Worship Resources for
the Center for Faith and Giving
Pentecost +24
Reign of Christ
and
Thanksgiving Sunday
Jeremiah 23:1-6
Luke 1:68-79
Colossians 1:11-20
Luke 23:33-43
Call to Worship (in response to Luke 1)
One: In a season with growing hours of dark, Zechariah sings,
Many: “by the mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us.”
One: God will give light to those who sit in darkness.
Many: God guides our feet into the way of peace!
One: So raise your voices! Sing out!
All (or choir): Bless now, O God, the journey that all your people make,
the path through noise and silence, the way of give and take.
The trail is found in desert and winds the mountain round,
then leads beside still waters, the road where faith is found.
(CH #489, Bless Now, O God, the Journey)
Opening Prayer
Thank you, Guiding God, for the ways you lead us in noise and in silence.
We offer you our praise this morning, grateful for the light that dawns.
Help us rejoice in this hour of worship as we give you our praise. AMEN
Moment for Stewardship
Many of us have been taught from childhood to say “thank you” when someone helps us, shares a gift or a compliment, or simply opens the door to allow us to walk into a building or a room.
As we anticipate this Thanksgiving Day, we may be thinking of how to express our thanks to God for all we have received. If so, here is the time in our worship service when we are invited to say “thank you” with tangible gifts of our finances, our time, and our talent.
We give thanks because we woke up this morning, had the privilege of warmth, perhaps a great cup of coffee, and knew we were free to worship God in the way we choose. We give thanks because God’s Spirit is at work in the world and we’re privileged to partner with the Spirit to work for the common good.
So today, I invite you to participate fully in this time of offering.
As you share your gift, let’s sing: CH #528, Give Thanks.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Great and Generous God, thank you for the ways you pour out your blessings on all your children. We praise you for the beauty of this day, for the opportunity we have to worship you as we choose, and for the gift it is to share life in this congregation.
Accept all we’ve offered to you.
Help us.
Challenge us to use our minds, our hearts and our resources to help build up your Realm here on earth as we put these resources to their full use, AMEN
Invitation to Communion
Luke, writing in his gospel, described the conversation between one of the criminals and Jesus at their crucifixions.
We often recite Jesus’ words when we come to this table, when he told his disciples, “Do this in remembrance of me.” Yet Luke tells us just hours after that meal, Jesus and the criminals having been nailed to their crosses, one man pleaded with Jesus: “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Today I invite you to put yourself in the position of remembering and being remembered.
Remember Jesus as you come to share in these symbols of his life and his death. And add to your meditation what Luke helps us believe: you, along with that man next to Jesus, can trust Jesus to remember you.
Our communion hymn is from the Taize community. Let’s repeat these simple words as we come to the table where all are welcome. (CH #569 Jesus, Remember Me)