Worship Resources for
the Center for Faith and Giving
Pentecost +20
Call to Worship (inspired by Psalm 65)
Leader: From the east and from the west, we come to praise God!
People: Today we celebrate the ways God is at work in our world.
Leader: From the fields ready for harvest to the majesty of the mountains,
People: from the abundance of gentle rains to the blazing color of fall leaves
Leader: God crowns the year with good blessings!
People: And today we gather to praise God, Creator and Sustainer of life!
Opening Prayer
Bring us to deep silence, God, as we give thanks for the gifts you pour out on us and on all creation. Help us focus on you, and on the ways you sustain us in this life, even as we offer you our praise. AMEN.
Moment for Stewardship (inspired by Luke 18:9-14)
As we come to a time of sharing our tithes, offerings and gifts, do you find yourself startled by Jesus’ parable in Luke 18? Two men come to pray – one who prides himself on being a “good” man and one who recognizes he is a sinner.
As Jesus often did, he flips the script. It’s not the prideful parade of “see how good I am?” that Jesus honors, but the recognition of the tax collector, acknowledging his own failures before God.
Today, I invite you to look deep within your own self.
What can you offer?
What WILL you offer in gratitude for the ways Jesus lifts you up in his love,
and God’s Spirit draws you close?
Prayer of Thanksgiving
God, we want to know, deep down, how we can live into the person you’ve created each of us to be. Receive the gifts we’ve offered here: the finances, the time, and the talents of each of our lives, but also the vulnerable recognition of our individual souls. Today, send us from this time of worship eager to be true followers of Jesus, who ate with sinners; crossed racial, social, and gender restrictions; and called ordinary folk to be his disciples. AMEN
Invitation to Communion
Do you ever find yourself trying to impress the people around you?
In many situations, there are folks who try to “dress to impress.”
I wonder if sometimes you’ve found yourself in a social setting where you casually make comments about your latest purchase, the highlights of your new car, or the raise you’ve been given?
Jesus’ parable in Luke 18 sets two men in opposition to one another by their different approaches to God. One shares a litany of all the good he does. The other acknowledges his brokenness.
The amazing reality of our faith is recognizing BOTH are welcome at this table! None of us (no, not ONE) is perfect. All have fallen short of God’s design for completely reflecting how we’re made in God’s image. And yet, all are invited to receive these gifts of bread and juice as symbols of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. All are welcome to start again with this meal as someone seeking to be a faithful follower of Jesus.
So come! Full of good intentions, eager to launch into a new week of learning and living as a disciple.
Come, remembering Jesus, and how he offered to share his last supper with Peter (who would soon deny even knowing Jesus) and with Judas (who had already been paid to betray him).
Come!