Proper 18 A (10th September 2023): Extravagant Love, Our God of Second Chances, New Beginnings

There is an updated 2026 version of this post with more resources - see my archive at left

N.B.  You will find a search engine to the left if you do not follow the Revised Common Lectionary. Just pop in a Bible reference or a topic and it will take you to a relevant post.  

Bible readings: Exodus 12:1-14, Psalm 149, Romans 13:8-14, Matthew 18:15-20

About the Image: 
Upper Left: This is a free image from the Hermano Leon site - see my links column at left. 
Upper Right: This is a free Imagebank image from their excellent, although slightly disorganised, site. See my link column at left. 
Middle Left and Right: This is a free Heartlight image from their site which you can access through my links column at left.

Lower Left: The Palestinian side of the 8 metre high Separation Wall. This is my image so please feel free to use for worship and related activities. 

Lower Right: This is a free Heartlight image - see my link column on the left.

Listening Song: Just Like You 
By Keb Mo on his album, Just Like You (pictured at left).This goes well with the gospel reading. 

Call to Worship: All God's People 
Found in Crafts For Creative Worship by Jan Brind and Tessa Wilkinson, Canturbury Press, 2009, page 205 (pictured at right). This goes well with the Romans reading.  

Drama: No Thumping Whatsoever 
Found in Mega Drama 2 by Verena Johnson (Ed.), Open Book, 2001, ISBN 085910916Xv2, page 21 (pictured at left). This drama is based on the gospel reading. 

Film Clip: The Day is Near 
This goes really well with the Romans reading - it's from the Work of the People (see more excellent clips from their site which you can find via my links column - the clips cost but they are well worth it) 

Story: Don't Hire a Hit Man 
Found in Could Someone Wake Me up Before I Drool on the Desk by Kevin Johnson, Bethany House Publishers, 1995, ISBN 1556614160, page 49 (pictured at right). This is based on the gospel reading. 

Discussion: 
After reading the Romans reading and the gospel reading, divide into groups to discuss together and make a list together of the means by which a Christian community can live in harmony. 

Quote: Do It Anyway 
Probably written originally by Dr Kent M. Keith and adapted by Mother Teresa. Find the original and the adapted words at http://prayerfoundation.org/mother_teresa_do_it_anyway.htm 

Adult Response: 
Give everybody a piece of spring blossom. Tell everyone that the blossom is a sign of spring, new life and new growth. In the silence, encourage people to think of a broken relationship in their lives and encourage them to ask God to show them how to repair it. 

Adult Response: 
Give everyone a small piece of self hardening modelling clay (1cm cube is big enough for this) and 
1. Ask people to mould their feelings about someone they disagree with in their faith community. 
2. Ask them to mould the clay back into a ball 
3. Ask them to mould the clay into a symbol of Jesus' love for them. 
4. Encourage them to take home their symbol as an example of relationship. 

Response Activity: Love Your Neighbour  Found in Bringing the Word To Life Together: Year A by Andrew Collis and Dorothy McRae-McMahon, Mediacom, Adelaide, 2010, ISBN 9780949656919, page 134ff (pictured at left). This is based on the Gospel reading. 

Also:

Poem and prayer: wherever two.
Found in Dad and Daughter by Ron Gordon and Jennie Gordon, 2012, ISBN 9780646586601, page 52 (pictured at right). These are based on the gospel reading.

Lots of Useful Stuff

Found in The Abingdon Creative Preaching Annual by Jenee Woodard (Ed.), Abingdon Press, Nashville, 2013, page 188ff (pictured at left).

Lots of Useful Stuff: The Great Escape

Found in Multi-Sensory Together by Ian Birkinshaw, Scripture Union,2005, ISBN 1844271641, page 7 (pictured at right).  Based on the Exodus reading.

Proper 17 A (3rd September 2023): Living God's Call

 

N.B.  You will find a search engine to the left if you do not follow the Revised Common Lectionary. Just pop in a Bible reference or a topic and it will take you to a relevant post.  

There is an 2026 updated version of this post - see archive at left.

Bible readings; Exodus 3:1-15, Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45c, Romans 12:9-21, Matthew 16:21-28 

About the Images: 
Upper Left: This is made up of two free microsoft clip art images with my text.
Upper right: This is a free microsoft clip art image with my text. 
Middle left: This is a fee image from the Heartlight collection - see my links at left. 
Middle Right: My image - feel free to use it for worship and related activities.

Lower Left: Mt Horeb and Mt Sinai are most likely the same place.  Here is the view from the top.  This is my image so feel free to use it for worship or related activities. 

Lower Right: This is a free Heartlight image - see my link column at left.

Film Clip: The Prince of Egypt 
Show the burning bush scene from the film The Prince of Egypt (pictured at left) 

Discussion: The Prince of Egypt 
Where are some places we may meet God? 
What do you think God might say to us as a church? 

Quiz: Who Am I? 
In line with the Exodus reading which points to God using ordinary people to achieve great things, choose a well known ordinary (and lay) person in your congregation who has a significant ministry, and, with their permission, turn their life and ministry into a game of Who Am I? 

