narrative lectionary – Page 14

NL: The Greatest Commandment and the Widow’s Mite: Mark 12:28-44 (March 22, 2020/Fourth Sunday of Lent)

Note: This passage raises questions about what Jesus means by noting the widow’s contribution. It is not clear whether he is commending her, condemning the authorities and/or both. We serve a congregation where we have many people living on fixed incomes in homes that are already paid for and who have very little, if any, “expendable” income, so caution and prayer are in order! For a discussion of the pitfalls of the passage, see

http://www.ekklesiaproject.org/blog/2012/11/the-lord-upholds-the-orphan-and-the-widow/ devouring the widows as primary to understanding “the widow’s mite”

all to Worship:

Come let us love the Lord!

Let us Love the God with all of our heart, soul and mind

Come Let us love one another and love God!

Let us praise God!

EXEGESIS

From Working Preacher from the NL perspective:http://www.workingpreacher.org/search/Default.aspx?cx=001947499050786061073:fplx-aun2rq&q=:Mark%2012:28-44%20&cof=FORID:10&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&search_domain=WWW

Includes https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2585 addressing the horizontal/neighbor dimension as the necessary corollary to the vertical/Godward directive to love God and the widow’s mite as admirable due to her motivation.

Includes https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2585 which notes this is (for a change) a friendly scribe. Only addresses vv. 28-34.

https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=1272 also addresses only vv.28-34 from the perspective of a communal (rather than individual) identity.

Includes https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2662, which notes that widow’s mite is tied to what comes before and, in addition to being about giving one’s all, it exposed the religious leaders for their hypocrisy. And, it may just expose us all!

https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2585 Podcast: If you can’t remember all the commandments, can you at least do two? Simple—but not easy. vv. 28-34

https://www.workingpreacher.org/narrative_podcast.aspx?podcast_id=730 Podcast addressing the status of the poor widow and the most vulnerable and her living out the loving of neighbor of the great commandment in the context of the temple & Jesus’ interactions with the religious leaders of the day. vv. 35-44.

Other exegetical resources

https://www.epriest.com/reflections/view/1071/en Catholic resource addressing love beyond formalism, love at the heart of our perfection.

https://episcopalchurch.org/library/sermon/there-are-times-proper-26-b-1997 This sermon includes an illustration and a poem; only addresses vv. 28-34.

http://collections.carli.illinois.edu/cdm/ref/collection/uni_sermons/id/3110 Sermon addressing loving God in the different ways of the passage (only vv. 28-34).

https://blog.reformedjournal.com/2016/03/07/love-your-neighbor-as-yourself/ What keeps you from loving your neighbor? Busyness? Not wanting to see need? Uses Bob Dylan’s quote: “May you always do for others and let others do for you” and has a story illustrating letting others do for you.

https://www.thebanner.org/columns/2018/08/serving-while-living-with-disabilities “Serving while living with disabilities” Every person is called to serve as they are able. Everybody belongs. Everybody serves. Addresses vv. 35-44.

https://www.ministrymatters.com/all/entry/1871/whole-personed-spirituality Pastor’s Bible study addressing the synoptic versions of the Great Commandment. Addresses vv. 28-34.

https://www.theologyofwork.org/the-high-calling/management-self-management-deuteronomy-6-sermon-notes Sermon series on loving God and loving neighbor.

Liturgical Resources

https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2012/10/readers-theatre-mark-12-28-34.html Reader’s theater version of Mark 12:28-34

Here’s the link to my bulletin https://1drv.ms/w/s!AuB3z496aTHTgcEOBjQ3Twy3sqAMzQ

Prayer Reflection: Mark 12: 28-34

“Love the Lord, your God
with all your heart
with all your soul
and with all
your mind.”

Lord,
let this be.
Show us how.

“And love your neighbor as yourself.”

Lord
let this be
Take us where
we surely need to go.

Let
your love be
the lens that lets us see,
the power that enlivens our lives,
light that points to the path,
and the very grace
that saves
us.

Kindly fill us with your love.

https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2012/06/call-to-worship-index-new-testament.html

https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2012/06/prayer-index-new-testament.html

https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2017/03/confession-assurance-index-new-testament.html

Benediction: The Lord is One

Here’s a closing commission and benediction based on Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Matthew 12:28-34. It was written by Nathan Nettleton.

Commission & Benediction

(inspired by Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Matthew 12:28-34)

Hear this: the Lord our God is the one and only Lord.
Therefore go out into the world
and love the Lord your God
with all your heart, soul, mind and strength,
and love others as you love yourself.

