Proper 8 B (June 28): Everybody is Welcome/Waiting For the Morning

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Bible Readings: 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27, Psalm 130, 2 Corinthians 8:7-15, Mark 5:21-43 About the images: Upper: This is a free image from www.heartlight.com - a useful and well set up site for images related to scripture. Lower: This is my photo - please feel free to use it. Call to worship: Dialogue Have the seven questioners scattered around the congregation so that they speak from their seats and project the response so that everybody answers each question: Response: Yes! You are welcome here! 1. Do any of us dare to come into God’s presence during this service? 2. I am new here. May I come in? 3. I am not sure I’m wearing the right clothes? May I come in? 4. I’m not a churchy person? May I come in? 5. I’m not sure if I will understand everything that’s going on. May I come in? 6. My kids might play up a bit. May I come in? 7. I‘ll probably have to go out for a while during the service. May I come in? N.B. I know I wrote this but I cannot remember if I based it on an idea from somewhere else or not. Please let me know if I did. Listening Song: I Am An encouraging song by Jill Phillips on her album Jill Phillips or on WOW 2000 (pictured at right). Confession/Absolution: Psalm 130 Use parts or all of Psalm 130. Kids: The Bunyip of Berkeley's Creek by Jenny Wagner and Ron Brooks, Puffin, 1973, ISBN 0140501266 (pictured at left). A great story to use with the gospel. For Kids: The Secret of the Arrows By Alyce Bergy and Jim Roberts, Arch Books, 1972, ISBN 0570060672 (pictured at right). This story is based on the 2 Samuel reading. Drama: The Outcast Interrupt the Mark reading at the appropriate place with this monologue found in Let's Make A Scene 2 by Verena Johnson, Lutheran Publishing, 1991, ISBN 085910608, page 14. Useful Quote: Romeo and Juliet Act 2 Scene 2 Line 67: "For stony limits cannot hold love out". Story: Coming Home Found in Hot Illustrations by Wayne Rice, Youth Specialties, 1994, ISBN 0310402611, page 75. This story works well with the gospel reading. Poem: Lament Psalm 2 By Ann Weems and found in Resources For Preaching and Worship Year B compiled by Hannah Ward and Jennifer Wild, Westminster John Knox Press, 2002, ISBN 10 0664224776, pp177-7 (pictured at left) Adult Response: Mediation based on the Psalm and Mark reading Ask people to concentrate on the following words as they are spoken or projected with music: "What is God saying to you today? Listen to God speaking to you through these readings. Through the woman’s story, is God saying to you: “Reach out and touch me. I want to love you so much. I do love you far more than you will ever imagine.” Or through the words in the psalm, is God saying to you “ Come back. All is forgiven. I love you still. You are my beloved child” Or is God saying to you: “I see your faith in me,but now I want others to see it too. Share your story. Listen to their stories. Tell others what I have done for you” You could easily finish with Jill Phillip's song above using it as God speaking to each person in conclusion.

Proper 7 B (June 21): The Other Side of the Lake/Stormy Times

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Bible readings: 1 Samuel 17: 1a, 4-11, 19-23, 32-49 or 1 Samuel 17:57-18:5,10-16, Psalm 9:9-20 or Psalm 133, 2 Corinthians 6:1-13, Mark 4:35-41. About the Images: Upper:This is a microsoft free clipart with my text from Ephesians 2:20 - part of one of the readings for the Uniting Church in Australia's anniversary on 22nd June. Lower: This is my photo of a storm near Narooma on the Sapphire Coast of New South Wales, Australia - it goes well with the gospel reading. Please feel free to use the image. To see more of this area please visit http://www.sapphirecoast.com.au/attractions.php Listening Song: Who Am I? by Casting Crowns on their album, Casting Crowns (pictured at right) or on WOW 2005. Film Clip: Glosali Glosali is a video clip for the song Glosali sung by the group Sigur Ros on their album, Takk. It is a beautiful picture of discipleship - the risks involved and what must be left behind. You can download the clip from the Sigur Ros website. Kid's Story: The Mouse's Story By Nick Butterworth and Mick Inkpen, Marshall Pickering, 1998, ISBN 0551015780 (pictured at left). Kid's Story: The Boy With the Sling By Mary Warren and Sally Mathews, Arch Books, 1965, ISBN 0859101975 Kid's Story: Alone-The Boy Who killed a Giant Story No 20 in The Lion Book of Bible Stories and Prayers by Mary Batchelor, Lion Books, 1980, ISBN 0867602058. Drama: What Are You Afraid Of? Found in Mega Drama 4 by Verena Johnson, Open Book, 2002, ISBN 0859109186, page 55.This drama is based on the gospel reading. Drama: The Big Wave Found in Present on Earth by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 2002, ISBN 0901557642,page 43 (pictured at right). Drama: A Giant Problem Found in Let's Make A Scene For... by Verena Johnson, Open Book Publishers, 1998, ISBN 0859108937, page 44. Questions to Ponder: Based on the Gospel Reading 1. Which side of the lake are you on, the safe side or the other side? 2. Maybe you are on the way across and facing a few storms. Jesus invites each of us to cross to the other side with him. Where is he inviting you to be and what he is calling you to do for him? Discussion Questions: On the 1 Samuel Reading 1. Name together some of the Goliaths we face in our personal lives, our churches and our communities. 2. What does God equip us with so that we can face these Goliaths with confidence and courage? Response Activity: Question Cards Give everyone a business card with a David and Goliath image in the corner ir in washout and the following questions printed with enough room for people to write a short answer. I used Arial 11 and it all fitted well and was still quite readable for everybody. 1. Who or what is my Goliath? 2. What gifts, skills and talents has God given me to overcome my Goliath? 3. How does God's strength, calm, comfort and power help me to overcome my Goliath? Response Activity: Boats Found in Multi-Sensory Scripture by Sue Wallace, Scripture Union, 2005, ISBN 1844271668, page 16 (pictured at left). You could use the questions above as the questions for this activity. If your church is within walking distance of a creek or river or dam and there is no danger of drowning any of the congregation, think about REALLY floating your boats - however if you do this, make sure you make your boats out of something other than paper such as twigs and flowers ie something biodegradable and environmentally sound which won't leave a mess.

