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Woship Resources 2009-2010 — Year C: Live Generously, Love Courageously
Return to Year C: 2009-2010
Resource Index
Sunday, November 21, 2010
God’s Chosen One
Ordinary Time (Proper 29)
Scriptures: Jeremiah 23:1–6; Psalm 46; Colossians 1:11–20;
Luke 23:33–43/23:34–44 IV; II Nephi 9:66; Doctrine and Covenants
151:10
Prelude
Welcome
Gratitude is said to be the ultimate human virtue; almost every faith
tradition beckons believers to thanksgiving. We are reminded to be thankful
for each dawn, each smile, and each act of loving kindness. We have reached
this place of gratitude by traveling many different paths, and for those
paths we are thankful. But we must also celebrate this fleeting moment of
unity and togetherness for it is, in fact, the deeper reality, the only
path—our shared destiny. The medieval Christian mystic Meister Eckhardt once
said, “If the only prayer you ever say is ‘thank you,’ it will suffice.” Let
us give thanks.
Call to Worship: Responsive Reading
Leader: (exuberantly) God is our refuge and our strength who has
always helped us in our distress.
People: We thank you, God, that we have nothing to fear!
Leader: Even if the earth should open up in front of us…
People: We have nothing to fear!
Leader: Even if mountains plunge into the sea….
People: We have nothing to fear!
Leader: Even if the waters rage and foam…
People: We have nothing to fear!
Leader: Even if nations are in turmoil…
People: We have nothing to fear!
Leader: Come see what Yahweh has done!
People: God is here with us!
Leader: God makes the earth bounteous!
People: God is here with us!
Leader: God puts an end to war, breaking weapons apart!
People: God is here with us!
Leader: (quietly, with assurance) Be still and know that I am God!
People: We have nothing to fear; God is here with us.
—Psalm 46 adapted
*Hymn of Gratitude: “For the Beauty of the Earth” HS 75
Include the following two verses found in The Saints’ Hymnal
17 (Independence, MO: Herald Publishing House, 1933). Sing them
between verse 2 and verse 3.
For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon, and stars of light.
Refrain
For the joy of ear and eye,
For the heart and mind’s delight, For the mystic harmony Linking sense to
sound and sight. Refrain
OR “This Is God’s Wondrous World” R-1
OR “Give Thanks” NS 11
*A Litany of Gratitude
Leader: Engendering God, Origin of all Creation, we thank you for the
gifts of the natural world—for the cosmos and our planet earth in all her
beauty, wisdom, and enduring promise of life.
People: For all these gifts, we thank you.
Leader: Compassionate God, Guide of all Nations, we thank you for the
gifts of human society and for our nation—for the yearnings that encourage
us to pray and work for the principles of dignity, freedom of expression,
and opportunity for all people.
People: For all these gifts, we thank you.
Leader: Inspiring God, Source of all Energy, we thank you for all your
gifts of wisdom, creativity, and love represented in our gathering here
today.
People: For all these gifts, we thank you. May our time together help us
carry these gifts into the world for the good of all your people and all
creation. Amen.
*Response
Scripture for Peace: II Nephi 9:66
Prayer for Peace
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. Offertory 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.
Blessing and Receiving of Mission Tithes
God, you show us the meaning of generosity in the beautiful diversity
of creation, in holy love, in divine energy.
We give generously, with thanksgiving for all these good gifts.
God, you bless us and call us to be a community that blesses others.
We offer our presence, our talents, and our material resources, with
thanksgiving.
We rejoice together in gratitude for all our blessings.
We give ourselves as a blessing to others. Amen.
Scripture for Confessional Reflection: Doctrine and Covenants 151:10
Sometimes we do not work as hard as we can to promote unity and heal
wounds. Lord, we want to be disciples of the chosen One, even Jesus the
Christ.
Hymn: “We Would See Jesus” HS 217/218
OR “Look at This Man, Born of God” HS 230
OR Ministry of Music
Sermon
Based on Luke 23:33–43
*Hymn: “Siyahamb’ ekukhanyen’ kwenkhos’” NS 46
OR “Called by Christ to Love Each Other” SP 36
* Sending Forth
Leader: Go now, into the world God loves so much, to bear the fruit of
love.
