has quietly shared financially, recognizing it’s one way of living her best spiritual self. She provides free books for young children (one a month for birth to age 5). She developed a program to encourage Tennessee youth to stay in school. She supported hundreds of folks for six months after they lost their homes in a wildfire. What kind of “soil” would you judge her to be?
What about you? What kind of “soil” are you?
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Generous God, we thank you for the abundance in which we live. Speak to us through your word. Help us hear the challenge of Jesus’ parable, and respond as “good soil”.
Receive what has been given today, Creator God, and work through this congregation and our giving to bring forth 30, 60 or 100 fold for the ministries to which you call us. AMEN
Invitation to Communion (inspired by Romans 8)
At this table, we bring to mind Paul’s teaching: “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”.
For all who seek to follow Jesus, this simple feast becomes a time of communing with him. We remember how he washed the feet of his closest companions, then shared a meal, transforming the daily bread and simple cup of wine into symbols of his life and imminent death.
Today, we share a tiny bit of bread and a thimble-full of juice to bind us to Jesus and to one another in this “body of Christ” congregation.
May you be nourished by these gifts, and filled with gratitude for Jesus.
May God’s Holy Spirit lure you into the abundant life God intends for each and for all.
May you receive this bread and drink this cup, taking into your whole self the blessing of life “in Christ Jesus”.