narrative lectionary – Page 6

March 27th Jesus and Pilate: Hope of the Kin(g)dom

Jesus and Pilate

John 18:28-40

Psalm 145:10-13

Call to Worship:

God is faithful in all of their words, and gracious in all of their deeds

My mouth will speak the praise of God

Come let us praise the Trinity

Let all flesh bless God’s holy name forever and ever

Call to Confession: You send the Holy Spirit to encourage us and inspire us to be brave in our confession, so let us confess ourselves to you God.

Prayer of Confession: God we confess that we too often confuse earthly power with heavenly power. We think power is about wealth and politics and stuff, when really you show again and again that it grace and love and mercy given in abundance. Continue to teach us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: God loves us and forgives us, hear the good news: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Prayer of the Day/Dedication: Jesus Christ you are the truth, and the life and the hope everlasting. Let us hold onto that as we go about the world we pray. Amen.

Children: Talk about “The Lord’s Prayer’ “Thy Kin(g)dom Come” and the King and Kingdom that Jesus and PIlate are talking about with Pilate, why is Pilate so Confused? What are we praying for when we are praying “Thy Kin(g)dom Come?”

Hymns: Lead On O King Eternal, Lord Dismiss Us With Thy Blessing, Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty, Live Into Hope, Glory Be to the Father, Our Father Lord of Heaven and Earth, And He Never Said a Mumblin’ Word

Please support my writing: Katy’s Doctorate in Ministry in Creative Writing at Pittsburgh Seminary.

For Word versions of the Liturgy email me at Katyandtheword at gmail

From Lament to Hope Full Resources

March 13 Jesus Washes Feet: Hope of Serving

Jesus Washes Feet: Hope of Serving

John 13:1-17

Psalm 51:7-12

Call to Worship

God we gather to serve

For you first served us, the one who taught the first will be last

Jesus we long to be near you

Come let us worship the alpha and omega

Call to Confession: God calls all those who are in relationship with God to come into God’s presence for confession, come let us confess ourselves to God and each other

Prayer of Confession: God, I confess that I am like Peter crying out create in me a clean heart God, clean my feet and my hands and my whole body! Because some days I understand all too well all of my imperfections, and they seem to scream at me, from my body and my personality and my accomplishments. Remind me God, that you sent Jesus to show us how to love and serve one another, no more, no less, and that your grace is infinite. Remind us, we pray in your most Holy name. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: God always restore us to the joy of salvation, hear the good news of the gospel: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Prayer of the Day/Dedication: God we come to you fully confessing ourselves and ready to be washed clean. Let us go forth rejoicing and ready to serve our God. Amen.

Children: Discuss Baptism and how Confession is a renewal of Baptism

Hymns: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, Create in Me a Clean Heart, Jesu Jesu Fill Us with Your Love, I’m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me

Please support my writing: Katy’s Doctorate in Ministry in Creative Writing at Pittsburgh Seminary.

For Word versions of the Liturgy email me at Katyandtheword at gmail

From Lament to Hope Full Resources

March 6th Jesus Raises Lazarus. Jesus Wept, The Lament

March 6

Jesus Raises Lazarus, Jesus Wept: the Lament

John 11:1-44

Psalm 104:27-30

Call to Worship

Jesus we are wracked by tears

Sit with us in our weeping

Renew us, we pray

God, help us to gather in your name.

Call to Confession: God calls us to confession, so that we can claim our full selves with God, come let us confess ourselves to God.

Prayer of Confession: God, we confess that we are not a culture that grieves well. We would rather ignore our sadness, or feel angry. Sadness feel so lonely. We do not want to admit the loneliness of grief. Remind us that we are not alone in our lamenting, we pray. And sit with us, Jesus. We pray this in the name of the Christ who weeps. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: Christ loves us, Christ sits with us, Christ redeems us, Sit in confidence of the truth: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Prayer of the Day/Dedication: Holy Spirit, come and dwell with use, for we admit that sometimes we are overwhelmed with emotions, and at those times we do not know what to do, or we take on too much, or we are unable to move. Remind us to breathe, and that you know us and love us, and that its ok to feel whatever we are feeling. Breathe us through whatever we are feeling we pray. Amen.

With Children: “You are My I Love You” “Be is for Breathe,” Do a breath prayer as a an exercise for when you feel overwhelmed or scared or need a break.

Hymns: Breathe on me Breath of God, I love the Lord Who Heard My Cry, There is a Balm in Gilead, O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go, O Jesus I Have Promised, Precious Lord, Take My Hand

Please support my writing: Katy’s Doctorate in Ministry in Creative Writing at Pittsburgh Seminary.

For Word versions of the Liturgy email me at Katyandtheword at gmail

From Lament to Hope Full Resources

Living Water

Signs of God: Baptism/Holy Spirit

Psalm 147:1-11

John 7:37-52

Call to Worship

Praise to Our God, it is Good to praise our God who Gracious

God heals the broken-hearted, and binds up their wounds

God determines the number of the stars, and gives them their names, our God is abundant in power, and has an understanding beyond measure.

Come let us praise our glorious God!

Call to Confession: God we confess that we are tired and in need of the nourishment you promise. Please give us that nourishment today. Let that living water flow from our hearts as promised we pray.

Assurance of Pardon: Hear and Know God is here with us, sustaining us. Know the good news In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Prayer of the Day/Dedicaiton: Jesus you promise that the living water, the Holy Spirt, will come from your followers hearts, help that to happen today and everyday we pray. Amen.

Children: Holy Spirit talk about all the meanings of the Holy Spirit: Wind, Water, Fire, Inspiration, Breath. Talk about which image might be their favorite and why. Discuss how Jesus talks about how their is a piece of the Holy Spirit in every single human being to help comfort, sustain and inspire us, and that’s what today’s story is about!

Hymn: I’ve Got Peace Like a River, Breathe On Me Breath of God, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, Out of Deep Unordered Water, Stand Up and Bless the Lord

If you find my work useful, please consider giving to my Doctorate in Ministry in Creative Writing https://gofund.me/70a114f9. It is a “working theologian’s” doctorate where I preach, write and share my work with the world all at the same time. If your church uses my work extensively and could use a receipt email me at katyandtheword at gmail and let me know!

Healing Stories

Psalm 40:1-5

John 4:46-54 [5:1-18]

Call to Worship

God we long to be Healed

We sorrow in the sickness in the world

God we gather together to pray

Come let us pray for one another to God

Prayer of Confession: God we confess that we would prefer instant solutions to our problems. We would like for everyone to be instantly healed of their illnesses. Remind us to take responsibility, to do the work, and to hold fast to praying for one another and to not lose hope. Help us when we lose hope or are tired. Encourage us and surround us with support when we are worn out we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: Hear the Good News: Jesus loves us and supports us, loving us into wholeness every time: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven

Prayer of the Day/Dedication: God please heal us in the ways that we need to be healed, that are perhaps beyond our human understanding, and bind us together so that we can continue to love and support one another in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Hymns: I love the Lord Who Heard My Cry, There is a Balm in Gilead, Lord I Want to Be a Christian In My Heart, Lift High the Cross, Love Divine All Love Excelling

With Children: Talk about ALL the ways of healing: physical, spiritual, mental, emotional, intellectual, relational, natural (earth), individual, communal. Discuss how the healing Jesus has promised is way more than just one kind of healing and how fixated humans are upon primarily physical and then secondarily mental healing and how we might work towards other kinds of healing.