Community of Christ Year B
Worship Resources for 2011–2012
Unless otherwise noted, Bible scripture verses are from the NRSV:
The Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission. All rights reserved.
Other scripture versions used in this resource include the following:
Scripture quotations marked (NIV®) are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Book of Mormon, Revised Authorized Version, published by Community of Christ, Herald Publishing House, sometimes known as the “1966 edition.”
The Doctrine and Covenants, published by Community of Christ, Herald Publishing House.
The Inclusive New Testament (INT), 1994, published and copyrighted by Priests for Equality, P.O. Box 5243, W. Hyattsville, MD 20782-0243.
Holy Scriptures, “Inspired Version” (IV), a Bible revision by Joseph Smith Jr., published since 1867 by authority of the Board of Publication of Community of Christ through its publishing division, Herald Publishing House.
The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language, 2002, by Eugene H. Peterson, published by NavPress.
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Abstract paintings by Jeanne Davis
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Introduction
Welcome to Community of Christ Year B Worship Resources for 2011–2012. This edition contains suggestions for worship planning and sermon development and begins with the Advent 2011 season on November 27.
Each suggested worship service is followed by sermon helps. Wherever possible, resources called for in the service outlines have been printed in this book. People who would like more suggestions for planning Advent–Christmas, Lent–Easter, and other special services are encouraged to see the service outlines that can be found on the church website at www.CofChrist.org/worship/a-zWorship.asp.
Since 1995, this resource has been based on The Revised Common Lectionary, a widely used cycle of biblical readings. As we continue to use this schedule of scripture reading as a basis for worship, the scriptural literacy of the church will expand. Scriptures from the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants are included in service outlines in Section III where they support the lectionary.
Appreciation is expressed to Jeanne Davis and Peter Judd, who undertook the overall coordination and editorial review for this resource. In addition, we wish to thank the following people who assisted in preparing the worship outlines included in this book: Dave and Gail Anderson, Lyle Anderson, David Bolton, Dan Gregory, Barbara Howard, Sean Langdon, Judy Luffman, Missy Quay, Andy Robinson, Bobbi Ann Robinson, Nan Sargent, Mikal Shedd, Gail Sundell, Ray Ward, Rebecca Schneider, Pam Robison, Julie Webb, Ashley Whitham, and Janet Worthington.
The following World Church leaders prepared the sermon helps for this resource: Andrew Bolton, Linda Booth, Barbara Borkowski, Dave Brock, Dave Brown, Stassi Cramm, Paul Davis, Jane Gardner, Steve Graffeo, Ron Harmon, Steve Hatch, Steve Jones, Kris and Peter Judd, Bob Kyser, Robin Linkhart, Dale Luffman, Rick Maupin, Carlos Mejia, Scott Murphy, Karin Peter, Becky Savage, Dave Schaal, Andrew Shields, Susan Skoor, Jim Slauter, and Wim van Klinken.
Kees Compier, Pam Evans, Sandra Ferguson, Barbara Howard, Dale Luffman, Jack Martin, Jaylene O’Keefe, Jeff Piedimonte, Pam Robison, Mary Kay Speaks, and Patty Wilson provided editorial and graphic arts support.
Congregational worship is the foundation of what Community of Christ congregations are about. In worship we gather to remember and reinforce our identity as people beloved of God and called to be disciples of Jesus Christ. Worship is the principal corporate activity and gathering of the church; it is where we share together in community spiritual practices that form us as Jesus’ disciples. In this experience together we are grounded in our mission to share the peace of Jesus Christ and to witness of God’s redeeming activity in the world. In worship we praise the living God, confess our shortcomings and our dependency on God’s grace, hear the word read in scripture and proclaimed in sermon and story, and commit ourselves to serving others according to the model of Jesus.
Corporate worship is the action of the people of God. Worship that has integrity will be consistent with the church’s best understanding of its identity, mission, message, and beliefs as stated in the We Share resource (see www.CofChrist.org/discernment/weshare/weshare.pdf). In worship, members and congregations are formed in the ways of Christian discipleship. They are helped to become effective witnesses of the values and behaviors that God wills for humanity. Often this requires us to stand against the selfish individualism rampant in many places. Worship helps us maintain our true identity as believers who are claimed by God’s boundless love for all and share this love with all they meet.
In our God-centered worship, relationships with the Divine and with each other are formed and deepened. As communities of joy, hope, love, and peace, there should be a specific emphasis on making worship participatory, energetic, relevant to the needs of worshipers, and Spirit-filled. We hope this resource will assist you as you seek to be responsive to the leading of the Holy Spirit in the process of planning and conducting congregational worship.
Our prayers and best wishes are with you and your ministry as you lead and plan worship in your congregation.
—The First Presidency
Section I Worship Planning and Preaching
Careful planning is an essential part of vibrant worship. This section contains an explanation of the process of worship planning and offers suggestions for worship-planning groups. Included is a discussion of the integration of children and youth into worship planning and ministry. Sermon preparation suggestions are also provided.
Section II Lectionary Usage (PDF)
Themes have been developed so that worship leaders can take advantage of the wealth of resources for planning and sermon development produced in the greater Christian community. These resources are generally based on The Revised Common Lectionary. Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants scriptures are added to the service suggestions as appropriate. This section explores what a lectionary is and how to use it. Also included is a bibliography of lectionary-related resources.
Section III Worship Service Suggestions and Sermon Helps
World Church worship themes, suggested hymns, scriptures, and worship outlines for each Sunday of the year are included in this section. Following each service outline are sermon helps. This section contains suggestions only. Be creative and adapt these services to fit the needs of your congregation. In most cases, the service suggestions include more than one hour’s worth of material.