sanctuary – katyandtheword

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

Signs of God: Making Sanctuary

Psalm 127:1-2

John 2:13-25

Call to Worship

God you make this a sanctuary for us

Giving bread to the hungry, Rest for the weary

Surely those who look, will find God

Come, let us build a house of justice and sanctuary for God

Confession: God we confess that we often confuse peace with being subdued or quiet. We forget that true sanctuary means a place to not just feel but be safe. Help us to be safe with one another we pray. Help us to build your sanctuary, we pray. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon. God’s peace is from everlasting to everlasting, know the good news: In Jesus Christ we are forgiven.

Prayer of the Day/Dedication: God’s mercies are renewed every morning. God’s mercies never come to an end. Let us go into the world renewed by God. Amen.

Hymns: Be Thou My Vision, Room at the Table, Great is Thy Faithfulness, Because He Lives, Worthy is The Lamb,

With Children: Chalk and Eraser Board Jesus can cleanse you every single time you make a mistake. Jesus wants you to keep trying!

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Missing God

God, as we gather, once again, outside the sanctuary, the wind is blowing colder and we are gathering what seem to be feeble surveys to figure out what to do.

We miss you God, we miss the radiance of a full flung organ, piping praises to the heavens

We miss the quiet stillness of the sanctuary just before worship, we miss the table & the font, means of your love passed down to us in full view of the sanctuary

But you remind David, as he wonders whether or not to build God a beautiful cedar house, that you are present in your people

And you remind me God, that when I miss you, I am really missing your community

For Jesus has made us the amazing promise that we can demand a miracle; that whenever two or three people gather in the name of Jesus, God will be particularly prsent

I miss you God, because I miss your people

I miss seeing how your grace weaves together us fumbling, silly community; I miss how you make worship in the sanctuary so beautiful in spite of, or perhaps because of, our imperfections

So when I miss gathering “like usual” God remind me of all the ways I have seen church: in Prayer over Zoom, in waves and window conversations in the parking lot, in the daily ministry of cards and phone calls.

Turns out you were here all along, as usual, remind me again and again I pray.

Amen.

More Narrative Lectionary Resources

#Sacrifice, #Parable of a #church

A congregation came to Jesus and said, “Good teacher, what must we do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus said, do the commandments. “Love and respect your neighbor. Have courage to do new things. Enter the world to support those in need. Gather as God’s family and honor everyone as human. Render to no one evil for evil, learn how to be more than nice. Pray and support those in need, and open yourselves to the community”

And the congregation said, “Lord we have striven to do all of this”

Jesus said, “Then there is one more thing, give away your worship space to be a place of sanctuary for the rest of the community”

And the congregation went away grieving, for their sanctuary was a very beautiful and well cared for space.

Then Jesus said “Trust the Lord with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind, and remember you security is not in possessions or ownership of space and time, but is in God.”

Mark 10