Contagious Sundays

Welcome to the new Sacredise Lectionary Worship Resources blog!

After years of providing worship resources linked to the Revised Common Lectionary, I finally have a dedicated place for these resources to live. Each week, on this blog, I will post summaries of the lectionary readings and reflections on the themes that emerge from them, suggestions for applying these themes to our Christian walk on both local and global scales, and links to music, prayers, liturgies, images, videos and other resources that support expressing these themes creatively, and meaningfully in worship. My primary goal in offering these resources is to help you create worship services that are contagious – not just in the sense that they are attractive and draw people into church, but in the sense that what people ‘catch’ in worship on Sunday, they will carry with them into the rest of their lives.

I work about four weeks in advance, in order to give you lots of time to prepare to use these resources well, so you may want to subscribe to the email updates and then save the emails on your system for reference when you need them. Alternatively, the site is fully searchable, so you can just search for the week you need when you need it.

So, thanks for visiting. I hope you find this to be a place you come back to often. And feel free to spread the word to anyone you know who could use these resources.

Grace

John

Proper 16C / Ordinary 21C / 13th Sunday After Pentecost

In today’s readings two significant ideas come together: “Sabbath” and “God’s Kingdom”. A true understanding of Sabbath (which links, of course, with the idea of Jubilee), must lead us into the justice, mercy, equity and inclusivity of God’s reign. In fact, one of the simplest ways to embrace a “Kingdom-lifestyle” is to begin to practice Sabbath well. That is the challenge the Lectionary offers us this week.

Perhaps I can support this with a quote from my new book The Hour That Changes Everything – How worship forms us into the people God wants us to be:

A significant part of the practice of Sabbath is aligning ourselves with God’s rhythm. As rhythm organises a piece of music in time according to speed and pattern, so Sabbath organises our lives according to God’s sense of time – God’s tempo and pattern. This is more than simply giving ourselves a breather, or allowing ourselves time to rest so that we can launch back into our busyness with renewed vigour. Sabbath is about learning to recognise the significance of moments in time. It is about learning to recognise God’s tempo and pattern for us, our community and our world, and it is about matching our pace with these eternal rhythms.

The book releases in South Africa this week, and will be available for international purchase through Amazon.com shortly. More information will be going up on the Sacredise web site this week.

May worship lead you into a life of true Sabbath-keeping this week.

READINGS:
Jeremiah 1:4-10: Jeremiah is called by God to be a prophet, but protests that he is too young. God promises to put God’s words into Jeremiah’s mouth.
OR Isaiah 58:9b-14: God promises goodness and honour for God’s people if they will act justly and honour the Sabbath.

Psalm 71:1-6: A prayer for God’s protection and care.
OR Psalm 103:1-8: A song of praise and thanksgiving for God’s forgiveness, healing and goodness.

Hebrews 12:18-29: Unlike the people of Israel who were afraid of God’s appearing at the mountain, followers of Christ have been invited into God’s grace and the joyous community of worship in Christ. We have received an unshakeable kingdom, and must be careful to listen to Christ’s words, and worship God in thankfulness.

