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Woship Resources 2009-2010 — Year C: Live Generously, Love Courageously
Return to Year C: 2009-2010
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Sunday, October 10, 2010
Rise and Go
Ordinary Time (Proper 23)
Scriptures: Jeremiah 29:1, 4–7; Psalm 66:1–12; II Timothy
2:8–15; Luke 17:11–19;
II Nephi 14:4; Doctrine and Covenants 162:8a
Building on the worship center from October 3, add several items representing
the scripture from Luke (e.g., bandages or other medical supplies to represent
healing) and/or illustrations by the children’s Sunday school classes
interpreting the parable for this week.
Prelude
Welcome and Sharing of Announcements and Good News
Scripture for Peace: II Nephi 14:4
Prayer for Peace
Call to Worship
Reader 1: Shout with joy to God, all the earth!
Reader 2: Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious!
Reader 3: Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!”
Reader 1: All the earth bows down to you!
Reader 2: Come and see what God has done.
Reader 3: God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer.
All: Praise be to God!
—Psalms 66 New International Version adapted
*Songs of Praise Select two or three of the following:
“Great and Marvelous Are Thy Works” HS 48
“Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty” HS 56
“All Creatures of Our God and King” HS 72
“Sing a New Song!” NS 1
“Awesome God” NS 4
“I Will Sing, I Will Sing” NS 19
*Opening Prayer
Scripture for Confessional Reflection: Doctrine and Covenants 162:8a
Sometimes we fail to sense the Spirit in our stories. Lord, we will look
carefully and listen attentively for your Spirit.
Disciples’ Generous Response
Each Sunday, as part of the Disciples’ Generous Response, we ask you to
integrate the message of “share equally” between Local and World Ministries
Mission Tithes. Generosity stories are provided to keep the church in touch
with how contributions to Mission Tithes spread the peace of Jesus Christ.
Please use the stories, testimonies, and up-to-date contribution information
as part of your offertory ministry. Visit
www.CofChrist.org/generositystories to print a copy, or contact your
pastor, congregational financial officer, or worship coordinator for a copy.
As part of the Disciples’ Generous Response, ask the congregation to
write down on a small sheet of paper (provided for them) something they are
thankful for. Ask that these be placed in the offering plates with monetary
offerings.
A soloist, small group, or the congregation may sing “Give Thanks” NS
11 while congregants are writing down what they are thankful for or during
the receiving of the offering.
Blessing and Receiving of Mission Tithes
Scripture Lesson: Luke 17:11–19
Consider having a group of youth or young adults act out this scripture
as it is read.
Sharing of Our Blessings
Ask three individuals to share a testimony (relating to the scripture) of
when they have received healing, a special blessing, etc. Between each
testimony, sing a verse of “Heal Me, Hands of Jesus” SP 33. An
alternate hymn would be “Breathe on Me, Breath of God” HS 179. If
there is someone in the congregation who would like to be administered to
and is comfortable with having this done in front of the congregation,
inserting this sacrament before the testimonies would be a beautiful
expression of trust in God’s promises.
Testimony 1
Hymn: “Heal Me, Hands of Jesus” verse 1 SP 33
Testimony 2
Hymn: “Heal Me, Hands of Jesus” verse 2 SP 33
Testimony 3
Hymn: “Heal Me, Hands of Jesus” verses 3 and 4 SP 33
OR Message based on Luke 17:11–19
*Closing Prayer
The person offering the closing prayer could look at the slips of paper
placed in the offering and include ideas that congregants are thankful for
in their prayer.
*Hymn of Sending Forth: “Standing on the Promises” R-2
OR “Shine, Jesus, Shine” NS 45
OR “This God Is the God We Adore” HS 481
OR “Make Us, O God, a Church That Shares” HS 484
*Postlude
Sermon Helps
Scriptures: Jeremiah 29:1, 4–7; Psalm 66:1–12; II Timothy 2:8–15;
Luke 17:11–19
Exploring the Scriptures
The story of the ten lepers (Luke 17:11–19) is more than a story about
healing. It is about what one receives and how one responds. It has parallels
with the stories of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29–37) and the healing of Naaman
(II Kings 5:1–14). The key in all three of these stories is that when we rise
and go, we must go responding to what we have received.
In the story of the Good Samaritan, the priest, the Levite, and the Samaritan
all receive an opportunity to serve. This occurs when they “see” the injured man
along the roadside. Only the Samaritan responds to what he sees. Our story today
begins with Jesus “seeing” the lepers and responding. Then later, the story ends
with the Samaritan leper “seeing” that he was healed and responding to God’s
generosity while the other healed lepers did not respond. These instances
demonstrate how we often look without seeing through our faith and, in turn,
fail to respond. How we respond when we rise and go will depend on our faith and
what we notice through our seeing.
These three stories also express the common theme from Jesus’ message: It is
often the one who the culture views as the “least” who is the “greatest” in
their faithful response. Why did the priest and Levite, who were trained to love
through their knowledge of the Torah, fail to see how God’s love transcends all
other rules? Similarly, Jesus asked where the other nine lepers went after they
were healed. Did they expect healing and not sense a gratitude for an undeserved
gift of a loving God? In contrast, the Samaritan saw he was healed, returned to
Jesus, and gave glory to God. His actions were similar to Naaman’s who, when
healed, returned to the facilitator of his healing, Elisha, and gave glory to
God. Like the Good Samaritan and Naaman, who were both foreigners and seen by
the world as the “least,” it is the Samaritan leper who truly saw and responded
in faith with glory to God.
The story ends with Jesus telling the Samaritan leper to rise and go as his
faith has made him well. What about the other nine lepers? Were they not also
healed? We can interpret that all ten lepers received physical healing from a
loving God, but it was only the leper who expressed his faithfulness who
received true wholeness. Through expressing his gratitude, the Samaritan leper
expressed humility and dependency on God. Thus, gratitude was expressed through
the Samaritan’s faith. Jesus named this faith as being the source of wellness—a
wellness that likely extended beyond this momentary healing into a life of
wholeness experienced through faithfully responding to a loving God throughout
one’s journey as a disciple.
As we rise and go, our faithfulness will help us see two ways of responding
to God’s generosity. First, may we see the times when a loving God has healed us
and respond like Naaman and the Samaritan leper by noticing, returning to Jesus,
and giving glory to God. Each is “loved with an everlasting love that delights
in each faithful step taken. God yearns to draw you close so that wounds may be
healed, emptiness filled, and hope strengthened” (Doctrine and Covenants
163:10a). Second, may we see the opportunities to respond as faithful disciples
helping out those who we see have needs. Let us respond like the Good Samaritan
and Jesus sharing Christ’s peace with all of God’s children. Rise and go:
“You are called to create pathways in the world for peace in Christ to be
relationally and culturally incarnate. The hope of Zion is realized when the
vision of Christ is embodied in communities of generosity, justice, and
peacefulness” (Doctrine and Covenants 163:3a).
Central Ideas
1. We respond in faithfulness to what we have received from a loving God.
2. Sometimes it is the people we least expect to be faithful who
faithfully respond to God’s gifts.
3. Our gratitude is an expression of our faith.
Questions for the Speaker
1. What is the connection between seeing, receiving, and responding?
2. How does faithfulness impact your journey, moving you toward healing
and wholeness?
3. What will you do when you rise and go?
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