Tag: Psalm 24

April 10th Palm/Passion Sunday: Lament & Hope

The Crucified Messiah: Lament & Hope

Sermon Ideas, Pile of Good Things

Psalm 24

John 12:12-27

Call to Worship

The earth is God’s, and all that is in it; the world and all those who live in it!

God has founded it on the seas and established the world on the rivers.

Let us lift our heads, and seek God, to the gates, so that the King of glory may come in!

Come, we know who the King of Glory is! Let us worship Jesus!

Call to Confession: God, we all have things to confess, Hosanna, save us as we confess together.

Confession: God, we confess that we are always crying Hosanna, Save us! Help us! We confess that our best selves are our Palm Sunday selves knowing we need help and willing to do the work. Our worse selves are our Passion Sunday mob selves angry that things are not fixed and lashing out from our own internal pain. Forgive us, remind us that we no longer have to choose to be a Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday People—you have transformed us into a resurrection people. Help us to hang onto that we pray. Amen. 

Assurance of Pardon: Christ has already saved us, so we can proclaim the good news again and again: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven. 

Prayer of the Day/Dedication: God bless us as we go, remembering that you love us, every single day. On our best days, on our worst days, and every day in between. Help us to hold fast to that love we pray. Amen. 

Children: God does not keep score. Talk about forgiveness and how God does not judge like humans or keep grudges like humans. God’s grace washes it all away. Discuss how this is a really hard concept for humans, because we are really good at judging and holding grudges, but Jesus promises that is not how it works for God. 

Hymns: Great is Thy Faithfulness, Be Thou My Vision, All Glory Laud and Honor, Hosanna Loud Hosanna, O Love How Deep How Broad How High

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

Seeds: 9-22 Narrative Lectionary Genesis 32: 22-30 Week 3

Genesis 32[9-13] 22-30, Mark 14:32-36, Psalm 24

More Info: https://katyandtheword.wordpress.com/2019/08/27/seeds-resource-page/

More Resources for this Week.

Bulletin

Concepts: 

After wrestling with God, Jacob won’t let him go; he clings to him, seeking God’s blessing (see image at https://suzannewoodsfisher.com/faith/jacobs-wrestling-match-genesis-3226/ and https://pastorross1.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/wrestling41.jpg

You cannot walk away from encountering God without being changed (our friend Rev. Elizabeth Vandegrift); after Jacob’s confession of who he is (heel-grabber), he has no more reported conflicts with others (husband Len Hedges-Goettl’s take). See *** below under exegesis.

Night is a vulnerable time/space https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/worship/lectionary-calendar/eighth-sunday-after-pentecost4 Also Brueggemann below* under exegesis

What it means to wrestle with God See**Children’s sermon link below 

Wrestling is a sign of intimacy; you can’t wrestle with someone you are far away from (Image of this saying at https://i.pinimg.com/736x/cb/b6/2c/cbb62c35b45738be1c8235302b1072d9–perfect-guy-wrestling.jpg

Images

https://www.creationswap.com/media/12018/wrestling-with-god

Sculptures by Nathan Rapoport at

https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ACYBGNQeGXiGSA-3pv_RZtVDudQrQtFB8w:1568163897181&q=Jacob+Wrestling+with+the+Angel,%22+Nathan+Rapoport&tbm=isch&source=univ&sxsrf=ACYBGNQeGXiGSA-3pv_RZtVDudQrQtFB8w:1568163897181&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjO1KngycfkAhUEtlkKHS14Cp0QsAR6BAgJEAE&biw=1821&bih=810#imgrc=haSJyS7LRSBmhM: This sculptor has done many versions of Jacob and the angel/God; would be interesting to look into why; see links from Wikipedia for more about him

Gaugin https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/4940/vision-sermon-jacob-wrestling-angel

Children’s sermon**

 http://worshipingwithchildren.blogspot.com/2016/09/year-c-proper-24-29th-sunday-in.html

Liturgical resources

https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/worship/lectionary-calendar/eighth-sunday-after-pentecost4

Opening Prayer       

Original resource by Barb Hedges-Goettl; please give credit if using/adapting.

O God, you continue to reveal yourself to us.

You continue to make and keep promises to us.

You continue to graciously give to us, even when we deserve nothing.

Draw us to yourself. Touch and change us. Amen

Call to Worship

Original resource by Barb Hedges-Goettl; please give credit if using/adapting. 

One: God, like Jacob, we wrestle. 

Many: Like Jacob, we confess who we are.

Like Jacob, we do not let you go.

Like Jacob, we seek your blessing. 

