Tending the New Creation-Series Vision Resources

Transcription

“Re-Creating the Sabbath”
June 3, 2012
Dramatic Arts •
Taking Our Time Remove all timepieces from the sanctuary. Check watches at the door (put
them in pockets or purses). Challenge congregation members to leave watches off all day, to
live by the rhythms of creation (including their own bodies). What kinds of possibilities
open up for igniting life and light when we aren’t governed by the ticking clock.
Visual Arts •
I’ve always loved the visual setting of the Taize community. It is such a compelling
evocation of the many-layered symbol of light. How could you play with color, light and
shadows in your worship space?
•
Use John August Swanson’s “Festival of Lights” as a ritual focal point.
http://www.johnaugustswanson.com/default.cfm?PID=1.2.2
Verbal Arts •
excerpt from “Sabbaths” by Wendell Berry
The bell calls in the town
Where forebears cleared the shaded land
And brought high daylight down
To shine on field and trodden road.
I hear, but understand
Contrarily, and walk into the woods.
I leave labor and load,
Take up a different story.
I keep an inventory
Of wonders and of uncommercial goods.
I climb up through the field
That my long labor has kept clear.
Projects, plans unfulfilled
Waylay and snatch at me like briars,
For there is no rest here
Where ceaseless effort seems to be required,
Yet fails, and spirit tires
With flesh, because failure
And weariness are sure
In all that mortal wishing has inspired.
I go in pilgrimage
Across an old fenced boundary
To wildness without age
Where, in their long dominion,
The trees have been left free.
They call the soil here “Eden”; slants and steeps
Hard to stand straight upon
Even without a burden.
No more a perfect garden,
There’s an immortal memory that it keeps.
I leave work’s daily rule
And come here to this restful place
Where music stirs the pool
And from high stations of the air
Fall notes of wordless grace,
Strewn remnants of the primal Sabbath’s hymn.
And I remember here
A tale of evil twined
With good, serpent and vine
And innocence of evil’s stratagem.
I let that go a while,
For it is hopeless to correct
By generations’ toil,
And I let go my hopes and plans
That no toil can perfect.
There is no vision here but what is seen:
White bloom nothing explains.
But a mute blessedness
Exceeding all distress,
The fresh light stained a hundred shades of green.
Uproar of wheel and fire
That has contained us like a cell
Opens and lets us hear
A stillness longer than all time
Where leaf and song fulfill
The passing light, pass with the light, return,
Renewed, as in rhyme.
This is no human vision
Subject to our revision;
God’s eye holds every leaf as light is worn.
Ruin is in place here:
The dead leaves rotting on the ground,
The live leaves in the air
Are gathered in a single dance
That turns them round and round.
The fox cub trots his almost pathless path
As silent as his absence.
These passings resurrect
A joy without defect,
The life that steps and sings in ways of death.
http://being.publicradio.org/programs/2011/poetry-of-creatures/poem_sabbaths_1979.shtml
•
Get inspired by this article on keeping Sabbath from the Calvin Institute of Christian
Worship. It includes lots of links to online resources and books.
Musical Arts •
How about using Katy Perry’s song, Firework?
You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine; just own the night like the 4th of July.
‘cause baby you’re a firework…
Here’s a fun video with the lyrics over a background of fireworks:
http://youtu.be/eGZfPfU6yXo
• Hymns and Songs
“Spirit, Fill Me”
Sing! Prayer and Praise (4)
Spirit come and fill me, fill me with your peace, fill me with your joy and your love.
Spirit come and show me, show me how to care, show me how to share your light.
“Sing to God”
God has proclaimed Sabbath today. Let the friends of Jesus say: sing to God songs of praise,
joyful adoration. Sing to God songs of praise. Alleluia!
“God’s Grace”
We’re standing in your light, O God.
Your glory in the midst of us.
You call us to this sacred space,
to live within your grace.
“Lord Jesus Christ, Your Light Shines
Worship and Song (3137)
Lord Jesus Christ, your light shines within us…
“God of the Bible” Worship and Song (3020)
...Not by your finger, not by your anger, will our world order change in a day,
but by your people, fearless and faithful, small paper lanterns lighting the way.