Luke 13:10-17: Jesus heals a crippled woman on the Sabbath, incurring the criticism of the synagogue leader. Jesus points out that everyone ‘works’ on the Sabbath, and that it is right and good that she should be freed.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
Although it is only specifically mentioned in two of the readings this week, the prominence of the Sabbath in the Gospel reading, and the underlying foundations of a “Sabbath way of life” provide exciting possibilities for worship. Closely aligned with this is the word “kingdom” which comes through in a number of the readings. These two biblical words are closely related. The Sabbath is one element of the whole Jubilee system of justice and equity that God gave to Israel, ensuring sufficient rest, and – arising from the Manna story – discouraging hoarding and accumulation. The Kingdom, as best represented by the “mission statement” of Jesus in Luke 4, is also about Jubilee, about justice and equity, and about ensuring “shalom” (peace and well-being) for all. This is the unshakeable kingdom of the writer of Hebrews. This is the call of Isaiah’s prophecy, and the message of Jeremiah that will bring down unjust kingdoms and build up just ones. This is the prayer and the praise of the Psalms. In healing this crippled woman on the Sabbath, and teaching that mercy is a Sabbath-activity, Jesus embodies the justice, grace and welcome of God’s unshakeable kingdom. The theme, then, this week could be titled “God’s Sabbath Kingdom”.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: In our “time is money” world, Sabbath has lost its essential meaning. It has become nothing more than a “day off” to restore energy to get back into the fray as soon as possible. However, this is far from what the Sabbath was originally intended to be. Rather, the practice of Sabbath – both the Sabbath day, and the Sabbath Year/Jubilee – is about realignment. It is about taking ourselves out of the human system of accumulation, self-protection and self-aggrandisement, and placing ourselves under the influence of God’s rhythms, God’s priorities and God’s direction. It is not about getting back into the fray, but about living with a whole different value system – that of justice, mercy and equity. The call to live God’s Kingdom’s values is a call to live as Sabbath people, and it is this gracious kingdom alone that is unshakeable – unmoved by the temptation to benefit by exploiting others, by the threat of economic collapse, or by the ‘competition’ for resources. When we scratch the surface of our world’s economic systems, we cannot help but see the destructive results of a Sabbathless existence. Exploitation of foreign workers in order to ensure cheap labour for producing everything from chocolate and coffee to cell phones and computers, Trade regulations and subsidies that favour the rich and powerful over poor farmers and labourers in third world countries, and political decision making that is more influenced by wealthy donors and lobbyists than by the needs of the most vulnerable all leave suffering in their wake. The drivenness and hyperactivity of those who chase wealth also wreaks havoc on marriages, families and individuals. If our world needs anything in order to become more just and peaceful, it’s a return to the Sabbath-rhythms of God’s reign. This alone will bring healing to the those who have been crippled by the Satan of our broken society.

LOCAL APPLICATION: Jesus spoke about his followers being “in the world but not of it”. This was not a call to “otherworldliness” or to check out of the world as we wait for heaven. It is a reflection of the reality that as individuals and churches we face the daily temptation to adopt the broken values and practices of the world around us. It is a call to live the values and practices of God’s Sabbath Kingdom within the societies and communities in which we find ourselves. It is all too easy for us to become driven by the same idols of success, wealth and convenience that the affluent sections of our global society embrace – and all too many churches and theological systems have done just this. But, if we are to be Sabbath/Kingdom people, we are to step out of this system, embracing rather the rhythms of justice – meaningful work, joyful rest, compassionate service, generous sharing, and a commitment to equity and compassion. In small but powerful ways we can change the world by living these values in our communities – by worshipping in venues of simple reverence; by adopting technology, practices and programs for their usefulness, not their “sexiness” or fashionable-ness; by sharing what we have with the people around us, rather than using our wealth to aggrandise ourselves; by using our influence in society to ensure protection for the most vulnerable and needy among us; and by working for a more equitable society using all the tools at our disposal, from votes to prayer. Who are those who have been crippled by the weight of the world’s unjust and inequitable systems? How can we allow the Sabbath to become a healing and liberating experience for them and us?

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Rhythms Of Life
Sabbath People
Weak And Poor God

Hymn Suggestions:
Jesus Calls Us
Dear Lord And Father Of Mankind (I would prefer it if this hymn was more inclusive in its language – perhaps it could be sung as: Dear Lover of all humankind)
I Am Known
What A Friend We Have In Jesus
O Come, And Dwell In Me
Love And Justice
(Scroll down for preview and link to purchase the song)
King Of The Broken (Link to YouTube video)
Thuma Mina (Send Me) (Scroll down for
preview). Chord chart
Jubilee
(Link to Amazon.com Mp3 preview)
Chord Chart (Scroll
down for the link)
Your Grace Is Enough (Link to YouTube video)
Everlasting God (Link to YouTube video)

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for the Foretaste of the Heavenly Banquet

Video Suggestions:
The Sabbath And The Poor
Missing The Joy
We’re Alright Down Here

Year C – Advent Sunday

Below is a selection of resources and links for Advent Sunday for Year C, which, of course we celebrate on November 29. The readings speak of God’s constantly coming reign, and the need for us to be watchful to recognise it and receive it. In tough times like these, it’s good to have this reminder that God is at work even in the most tragic places in our world.