ALL: Hear and answer us, O Lord, we pray. Amen. 

RITE of CONFESSION

Original resource by Barb Hedges-Goettl; please give credit if using/adapting.

*Call to Confession                                                                                                        Sometimes we think that no one would love us if they knew all about us.                                       But God knows all about us and continues to love us.                                                                                 Let us confess our continuing need for God’ 

*Prayer of Confession 

O God, we have things we would like to keep private—if not secret.                                              We have done—and not done–things that keep us awake at night.                                                    We don’t always treat others as your children.                                                                                    We don’t always honor ourselves as made in your image.                                                      We don’t always trust your grace and love. Forgive us.                                                                             Remake us in your image.                                 (Silent Confession)

*Assurance of Pardon (Romans 8:28-29, New Living Bible) Pastor Len

Nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Thanks be to God for the Good News:  In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.

Hymns

BOW – The United Methodist Book of Worship
CLUW – Come, Let Us Worship (Korean)
MVPC – Mil Voces Para Celebrar (Spanish)
SOZ – Songs of Zion
TFWS – The Faith We Sing
UMH – The United Methodist Hymnal
URW – Upper Room Worshipbook
WSM  – Worship & Song, Music Edition
WSW  – Worship & Song, Worship Resources Edition
SoG  – Songs of Grace

 

Genesis 32:22–31 UMH MVPC CLUW TFWS SOZ URW WSM WSW SoG
Be Thou My Vision 451 240 180
Come, O Thou Traveler Unknown 386 148
Faith Is Patience in the Night 2211
God Be with You till We Meet Again (God Be With You) 672 347 37
God Be with You till We Meet Again (Randolph) 673
God of Many Names 105
How Can We Name a Love 111
I’ll Praise My Maker While I’ve Breath 60 123
O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go 480 255 322
Oh, I Know the Lord’s Laid His Hands on Me 2139
Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God 405 201 136
Source and Sovereign, Rock and Cloud 113
Sweet Hour of Prayer 496 248 330
The God of Abraham Praise 116 28
There Are Some Things I May Not Know 2147

Lutheran:

Blessed be the God of Israel   ELW 250
Onward, Christian soldiers   H82 562, UMH 575

Also

Fight the Good Fight (PCUSA blue #307)

Exegetical resources

***NL on Jacob having to name himself in a move that is both confession and a death leading to new life; http://www.workingpreacher.org/craft.aspx?m=4377&post=1597

How Jacob was changed http://www.verityfellowship.org/blogarchive/2017/6/12/the-dependent-prayer-of-jacob-jacob-part-1

NL on the whole Jacob cycle (I don’t agree that the passage is about persistence; that’s as though it’s a version of let’s make a deal—see alternatives above) https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2555

Another resource covering the whole Jacob cycle. Contains images, references to other books/resources, discussion/further questions, etc. https://www.journeywithjesus.net/Essays/20071015JJ.shtml

Buechner: https://www.frederickbuechner.com/blog/2016/10/10/weekly-sermon-illustration-jacobs-w

More compete Buechner on whole Jacob cycle http://day1.org/6297-the_magnificent_defeat

Interview of Brueggemann by Bill Moyer-video of part of interview; more in writing *https://billmoyers.com/content/god-wrestling/

Further resources: https://preachingandworship.org/search/Genesis%2032%3A22-30

When in Doubt: #PalmSunday #PassionSunday

John 19:16b-22 Opt: John 12:12- 27 and Psalm 24

Call to Worship: Hosanna, Save us! All Creatures up Our God and King, Lift up your voice and with us Sing. Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest, blessed is the one who come sin the name of the Lord. Let all things their Creator bless, and worship him in humbleness, Let us all cry Hosanna together.

 

Prayer of Confession: Lord we confess that sometimes it is hard to see you as the crucified God, we decorate ourselves and our spaces with crosses, but forget the full meaning of the cross as a symbol of your love. Teach us Lord Jesus. Teach us how to honor your life and your death and resurrection, and teach us the fullness of your restorative work we pray.

 

Assurance of Pardon: Know this, God loves us and forgives, us go out into the world proclaiming the truth: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Prayer of Dedication/Offering Prayer Lord, help us to remember your glory, by serving others as Christ has served us. Willing to do what is needful for justice in the world. Give us the strength to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with Jesus on his path we pray. Amen

Prayers and Liturgy by Pastor Katy Stenta who is the solo pastor at a bigger on the inside church in Albany, NY and enjoys reading fantasy, soaking up sunshine, playing with her three sons and visiting her husband at his work, the library.