And may God give you justice and freedom;
May Christ Jesus set you free for love;
and may the Holy Spirit go where you go
……..and protect you on your way.

We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
…In the name of Christ. Amen.

Children’s message (includes hymn & prayer of confession, see below)

http://worshipingwithchildren.blogspot.com/2015/10/year-b-proper-26-31st-sunday-in.html

Sing one song with which to love God and one about loving each other. Introduce each identifying its purpose. Two possibilities:

“For the Beauty of the Earth” for loving God

“Lord Help Us Accept Each Other” for loving each other

> Base the Prayer of Confession on the two great commandments. As you do, remember that children respond more to specifics than to generalities. So you may want to name the currently “in” sport rather than simply “our sports.” Read the commandments just before the congregation prays as follows

Lord God, we know that you are ONE and that you are the center of the whole universe

but we treat all sorts of things as if

they were more important than the one true God.

We say we give our hearts to you

but often our hearts are more devoted to

what we wear, to our sports, and to our friends.

We pour out our souls to you when we need you

but not when life is smooth and easy.

We mean to love you with all our minds

but our minds stray to what we want

and what others are saying.

We are more likely to use our strength to get what we need and want

than to get what you want for us and those around us.

We love the neighbors we choose to love

and only when they love us back.

Forgive us. Write your commands on our hearts and souls and in our minds. Work it into our muscles so that we may truly be your people.

We pray in the name of Jesus who poured out his heart and soul and mind and strength for us and forgives us when we turn on him. Amen.

SONGS:

HYMNS
Christ is made the sure foundation ELW 645, H82 518, NCH 400, UMH 559
Blessing and Honor ELW 854

Hymnary.org: https://hymnary.org/texts?qu=Mark+12%3A28-34&media=text&page=0

A new source I just found for contemporary Christian songs that includes the NL passages can be found at:

https://wordtoworship.com/search/node/%7BMark%2012:28-44;%20Psalm%2089:1-4%7D

For this pericope, they list:

No Other Gods

By David Moffitt. As performed by ZOE Group.

Related to verse(s): Mark 12:28-34
Related to tags(s): Reign (via Mark 12:36);

Love the Lord

By Lincoln Brewster.

Related to verse(s): Mark 12:30; Mark 12:33
Related to tags(s): Love (via Mark 12:30);

Hear Our Song

By Jadon Lavik, Marc Byrd, et al.

Related to verse(s): Psalm 89:1-2

Pour My Love On You

By Dan Dean, Gary Sadler.

Related to verse(s): Psalm 89:1
Related to tags(s): Sacrifice (via Mark 12:33; Mark 12:42); Love (via Mark 12:30);

Sing Of Your Great Love

By Darlene Zschech.

Related to verse(s): Psalm 89:1
Related to tags(s): Love (via Mark 12:30);

Look To You

By Marty Sampson.

Related to verse(s): Mark 12:32
Related to tags(s): Love (via Mark 12:30);

While We Still Have Time

By Ted Wortham, Cynthia Biggs. As performed by Cindy & Roy.

Related to verse(s): Mark 12:38
Related to tags(s): Love (via Mark 12:30);

You Are The One

By Keith Green, Melody Green-Sievright.

Related to verse(s): Psalm 89:2
Related to tags(s): Love (via Mark 12:30);

More Love More Power

By Jude Del Hierro.

Related to verse(s): Mark 12:30
Related to tags(s): Love (via Mark 12:30);

I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever

By Martin Smith. As performed by Delirious?, SONICFLOOd, Encounter Worship Band.

Related to verse(s): Psalm 89:1
Related to tags(s): Love (via Mark 12:30);

You Are Mine

By Brad Avery, David Carr, et al. As performed by Third Day.

Related to tags(s): Sacrifice (via Mark 12:33; Mark 12:42); Faithfulness (via Psalm 89:1; Mark 12:30); Love (via Mark 12:30);

Come Now is the Time to Worship

By Brian Doerksen.

Related to verse(s): Mark 12:30

Beautiful Saviour

By Stuart Townend.

Related to verse(s): Psalm 89:1

Winter Snow

By Audrey Assad.

Related to verse(s): Mark 12:33

Back where i belong

As performed by Life Worship.

Related to verse(s): Psalm 89:4

To Know Your Name

By Matt Crocker. As performed by Hillsong.

Related to tags(s): Sacrifice (via Mark 12:33; Mark 12:42); Mercy (via Psalm 89:1); Love (via Mark 12:30); Name of Jesus (via Mark 12:35);

Concrete Castle King

By Lloyd Oliver Willis Sr.. As performed by Dennis Brown.