READINGS:
Jeremiah 33:14-16: God’s promise to raise up a descendant of David to reign in Israel & bring goodness, rightness & justice.

Psalm 25:1-10:  A prayer for God’s compassion, forgiveness and leading, that praises God’s righteousness, compassion & love.

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13:  Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians that they may grow in love, and have strong and holy hearts when Jesus returns.

Luke 21:25-36: Jesus speaks of the signs that show the coming of God’s reign, and calls for his followers to be watchful & alert.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
The coming of God’s reign is a central focus of this week’s readings. Through Jeremiah God promises a leader like David for God’s people. The Psalmist prays for such leadership and guidance. In his prayer for the Thessalonians, Paul asks them to place themselves under God’s reign, and to grow in love, able to show how they have lived as Jesus did when he returns. Finally, in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus calls for us to be watchful and aware of what is happening around  us, and open the the coming of God’s reign – and this does not just apply to the end, but to all times.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: The season of Advent calls us to remember the God who comes to us – past, present and future. In the light of God’s eternal reign, we cannot help but reflect on our own priorities. Our lives in this world are called to reflect values that last and that have universal value. This calls us to be aware of the signs of God’s reign that are already visible in our world – in places of peace, restoration and sacrificial service – and to be part of calling out God’s reign in other places – places of need, violence and self-interest. Projects like the Advent Conspiracy (http://www.adventconspiracy.org/) offer a great opportunity to live out our faith in God’s coming reign.

LOCAL APPLICATION: Advent reminds us that in the midst of our daily struggles and victories, there is another reality at work, one that, if we remain aware and connected to it, will fill every detail of our lives with greater meaning & purpose. As we enter this season, we are called to watch, and to look for the signs of God’s reign around us, and then to co-operate with those signs, calling them into the light, and offering our love and strength to make God’s reign even more visible in our families, churches and communities.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Watching
Expecting
O Come Emmanuel
A New World

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for Advent & Christmas

Hymns:
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
Creator Of The Stars Of Night
Lo! He Comes With Clouds Descending
How Long We’ve Waited (New Hymn)
Longing (New Hymn)
Prepare The Way (Link to MySpace video)
Come Now Is The Time (Link to YouTube video)
Father, Spirit, Jesus (Link to YouTube video)
Marvellous Light (Link to album previews – scroll down for this song)
Advent Songs by Sojourn (A great album of new interpretations and new songs for the Advent season – and it’s available free or for a donation)

Images:
A Collection of Advent Candle Images from Worship Photos
Advent from Image Bank (and the same image without the words)
Church PowerPoint Backgrounds in Advent Liturgical Colour
Advent Backgrounds at ShareFaith

Video:
The Return Of Christ (The Work Of The People)
Advent – Christmas (SermonSpice)
Advent – He Comes (SermonSpice)
Other Advent Video Resources from SermonSpice

Additional Advent Resources & Reflections:
Sacredise Advent & Christmas Page
Advent (Taylor Burton-Edwards – GBOD)
The Text This Week

Year C – Advent 2

The work of preparation continues in the Advent journey this week. With a Gospel focus on John the Baptist, preparation for God’s work of forgiveness and restoration comes through as a strong theme.

READINGS:  
Baruch 5:1-9: A prophecy of God’s restoration of Israel in justice and mercy.
OR Malachi 3:1-4: God is sending God’s messenger to prepare for God’s coming, and God’s people and God’s priests will be refined and made pure.

Luke 1:68-79: Zechariah’s song of thanksgiving for God’s rescue of Israel, and his proclamation of his son, John, as the messenger who will prepare the way for God’s coming.

Philippians 1:3-11: Paul’s prayer of thanksgiving for the Philippians, his desire for them to grow in love and purity, and his assurance that Christ will complete the work begun in them.