“The Risen Christ” Worship and Song (3179)
O breath of God, come fill this place, revive our hearts to know your grace…
O Word of God, so clear and true, renew our minds to trust in you…
O love of God, so unrestrained, refresh our souls in Jesus’ name…
“Come! Come! Everybody Worship”
Faith We Sing (2271)
…Worship and remember to keep the Sabbath day.
Take a rest and think of God; put your work away!
…Worship and remember that God is like a light,
showing you the way to go; ever burning bright!
“Into My Heart”
…Come into my heart, Lord Jesus…shine out of my heart, Lord Jesus…
“Expanding Kinship”
June 10, 2012
Musical Arts •
Might be a fun Sunday to play with the classic song, “We Are Family”
http://youtu.be/YkTSJfnkaIQ
•
There’s a wonderful song “Family” by contemporary folk singer Dar Williams that describes
family as a love that encompasses us and the affirmation, “you are my family.”
Find guitar tabulature here: http://www.guitaretab.com/w/williams-dar/21635.html
Find lyrics here: http://www.musicsonglyrics.com/family-lyrics-dar-williams.html
Listen to the song here: http://youtu.be/u_XVLN8gd3A
• Hymns and Songs
“Who Is My Mother” Sing! Prayer and Praise (215); Faith We Sing (2225)
Who is my mother, who is my brother? All those who gather round Jesus Christ:
Spirit-blown people, born from the Gospel sit at the table, round Jesus Christ.
“You Are Welcome Here” Sing! Prayer and Praise (26)
Come now all people, join in the song, come be a part of the family of God.
“No Matter” Sing! Prayer and Praise (35)
…for we are family, meant to be, purposed for eternity.
Born in love, from above, God’s community.
“We Are God’s People”
…God wills us be a family diverse, yet truly one;
O let us give our gifts to God and so shall God’s work on earth be done.
“Bind Us Together” Faith We Sing (2226)
Bind us together, Lord, bind us together with cords that cannot be broken…
“A Wilderness Wandering People” Worship and Song (3113)
…May we cherish all our children, let us heal our family’s pain…
…reconciled with one another in praise and prayer and song,
we’re the Body of Christ together and we know that we belong
Visual Arts •
Portraits of Family
Most of us are familiar with those lovely family portraits, often
taken for church directories, that immortalize our 4th grade braces or our high school hair
experiment. Or maybe your family photos come posed in front of scenic overlooks on
vacation roadtrips or in pajamas in front of the Christmas tree. Whatever the form, family
portraits capture relationships that are at the heart of who we are. When Jesus taught his
disciples about family, he talked about a different kind of relationship, the connection
between those who follow God’s ways. A couple weeks in advance, ask members of your
congregation to think about the verse from Mark’s gospel that says “whoever does God’s will
is my brother, sister, and mother.” Then ask them to bring in pictures, snap shots, photos,
portraits, paintings, magazine cutouts, whatever they have, to represent the family that Jesus
calls us to recognize in Mark’s gospel. Then create a gallery of these “portraits of family” on
one of your sanctuary walls. Or scan them and create a “portraits of family” slideshow to run
during worship. Invite people to “pray with their eyes open” taking in all these different
representations of God’s family while a worship leader prays an opening prayer like this:
Maker, Christ, and Spirit, one God in Community, we praise you for calling us to embody
oneness and diversity. We gather together with grateful hearts for the web of your love
that connects us with each other and with all people who seek to follow in your ways.
For this family, who find their kinship in your justice and compassion, your liberation
and peace, we give you thanks. As we worship together, surrounded by these relatives,
this extended family of faith, keep us mindful of the demands and responsibilities that
come with this recognition of our family ties. Send your Spirit among us, binding us
together in love and service, so that we might claim each other as kindred in the Spirit.
Transform us into the family of God, the Body of Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.
Dramatic Arts •
Our Family Tree Creating a family tree is one way
that we learn our family’s history and come to know
how we are related. These relationships become even
more a part of us when we hear stories about them.
Why not create a family tree that represents the
relationships that Christ calls us to when he expands
our notions of who is part of our family and what
characterizes our kinship?! Choose a few people or
relationships to lift up that tell the story of your
community as the family of God. Then construct
monologues of someone telling that story from the
perspective of an observer or the protagonist. Have
dramatists in your congregation enact these
monologues as part of your proclamation this Sunday,
lifting up members of your Christ-family tree and what
they teach you about who you are and how you related
to one another in Christ, answering Jesus’ questions
“who is my mother, who are my brothers?”
