The Celebration of the Gospel
September 27, 2015 —18th Sunday after Pentecost
If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off;
it is better for you to enter life maimed
than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire.
— Mark 9.43
_______ We Gather as The Body of Christ_______
GREETING
PRELUDE Meditation on “Be Thou My Vision” Robert Lau
[As we listen to the music we quiet our minds and bodies,
listen for our hearts’ deepest desires,
and become present to the Holy One who is lovingly present for us.]
* CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: Creator God,
All: you are enough.
Loving Christ,
we need no other.
Breath of Life,
you satisfy us. We rest in you.
We worship you with praise and gratitude. Alleluia!
* SONG The Fragrance of Christ Black hymnal # 2205
(10:30) CHILDREN’S TIME
___________ We Attend to the Word___________
(10:30) THE WORD IN SONG Halle, Halle, Halle Hal H. Hopson
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Pastor: The grace of God be with you.
Congregation: And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, let us confess our sin to God with one another.
God of love, help us to see ourselves with the eyes of love,
to see all that is in us that is loving,
and all that is not loving.
By the grace you show us in Christ,
receive us, forgive us, heal us, and perfect your love in us.
SILENT PRAYER … THE WORD OF GRACE
RESPONSE Alleluia Black hymnal #2014
PRAYER OF THE DAY
God of peace, still our anxious hearts. Calm our wandering minds. Relax our tense hands. Open our waiting souls. Speak to us your Word of Life, and give us your Spirit. Amen.
NEW TESTAMENT James 5.13-16
[The writer celebrates the power of prayer and invites us to be a community of honesty, prayer and healing.]
Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.
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PSALTER Psalm 124
[God’s saving power has helped us escape destructive forces.]
If it had not been the Lord who was on our side —let Israel now say—
if it had not been the Lord who was on our side,
when our enemies attacked us,
then they would have swallowed us up alive,
when their anger was kindled against us;
then the flood would have swept us away,
the torrent would have gone over us;
then over us would have gone the raging waters.
Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth.
We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers;
the snare is broken, and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
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GOSPEL Mark 9.38-50
[ Jesus’ disciples want to stop someone who is healing people in Jesus’ name, but who is not one of his followers. Jesus tells them to allow the man to continue his work. His interest is not which group the man belongs to, but the ministry that he is doing. He then offers a startling teaching about eliminating what causes us to sin, even though it feels like part of us. He says we will be salted with fire—suffused with God’s purifying, saving, life-giving grace.]
John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.
“If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.
“For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
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SERMON
SONG Take, O Take Me As I Am John Bell
Take, O take me as I am,
summon out what I shall be
set your seal upon my heart
and live in me.
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
[Anyone who wishes may share a prayer at the microphone.]
THE PRAYER OF JESUS (A paraphrase)
O Divine Parent, Giver of Life,
whose presence is holiness,
may our hearts be in you.
Transform the world
according to your delight:
make all the earth your holy place.
Give us each moment that moment’s breath.
Give us your gift of forgiveness,
that receiving it deeply we may give it freely.
Transform our desires,
and free us from evil powers.
For all that is, and all power, and all beauty
are yours, now and forever. Amen.
PASSING THE PEACE
______ We Are Sent in Ministry to the World_____
OFFERING OUR GIFTS Revive Us Again John Husband, arr: Charity Book Putnam
* OFFERING SONG Spirit of the Living God Blue hymnal #393
* PRAYER
Gracious God, we give you these gifts as symbols of our lives. Receive them with love, bless them with grace and use them according to your will. Help us by your Spirit to let go of our desires and attachments and live in gratitude and generosity for the sake of your desire for the healing of the world, in the name of Christ. Amen.
THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD
* SONG O Come and Dwell in Me Blue hymnal #388
* THE BLESSING AND SENDING FORTH
RESPONSE We stand and sing to our neighbors:
May the grace and peace of Christ be with you my friends.
Go and share the love of God, love that never ends.
POSTLUDE O Worship The King Tune: HANOVER, arr: David Cherwien
[During the postlude there are people ready to pray with you at the candles in the corners.]