This is the lesson and sermon from Sunday, September 27th, 2009.
September 2009 Archives
THE EPISTLE LESSON James 5:13-20
THE GOSPEL LESSON Mark 9:38-50
SERMON "The Salty Stew of Stewardship"
Worship Notes
Welcome to worship on this the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time. The liturgical color for Ordinary Time is green. In worship this morning, we examine our faithfulness through the eyes of community.
Today, we consider how our individual gifts enable us to create God's "salty stew" of stewardship and faithfulness. This "salt" is that which is described by Mark in the gospel passage today. Our opening hymn, "Gather Us In," speaks to our collective sense of community and to our call to be new salt to the earth.
The prayerful sense through which we act as stewards within our community is the message of the Epistle lesson. The anthem "What A Friend We Have in Jesus" reminds us of the important role of prayer within our individual and communal lives. It also helps us to recall that Christ lives among us as a friend willing to help us carry our burdens.
In response to God's Word proclaimed, we welcome a child into our community of faith through the sacrament of Baptism. We also have an opportunity to envision ourselves as part of God's "salty stew." As the service ends, we will bring forward our offerings and the special blessings cards, which record our individual acknowledgments of those within our community who have blessed us through their interactions with us. While these blessings cards are focused today on those within our Westminster community, they will become an important part of our service of World Communion next week when our definition of community broadens to extend beyond these walls and across denominational and political boundaries. After coming forward, you will also receive a package containing the basic elements for a fall "stew." You are encouraged to use these elements during the week ahead as a reminder of how you are fed through your relationship with God to fulfill your own special place in this community and within God's salty stew.
THE GOSPEL LESSON Mark 9:30-37
THE EPISTLE LESSON James 3:13-4:3, 7-8
SERMON "Doing Faithfulness: True Greatness"
Worship Notes
Welcome to worship on this the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time. The liturgical color for Ordinary Time is green. In worship this morning, we complete a series begun two weeks ago in which we examine our faithfulness through doing justice, doing humility, and doing leadership.
Today, we consider how best to "do leadership" as servant-hood as we read in scripture that "the first shall be last and the last shall be first." Our opening hymn, "Ye Servants of God," the anthem "Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service," and the benediction response "Make Me a Servant" help us express musically our understanding of leadership as servant hood.
From the Epistle lesson, we learn that true wisdom is found in how we live our lives in loving community with others. The response hymn "Though I May Speak" and the sending hymn "Love Divine All Loves Excelling" are expressions of the love shared with one another in community. Today's Epistle text also contains the familiar passage of scripture that encapsulates our faith as Christians, "Draw near to God and he will draw near to you." As we gather in prayer and respond to God's blessings through the giving of our gifts, the offertory is a prayerful, jazz setting of the hymn "Nearer, My God, to Thee."
Our worship ends with a postlude by contemporary English composer, John Rutter (b. 1945). Rutter is perhaps most well known for his many choral compositions, however he also has written for other instruments. This Toccata for organ is a tour through shifting meter and rhythm in which we find that the first musical motif is, indeed, also the last, which reflects well the message of today's gospel lesson.
This is the lesson and sermon from Sunday, September 13th, 2009.
THE GOSPEL LESSON Mark 8:27-38
THE EPISTLE LESSON James 3:1-12
SERMON "Doing Humility: Taming the Tongue"
WORSHIP NOTES
Welcome to worship on Rally Sunday on this 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time! The liturgical color for Ordinary Time is green. In worship this morning, we continue a series begun last Sunday in which we examine our faithfulness through doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with our God. These are the tasks God requires of his people as told in the scripture passage from Micah.
Today, we consider how best to "do humility" both in word (speech) and deed (action). As we discipline our tongues for humble service, we open our worship with a prelude on "Come Christians, Join to Sing" and by joining to sing God's praise through the hymn "O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing". As we discipline our actions for humble service, we reflect on the message of today's gospel lesson in which Jesus instructs his disciples to take up their cross and follow him. This model of discipleship is reflected in the response hymn, the sending hymn,"Lead On, O King Eternal", and the offertory/benediction response "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus".
Our teachers will play an important role in helping us to learn how to follow Jesus. Therefore, on this Rally Sunday, we will also commission our teaches for their work in the program year ahead.
Our worship ends with a postlude by German organist and composer Nicholas Bruhns (1640-1689), This is one of three such praeludiums written by Bruhns, who studied organ with Dietrich Buxtehude. After a powerful opening passage, Bruhns uses a "call and response" motif throughout the remainder of the work that well reflects the message of today's scripture as we seek to respond to God's call and follow him humbly.