Related to verse(s): Mark 12:38

No Greater Love

By Audrey Assad, Chris Tomlin, et al.

Related to tags(s): Poverty (via Mark 12:41); Love (via Mark 12:30); Sacrifice (via Mark 12:33; Mark 12:42);

Kings & Queens

By Chuck Butler, Joel Parisien, et al. As performed by Audio Adrenaline.

Related to tags(s): Poverty (via Mark 12:41); Social Justice (via Mark 12:31; Mark 12:40); Love (via Mark 12:30);

If We Are The Body

By Mark Hall.

Related to tags(s): Social Justice (via Mark 12:31; Mark 12:40); Mercy (via Psalm 89:1); Love (via Mark 12:30);

Compassion Hymn

By Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty, et al.

Related to tags(s): Social Justice (via Mark 12:31; Mark 12:40); Sacrifice (via Mark 12:33; Mark 12:42);

God Of Justice

By Tim Hughes.

Related to tags(s): Social Justice (via Mark 12:31; Mark 12:40); Poverty (via Mark 12:41); Justice (via Mark 12:31);

The Lost are Found

By Ben Fielding, Sam Knock.

Related to tags(s): Social Justice (via Mark 12:31; Mark 12:40); Mercy (via Psalm 89:1); Justice (via Mark 12:31);

One Thing Remains (Your Love Never Fails)

By Brian Johnson, Christa Black, et al. As performed by Kristian Stanfill, Jesus Culture, Bethel Live.

Related to tags(s): Love (via Mark 12:30); Faithfulness (via Psalm 89:1; Mark 12:30);

Lead Me

By Chris Rohman, Jason Ingram, et al.

Related to tags(s): Love (via Mark 12:30); Sacrifice (via Mark 12:33; Mark 12:42);

The Power Of The Cross

By Keith Getty, Stuart Townend.

Related to tags(s): Sacrifice (via Mark 12:33; Mark 12:42); Love (via Mark 12:30);

Emmanuel

By Vicky Beeching.

Related to tags(s): Sacrifice (via Mark 12:33; Mark 12:42); Love (via Mark 12:30);

Oh, Great Love Of God

By David Crowder, Mark Waldrop, et al. As performed by David Crowder Band.

Related to tags(s): Love (via Mark 12:30); Sacrifice (via Mark 12:33; Mark 12:42);

My Hope

By Edward Mote, Matt Redman, et al.

Related to tags(s): Sacrifice (via Mark 12:33; Mark 12:42); Name of Jesus (via Mark 12:35);

This Is How We Know

By Beth Redman, Matt Redman.

Related to tags(s): Sacrifice (via Mark 12:33; Mark 12:42); Love (via Mark 12:30);

Ancient Skies

By Michael Gungor, Michael Rossback. As performed by Gungor.

Related to tags(s): Faithfulness (via Psalm 89:1; Mark 12:30); Mercy (via Psalm 89:1);

I Will Go

By Allen Salmon, Jon Neufeld, et al. As performed by Starfield.

Related to tags(s): Social Justice (via Mark 12:31; Mark 12:40); Poverty (via Mark 12:41);

Rock Of Ages You Will Stand

By Brenton Brown, Paul Baloche.

Related to tags(s): Love (via Mark 12:30); Faithfulness (via Psalm 89:1; Mark 12:30);

Micah 6:8

By Charlie Hall.

Related to tags(s): Justice (via Mark 12:31); Mercy (via Psalm 89:1); Witness (via Mark 12:33);

Jesus You Are Worthy

By Brenton Brown, Don Williams.

Related to tags(s): Mercy (via Psalm 89:1); Sacrifice (via Mark 12:33; Mark 12:42);

Jesus Messiah

By Chris Tomlin, Daniel Carson, et al.

Related to tags(s): Messiah (via Mark 12:36); Sacrifice (via Mark 12:33; Mark 12:42);

How Beautiful

By Twila Paris.

Related to tags(s): Sacrifice (via Mark 12:33; Mark 12:42); Love (via Mark 12:30);

Offering

By Brad Avery, David Carr, et al.

Related to tags(s): Sacrifice (via Mark 12:33; Mark 12:42); Love (via Mark 12:30);

I Will Always Love Your Name

By Paul Oakley.

Related to tags(s): Sacrifice (via Mark 12:33; Mark 12:42); Love (via Mark 12:30);

Obsession

By Martin Smith.

Related to tags(s): Faithfulness (via Psalm 89:1; Mark 12:30); Love (via Mark 12:30);

There Is A Redeemer

By Melody Green-Sievright.