 There are lots of images you could use to illustrate
this idea, either projected on a screen, re-imagined
by an artist in your congregation, or physically
represented in your space or on your bulletin. Find some ideas with a google image
search!
 Check out Inara George’s Family Tree song to us as part
of your service, or use it to transition from one narrative
to another. See her perform it here:
http://www.ted.com/talks/inara_george_sings_family_tree.html
Media Arts •
Check out this TedTalk video in which environmental educator Laurie David talks about the
benefits of family dinner time (especially the first 5 minutes and the last 2 minutes). In it,
she talks about the ritual of family dinner as an event through which, over time, children
learn the values, ideas, and beliefs that are important to us, and it is, in fact, the sharing of
these values that holds families together. Use parts of this video in worship to get folks
thinking about what values are important in your church family, how they are enacted and
communicated, and how they hold you together. How is your community created as a family
by following the will of God?
“Planting with Care”
June 17, 2012
Musical Arts •
Dave Mallet’s “Garden Song” could be a wonderful addition to worship.
Hear a classic recording of Pete Seeger singing it: http://youtu.be/u90qRE2F7CM
You can find lyrics and chords in Rise Up Singing: The Group Singing Songbook.
•
Hymns and Songs
“Come To Tend God’s Garden”
New Century Hymnal (586)
Come to tend God’s garden, seeds of hope to sow, planting fields of justice, watching mercy
grow! In an arid wasteland, spread a verdant heath! In a land of tumult, cultivate God’s peace!
“Living the Jubilee” Sing! Prayer and Praise (152)
Plant for the harvest, faith in the promise, tend the world with love and kindness. Live the joy.
“Now the Green Blade Riseth”
United Methodist Hymnal (311)
Now the green blade riseth from the buriend grain, seed that in the dark earth many days has
lain…Love is come again like wheat that springeth green.
“Deep Within Our Hearts” Sing! Prayer and Praise (124)
 Consider changing the lyrics to: There’s a seed deep within our hearts…God help us
plant your care, Spirit to shine your light, Jesus to live your love.
“Bring Forth the Kingdom” Faith We Sing (2190)
You are a seed of the Word, O people: bring forth the Kingdom of God!
Seeds of mercy and seeds of justice, grow in the Kingdom of God!
“Welcome” Worship and Song (3152)
Let’s walk together for a while and ask where we begin to build a world where love can grow
and hope can enter in, to be the hands of healing and plant the seed of peace, singing welcome to
this place.
Media Arts •
There are lots of time-lapse videos on YouTube of seeds growing. They could provide a
wonderful visual icon for your congregation to explore throughout worship. Superimpose
the words form the gospel lesson on it and use it to proclaim the scripture (see an example
like this from Work of the People here:
http://www.theworkofthepeople.com/index.php?ct=store.details&pid=V00051)
Dramatic Arts •
Sewing the Seeds of
Of all the wonderful things in the wonderful
Compassion
One of the key elements in the
universe of God, nothing seems to me more
four-fold pattern of worship
surprising that the planting of a seed in the blank
celebrated in many Christian
earth and the result thereof. Take that Poppy seed, for
churches (Gathering,
Proclaiming, Responding,
instance: it lies in your palm, the merest atom of matter,
Sending) is response.
hardly visible, a speck, a pin's point in bulk, but within it is
Historically, this response has
imprisoned a spirit of beauty ineffable, which will break
included everything from altar
calls, to communion, to taking
its bonds and emerge from the dark ground and blossom
an offering. Invite
in a splendo r so dazzling as to baffle all powers of
worshippers to respond to the
description. ~Celia Thaxter
Word proclaimed in their
midst this Sunday by
committing to acts of
compassion. Get some
plantable paper filled with
wildflower or other seeds (for example:
http://www.greenfieldpaper.com/AWSCategories/p/11/Handmade%20Plantable%20Sheets;
or make your own: http://www.graciousrain.com/2010/04/27/seed-paper-tutorial/)
and cut it into heart shapes (or by pre-cut like this). Pass out these hearts to people as the
enter the sanctuary. At some point after the sermon, ask people to write a word or a phrase
on that heart to represent an action of compassion, small or large, that they commit to make
in light of the gospel message heard today. Then invite them to take it home with them and
plant it, recognizing the blooms as reminders of the small acts of compassion that can change
the world. Or provide soil and pots and have folks plant their seeds right then and there. Or
find a plot of ground on your church where you want to start a wildflower garden and invite
folks to outside and plant them there as part of the worship service. The possibilities are
endless!