Luke 3:1-6: John begins his ministry of baptism and preaching, preparing the people for God’s coming.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:    
God is always coming, always available to God’s people, and always working for restoration. But, receiving God’s coming takes preparation, and so God sends a messenger to do this work, to prepare God’s people for God’s coming. The challenge in these passages is for us to embrace the work of preparation for ourselves – opening ourselves to God’s restoring, cleansing and disturbing work, and making our hearts ready for us to be messengers of God’s restorative justice and mercy to the world.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:    
GLOBAL APPLICATION: In a world where measurement happens on a quarterly basis, effective preparation is often sacrificed on the altar of expediency and immediacy. We are all too keen to declare the current recession “over” without taking the time to make the necessary changes to correct the flaws in our systems. The same applies to climate change science, addressing poverty, AIDS and conflict. The prophetic message of Advent is that we need to reflect on our brokenness as revealed in times like these, and prepare ourselves to go forward and do the necessary, lasting work of true restoration. These thoughts could apply particularly to the Climate Change Conference which starts tomorrow (Dec. 7) in Copenhagen.
LOCAL APPLICATION: How much of the day do we spend in reaction? So much pain and injustice is caused simply because we react in fear, anger, self-protection or simply impatience. However, if we can develop a prepared heart, we can more easily slow down, reflect and then act with wisdom and grace. Preparation – particularly of the heart – is restorative. It’s a proactive stance that frees us from our selves and our destructive or unhelpful patterns of behaviour and moves us into a life that more easily considers, serves and brings restoration to others. We need John’s to call us to this work of preparation & then we need to be John’s for others.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
New Days
Messengers

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for Advent & Christmas
A Liturgy of Creation and Communion (If you are picking up on the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen)

Hymns: 
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Love Divine All Loves Excelling
Hail To The Lord’s Anointed
Messenger (New Hymn)
Clear The Path (New Hymn)
Hark The Glad Sound!
God With Us (Link to YouTube video)
God Of This City (Link to YouTube video)
God Will Make A Way (Link to YouTube video)
Hear Our Praises (Link to YouTube video)
Over The Mountains And The Sea (I could sing of your love forever) (Link to YouTube video)

Video:
Recapturing Advent (The Work Of The People)
John The Baptist (SermonSpice)
A Voice In The Wilderness (The Work Of The People)

Additional Advent Resources & Reflections:
Sacredise Advent & Christmas Page
GBOD

Year C – Advent 4

The last week of Advent returns us to the beginning of John’s story, as Mary, pregnant with Jesus, visits Elizabeth, and John leaps within his mothers’ womb. Mary’s song is, of course, one of the highlights of the birth narratives, and carries a powerful justice-proclaiming message.

READINGS:
Micah 5:2-5a: A ruler for God’s people will come from Bethlehem who is a source of peace.

Luke 1:47-55: Mary’s song of praise to the God of justice and mercy.
OR Psalm 80:1-7: A prayer of repentance asking God to turn God’s people back to God and show them mercy.

Hebrews 10:5-10: Jesus’ obedience and sacrifice establishes a new covenant and makes us holy.

Luke 1:39-45 (46-55): Unborn John leaps in Elizabeth’s womb when the pregnant Mary comes to visit.
REFLECTIONS ON THEME:    
The need for repentance, and for God to ‘intervene’ in our world to bring peace, mercy and justice are the strong themes in this week’s readings. Also, there is a sense of great hope and joy because in Jesus God has ‘intervened’ and offered us grace and a new, just way to live.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: The work of repentance requires us to take responsibility for our part in the brokenness in our world, acknowledge our responsibility to others. As a society, we do this work by calling our leaders to account, and by responsible participation in the global community – by choosing to act with awareness of the implications of our actions for others. Power is found in this work as we commit to hope, and embrace the signs of growing interconnectedness and collaboration between countries, faiths and sectors of society. These are the signs of Advent in the real world.