Related to tags(s): Sacrifice (via Mark 12:33; Mark 12:42); Messiah (via Mark 12:36);

How Deep The Father’s Love For Us

By Stuart Townend. As performed by Instrumental Worship.

Related to tags(s): Love (via Mark 12:30); Sacrifice (via Mark 12:33; Mark 12:42);

Good To Me

By Craig Musseau.

Related to tags(s): Faithfulness (via Psalm 89:1; Mark 12:30); Mercy (via Psalm 89:1);

You Never Let Go

By Beth Redman, Matt Redman.

Related to tags(s): Faithfulness (via Psalm 89:1; Mark 12:30); Love (via Mark 12:30);

Almighty

By Brenton Brown, Paul Baloche.

Related to tags(s): Judgment (via Mark 12:40); Kingdom (via Psalm 89:4); Mercy (via Psalm 89:1);

Forever

By Chris Tomlin. As performed by Encounter Worship Band, Robin Mark.

Related to tags(s): Love (via Mark 12:30); Faithfulness (via Psalm 89:1; Mark 12:30);

Amazing Love

By Graham Kendrick.

Related to tags(s): Love (via Mark 12:30); Sacrifice (via Mark 12:33; Mark 12:42);

You Are Good

By Israel Houghton.

Related to tags(s): Faithfulness (via Psalm 89:1; Mark 12:30); Mercy (via Psalm 89:1);

Sweetly Broken

By Jeremy Riddle.

Related to tags(s): Justice (via Mark 12:31); Mercy (via Psalm 89:1); Love (via Mark 12:30);

You Bled

By Rend Collective Experiment.

Related to tags(s): Sacrifice (via Mark 12:33; Mark 12:42); Love (via Mark 12:30); Image result for Sacrifice of love

Lent Seeds of Prayer for Narrative Lectionary Mark

Lent: Deconstructing Our Temples

March 1st First Last & Last First: Mark 10:17-31& Psalm 19:7-10 Deconstructing Order

March 8th Bartimaeus Healed: Mark 10:32-52 &Psalm 34:11-14 Deconstructing Power

March 15th Parable of the Tenants/Taxes and Caesar: Mark 12:1-12 [13-17] & Psalm 86:8-13 Deconstructing Time/Value/Work

March 22 Great Commandment: Mark 12:28-44 & Psalm 89:1-4 Deconstructing Rules

March 29 End of the Age: Mark 13:1-8, 24-37 & Psalm 102:12-17 Deconstructing Time

Holy Week: Rebuilding the Temple

April 5 Triumphal Entry/Anointing at Bethany/Palm Sunday: Mark 11:1-11; 14:3-9 & Psalm 118:25-29

April 9 Maundy Thursday/Lord’s Supper/Prayer in Gethsemane: Mark 14:22-42 & Psalm 116:12-19

April 10 Good Friday/Crucifixion: Mark 15:16-39 & Psalm 22:1-2, 14-21

April 12 Easter Sunday/Resurrection: Mark 16:1-8 & Psalm 118:21-27

Lent Seeds: Narrative Lectionary

Exegetical Links compiled by Rev. Dr. Barb Hedges-Goettl

No photo description available.

Mark 10:17-31

Psalm 19:7-10

Call to Worship

The heavens tell of the glory of God, the very firmament proclaims God’s handiwork

The Lord is my rock and my redeemer

The sun in all of its courses is radiant, set in the heavens, touching upon the whole earth

Come let us praise God’s Holy Name

Call to Worship

God celebrate us, always running towards us!

Tracking us like the sun moves across the heaven!

Creating heaven and earth as reflections of God’s glory.

Come let us run to praise the Lord

Prayer of Confession; As I contemplate the makings of the universe, pulling apart each piece of how things are made. I continue to be flummoxed and confused by their intricacies. I confess that when you take things apart it scares me. When you die, all of my sins weigh heavily upon me. Forgive me I pray.

Prayer of Confession: Clear me from my hidden faults Lord, do not let them have dominion over me. Who else can detect my errors? Find them and clear them so I may be blameless and innocent of great transgression I pray.

Assurance of Pardon: The Lord is our Redeemer, we do not need to fear! In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Prayer of Dedication/Day: Let the words of my mouth and meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

Communion Prayer; Lord you are the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last word. The first word you gave to us was creation, and the last word you give us has been and will always be grace. Send your Holy Spirit here, now. Remind us of your sweet ordinances, dripping with golden grace, sweeter than honey, help us to taste them on our tongue with the blood and body of Jesus Christ, we pray.