Trinity B: Who? Me?

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Readings:Isaiah 6:1-8, Romans 8:12-17 NB: Sorry most of this blog comes from three years ago - I accidently "cracked me scone" on Friday and am not allowed back at work yet. About the Image: It is a three piece jigsaw puzzle I made to use with the kids. Please feel free to use it. I made mine on A3 paper and laminated the bits. Decor: Have three candles and drape three pieces of material over the communion table - royal blue, red and gold. Psalm 29 The Voice of Christ In Australian Prayers by Bruce Prewer, Open Book, 1983, page 45.This works well with projected images. Congregational Reading: Isaiah 6:1-8 by Maggie Durran in Building Worship Together by Martha Keys Barker and the Fisherfolk, Celebration, 1983, page 38 (pictured in an earlier blog). Story: The Umbrella and the Queen in Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks by Wayne Rice, Youth Specialties, 1994, page 167 (pictured in an earlier blog). Handy Illustrations Chapter 25: On Seeing God in When God Whispers Your Name by Max Lucado, Word, 1994, page 177ff (pictured at right) has some great illustrations pertaining to the Isaiah reading. Isaiah 6 Illustration: After the mutiny on the Bounty, Fletcher Christian and his men eventually chose Pitcairn Island and arrived on 15 January 1790. They realized it was originally charted incorrectly (by about 200 miles), thus making them less likely to be found by future voyagers. Deciding to stay on the isolated island, the nine remaining mutineers, their Tahitian women, and nine other Polynesian men and women, unloaded and stripped the ship, then on 23 January set the Bounty on fire so as to hide all evidence of their whereabouts ... The mutineers had not long been on Pitcairn Island when one day Christian ,while rummaging through his sea chest when he found the Bible his mother had given him. He and John Adams often went to a lonely cave on a remote part of the island where they studied the Book. They studied it to further their education as much as anything else. After a period of four years, the community of Pitcairn had fallen in to turmoil. Fueled by homemade alcohol, disputes over women eventually resulted in the violent deaths of all of the Tahitian men and all but two of the mutineers – Adams and Young were the only two men left. Six years later Young died of asthma and Adams was left with eleven women and 23 children. One day Adams had a dream in which was the clear message: "Go and train the children in the way of Christian's Bible." Adams turned to the Bible, which led him to repentance and a new outlook on life. Using the Bible, he then educated the children, built a school and organized the community into a Christian way of life. He taught them the Scriptures and helped them obey its instructions. The message of Christ so transformed their lives that twenty years later, in 1808, when the ship Topaz landed on the island, it found a happy society of Christians living in prosperity and peace, free from crime, disease, murder and mutiny. Today, Christian's Bible, or the "Bounty" Bible, or the Pitcairn Bible is kept in the Seventh-day Adventist church, the island's only house of worship. (Robert Nicolson, The Pitcairners, University of Hawai’i Press, 1997 and Hymns of the Norfolk Islands, Seventh Day Adventist Church, 1998) Film Clip: Chocolat Sometimes people come in to God’s presence through a vision, others by dreams, some in church, some through the actions of others. The Count De Reynaud (the mayor of the city and town "gate keeper") saw his job as ridding the town of immorality and any threat to its tranquility and tradition. However, after his encounters with the chocolate maker and others in the town, after hearing the priest’s Easter Sermon, and after seeing the chocolate festival in the town square after church, something changes in him. Discusion Question: How do you know when you are in the presence of God? What are the implications of the Bible readings for us as we struggle to share our faith in meaningful ways? Listening Song: Hands and Feet by Audio Adrenaline on their album, Underdog. (pictured at left) Response Activity: Practice the presence of God. Ask people to go to a space by themselves and spend some time enjoying the presence of God. Give each person a copy of St Patricks prayer (or a bit of it anyway) to help them to concentrate. If people are getting used to doing things like this, don't have any background music. Allow people to enjoy the silence. If they are not comfortable yet, play some very quiet and soft music in the background. Allow at least five minutes for this activity. St Patricks Prayer: Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,Christ on my right, Christ on my left,Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,Christ in every eye that sees me,Christ in every ear that hears me