Worship Resources for
the Center for Faith and Giving
Pentecost +5
Genesis 22:1-14
Psalm 13
Romans 6:12-23
Matthew 10:40-42
Call to Worship (in response to Psalm 13)
L: In the good times and in the challenging times,
P: we turn to God to share our lives.
L: We can question.
P: We can complain.
All: We can celebrate!
L: For we trust in God’s hesed, the steadfast love which will not fail.
P: And our hearts can rejoice!
All: So we sing our praise to God, who deals lavishly with us!
A fitting opening hymn is Chalice Hymnal #6, “Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above.”
Opening Prayer
God of our salvation,
we sing out loud in gratitude,
for you are never far away.
You’re our ever-present help!
We offer you our praise and glory today,
even when some are in the midst of trying times.
For those who are joy-filled,
accept our thanks for the light
which you give to our lives.
From all of us,
hear our gratitude for the part
we have in your ongoing story of salvation.
This particular morning,
we praise you especially for Jesus,
whom we know as the Christ. AMEN
Moment for Stewardship (in response to Matthew 10:40-42)
Each week in worship, we prepare to give our time, our talent, and our treasure to support the Body of Christ through our congregation and beyond. We might call this the “invitation to the offering” or “call to stewardship.”
In Matthew 10, Jesus teaches us about the connection between what is given to support the disciples and Jesus’ response to what is done for others.
We hear “whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones”– that is, those who provide for the disciples (“little ones” in 10:42), and just a bit earlier (10:32) – “Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven.”
Here our hospitality, our offering – even a cup of cold water – given to support the work of those who are sharing the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus results in Jesus’ affirmation of us to God.
In today’s terms, those who support the influencers will be given support at the very top of the hierarchy!
However that may work, the encouragement is for us to provide hospitality and care for each and every part of the Body of Christ through our gifts.
Let’s receive our morning offering.
Invitation to Communion (in response to Romans 6)
How do you recognize the grace of God which is at work in our world?
Romans 6 reminds us we are not under the law, and can rejoice in the ways we have been set free by the free gift of grace.
As followers of Jesus the Christ, we are set free from the broken world of sin. We are no longer on a path that leads to separation and death, but we now can walk with confidence, knowing “the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ!”
Each time we come to this Table, we’re reminded we belong to Christ. We are loosed from the shackles that have held us and are set FREE to link our lives to God.
So come to share in this celebratory feast! Christ is our host, and the one through whom we have been set free. It’s time to delight in our identity; to be filled with bread, juice, memory, and hope! All are welcome at this meal.