Hymns: Great is Thy Faithfulness, Lord I Want to Be a Christian in My Heart, Somebody’s Knocking at Your Door, O Love How Deep, How Broad, How High, Jesu, Jesu Fill Us With Your Love, Seek Ye First, He is King of Kings

He is First and Last

With Children: Taste Honey, discuss why the laws are sweet & freeing. Make an Almsgiving/Prayer/Fasting Commitment (emphasize the life affirming aspects of living Lent like it’s the end of your life). Play duck, duck Goose, Play Musical Chairs, Play Mother May I, after whichever game discuss the importance of Ordering. Have Last-Shall-Be-First Nominations: everyone nominates the person next to them to be first (and goes to the back of the line after) for a positive reason. Read the Goblin’s Chair: discuss the importance of leaving room for the unseen,

Ash Wednesday Narrative Lectionary based on Mark 9:30-37 Psalm 32:1-5

Jesus went with the disciples teaching them, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.”

And the Disciples Kept silent.

Prayer of Confession: Lord we confess that we do not understand, fully, why it is you had to die. We do not understand why you were betrayed by human hands, and we do not understand how it is you rose again. But we do know while we kept silent our bodies wasted away and we groaned all day long.

Taize Option: Lord here my Prayer, Hymn Option: What Wondrous Love is This v. 1

Help us to live with our lacks and to lean into why you came: to teach, to heal, to die and to forgive our sins. Help us live fully with who we are.
(Write down what Jesus has taught you, who you are, what you want to hang onto)

Taize Option: Bless the Lord My Soul Hymn Option: What Wondrous Love is This v 2.

And let us once again confess our full selves to you so they may once again be forgiven.

Writing down Confession of sin on another piece of paper

Taize Option: Jesus Remember Me Hymn Option: What Wondrous Love is This v. 3
(Collect to trash, burn, rip up)

Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,  whose sin is covered.  Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity,  and in whose spirit there is no deceit.   Selah
While I kept silence, my body wasted away  through my groaning all day long.  For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;  my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.

Selah  
Then I acknowledged my sin to you,  and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’,  and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Selah

Let us know the truth, as short and imperfect as life is. Remember that you are always and forgiven. Thanks be to God.
Holy Communion

The Lord’s Prayer

Imposition of Ashes

Blessing

Seeds of Prayer: What Defiles? Narrative Lectionary

Mark 7:1-23

Psalm 51:1-3,6-7

Image result for psalm 51"

Exegetical Resources

Call to Worship

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.

For you accept all worship, no matter how imperfect, as long as it is sincere

Write your love on my lips and my head and my heart

That I might reflect it back to you in praise

Call to Worship

Symbols of worship are well and good, but Lord open my heart so that I might be filled with your Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit Come! Inspire us to Praise, Encourage us to Praise, Counsel us about who your are!

Lord create in us a new heart for you, for you are holy

Come Let us Praise the Lord

Prayer for Confession: Have mercy on me, O God. My sins itch in my soul. Soothe them away with your love. The jarring of my wrongs disturb the harmonies of my life. Sing them away with your grace. Comfort me, that I can still come into your perfect presence, and teach me your ways Lord.

Prayer of Confession: I am but a bag of crushed bones, weighed down by sins. I feel stuck. Deliver me God, so that I can once again sing of your deliverance I pray.

Assurance of Pardon: God promises to never ever leave us. As reliable as the mountains, as varied as the rainbow, as cyclical as a garden, God’s love never fails us. Therefore know the Truth: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Assurance of Pardon: God will restore our salvation again and again, sustaining in us a willing spirit. Know the truth: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Assurance of Pardon: Hear the good news Jesus has already come, restoring us to salvation. Know the truth: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Eucharist Prayer: God is love incarnate. When words and stars and rainbows and columns of burning fire and even covenants written in stone failed to impart the magnitude of God’s love to us, God embodied love for us in the boundary breaking, truth telling, justice fighting person of Jesus Christ. And I will tell us that Christ was born for us, Christ dies for us, Christ reigns in his Kingdom for us and Christ promises to return. We await that return with baited breath. Practicing the Kingdom meal over and over again, until the act of tasting a single crumb of bread and a single drop of the cup will serve help us to realize that heaven is home. We are practicing this here and now, Jesus, so please send your Holy Spirit here to embody, encourage, embolden and counsel us in all the ways we need to be coaxed into the kingdom. Lead us there today and throughout our day, year and life we pray.

Prayer of Dedication/Prayer of the Day: Holy God, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Grant us the echoes of grace we need to sustain our life, our hope, our faith we pray.