Discussion: In pairs or fours 
1. How does our relationship with God show up in our relationships 
a. with outsiders 
b. with those we don't get on with, and 
c. with those who suffer? 
2. Talk together about dreams for our congregation and how we could put our dreams into practice. 

Drama: The Sheep 
Bartholomew (dressed very simply as a sheep eg. woolly ears wanders up the centre aisle of the church calling out): Hey, where is everybody? Is this Mt Horeb? 
Barbara (dressed similarly, at lectern): Yeah, here we are, Bartholomew. Come over here. Did you get lost coming over the desert again? 
Bartholomew: Yeah, I stopped too long at that first rest area. I'll never be anything but a straggler. (sighs) 
Barbara: My word, you certainly missed out on all the excitement today anyway. 
Bartholomew: Why, what ever happened? 
Barbara: Well, just as Moses was about to have a bit of a smoko after getting us all here he stopped dead in his tracks because right in front of him was this great big humungous burning bush. 
Bartholomew: A bush fire - out here? 
Barbara: No, no…. not a bush fire just a bush on fire and it didn't burn away like you'd expect it too and .......(whispered loudly) it had an angel of the Lord in it! 
Bartholomew: Fair dinkum - you must have all been scared out of your wits. 
Barbara: We all scattered like sheep - but I didn't go too far because I wanted to see what happened. 
Bartholomew: What did Moses do? 
Barbara: Well, you could see he was interested. He went over to have a closer look and God's voice came out of the bush saying "Moses, Moses. 
Bartholomew: Wow (breathed) And then? 
Barbara: Moses said "H..h..here I am..m…m…m 
Bartholomew: Huh, he'd be stuttering worse than usual, I bet. I can just imagine! 
Barbara: God said " Don’t come any closer. Take off you sandals because the place where you are standing is holy ground." Well, by this stage Moses had both his sandals off and he was face down on the ground. He was just too scared to look at God. Mind you, none of us were looking either but I kept my ears open. 
Bartholomew: I dunno if I'd have had the guts to hang around. 
Barbara: Well, God spoke again. He said "I‘ve seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I’ve heard them crying out because of their slave drivers and I am very concerned about their suffering. So I’ve come down to rescue them from the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land flowing with milk and honey - So now, go, I am sending you to lead my people out of Egypt." 
Bartholomew: Well, that's a bit of a promotion for Moses - from a leader of sheep to a leader of a whole nation of people! (Looks around) Is he still here? Did he go? 
Barbara: Well, actually he had a bit of crisis in confidence. His actual words were "W..w..who am I, that I should g..g..go to Pharaoh and b..b..bring the Israelites out of Egypt." 
Bartholomew: Wow, that's almost like giving cheek. What happened to him? Did God give him a bit of a zap or something? 
Barbara: Nuh. Nothing. God understood and said " I’ll be with you and when you bring the people out of Egypt you will worship me right here. That’ll be the proof that I have sent you." 
Bartholomew: So... then what. 
Barbara: Well then Moses got a little cheeky. He said, Ok then, who will I say sent me. In other words “what’s ya name?” 
Bartholomew: Ooooh. God must’ve got mad then? 
Barbara: No, not really. He just told him “I AM” ….but in a pretty big voice as you can well imagine. Now look! Its time we stopped talking and got in to a bit of serious grass eating. I think Moses is starting to keep a journal – he’s calling it Exodus or something. You’ll find the rest of the story there. 
Copyright Ann Scull 1999 - please feel free to adapt - it has Australian figures of speech that may not translate well into other cultures. 

Story: Unbaptised Arms 

Found in Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks by Wayne Rice, Youth Specialties Inc, 1994, ISBN 031040261, page 169 (pictured at right). This story is matched with the Romans reading. 

Quote: Brother Roger 
In the silence of the heart, 
tirelessly God whispers to each of us: 
"Do not be afraid. I am here". 

Response Activity: 
Give everyone a small journal (you can sometimes buy tiny little ones in discount shops very cheaply) and ask them to write a few words to God in the silence (or with quiet music playing) about what they think God has been speaking to them about recently. 
 
Also:

Meditation: God's Call

Found in Meditations from the Iona Community by Ian Reid, Wild Goose Publications, Trowbridge, 1998, ISBN 1901557022, page 15 (pictured at left) . This is based on the Exodus reading. 

Drama: The Fight

Found in Mega Drama 2 by Verena Johnson (editor), Open Book Publishers, 2001 ISBN 085910916X, page 19 (pictured at right).  Based on the Romans reading. 

Poem: Middle Aged Moses

Found in The Electric Bible by Peter Dainty, Kevin Mayhew Ltd, 2003, ISBN 1 84417 041 1, page 34 (pictured at left).  This poem is based on the Exodus reading.  

Poem: Burning Bush

Found in The Electric Bible by Peter Dainty, Kevin Mayhew Ltd, 2003, ISBN 1 84417 041 1, page 35 (pictured at left).  This poem is based on the Exodus reading. 

AND

Father's Day (Australia - and maybe some other places?) Resources:

Listening song; Butterfly kisses 

By Bob Carlisle on his album of the same name (pictured at right)