Go in peace and with delight
for God the source of life and love goes with us.
In this is great blessing!
All: Amen!
*Response
Sermon Helps
Scriptures: Jeremiah 23:1–6; Psalm 46; Colossians 1:11–20; Luke
23:33–43/23:34–44 IV
Exploring the Scriptures
It might seem odd to remember the Crucifixion on the Sunday before Advent
begins. But it, too, points to Christ as king, the chosen one. This is done
through the imagery of Roman soldiers mockingly calling out to Jesus as he hung
on the cross, the Jewish leaders, a cynical governor, and one of the two thieves
hanging beside Jesus. They spoke more truth than they realized.
Luke is brief in his account, writing in the straightforward and unadorned
manner of a historian, just as he did of the actual birth of Jesus (Luke 2:1–7).
Both the birth and death of Jesus prompt a continuing flow of emotion among
Jesus’ followers in music, art, poetry, and song. But Luke understands what we
do not or we sometimes forget. The importance of the Crucifixion is not in our
flow of tears but in his flow of blood for the sake of God’s action. Every
element of the Luke story serves to declare Jesus’ identity as the Messiah, the
significance of his death for the salvation of the world, or the fulfillment of
scripture in the events of this scene. The death of Jesus is important for
salvation not because of how much he suffered but because of who he was and how
his death was connected to both his life and the redemptive acts of God in the
history of Israel. Luke offers us an interpretation of the crucifixion of Jesus.
So we, too, follow Luke’s lead in portraying Jesus as the Christ, God’s chosen
one, whose death fulfilled the scriptures and brought salvation to the lost.
It is ironical that the Lukan Jesus is one who brings good news to the poor.
But at his death, the people watch, the Jewish leaders taunt, and the soldiers
mock. A cynical governor has written on Jesus’ cross, “This is the King of the
Jews,” and one of the criminals beside him blasphemes. But unlike the others,
one of the two criminals also sentenced to death recognizes Jesus’ power in some
way and asks to be remembered when Jesus comes to his kingdom. Jesus gives to
this criminal an assurance of salvation, a blessing, to one of the wretched.
Three times Jesus has been mocked, “Save yourself.” Jesus does save but not
himself. The dying criminal is saved and is like the person Jesus blesses
throughout his ministry. That ministry continues as Jesus is dying.
Throughout all this, Jesus ignores the taunts to save himself and instead
shows the path to eternal life by allowing his blood to be shed for all. He
becomes part of God’s redemptive action. God’s vindication of Jesus will come
through the Resurrection and will mean God’s validation of Jesus’ message. Luke
relies on his account of the death of Jesus to carry the message of its
significance: the confession that Jesus is the Christ, our savior, God’s chosen
one.
Central Ideas
1. Even in approaching his own death, Jesus shows his unbroken connection
to the One who chose him and whose mission he follows.
2. Jesus’ life pattern of extending God’s forgiveness continues as he
forgives one of the criminals with whom he hangs on a cross.
3. God’s intent for humanity, as demonstrated by Jesus’ life, is not
defeated even in Jesus’ death on the cross.
Questions for the Speaker
1. How is Jesus’ prayer, of asking for forgiveness for all involved in
his death, so typical of Jesus?
2. How does your congregation live out the example of Jesus when he
prayed to God asking for forgiveness for those who were crucifying him?
3. Which person are you at the cross? Are you one of the crowd, the
Jewish leaders, the soldiers, the thieves, or are you the governor who had
the inscription placed on the cross? Why?
4. How is Jesus God’s chosen one for you?
5. Jesus’ assurance to the dying criminal is one of salvation and
blessing as he shared during his ministry by proclaiming “good news to the
poor” and “release to the captives.” What does this mean for you and your
life? What does this mean for your congregation?
6. How do you live out Jesus being God’s chosen one? How does your
congregation do this?
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