Hymns: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty, Create in Me a Clean Heart, If I had thousand Tongues to Sing, Amazing Grace, O God in a Mysterious Way

More Resources for Narrative Lectionary Year 2

Bulletin Mark 6:1-29

Bulletin by Rev. Dr. Barb Hedges-Goettl

Welcome and Announcements Reader

Prelude Holy, Holy (Blue Hymnal, 140)

Opening Prayer (from Psalm 24:4-5 The Living Bible paraphrase)

Show us the path where we should go, O Lord; point out the right road for us to walk.

Lead us; teach us; for you are the God who gives us salvation. We have no hope except in you, O Lord. Amen.

Call to Worship (from Psalm 24:8-10, The Living Bible paraphrase) Reader

One: The Lord is good

Many: and glad to teach the proper path to all who go astray.

One: The Lord will teach the ways that are right and best

Many: to those who humbly turn to him. When we obey him,

One: the path on which God guides us is fragrant with his loving-kindness

and his truth

ALL: THANKS BE TO GOD

*Opening Hymn O Christ, the Great Foundation Blue, 443

*Call to Confession Reader God calls us to tell and live the truth; let us confess our need for God’s forgiveness and grace for the ways in which we do not live up to this call.

Prayer of Confession (unison)

(Silent Confession) Like Herod, we fear the truth of our role in injustice and oppression. We hide the truth of our own pain. We deny the truth of the pain of the voiceless. We close our ears to the truth in favor of what we already believe. When the truth is hidden and twisted, we find it hard to speak up.

Forgive us. Enable us to hear—and speak—the truth.

Words of Assurance (from John 8:32, 34, 36) Jesus promised “you will know

the truth and the truth shall set you free. Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin, but if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

Thank God for the Good News: In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.

Gloria Patri: (Blue #579) “Glory Be to the Father”

Passing of the Peace: The peace of Christ be with you. And also with you.

Prayers of the People/Lord’s Prayer (traditional) Blue Hymnal, p. 14

Celebration of Birthdays and Anniversaries Reader

Offering Hymn God Is Here! Blue Hymnal, 461

* Doxology (Blue, #592) Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow

* Prayer of Dedication (unison) Pastor

Prayer for Illumination Blue Hymnal, 327

O Word of God, incarnate, O Wisdom from on high,

O Truth unchanged, unchanging, O Light of our dark sky:

We praise You for the radiance That from the hallowed page.

A lantern to our footsteps, Shines on from age to age.

Scripture Reading: Mark 6:1-39 Reader

Message: Speaking Truth to Power

Communion Hymn Here I Am, Lord Blue Hymnal, 525 *Confession of Faith – The Nicene Creed (Ecumenical) Blue Hymnal, p.15

Invitation to Communion

Prayer of Great Thanksgiving

Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise.

[Prayer continues]

And so together we praise and thank you, O Lord.

Sharing of the Bread and the Cup

Prayer after Communion

*Closing Hymn Jesus, Thou Joy of Loving Hearts Blue Hymnal, 510

*Charge and Benediction Pastors Barb and Len

Postlude Lord, Make Us More Holy (Blue Hymnal, 536)

*Stand in body and/or spirit

**From http://theafricanamericanlectionary.org/PopupWorshipAid.asp?LRID=419.

Death of John the Baptist

Mark 6:1-29

Psalm 122

Bulletin

Call to Worship

I was glad when they said unto me, let us go to the house of the Lord

Let us build this as a place of peace and security

For the sake of our friends and family let us say to one another Peace be with you

Peace be with you, come let us seek good

Call to Worship:

We are called and sent two by two

God provides us all we need

Let us pray and anoint and heal together

Come let us worship the Lord

Prayer of Confession: God we confess that we do not go into the world, we stay on the known path. We lack courage, we forget the weak, we ignore suffering. We do not honor each other, we have trouble loving and serving the Lord. Restore us to your house and teach us how to pass the peace we pray. Amen.

Prayer of Confession:Discipleship is so hard, Lord. Often we are carrying too much baggage with us from place to place to place. When we are hurt, we have trouble shaking the dust off our feet and hear the echoes of what was said before. We doubt that we have the authority to banish demons. Encourage us in our discipleship we pray

Prayer of Confession: God, we confess that discipleship is hard. Often we carry baggage with us from place to place, much more than the recommended staff. We have trouble shaking the dust off our feet from troubling experiences. We struggle to take on the authority to banish demons. Help us to be the disciples you would have us to be.

