Worship Resources for
the Center for Faith and Giving
Pentecost +26
Psalm 100
Ephesians 1:15-23
Matthew 25:31-46
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Call to Worship (inspired by Psalm 100)
One: Together, let’s make a joyful noise to the Lord!
Many: We bring our sadness and our celebration,
One: joining to worship the Lord with gladness —
coming into God’s presence with singing.
Many: Sharing songs and stories, speaking and in silence,
One: Rejoice! For it is God who made us; we come from the Holy One.
Many: Today, we give thanks for God,
whose steadfast love endures forever!
Opening Prayer
Gladly we come to worship, God of all life.
We give you our thanks and
bless your name for your faithfulness to all generations.
With grateful hearts, we honor and praise you,
recognizing how you guard and guide your people
in both our good times and our challenging times.
Receive our gifts of mind, heart and hand as we praise you. AMEN
Moment for Stewardship (inspired by Matthew 25:31-46)
Matthew’s Gospel includes a descriptive telling of Jesus (the Son of Man) speaking from his throne at the end of time. Separating all the nations of the earth, like a shepherd separating the sheep and goats, King Jesus honors those who fed the hungry, gave water to those who thirsted, welcomed strangers, clothed those without clothes, and cared for the sick and imprisoned.
Our lives as Christians include so many opportunities to care for others. Remember how we _________________ (describe 1 or 2 ways your congregation specifically cares for those in need).
Jesus announced “if you cared for one of the least, you cared for me”.
Our morning offering gives us opportunity to provide resources to increase the ways we care for others. Remembering the abundance with which we are blessed, let’s let our tithes and offerings share that abundance with _________ (be specific! “those who come to our food pantry”, “those who are sick”, “those sitting in jail, or prison, or detention centers”)
Prayer of Thanksgiving
“Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices.”
For all we have received from your hand, and for these gifts we now share,
help us remember Christ’s teaching: “as you’ve done this for others, you’ve done it for me.”
With gratitude, we celebrate the ways you continue to bless us and others, Holy Creator. Please help us use these gifts wisely to share with those who are hungry, thirsty, sick or imprisoned. AMEN
Invitation to Communion
(if possible, invite the congregation ahead of this Sunday to provide food for your local food pantry… and have an assortment of cans and boxes available for any who didn’t get the message…)
Week by week we gather at this Table of Remembrance. Today, we’ve asked folks to bring contributions for our food pantry (or name the pantry to which the food will go), aware of Jesus’ teaching about those who are hungry being fed by his followers. If you’ve come without something, we have a basket full of cans at the back, and invite you to pick one up and bring it with you.
We invite each of you to come forward, bringing your cans and boxes. Place your food in the bin, and then receive the bread and cup of communion.
OR,
Focus on the Matthew 25 text for your invitation. Ask each person receiving communion today to bring canned food each week in Advent, beginning next Sunday, so you’ll have food to share with your closest food pantry in December)
As we’ve done it for “the least of these who are members of my family”,
we’ve cared for Jesus, the Christ, whose disciples we yearn to be.