Worship Resources for
the Center for Faith and Giving
Pentecost +18
Call to Worship (in response to Psalm 66)
One: The Psalmist invites us: “Make a joyful noise to God!”
Many: Praise God!
One: Come and see what God has done:
Many: God has kept us among the living and has not let our feet slip.
One: Even when we’ve been through fire and water, we rejoice, for
All: God has brought us out to a spacious place!
(Consider using Hear Our Praises, 1998 Reuben Morgan, from Hillsong Publishing as a hymn or choral response.)
Opening Prayer
With confidence, we turn to you, God, grateful for the ways you lead us,
stay with us, and pull us ever toward you.
When we remember
how you led the people of Moses’ day to cross through on dry ground,
how you hear our prayers and bring us calm in the midst of challenge,
how you connect us as your own beloved children, so then we recognize the
gift it is to be alive and surrounded by siblings of your love,
when we remember, we praise your name! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! AMEN
Moment for Stewardship (in response to Luke 17:11-19)
An old song includes the words, “Such as I have, I give you, willingly.”
That describes the scene reported in Luke 17, where Jesus willingly healed the ten people known as lepers and one of them willingly turned back to praise God and thank Jesus for healing him.
Can you identify a time when you willingly gave something life-changing to another? Someone might tell of giving a healthy kidney to someone on dialysis. Another might tell of giving a car no longer needed to a person struggling without transportation. Yet someone else might offer a remembrance of giving shelter to a person displaced by a hurricane, or being released from prison.
Here at ___________ Church, we regularly give ______________ (describe an outreach which is a central part of your church identity).
Your tithes and offerings help us make possible life-changing gifts as one way of living out lives of discipleship.
Today, let’s rejoice and offer our praise to God as we share the resources we brought to offer.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
For the financial gifts shared today,
for the time and talent which is yet to be shared,
for the opportunity to more truly become “disciples” (followers of Jesus),
as we offer our gifts and ourselves…we give you our thanks, God of Life and Love! AMEN
Invitation to Communion
In 2 Timothy, we hear “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved…a worker who has no need to be ashamed…”
With fall football season in full gear, I invite you to see this Table as a training table. This weekly meal is one way to gain capacity to present ourselves to God, without shame.
Come, all who are eager to show yourselves as “starters” on Christ’s team!
Come, mindful this is a meal of remembering.
Here we draw the night Jesus and the disciples shared in their last supper in the upper room into this present moment.
AND, this is a meal of preparation: sharing bread and cup, symbols and emblems to strengthen each of us, and all of us, for the challenges which lie ahead.
All are invited. Come share these gifts, remembering Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith (Heb. 12:2).