Worship Service Resources
Option 1 — Growing Healthy Christian Families
Prepared by Phil Carlos Archbold, Pastor, Brooklyn (N.Y.) First Church
Worship Service Resources
Option 1 — Growing Healthy Christian Families
Prepared by Phil Carlos Archbold, Pastor, Brooklyn (N.Y.) First Church
Call to Worship*
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One:
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Brethren, let us arise, let us shine, because the "Light of the World" has come.
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All:
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The glory of the Lord has risen upon each of us.
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One:
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Yes, darkness covers the earth and has also covered its peoples.
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All:
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Remember that the Lord has risen upon us, and his glory surrounds us.
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One:
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People from all nations and lands, from all parts of the world are coming, seeking the "Light of the World,"
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All:
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And even the rulers, kings and potentates acknowledge the dawn.
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One:
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Men and women, boys and girls, husbands and wives, sons and daughters, grandfathers and grandmothers, and people from every walk of life are coming, seeking the "Light of the World."
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All:
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The glory of the Lord has risen, truly, upon each of us.
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Drawn from Isaiah 60:1-3
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Opening Prayer*
Dear Heavenly Father, together, we pray that your presence may be felt among us as we gather as families, loved ones and friends, to worship you and to lift up your name. Help us now as we embark on new paths, to see each new day of this week with a new perspective. May we seek to build strong relationships in our homes as well as in our neighborhoods, communities, at the workplace and wherever our journeys may take us this week. May we see our responsibilities to our families with a clearer vision and, then, may this spill over to those around us. Help us to realize your divine plan and may you lead us to our place in that plan. Bless us as we meet and revive our spirits, Lord, as we worship. Amen.
Suggested Hymns*
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No. 355+
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Savior, like a shepherd lead us
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No. 418+
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Move in our midst
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No. 624+
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O perfect love
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(Although this is usually used at weddings, it is good to remind couples and families of their love for each other.)
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Prayer of Thanks*
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One:
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For all the experiences we have had bringing us to this day,
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All:
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Lord, we give thee thanks
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One:
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For everything we have learned on the journey thus far,
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All:
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Lord, we give thee thanks
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One:
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For the family members we love and all those who have loved us in return,
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All:
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Lord, we give thee thanks
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One:
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For our parents, our wives and husbands, our sons and daughters,
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All:
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Lord, we give thee thanks
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One:
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For joy and sadness, times of quiet and times of singing,
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All:
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Lord, we give thee thanks
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One:
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For the love of our Heavenly Father and for the peace that his Son Jesus Christ gives,
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All:
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Lord, we give thee thanks. Amen!
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A Scriptural Responsive Reading
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One:
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Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
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All:
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For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church. He himself being the Savior of the body.
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One:
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But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.
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All:
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Husbands, love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for it,
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One:
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So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies.
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All:
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He who loves his own wife loves himself;
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One:
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For no one ever hated his flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church.
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All:
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Because we are members of his body.
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One:
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For this cause, a man shall leave his father and mother and shall cleave to his wife and the two shall become one flesh. (Ephesians 5:22-25, 28-31)
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All:
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Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
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One:
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Honor your father and mother which is the first commandment with a promise,
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All:
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That it may be well with you and that you may live long on the earth.
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One:
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And fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:1-4)
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All:
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Train up a child in the way they should go, even when they are old they will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6)
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Suggested Sermon and Simple Outline: Growing Healthy Christian Families
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Closing Prayer*
Loving God, give us clean hands, clean words, clean thoughts, clean motives and a stronger desire to love our families even as you have loved us. Protect our homes and keep us from habits that will harm our family life and destroy our homes and our bodies. Help us to demonstrate your kind of love on a daily basis, in the home and on the street, so that, others seeing us, may come to know you as their Savior also. Do send us occasions when we can do good to someone else and, thus doing, may we grow more like you. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.
*Those who are able may stand.
+Hymn from the Hymnal, A Worship Book.
