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Woship Resources 2007-2008 — Year A: Passionate for Peace
Return to Year A: 2007-2008
Resource Index
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Remember God’s Promises
Ordinary Time (Proper 27)
Scriptures: Joshua 24:1–3a, 14–25; Psalm
78:1–7; I Thessalonians 4:13–18; Matthew
25:1–13/25:1–12 IV; Enos 1:43–46; Doctrine and Covenants 68:1f–h
Sharing Christ’s Peace
Above all else, strive to be faithful to Christ’s vision of
the peaceable Kingdom of God on earth. —Doctrine and
Covenants 163:3b
Prelude
Hymns of Praise
“Jesus Is the Rock” NS 24
“Firm Foundation” NS 10
Call to Worship
God is a faithful, never-wavering, promise-keeping God! Joshua reminded
the tribes of Israel of the God of promises who led their ancestors out of
bondage to freedom. He admonished them to serve the Lord of promises with
sincerity and faithfulness and to put away all other gods. Joshua spoke
powerful words that continue to speak to our hearts. “Choose this day whom
you will serve….but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”—Joshua 24:15, adapted
*Hymn
“Great Is Thy Faithfulness” HS 187
OR “My Life Flows On in Endless Song” HS 157
*Prayer of Invocation
*Response
Focus Moment:
Wait for children’s answers after each
question.
What is a promise? When a person makes a promise, they are giving their
word to do something or not to do something. Let’s list some promises that
you might make to someone.
- If you let me borrow your pencil, I promise to bring you a new one
tomorrow.
- I promise to play soccer with you on Saturday.
- I promise to clean my room this afternoon.
- I promise to pray for you every day.
But do we always keep promises like these? Why not? Sometimes we forget,
or sometimes we really don’t want to do what we promised. Sometimes things
come up, like having to go somewhere with your family or having to go to the
doctor. But there is someone who never breaks promises. Who is it? God!
Today throughout the service you’re going to hear about some of God’s
promises, and I want you to listen carefully to them and be happy that our
God is such an awesome God. God never breaks promises! As a reminder of
God’s promises, I’m going to give you a rainbow sticker. Why does a rainbow
remind us of God’s promises? A rainbow reminds us that God sent a rainbow to
Noah as a promise never to destroy the earth by a flood again. We can always
trust in God’s promises!
The children can make a large rainbow out of construction paper during
their Sunday school class. They can display it in the front of the sanctuary
for the remainder of the service.
Hymn
“How Firm a Foundation” HS 136
OR “I Know Not What the Future Hath” HS 126
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.
Prayer of Thankfulness and Blessing
Offering of Mission Tithes
Sermon
Based on Psalm 78:1–7
Hymn
“Awesome God” NS 4
OR “He Leadeth Me” HS 123
Congregational Commitment
Leader: Choose this day whom you will serve.
Congregation: The Lord our God we will serve, and him we will obey.
—Joshua 24:15, 24
Pastoral Prayer
Focus on asking for help to turn our weakness into God’s glory, and
giving thanks for God’s divine promises to us.
*Hymn
“Standing on the Promises” R-2
OR “This God Is the God We Adore” HS 481
*Sending Forth
Leave this place energized by the power of God’s promises to you. Testify
of God’s promises wherever you go.
*Postlude
Sermon Helps
Scriptures: Joshua 24:1–3a, 14–25; Psalm 78:1–7; I
Thessalonians 4:13–18; Matthew 25:1–13/25:1–12 IV; Enos 1:43–46; Doctrine and
Covenants 68:1f–h
Exploring the Scriptures
Remembering is a powerful thing. Important memories have the capacity to
inform, shape, reorient, and remind us who we are and who we are called to be.
This is one reason that we retell familiar stories when we are with family and
friends. These stories may remind us of values held dear, of times that are
precious to us, or of lessons that have shaped our lives. Memory, however, is
more than something that “happens” to us. Memory can be a stewardship where we
can be intentional about remembering some things that need remembering.
In today’s lesson from Psalm 78, the psalmist implores us to listen as he
calls us to remember the “glorious deeds of the Lord.” Like most psalms, Psalm
78 was written for use in Israel’s worship. It is a poetic overview of Israel’s
history and is intended to help worshipers learn from Israel’s story. By the
time this “story poem” was written, Israel’s story was marked by a tendency to
forget their covenant with God, enter into periods of injustice and idolatry,
and then return to a faithful relationship with God only after suffering the
consequences that injustice and idolatry tend to invoke in human life.
In the opening verses, the psalmist indicates that remembering the acts of
God in Israel’s story is important so that people will set their hope in God,
keep God’s commandments, and not repeat the mistakes of those who have gone
before them.
Remembering the “glorious deeds of God” in scripture, church heritage, and
personal and congregational experience can remind us of God’s love and calling
to us. Likewise, remembering the mistakes of the past can be like a beacon on
our present path. We do not need to repeat them. Instead, we can remember God’s
promises and allow them to guide our feet.
We must remember that one of the major emphases of the psalmist is that we
not only remember these things ourselves, but that future generations be told as
well. It is an important reminder that we are not to be concerned only about
ourselves, but for the well-being of others. When we remember God’s acts and
promises, they are to be shared. And it is through sharing them with others that
our memories are made fresh.
Given the above principles, Psalm 78 is as relevant today in our contemporary
circumstance as it was hundreds of years ago when the psalmist first composed
it.
Central Ideas
1. In remembering the works and promises of God, our identity is shaped,
and we can avoid the mistakes of the past and find guidance for the future.
2. Remembering God’s works and promises is not enough; we are called to
share them with others.
Questions for the Speaker
1. What are some of the “glorious deeds of God” that have been
experienced in your congregation? What lessons were learned from them?
2. How has your identity or your congregation’s identity been shaped by
the story of the gospel and the heritage of the church?
3. What groups of people have not yet heard the stories of faith resident
in your congregation?
Return to Year A: 2007-2008
Resource Index
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