Assurance of Pardon: Peace be with you. God’s grace reigns down and proclaims the truth In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Prayer of Dedication/Prayer of the Day: Lord, help us to seek the good. Help us to say Peace be with you for every single individual we meet, for the sake of all of our community for our friends, neighbors and families. Let us pray for peace within all our walls we pray.

Communion: Let us give thanks to the Prince of Peace, who welcomes us into the kingdom with a celebratory meal, bringing us together. The bread and cup tie us together, build our community and sends us out for the work of peace. May we share Christ by sharing the peace here today and everyday.

Hymns: Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God, We will serve the Lord, Called to Partner’s in Christ’s Service, All Hail for Christ’s Anointed, Be Thou My Vision, For All the Saints, Lead On O King Eternal

With Children: Pack for a trip (pretend pack with paper items), Talk about/write down hurtful words and things: rip them up/shake the dust from your feet, Anoint each other with oil and pray for each other.

Other Weeks of Seeds of Prayer Narrative Lectionary Resources available here

Communion Prayer by Rev. Dr. Barb Hedges-Goettl

Invitation

B: Come to me,

all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens,

and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me;

for I am gentle and humble in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls.

L: I am the bread of life.

Whoever comes to me will never be hungry,

and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

Prayer of Great Thanksgiving

B: O God, you commanded light to shine out of darkness.

You divided the sea and dry land.

You created the vast universe and called it good.

You made us in your image,

sending out your light and truth to lead us

to you and to your holy dwelling.

The sum of your word is truth;

You speak the truth, and declare what is right

And so we praise and thank you, O Lord.

L: Then in the fullness of time,

out of your great love for the world,

you sent your only-begotten,

in whom your fullness dwells,

to be for us the way, the truth, and the life.

Revealing your truth and your love,

Jesus taught those who would hear him.

He healed those who believed in him.

He received all who sought him

and lifted the burden of their sin.

And so we praise and thank you, O Lord.

B: In fulfillment of Christ’s promise,

you pour out the Holy Spirit upon your people,

filling us with the power of your truth.

By the Holy Spirit’s power over us

and over these earthly gifts of bread and wine,

you make this the communion of the body and blood of Christ,

and unite us to him and to one another.

And so we praise and thank you, O Lord.

Prayer after communion

B: Having received this gift of communion, O God,

We ask that you kindle faith in us. Lead us into all truth,

Empower us to claim Jesus as the way, the truth and the life.

May his coming in glory find us

ever watchful in prayer,

strong in truth and love,

and faithful in the breaking of the bread.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Benediction

L: May the light of Christ

B: illuminate your way

L: show you the truth,

B: and empower you to live for him.

2: Until you feast with all the saints

in joy of Christ’s heavenly banquet. Amen.

Seeds of Prayer Jairus’ Daughter Healed

Jairus’ Daughter Healed

Mark 5:21-43

Psalm 131

Bulletin Resource written by Barb Hedges-Goettl

Call to Worship

Lord, we are imperfect and unready

Yet, Jesus says, child come.

We will come, whenever you call, for you are full of grace and healing

Let us worship the one who is the power and the resurrection forever.

Call to Worship

Come let us contemplate the Lord together

God your works are too marvelous for me to comprehend

Yet, like a weaned child with it’s mother, we are comforted

Come let us put our hope in the Lord

Prayer of Confession: God, I confess that I am unable to fully understand you in all of your might. When I am overwhelmed, lead me back to you, comfort me, nuzzle me, calm and quiet my soul I pray. Amen

Prayer of Confession: God, today, like the woman who suffered for twelve years, I come to you with an open wound. No healing has taken place, and my pain is dripping on the floor, embarrassing me. Teach me to but touch you today so that the healing I need may start I pray. Amen

Prayer of Confession: My soul cries out for the Lord, like a child. I sit on the floor and I scream, feeling like nothing will every be right again. But then you pick me up, hug me, feed me and put me safely to bed, enveloping me in your love. Surround me with that comfort I pray.

Assurance of Pardon: God you are our comfort when the rest of the world is full of rocks and scrapes, no matter what scoop us down and put us back on our feet again and again. In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Assurance of Pardon: There is no mistake too big for God to forgive. That’s why God sent Jesus. Know the truth: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Prayer of the Day/Dedication: God, you leave the light on for all of your children. Help us to go out into the world and invite others into your love we pray. Amen.

Prayer of the Day/Dedication: Lord, you will repeat your message of love as often as we need to hear it. Let us echo in our minds, hearts and souls we pray.