Option 2 — Jesus' Life: A Transformation of Family
Prepared by Robert Blake, Program and Field Staff, Association of Brethren Caregivers, Elgin, Ill.
Opening Call*
Hymnal, A Worship Book, No. 683
Vocal Call*
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No. 15+
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O Prince of peace
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Unison Prayer*
Lord, make us instruments of your peace
In this, our church community and faith family.
Help us be aware of the needs of our brothers and sisters.
Where there is anger, let us show love.
Where there is injury, let us offer pardon.
Where there is despair, let us bring hope.
Where there is darkness, let us be as light.
Where there is sadness, let us be consoling.
Where there is loneliness, let us bring people together.
Help us comfort one another.
Help us understand one another.
Help us to love one another.
Show us how to be your people.
We who are brothers and sisters in this faith family. Amen.
Gathering Hymn*
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No. 21+
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All praise to our redeeming Lord
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Scripture Reading
Luke 2:41-51
Time of Sharing
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Sharing of joys and concerns
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Sharing the peace
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(Peace to you, my brother; or Peace to you, my sister.)
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Scripture Reading
Matthew 2:46-50
Jesus' Life: A Transformation of Family
Ernest Boyer pointed out that the disciples were not the only ones who were called to walk with Jesus. Prior to his birth, Mary and Joseph were called as well. (Matt.1:18ff) "The disciples were called to follow Jesus; Mary and Joseph were called to feed him. The disciples were called to learn from Jesus, Mary and Joseph to teach him to speak; the disciples to stand beside him, Mary and Joseph to help him stand. The disciples were called to suffer with Jesus the pain of his death so that he might give the gift of life. Mary and Joseph were called to suffer for him the pain of birth so that he might give the gift of love" (Boyer, 1984:17, A Way in the World). Throughout his life, Jesus related to two families; his family of birth/adoption and his faith family — those who do the will of God.
The Role of Community in Family Support
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For more information on this theme, see Family Ministry: A Comprehensive Guide by Diana R. Garland - InterVarsity Press, 1999.
Offering Hymn
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No. 362+
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Help us to help each other
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Offering
Offering Prayer
Hymnal, A Worship Book, No. 751
Closing Hymn*
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No. 492+
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God of Eve and God of Mary
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Benediction*
*Those who are able may stand.
+Hymn from the Hymnal, A Worship Book.
Option 3 — The Great Handoff
Prepared by Randy Cosner, Pastor, Briery Branch Church, Dayton, Va.
Emphasis
Families are the most important connection from one generation to the next. We must be diligent to pass on to our children and our grandchildren the faith and teachings of the Bible.
Invocation*
Dear Heavenly Father, you have given us a great faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. This faith has given us strength to enter into life with boldness. We believe that the Lord has a plan and propose for us as we live. As parents, a vital goal we have is to pass the teachings of our faith on to our children. This is imperative for their lives and priceless for their eternity. Our children will need courage that comes from trusting God. We all need guidance and direction to know which way to go and what to do. Grant us Lord, the equipping and knowledge to effectively lead our children in the ways of Jesus. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Litany*
Hymnal, A Worship Book, No. 808
(Could be used as a unison reading with congregation.)
Sermon Outline — The Great Handoff
Paul compared the Christian life to a race. In keeping with this analogy, it could be said that parents are in a relay race with the goal of making a clean handoff of their faith to their children.
To make a great handoff . . .
Closing Thought
In heaven an important thing will be to have all of our family members with us, even through the generations.
Hymns*
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No. 74+
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We would extol thee
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No. 398+
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I love to tell the story
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No. 343+
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My hope is built on nothing less
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No. 366+
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God of grace and God of glory
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Worship Resource
Hymnal, A Worship Book, No. 696
Benediction*
Hymnal, A Worship Book, No. 738
*Those who are able may stand.
+Hymn from the Hymnal, A Worship Book.
Option 4 — Celebrate the Strength and Diversity of Families
Prepared by Deborah Miller, Washington City Church, Washington, D.C.
