Worship Order for Sunday

Long Green Valley Church of the Brethren
Long Green & Kanes Rds., near Glen Arm, Md.
November 13, 2011
Worship 10:00 am              Sunday School 11:10am
 

      But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.”  (Matthew 25:18)

  Beginning with Praise (9:50 am)          "O God, our help in ages past"           328
  Announcements
  Prelude

  Led into worship by a psalm                                  we read responsively #819

*Hymn                             "For the beauty of the earth"                                 89

*Opening Prayer

  Scripture                            1 Thessalonians 5:1-11               (from The Message)

  Deacon Commissioning

  Sharing a joy, a concern, a word of testimony or praise
                                 (please be brief, and aware of God's listening presence)

  Hymn                                  "Soon and very soon"                                     611

  Pastoral Prayer (mp3)

  Scripture                             Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18

  Returning our Tithes and Offerings

  Offertory               (Please sign the attendance pad and pass it on)

  For Children                 "The Little Yellow Leaf"          by Carin Berger

  Scripture                               Matthew 25:14-30

  Message                        "Getting out of the hole" (mp3)

*Hymn                                "How firm a foundation"                                   567

*Benediction

*Postlude


*Rise in body or in spirit

#'s are from Hymnal: A Worship Book

Worship leaders - see basic guidelines

Led into worship by a psalm

Lord, you have been our dwelling place
      in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
      or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
      from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

You turn us back to dust, and say,
      “Turn back, you mortals.”
For a thousand years in your sight
      are like yesterday when it is past,
      or like a watch in the night.

You sweep them away; they are like a dream,
      like grass that is renewed in the morning;
in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
      in the evening it fades and withers.

For all our days pass away under your wrath;
      our years come to an end like a sigh.
The days of our life are seventy years,
      or perhaps eighty, if we are strong;
      even then their span is only toil and trouble;
      they are soon gone, and we fly away.

So teach us to count our days
      that we may gain a wise heart.
Turn, O Lord! How long?
Have compassion on your servants!
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
      so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Hymnal #819
Psalm 90:1-6, 9-10, 12-14
text from the New Revised Standard Version,
copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
  

Opening Prayer

You, O Lord, in whom we live and move and have our being,
            not just today but in all generations;
You, O Lord, who formed the earth and the world,
            and breathed life upon this dust and made us;
You, O Lord, who care enough to say “turn back,”
            when we head toward a dead end,
You, O Lord, who sent a deliverer to die
            that we might live;
You, O Lord, who invite us to count our days
                        that we might gain a wise heart,
            and also invite us to count the cost
                        that we might risk everything for your kingdom;
Lord of all, to You we indeed raise
            these all-too-brief moments of grateful praise.
                        Through Christ Jesus our Lord.
                                    Amen!
  

Returning our Tithes and Offerings

To a complacent Israel, especially those in leadership, who saw God as a toothless, old man, who could care less about the world, the prophet Zephaniah shouted that God is not impotent nor careless, but that “the day of the Lord is at hand.” What he said about trusting in silver or gold should give us pause, for we, like those Israelites of old, tend to place too much stock in our wealth to save us. Our willingness to take risks is often more for financial gain than for the glory of God and our neighbor’s good.

“The good news from Zephaniah’s words of apparent doom is that we and our actions really do matter to God and the future of the planet, and that we can, as Mother Teresa counsels, ‘do something beautiful for God.’ Our faithful and life-supporting actions create a field of resonance that enables God and us to be more active and creative in bringing healing and justice to our world.”*

            Ponder this as you return your offering. Ushers?

*quote by Bruce G. Epperly
    

For Children
"The Little Yellow Leaf"
by Carin Berger

            "In The Little Yellow Leaf, although late fall has come and the frost is arriving, one little yellow leaf clings to a tree, afraid to let go, to do what it is supposed to do, what it was made to do as a leaf.  Finally, another leaf encourages it and they float through the air together and enjoy the sights and sounds of fall, doing exactly what leaves were made to do, just as we should do what we were made to do with our talents."
                                                                                           (comment above by Sara Anne Berger)

            After reading the story, ask why the children think the leaf didn’t let go, and then what helped it to do what it needed to do. Keep it simple. The parable has yet to be read, so don’t step into that scripture. Let this story be the ground from which we then enter Jesus’ story as a congregation.
   

Benediction

Lay that shovel down, sisters and brothers,
            stop digging a place to hide
                        what God has given you.
Even when the earth shakes around you,
            there is a firm foundation beneath you.
So take the risk of using your talents this week.
            In so doing, may you rise, shine,
                        and give God the glory,
                                    children of the Lord.
  

(para traducir a español, presione la bandera de España)

 

Interested in Sunday School?
Below is a growing list of possible sites to visit. As you discover others, please let us know.

International Lesson:
Faith and Life Resources

Mennonite Publishing House

International Lesson:
Mennonite Weekly Review

(scroll down on left to "Sunday School lessons)

International Lesson:
Christian Standard
(one week ahead)

International Lesson:
Adult Bible Studies
from The United Methodist Publishing House
(click "supplemental resources" and "current events supplement" under both the "Student" and "Teacher" sections in the left hand column)

International Lesson:
International Bible Lesson
a weekly column by L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.
in "The Oklahoman" newspaper
also found
here

International Lesson:
Living Web Sunday School Project

While one of our adult classes follows the International lesson above (see also), using
A Guide for Biblical Studies,
published quarterly by our denomination,
another class often uses one of the
Good Ground series.

For children and youth, we use the new
Gather Round curriculum
(developed jointly by the Church of the Brethren and the Mennonite Church)

 

©2010 Peter L. Haynes
(unless otherwise stated, worship resources were written by him)

 

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