Prayer of Communion: Lord, what have I to fear from you. You who loved us into being, breathing life into us, gifting us with the entire world to take care of. Then when we stumbled, you sent Jesus to be our sibling and make us co-heirs to your kingdom. You have assured a place for us in your house, and you make us welcome with the Kingdom meal, even here and now on earth. Send your Holy Spirit upon this feast so that we may celebrate communion with entire family of God we pray.

Hymns: This is Our Father’s World, Blessed Assurance Jesus is Mine, God is My Rock

With Children: Create a picture/clay/image of a mother God comforting a baby. Look through parenting magazine and create a collage of all the mothers and babies/children. Runaway Bunny, You are My I Love You, Follow the Moon, Take turns “sleeping” and having Jesus wake you up as Jairus’ child. Interrupting Chicken books, Talk about Important interruptions

Other Weeks of Seeds of Prayer Narrative Lectionary Resources available here

Rejected Sermon Titles: Jesus and the demons of our mind

Mark 5:1-20

Psalm 89:1-4

by Pastor Katy Stenta

“Legion: for We are many”

I think it is amazing that Jesus gets the man to name his demon…or the demon to name itself before Jesus expelled it from the poor man.

How many times do we need to name our demons before we can get rid of them? If it’s something that is (typically) smaller like jealousy or self-righteousness or something all encompassing like mental illness or addiction, so often we humans need to name a problem before we can even work on it.

And don’t we all have demon voices, terrible self-erasing voices in our heads twisting the way we see the world.

Whether they are the kind of demons that self-aggrandize (though I don’t think that is this demon’s way) telling us that we are better than everyone else, telling us we deserve more than others, dismissing others as meaningless, insignificant (or worse of all) dehumanizing them so that we don’t have to care for each other. There are strong echoes of the need for Anti-racists and Anti-Terf and Anti-Ageist work across the board. It’s the voice that tells us we are better Christians (or patriots or workers or whatever) and don’t need to listen to anybody else. Martin Luther King Jr looked towards the humanization of all people and basic humans rights, beyond the dehumanizing results of institutions and systems the include the church and capitalism and nationalism.

Or there is if it is the demon voice that points out every one of our anxieties and failings. It harps on our imperfections and plays our mistakes on repeat in our heads. It gets us to focus on all that is wrong with us and the world so that we cannot hear the voice of God anymore. We devalue ourselves, and can no longer see ourselves as the image of God.

Demons dehumanize.

They erase and X out our names and existence (Madeline L’engle covers this well in her Time Quartet)

When I hear the story of the man tormented by legion–even though no details are given as to how they are making him feel and act crazy only the side effects. When I hear he can’t stand still, and he is driven to live alone, uncleanly with the dead. When I hear that he is cast out as better to be with the dead than the living. I have no trouble hearing those doubting and harping demons in this man’s mind.

In essence that is what the Screwtape Letters is about. The demon has the human focus on the high pitch voices, the gum smacking neighbor and the squeaking shoe fidgeted until these people are no longer seen as community but as annoyances, and all of church is seen as annoying and there is no room to focus on God.

But when we name these problems in our lives, when we lift up our imperfections and sins for prayer, when we ask for support from others and talk about our insecurities. Then people can help us to name all that we did do that day, and how our imperfections are small compared to being a beloved child of God. They lift up that people care for us even when we make mistakes. And remind us of our friends and neighbors good qualities even when (especially when) they are driving us to distraction.

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Maybe then it is no surprise that Jesus restores the Gerasenes Man to his community. I do not think it is about if this man is good enough to follow Jesus, nor about his will to follow for he wants to follow Jesus. I think that Jesus has decided that to complete the healing, this man needs to be restored to his community–so he says “god back to your friends…” The community that hopefully can counter the years of bad and do a better job of nurturing and supporting this man. And I hope we as the church can do the same.

Narrative Lectionary Prayer Resource, ordinary time, Year 2 Mark

Jan 12: Jesus Heals and Teachers-Mark 2:1-22, Psalm 103:6-14

Jan 19: Parables in Mark-Mark 4:1-34, Psalm 126

Jan 26: Jesus and the Gerasene Demon– Mark 5:1-20, Psalm 89:1-4

Feb 2: Jairus’ Daughter Healed-Mark 5:21-43, Psalm 131

Feb 9: Death of John the Baptist-Mark 6:1-29, Psalm 122

Feb 16th: What Defiles-Mark 7:1-23, Psalm 51:1-3, 6-7

Feb 23: Transfiguration-Mark 8:27-9:8, Psalm 27:1-4

Feb 26 Ash Weds Passion Prediction Mark: 9:30-37, Psalm 32:1-5 (order of worship/bulletin)