Purpose
To celebrate and affirm the strengths of families while recognizing the wide diversity of family structures and styles, to facilitate dialogue between our church's understanding of family and the current culture, to identify points of tension and harmony.
Texts
Revelation 21:1-6, John 13:31-35
Invocation Prayer*
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Leader:
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Creator of kin and Creator of stranger
Open our minds to your word. |
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Men:
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Teach us the meaning of our relation to our blood and to our home.
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Children:
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Help us with our understanding of the uniqueness of our name.
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Women:
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Who we are and where we come from mirrored from you and mirrored again.
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Over 40:
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Enter us now and stir in our being a mission to serve and a vision to see
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Under 40:
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What lies in store for our families and loved ones. What possibilities families can be.
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Parents:
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Alert us to the broken relations crippling our communities, paralyzing our lives
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Aunts:
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Strengthen our will to reconcile justly and to honor our own worth as you made us — glorified.
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Uncles:
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Awake us to churches without "family"
A collection of persons with no root in you. |
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All:
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Revive us to love and know one another in ways that celebrate and make all things new. Amen.
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Litany of Confession and Commitment*
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Reader 1:
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Families hurt and families take
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All:
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Families can also love and give.
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Reader 2:
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Families abandon and families injure
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All:
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Families can also nurture and heal.
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Reader 3:
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Families betray and families give up
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All:
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Families can also commit for life.
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Reader 4:
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Families break-up and move apart
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All:
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Families can also mend and grow.
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Reader 5:
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Families judge and families insult
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All:
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Families can also accept and forgive.
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Reader 5:
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Will you help me know forgiveness?
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Reader 4:
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Can you help me mend and grow?
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Reader 3:
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Will you teach me about commitment?
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Reader 2:
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Can you help me nurture and heal?
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Reader 1:
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Will you teach me love and service?
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All:
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All through Christ who makes things new.
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Sermon Outline/Questions to Address
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Family Blessing
(If you are able, please stand as you hear your role described.)
Blessings to parents, grandparents, and cousins, uncles and aunts, and daughters and sons, nephews and nieces and partners and friends. Sisters and brothers through blood or through Christ, bonded together in service and love. Blessings to you who care for the young, up in the night with sickness and tears. Blessings to you who work everyday building a home for God's love to be. Blessings to you who break from the mold, challenging, questioning, blazing the trail. Blessings to you who nurture and keep the dates of our lives, our births and deaths. Blessings to you who lives God's commandment "to love one another just as I have loved you."
Hymns*
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No. 490+
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Lord of the home
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No. 323+
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Beyond a dying sun
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No. 299+
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New earth, heavens new
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No. 14+
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Come, we that love the Lord
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No. 640+
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This is the day of new beginnings
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No. 433+
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Go, my children
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Sending or Benediction*
Go with the knowledge that we all are connected.
Go with excitement of our interdependence.
Go with the promise that connects us as a family.
Go in the joy of all ages and sizes.
Go in the peace that comforts us all.
Go in the love of Christ's promise to you that Jesus continues to make all things new.
*Those who are able may stand.
+Hymn from the Hymnal, A Worship Book.
Option 5 — The Importance of Fellowship and Family
Prepared by Beth Sollenberger Morphew, Church of the Brethren General Board Staff, Goshen, Ind.
Scripture References
Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all people. Acts 2:46-47a
I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:5-7
Call to Worship*
People of God, look around, see the faces of those we know and love — neighbors, friends, sisters and brothers, a family of kindred hearts.
People of God, look around, see the faces of those we hardly know — strangers, forgotten friends, the ones who need an outstretched hand.
People of God, look around and glimpse the images of God assembled here, in me, in you, in each of us, God's spirit shines for all to see.
People of God, come. Let us worship together.
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–Ann Asper Wilson in Worship: Inclusive Language Resources.
Copyright 1977 United Church of Christ Office for Church Life and Leadership |
Prayer of Thanksgiving*
God, we give thanks for those people in our lives that have helped to shape us into the people we are. They include the parents who gave us birth and the people that have nudged and guided us to be who we are today. We thank you for those who guided us through childhood, stood by us in tough times and challenged us to stretch and grow. We remember and give thanks.
