Saturday, June 19, 2021

Proper 8 B (June 27): Come back!

 























Bible Readings: 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27, Psalm 130, 2 Corinthians 8:7-15, Mark 5:21-43

About the images:
Upper Left: This is my photo - please feel free to use it for worship and other related activities.
Upper Right: This is a free image from www.heartlight.com - a useful and well set up site for images related to scripture - see my links column at left.
Middle Left: A free image from church galleries - see my link column at left
Middle Right: This is my image of part of Ninety Mile Beach near Lake Tyers in Far East Gippsland (for more info, visit http://www.australia.com/en/places/gippsland/vic-90-mile-beach.htmlPlease feel free to use this image for worship and related activities.
Lower Left: Psalm 130: waiting for the morning at our place.  Please feel free to use this image for worship and related activities. 
Lower Right: This is another free image from www.heartlight.com

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 (pictured at right) or on WOW 2000 .

Confession/AbsolutionPsalm 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 (pictured at left).

Useful Quote: Romeo and Juliet
Act 2 Scene 2 Line 67: "For stony limits cannot hold love out".

Film Clip: Out of the Depths
By Sinead O'Connor on her album, Theology (thanks to Natalie Sims from Singing from the Lectionary - see my link column at left - for this suggestion). I had forgotten this song was on this album.  Theology is a remarkable double album with live and studio versions of each song.  I love it.

  

Story: Coming Home
Found in Hot Illustrations for Youth talks by Wayne Rice, Youth Specialties, 1994, ISBN 0310402611, page 75 (pictured at right). 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). This fits well with any of the readings when you are thinking of using a lament.

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.

Multiple Resources: Who Touched Me? Why Bother?
An excellent set of resources for all ages and various parts of a worship service based on the gospel reading.  These can be found in Question Mark by Beth Barnett, Scripture Union, 2009 - look up Session 3 or the title in the four different sections within the book. 

Also:

Poem: Phoning Home
This poem is based on the Psalm and found in The Electric Bible by Peter Dainty, Kevin Mayhew, Suffolk, 2003, ISBN 1844170411, page 69 (pictured at right).

Prayer: About Change
Parts of this prayer are directly related to the gospel reading.  It is found in  Before the Amen: Creative Resources for Worship by Marin C and Maria I Tirabassi (Eds), The Pilgrim Press, 2007, ISBN 9780829817508, page 177 (pictured at left).

Meditation: Watching
Found in Meditations from the Iona Community by Ian Reid, Wild Goose Publications, Trowbridge, 1998, ISBN 1901557022, page 36. This is based on the Psalm.

Poem/Meditation: The Haemorrhaging Woman
By John Bell in Dandelions and Thistles: Biblical Meditations from the Iona Community by Jan Sutch Pickard (ed.) Wild Goose Publications, 1999, ISBN 1901557146, page 76 (pictured at left). This goes well with the Mark reading.

Drama: Who Touched Me?
Found in Mega Drama 4 by Verena Johnson, Open Book, 2002, ISBN 0859109186, page 68. This drama is based on the gospel reading.

Complete Service based on all the readings: There will be no barriers between us and God
Found in In this Hour by Dorothy McRae-McMahon, Desbooks, 2001, ISBN 094982433X, page 64ff. 

Meditation: Testimony and Prayer of Three Anonymous Children
Found in He Was in the World by John L. Bell, Wild Goose Publications, 1995, ISBN 094798870X, page 74 and based on the gospel reading.

Meditation: There is One Among Us
Found in Present on Earth by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 2002, ISBN 0 901557 64 2, page 130ff.  This is based on the Mark reading.

Meditation: Disciples of Christ
Found in Present on Earth by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 2002, ISBN 0 901557 64 2, page 76ff.  This is based on the Mark reading.

Meditation: Women On The Way
Found in Present on Earth by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose Publications, 2002, ISBN 0 901557 64 2, page 145ff.  This is based on the Mark reading.

Prayer After Divorce, Moving House, Changing Churches
By Sue Henley and found in Before the Amen by Maren C Tirabassi and Maria I. Tirrabassi (Eds), Pilgrim Press, Cleveland, 2007, ISBN 978 0 8298 1750 8, page 177. Based on the Mark reading.


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