|
Woship Resources 2007-2008 — Year A: Passionate for Peace
Return to Year A: 2007-2008
Resource Index
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Called to Proclaim
Third Sunday after Epiphany (Ordinary Time)
Scriptures: Isaiah 9:1–4; Psalm 27:1, 4–9; I
Corinthians 1:10–18; Matthew 4:12–23/4:11–22 IV; III Nephi 5:3–12;
Doctrine and Covenants 3:16
Sharing Christ’s Peace
The Council of Twelve is urged to enthusiastically embrace
its calling as apostles of the peace of Jesus Christ in all of its
dimensions. The Twelve are sent into the world to lead the church’s mission
of restoration through relevant gospel proclamation and the establishment of
signal communities of justice and peace that reflect the vision of Christ.
—Doctrine and Covenants 163:5a
Welcome and Call to Worship: Psalm 27:1, 6
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be
afraid?
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.
Praise Songs:
“I Will Sing, I Will Sing” NS 19
"Jesus Is the Rock" NS 24
*“Now Sing to Our God” NS 40
*Invocation
Hymn:
“As the Deer” Sing through twice. NS 2
OR “O Worship the Lord” HS 15
Focus Moment
“Whistlin’ Fisherman” from Object Talks That Teach the
Bible, Zach Hapeman (Standard Publishing 1999). ISBN 0-7847-0941-6
Make one change in the object lesson. As the fisherman is searching for
his/her one last item of bait and opens the Bible, have a heart representing
God’s love inserted therein. Use the heart of love found in the Bible as the
bait that catches the person.
Ministry of Music
“Take My Life and Let It Be” HS 408
(This can be sung to the
tune of “Scarborough Fair.” Melody and guitar chords can be found at
http://us.geocities.com/berchje/#ar.)
OR Hymn: “Shout the Tidings of Salvation” HS 469
Sermon
Based on Matthew 4:12–23/4:11–22 IV and/or Isaiah 9:1–4
Time for Reflection and Meditation
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/offertory to print a copy, or contact your pastor, congregational financial officer,
or worship coordinator for a copy.
Scripture: I Corinthians 1:17, 18
As we commit ourselves to follow Christ, sharing his peace and love
with others, let us commit our time, talents, and also our pocketbooks.
Committing halfway is not enough. If we are serious about bringing
others to Christ’s way of life, we must let loose of the material things
that we sometimes hold dear. Be a sacrificial giver, confident that
those entrusted with these monies will use them as God would want.
Blessing and Receiving of Mission Tithes
A quartet or other small group could softly sing “Jesus’ Hands Were
Kind Hands,” HS 443, during the receiving of the offering.
*Closing Hymn
“Here I Am, Lord” NS 12
OR “Send Me Forth, O Blessed Master” HS 424
*Benediction
Sermon Helps
Scriptures: Isaiah 9:1–4;
Psalm 27:1, 4–9; I Corinthians 1:10–18; Matthew 4:12–23/4:11–22 IV;
III Nephi 5:3–12; Doctrine and Covenants 3:16
Exploring the Scriptures
On the third Sunday after the Epiphany, we consider Matthew 4:12–23, which
relates the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. Jesus identifies the purpose of
his ministry in his proclamation in verse 17: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven
has come near.” Then he immediately begins to broaden the base for this ministry
by calling people to come and follow.
The events in this text immediately follow the days during which Jesus was
tempted in the wilderness and the arrest of John the Baptist. Both of these must
have been unsettling events for Jesus, events that were not peaceful. However,
they provide the backdrop for Jesus’ proclamation of the peaceable kingdom as
related in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 4.
In verse 12 it could be interpreted that Jesus “withdrew” to Galilee to
distance himself from the governmental and religious power brokers of the day,
to start his ministry in a safer location. However, in verses 15 and 16 the
writer conveys a belief that Jesus’ ministry began in Galilee to fulfill the
prophecy found in Isaiah 9.
The light spoken of in Isaiah is revealed through Jesus’ proclamation to
those sitting in darkness and those in the shadow of death. Many of the Gentiles
in Galilee would have been living on the margins of society and beyond the walls
of sacred spaces. Did Jesus choose Galilee as a “home base” to make a statement
about the importance of proclaiming the message of the kingdom to the oppressed
and the marginalized of society and religious life?
John the Baptist prepared the way for the ministry of Jesus. However, there
are at least two key differences between their ministries. Even though they both
proclaimed a message of repentance, John emphasized punishment; whereas, Jesus
emphasized compassion, acceptance, and healing. A second difference was in
location: People had to go to John to receive ministry; Jesus, on the other
hand, made house calls.
Jesus summoned those early disciples to come and follow, and they dropped
their nets immediately. Are the only true followers those who forsake all
(family, home, livelihood) and follow? “It may not be necessary for all to leave
professions and possessions behind, but all must leave their world behind and
enter the new world into which Jesus invites them” (Douglas A. Hare, Matthew,
Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching
[Louisville, Kentucky: John Knox Press], 30).
In the act of calling the disciples to follow, Jesus was challenging societal
norms. He gave a higher priority to the kingdom than to family and employment
responsibilities. This would have been seen as creating an imbalance in some of
the value systems of that day, systems that needed two classes: the oppressors
and the oppressed. For Jesus to initiate the call to disciples was unusual in
that culture. It was customary for rabbinic students to seek out those under
whom they would study. However, Jesus did the choosing. Similarly, Jesus comes
looking for us, asking us to invest our lives proclaiming the Good News.
Central Ideas
1. In our faith community we are called to proclaim Jesus Christ and
promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace: God’s kingdom.
2. We are called to repent—not to avoid punishment, but rather to
experience a greater degree of God’s grace.
3. Proclaiming the peaceable kingdom is countercultural. We too are
called to proclaim the peaceable kingdom in a world that often provides a
backdrop of fear and hatred.
4. The call is not to forsake this world, but rather to view the
everydayness of life as a potential place where God’s kingdom might become
visible.
Questions for the Speaker
1. There is indication that Jesus is reaching out beyond the walls of
sacred space. How is your congregation reaching beyond the walls of your
sacred space?
2. In calling persons from their daily tasks, Jesus was taking a risk of
being seen as one who was challenging and possibly attempting to dismantle
some entrenched systems of society. In what ways are you called to challenge
society in your actions and words?
3. Jesus knew the challenge to build the kingdom would require calling
others to proclaim the message. In what ways is your congregation calling,
equipping, preparing, and commissioning persons to be engaged in the
kingdom-building enterprise?
4. In the midst of the darkness and oppression in our culture, are
persons hearing the proclamation of God’s kingdom?
5. How can your congregation find balance between the ministry provided
within the building and the ministry which is taken to the community?
Return to Year A: 2007-2008
Resource Index
| 