God, we pray for those who are important to us that are struggling. Those who are lonely and those who are hurting, and those who mourn. We remember and seek your presence on their behalf.
God, we pray confessing the times we have hurt people that we love. Words blurted in anger, thoughtless deeds, and silence, when we could have made a difference, are moments we aren't proud of. We remember and seek your forgiveness.
God, we give thanks that family means related by birth, family means that mysterious way you have of sending us friends that are incredibly special, family means people who challenge us to be more than we are, people that tolerate our everyday idiosyncrasies and those who love us in ways that remind us of you. Thank you God for families. Amen.
Hymns*
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No. 307+
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Will you let me be your servant
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No. 7+
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Here, O Lord, your servants gather
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No. 305+
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Where charity and love prevail
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Children's Story
(For the record, it is fiction. Tell the story while holding a plate with one brownie on it.)
When I was a little girl our family used to gather at my Great-aunt Sally's house to do big projects, like canning peaches. Have any of you ever canned peaches? Canning peaches is hot, sticky work, and in our kitchen sometimes the syrup would spill and everything would go "Swiiiik" because every step would stick to the floor. And my aunts would be working very hard, and there was no place for a little girl who felt too old to play and too little to be much help. But there was one job that I knew was mine. When you can peaches you have to slip the skins off the fruit and take out the seeds and eventually you have a pan of junk and those scraps have to be taken outside and thrown over the fence. And that was my job.
So, that day when everyone was busy on the kitchen getting ready for lunch, I took the scrap pan out without being asked. I thought no one noticed. When we gathered around the table and Great-aunt Sally said the prayer, she included a line that said, "Thank you God for a little girl who took the scraps out without being asked." That felt very good to me.
At the end of the meal we had brownies for dessert. My Great-aunt Sally made the best brownies. They were thick and chewy with nuts in them and icing on the top. When we had passed the plate around and everyone was finished there was still one brownie on the plate. It came back to Great-aunt Sally and she said, "It would be silly to put that one brownie away, let's share it." So she cut that brownie into 23 pieces and passed it around the table, and everyone ate another crumb.
Great-aunt Sally died that winter. But the next spring we all gathered again at her husband's house to fix a fence. We took a break in the morning and my Aunt Nancy had a pan of brownies to share. While we stood on the porch eating brownies and drinking milk we told Great-aunt Sally stories. What story do you think I remembered? The day Great aunt Sally prayed for a little girl who took out the scraps without being asked!
Don't you think we should divide this brownie and share it? (Cut up brownie into as many pieces as there are children and pass it around.)
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for people who see the good in us, help us see the good in other people. Amen.
Illustration
Sometimes love is hard to recognize!
My Mom has always been the person to take care of family members and traditions. Since she has begun spending winters in Florida, I have inherited the task of preparing and hosting Thanksgiving dinner. This was my fifth year of the feast of the turkey and it was even bigger than usual with extra guests joining the family. But I had everything under control; turkey in the smoker, dressing, ham, potatoes, vegetables, rolls, and dessert all right on schedule. Managing a restaurant is my day job! I sat down for a few minutes and the phone rang. I knew it would be Mom checking in: "It's time to get up! Is the turkey in the oven? Is everything ready? What are you serving?" It was a short quiet time!
We had just settled into our places at the table when the phone rang. After talking with everyone around the table, Mom ended with a reminder to me to check my email for the Thanksgiving greeting she and Dad had sent to us all.
My family had left, the dishes were finished and I was back to the easy chair to savor the day when the phone gave its familiar ring. Mom had a few more questions about the day she had missed. (Shared by Wanda Gall, New Paris, Ind.)
Benediction*
Go surrounded by God's love. See that love in the faces of family with whom you live and work and play. Share that love with all you meet.
*Those who are able may stand.
+Hymn from the Hymnal, A Worship Book.
Option 6 — Welcome All Who Bear the Name of Christ
Prepared by Christy J. Waltersdorff, Pastor, York Center Church, Lombard, Ill.