LOCAL APPLICATION: The small acts of repentance  toward those we have hurt in our families and communities, and the small acts of turning from apathy to daily justice through learning, participating, voting and teaching, all herald God’s Advent among us in practical ways. Add to this the power of hope in God’s Spirit to empower us, and in Christ’s example to lead us, and we begin to live out the truth that small things really do make a huge difference in the world. These are the signs of Advent in our daily lives.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
In Praise Of Small Things
The Turning Dance
Magnificat

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for Advent & Christmas
A Liturgy for the Foretaste of the Heavenly Banquet

Hymns: 
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
O Little Town Of Bethlehem
Just As I Am
Joy To The World
Cradled In A Manger Meanly
Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus
A King Is Born (Link to site with previews of sheet music and mp3, and downloads available)
That’s Why We Praise Him (Link to YouTube video)
Here I Am To Worship (Link to YouTube video)
Do You Hear What I Hear? (Link to YouTube video)

Video:
Mary’s Song

Additional Advent Resources & Reflections:
Sacredise Advent & Christmas Page
GBOD

Year C – Christmas Day

This was a tough day to prepare for, for a number of reasons. One was that there are a lot of alternative readings for Christmas Day in the lectionary, so I needed to make a selection. Since I am a Methodist, and a large proportion of my readers seem to be Methodists, I decided to use the Methodist readings for this day – I hope you’ll forgive me if you’re not a Methodist and/or you are using the alternative readings. The truth is that a lot of the resources below will work for any Christmas Day service no matter what readings you are using, so I hope you’ll find something helpful here anyway.

I pray that your Christmas is a time of great celebration and great divine challenge. 

READINGS:  
Isaiah 52:7-10: Good news of the return of God’s peace, salvation and presence to Israel.

Psalm 98: A song of praise for God’s victory and salvation.

Hebrews 1:1-4(5-12): Jesus, God’s Son, radiates God’s glory, created all things and is exalted above all things.

John 1:1-14: The Word who existed in eternity with God, and through whom all things were made, has become flesh, lived among us, and revealed God’s glory to us.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:    
As is fitting, all of the Christmas readings are full of celebration and joy at God’s visitation, God’s glory revealed in Christ, and the hope of salvation that Jesus brings. The incarnation is good news, and God’s appearance among us overcomes darkness and is a manifestation of God’s victory and sovereignty.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION:  The incarnation is God’s reign revealed among us. Within the “weakness” of this Child, amazing strength is manifest – God’s refusal to buy into human political or economic systems or agendas, revealing their darkness while not being overcome by them. The incarnation, then, must call us to reject “worldly” values and strategies for implementing God’s agenda, and also refuse to allow Jesus or the faith of those who follow him to be co-opted into oppressive or exploitative agendas. This Christmas, let’s reaffirm our commitment to follow Christ alone, and our commitment to God’s hidden, peace-bringing, non-partisan ways.

LOCAL APPLICATION: The incarnation of Christ calls us to be participants in incarnation. In our communities and churches we can embody the ways of Christ, opting out of the power struggles and “worldly” use of faith/religion for political or material gains. We can embrace the hidden, agenda-less, self-giving life of Christ. And if we will renew our commitment to incarnation, we will seek and find the places that most need us to serve, heal, and reconcile while also confronting abuses of power, wealth or faith. What do you need to opt out of, oppose, or serve in your community this year?

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
Silent Night
Come Again
The Foolishness Of Faith
The Familiar Story
Great God Of Miracles And Surprises
You Have Come To Us

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for Advent & Christmas

Hymns: 
The usual Christmas Carols are easily remembered and don’t need to be listed here, so I’m just going to offer a few unusual suggestions that may complement your normal Christmas music.
Christmas Angels Medley (Just a chord chart based on selected verses and well-known tunes of these popular Carols)
A King Is Born
Little Town (Link to YouTube video of Cliff Richard’s version)
Emmanuel (Link to YouTube video)
And check out Dean McIntyre’s settings of Christmas Carols in contemporary formats at the GBOD

Video:
The Word Became Flesh
What Do You Want?
It Is Christmas
A selection of Christmas video clips from popular movies at Wingclips.com

Images:
Christmas Backgrounds from Worship Graphics
Christmas Graphics from UsingPowerPointInChurch.com
Christmas Graphics from ImageVine

