Worship Resources for
the Center for Faith and Giving
Pentecost +8
Psalm 107:1-9, 43
Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11
Call to Worship (from Psalm 107)
One: We’re here to give thanks to God, who is good.
Many: God’s steadfast love endures forever!
One: God continues to redeem us.
Many: When we cry out to God, we’re led to a good place.
One: God satisfies us in our distress.
Many: So let us give thanks for God’s wonderful works!
Opening Prayer
Gracious God, you make a way when there is no way!
You open doors when we’re up against a solid wall.
You provide for your people.
You bring us up from the pit of despair.
Help us hear and proclaim the ways you are at work in the world.
Give us courage to speak words of encouragement and hope,
even as we give you our thanks! AMEN
Moment for Stewardship (from Luke 12:13-21)
Jesus’ parables often speak a hard truth in story form. Luke tells of a time Jesus was asked to adjudicate in a family inheritance squabble. Instead, his response was to teach the difference between greed and true LIFE.
As we come to a time of sharing our financial resources, recognize this is an opportunity to act on our desire to truly LIVE. Instead of hoarding what we have, this moment allows us to act, directly witnessing by acting out some ways we “love God and love neighbor.”
We might want to ignore this, declaring, “I’m not rich – this isn’t directed to me!” However, the internet gives us the opportunity to recognize where we stand in comparison to the whole of the US, if you dare.
At https://wid.world/income-comparator, you can discover a hard truth. With an annual income of $50,000 for 1 person, you are wealthier than 68% of the US population! With $75,000 and a family of 4, you’re still ahead of 32% of the US population.
When we search out income information on the world stage we find the average global personal income is $9,733 per year.
The average global household income is $12,235 per year.
The median per-capita household income is only $2,920 per year.
Making over $100,000 puts you in the top 10% of global earners.
(Source: https://www.zippia.com/advice/average-income-worldwide/)
The rich man wanted only to protect his crops, and set himself up to “eat, drink, and be merry.” Instead, his life came to a sudden end, and he no longer had the opportunity to be rich toward God.
This morning, will you share in offering financial support to the ministries of this congregation? And will you go home to answer this question: How rich are you? And in Jesus’ words, how rich are you toward God?
Prayer of Thanksgiving
God of mercy, thank you for moments when your truth crashes into our reality. Thank you for this opportunity for us to hear scripture and know it brings truth for each one of us to face. Receive our gifts this day, and receive our intention to turn our back on greed and act our way to truly LIVE as disciples (life-long learners) of Jesus the Christ, whose teaching continues to shake and shape our world. AMEN
Invitation to Communion
When we come to this table week by week, we have opportunity to be honest with ourselves and before God. Take a moment to breathe, for we’ve heard the Good News, we’ve recognized again our desire to follow Jesus and we know deep down we want to truly LIVE. We want to be new creatures!
So hear this invitation: The Lord of heaven and earth invites you to a meal given in honor of Jesus the Christ. There’s a place set for you at the table. It may look like tiny crackers and thimbles full of juice from the local grocery.
But it is a feast! It’s a feast in the form of a weekly vitamin — enough to boost your system toward the life of abundance and engagement which God designed; a vitamin which wards off greed and selfishness. As you eat and drink, you infuse your system with connection to the larger body of Christ.
So come! This meal nourishes us, allowing us to fend off the pull to live “stingy” and instead live “strong” in the community of Christ’s love.