Proper 8 C (June 27): Freedom, Discipleship, Memory

There is a 2022 version of this blog with lots more resources - see my archive at left

Bible Readings: 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14, Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20, Galatians 5:1, 13-25, Luke 9:51-62 About the images: Upper: A microsoft free clip art image with my text. Lower: My photo - please feel free to use it for worship purposes. Listening Song: Edge of the World By Iona on their CD, Beyond These Shores (pictured at right). A song about discipleship. Listening Song: Libera By Libera on their CD, Libera. A song about God's presence. Listening Song: Free By Ginny Owens on Without Condition, 1999 or WOW 2001. Kid's Story: Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge Written by Mem Fox and illustrated by Julie Vivas Omnibus Books, 1984, ISBN 1862913471. (pictured at left) It is about memory so goes well with Psalm 77. Video Clip: Home Alone The scene where Kevin discovers that he is home alone - the freedom he discovers is his and his celebration of that. Discussion: On "Home Alone". What does freedom mean to Kevin? What does freedom mean to you? Does physical freedom necessarily mean true freedom? Why or why not? Film Clip: Noelle Show the clip where the two priests discuss praying - I found this clip at Wingcips (see my links at left). Discussion: Noelle 1.What does this clip tell us about praying, priorities, fellowship and judging others? 2. What do you think about these things? 3. What does Jesus say about these things? Quote: Karl Barth To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world. Quote: John Ruskin He who offers God second place offers God no place. Drama: The Robbery Found in Let's Make A Scene Too by Verena Johnson, Lutheran Publishing House, 1991, ISBN 085910608X, page 44 (pictured in an earlier blog). Based on Galatians 5:22. Discussion: On Luke reading What are the things that distract us today from following Jesus? Poem: When I Became a Christian Found in Clearing Away the Rubbish by Adrian Plass, Minstral, 1989, ISBN 1854240250, page 175ff (pictured at right). A poem about discipleship. Give a copy of this poem to each person in the congregation together with a coloured pencil and encourage them to find a place by themselves to read the poem and colour over the words that mean the most to them. Story: The Testimony of Wing Commander Edward Howell Found in Your Point Being? by Graham H. Twelftree, Monarch Books, 2003, ISBN 1854245929, story no. 270 (pictured in an earlier blog). Adult Response: Have enough fruit shaped lollies (candy) or stickers with fruit on them for everybody in the congregation to have one. Put them in easy reach of people but do not give them out. Ask everybody to look at the list of the fruit of the Spirit again. Ask them to chose the one from the list that they most need in their life at the moment. Read out the list one more time but with long pauses between each fruit of the Spirit. Ask people to take a fruit lolly or a sticker when you get to the one they want. Ask the rest of the congregation to pray for those people as they eat their lolly or stick their sticker somewhere obvious (lapel? forehead? cheek? whatever?)

Proper 7 C (June 20): Time Out

There is a 2022 version of this blog with lots more resources - see my archive at left

Bible Readings: 1 Kings 19:1-15a, Psalm 42 and 43, Galatians 3:23-24, Luke 8:26-39. About the Images: Upper: Microsoft free clip art with my text. Lower: My image - please feel free to user it for worship purposes. Call To Worship:Elijah Meditation Found in "Meeting God" in He Was in the World by John L. Bell, Wild Goose Publications, 1995, ISBN 094798870X, page 67 (pictured at left) Opening Response: In Quietness and Darkness Found in Present on Earth by The Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 20028, ISBN 0901557642, page 32 (pictured at right) Listening song: Deep Calling Deep By Margaret Becker (and Charlie Peacock) on her album Grace or on WOW 1996 (pictured in an earlier blog) Prayer: Psalm 42 or 43 Have Psalm 42 or 43 on a screen or on a handout for everybody. Ask people to work in groups of three or four and write a two sentence prayer together. Have the first sentence describe something that makes our hearts seethe in turmoil (43:5 and a number of other verses in both psalms) and the second sentence ask God for forgiveness or help with this. Depending on the size of your congregation, either ask one person from each group to read out their prayer for the benefit of all or ask for five or six groups to volunteer to share their prayers. Poem: Listening by Brian Wren and found in Resources for Preaching and Worship - Year C compiled by Hannah Ward and Jennifer Wild, Westminster John Knox Press, 2003, ISBN 066422508X, page 194 (pictured in an earlier blog). This works really well with projected images and music. I Kings Reading: The verses of the old chorus Be Still and Know That I am God fit well with this reading. Have pauses in the reading where the relevant verse is sung. Theme Idea: Time Out: God Restores Us... 1. When Others Hurt Us: Use the story of Elijah found in 1 Kings 19. 2. When We Hurt Ourselves: Use the story of Johnny Cash in the Nickajack Cave found in Spiritual Journeys by Jason Boyett, Relevant Books, 2003, ISBN 0972927603, page 13 (pictured at right) 3. When We Hurt for No Apparent Reason: Use the Luke story. Quote: Mother Teresa "We all long for heaven where God is but we have it in our power to be in heaven with Him right now - to be happy with Him at this very moment. But being happy with him now means: loving as He loves, helping as He helps, giving as He gives, serving as He serves, rescuing as He rescues, being with him for all the twenty four hours, touching Him in His distressing disguise. (A Gift For God) Adult Response: Time Out This will only work in places where you have available a sweet/lolly/candy (whatever your word is) called a Time Out. They come in two sizes here in Australia and I bought enough of the small ones so that everyone in the congregation could have one. Then I said something alone the lines of: These readings challenge us in two ways; 1. They encourage us to take time out to spend time with God. God wants us to know that time spent seeking God, saying what is on our minds and revealing how we are feeling is not time wasted. The challenge for us is to make the time. Take the Time Out home, find a space in your day, and as you eat the Time Out, spend time with God. Make sure you put the empty wrapper somewhere where it will remind to take time out for God. 2. In each story the person is encouraged to go back into their communities to share their experience of god with others. When you sit at home in your small quiet space with God and your Time Out, remember to listen to God and discover where God is calling you to share your particular experiences.