Drama:
Two short dramas for children on the Sacredise Advent & Christmas page
(Scroll down to find the links)
The Foolishness of Christmas
Colours & Kings

Additional Advent Resources & Reflections:
Sacredise Advent & Christmas Page
GBOD

Year C – Christmas 1

I started this post while moving house – the movers were packing our boxes and furniture into the truck while I sat in a corner on the floor typing! I finished it today, sitting in our new home – a beautiful apartment in Sea Point, Cape Town. So, although I had hoped to get this post out earlier in the week, I’m quite pleased that I got it out at all. All, going well, things will start to settle in the next couple of weeks, and I’ll be back into normal routines. Thanks for your patience.

Also, for those who subscribe to the email updates, I have tweaked things so that the email contains the whole post and not just the teaser with the link, as it was in the past. This post will test to see if it works. Please let me know if you prefer it this way, or in the previous, abbreviated, format. Thanks.

The Sunday after Christmas (this year it’s just a couple of days later – the 27th of December) is always a tough one to prepare for. Services, in my experience, are usually quite sparsely attended, and with all the energy that went into Christmas, it can be hard to find anything inspiring for this week. But, the readings are very challenging – a simple reflection on the Christ-child growing up in grace and stature, and the obvious question that is raised – what does the “good life” look like?

READINGS:  
1 Samuel 2:18-20,26: Samuel grows under the care of Eli the priest, and his parents visit him annually when they come to the Tabernacle for the sacrifice.

Psalm 148: A psalm calling all of creation to praise the God who has strengthened God’s people.

Colossians 3:12-17: Instruction on how those who have been chosen and forgiven by God should live – in compassion, harmony and peace.

Luke 2:41-52: Mary and Joseph accidentally leave Jesus behind in Jerusalem, and return to find him in the Temple in discussion with the religious teachers. Jesus is obedient and grows in wisdom and stature.

REFLECTIONS ON THEME:
Like Samuel before him, and for those who seek to follow him, Jesus is the example of a life well lived – in humility, obedience, forgiveness, peace and growth in character, in spirit and in compassion. At the heart of this “good” life, is the constant attitude of reverence and praise for the God who guides and strengthens us to live the best life possible.

CONNECTING WITH LIFE:
GLOBAL APPLICATION: The Western world has long chased the dream of “the good life”, and has called other nations and people to aspire to the same dream. However, the cost of this “good life” has been shown to be way too high – for the planet that cannot sustain our high levels of consumption and waste, for poorer nations who have given up resources and have given their bodies in cheap labour to sustain the lifestyles of the wealthy, and for the wealthy themselves, who have discovered, after attaining the “dream” that it fails to satisfy the inner longing, and is, anyway, a fragile and easily lost lifestyle – as the economic crisis has shown. Our world desperately needs to redefine what “the good life” really is – in the terms that were modelled by Jesus: simplicity, humility, compassion, peace and reverence.

LOCAL APPLICATION: Every community knows the pain, frustration and disillusionment of those who have chased “the good life” and “failed”, and of those who have “succeeded” and found only despair. The pain is material, relational, communal and, of course, spiritual. The Church has a calling and a privilege in being able to offer an alternative “good life” – a Jesus-modelled life. Perhaps this Sunday would be a good time to repent of the ways we have allowed the world’s view of the good life to infiltrate our places of worship and our spiritual teaching, while also committing again to live and share the kind of good life that Jesus offers and teaches.

RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP:
Prayers:
The Life That Is Truly Good
A Goodness Worth Pursuing

Hymns: 
All Creatures Of Our God And King
Jesus, Lord, We Look To Thee
O Master, Let Me Walk With Thee
Dear Jesus, In Whose Life I See
Be Thou My Vision
(A gender inclusive version of the lyrics is available here)
And a contemporary version: Be Now My Vision
Give Thanks
Let Me Shine (You can download the chord chart here – scroll down for the link – and listen to a preview of the song here).
All The Way My Saviour Leads Me
What Can I Do
Shine

Liturgy:
A Liturgy for the Eucharist

Video:
Jesus: Man of the Streets
Follow Me

Images:
Forest Path