Purpose
In our society, when we speak of "family" we tend to think of a mom, a dad and a couple of children. The church must encourage its members to think of "family" in a richer and larger sense. "Family" can mean many types of groupings, such as a single person who lives alone, a group of friends who share a home, a childless couple, a single parent with children, two parents with children, etc.
As Christians, we are members of God's family; brothers and sisters to one another; connected to people around the world who carry Christ in their hearts. When we narrow our definition we narrow our ability and our desire to welcome all of God's children into the church.
Scripture Focus
Psalm 22:22-31 (especially verse 27, "all the families of the nations shall worship before him.")
Matthew 25:31-46 (especially verse 40, "'Just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.")
Galatians 6:9-10 (especially verse 10, "let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.")
Call to Worship*
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One:
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We gather with joy as the family of faith! We gather to worship our God, who calls us to live as brothers and sisters.
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All:
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We offer our praise to the one who brings us together; the one who breaks down the barriers that divide us from one another.
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One:
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Lift up your hearts with thanksgiving to our gracious and loving God. Through God's grace and mercy we are indeed one family.
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All:
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Thanks be to God who gathers us together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wing. Let us worship with joy!
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Invocation*
Holy and loving God, we are grateful for your presence among us in this place. As we gather to worship as your children, help us to celebrate our bonds as sisters and brothers in Jesus Christ. Give us the wisdom to see beyond our differences and the courage to welcome all of your children to your sanctuary. Help us to remember that as we love and care for those around us, we love and care for you. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.
Litany*
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One:
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Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so thatyou will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (Genesis 12:1-3)
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All:
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Families come in all shapes, colors and sizes. Some are small and some are large. Some are wealthy and some are poor. Some are joyful and some are sad.
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One:
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God calls us, as the church, to be a family to one another;
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Women:
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to provide support;
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Men:
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and love;
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Children:
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to provide guidance;
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Teenagers:
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and wisdom.
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One:
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We are called to uplift and encourage one another;
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Women:
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to show kindness and compassion;
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Men:
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to show care and concern;
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Children:
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to have fun;
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Teenagers:
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and to worship and pray together.
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One:
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Let us give thanks to God for making us a family in the name of Jesus Christ.
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All:
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Let us give thanks to God for the families that surround us. Let us pray for healing and wholeness for all of God's children, for all of God's families.
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Sermon Outline
The text from the gospel of Matthew offers rich possibilities for a sermon. Although this text is often used as a means of emphasizing our call to service, it can also speak quite clearly to our call to be a "family" to one another. The church quite often ignores those in our midst who do not fit the narrow definition of family. When we have a "family" event at the church, we do not see that many people feel left out if they do not have parents or children to bring. On Mother's Day and Father's Day when we acknowledge only those who have children, we cause a great deal of pain for others who are childless, or for those whose childhood was filled with abuse and pain.
These words from Matthew along with the text from Galatians, call us to see all of God's children as our sisters and brothers. They call us to welcome all who bear the name of Christ into our midst and into our life together.
Family Blessing*
(Invite all present to hold hands. If possible, ask the congregation to form a circle around the sanctuary.)
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Pastor:
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May the God who has called us together open our hearts to welcome and celebrate the wonderful diversity of families in our midst.
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May the God who has called us together bless our individual families, our families of origin and the families we hope to create in the future — with wholeness, peace, and grace.
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May the God who has called us together bless this family of faith with unity, harmony and joy.
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Hymns*
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No. 89+
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For the beauty of the earth
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No. 492+
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God of Eve and God of Mary
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No. 322+
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For we are strangers no more
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No. 306+
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In Christ there is no East or West
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No. 305+
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Where charity and love prevail
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Benediction*
Go with peace, knowing that you belong to this family of faith.
Go with joy, knowing that you are a member of God's family.
Go with hope, and welcome others into this circle, so that they might also know that they belong.
Amen.
*Those who are able may stand.
+Hymn from the Hymnal, A Worship Book.
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