“Living Out Loud”
June 24, 2012
Music Arts
•
There’s a simple, melodic song by Anne Marie David called “Open Wide the Door” that
would be a wonderful music meditation or congregational song (perhaps with a soloist
singing the verses and the congregation joining on the refrain).
Listen to a sample here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/peace-be-with-you/id261902492
Open wide the door of our hearts, O God.
Open wide the door of our hearts.
Be with us.
Guide our hands as we reach to create a world of peace.
Shine your light to radiate your truth in all we see.
Open our nights, our days, and fill us with your grace.
Open us, O God, open us.
Fill our voice with justice and peace the fire and wind of
which we speak.
Open our ears to the cries of the poor and broken lives.
We pray for a day when all will be set free.
Open us, O God, open us.
Open wide the door of our hearts.
Be with us.
• Hymns and Songs
“Open My Eyes/Abre Mis Ojos
Open my eyes, Lord. Help me to see your face…And the first shall be last and our eyes are
opened, and we’ll hear like never before. And we’ll speak in new ways, and we’ll see Your face
in places we’ve never known.
“Open Our Hearts” Sing! Prayer and Praise (28)
Open our hearts, open our minds, open our lives to you, O loving God.
“There’s A Wideness in God’s Mercy”
New Century Hymnal (23) / United Methodist Hymnal (121)
…For the love of God is broader than the measure of our minds…
“Cry of My Heart” Faith We Sing
Open my eyes so I can see the wonderful things that you do.
Open my heart up more and more and make me wholly devoted to you…
“Open the Eyes of My Heart”
Open the eyes of my heart…I want to see you.
“Easter Alleluia”
Lord we are open to all that you say, ready to listen and follow your way…
Visual Arts Don’t Fence Me In
The imagery of
fences and openings in this week’s scripture
lesson (especially in The Message
translation) lends itself to a consideration of
gates as a focal point for the service.
Consider putting some sections of fencing
in your chancel. Or put some simple gates
at the entrance to each aisle that people
have to pass through. “Fencing the table”
(limiting access to communion) has been a
controversy through liturgical history. What
if you put a fence in front of the communion table
with gates flung wide open in front of the wide
open, spacious life to which we are called?!
•
Dramatic Arts •
Gestures of Openness
Openness is a spiritual gift that can be meaningfully
and memorably practiced in embodied gestures. In fact one of the most ancient
postures for prayer, the orans position, is ultimately a gesture of openness.
Using simple gestures to accompany an opening prayer or collect can be an
effective way of encouraging your congregation to cultivate a spiritual
openness that moves from the small space of fear into the full expanse of hope
in God’s grace, love and justice. Here’s an example of an embodied prayer
that you could use this week.
Generous God of abundant hope,
[arms in orans position – see picture]
we thank you for the new life
[arms move upward and together in front of body]
that is ours as your people.
[hands crossed over heart]
Open our hearts to your love, that we may be stirred to love others.
[left arm extends outward to the side, waist level]
Open our lives to your grace, that we may live graciously in your world.
[right arm extends outward to the side, waist level]
When fear makes our lives small and cramped,
[bring hands together rapidly; clenching tightly]
expand our hope in your realm of justice and mercy.
[arms down, spread apart at sides, palm facing down]
Empower us to live courageously the faith to which we are called
[arms to the side, flexing biceps]
journeying with you in the pathways of compassion
[arms raised in front of body, hands palms up, one on top of the other]
that lead us to an open and expansive life. Amen.
[back to orans position]
Or create your own prayer with gestures.
These videos can provide some inspiration:
 Body Prayer by John Philip Newell: http://youtu.be/elHshHBIahI
 Spiritual Movement Prayer: http://youtu.be/HR-SILDLdQk
“Healing Old Wounds”
July 1, 2012
Media Arts •
Cinematic Exegesis
The Movie Index put together
by the wonderful people at The Text this Week
(www.textweek.com) has a tremendous assortment of
movies and clips that deal with the theme healing. Take
a look for some thought-provoking scenes to juxtapose
and put into conversation with today’s scripture reading.
For example, check out their description of a scene from
the movie Patch Adams:
 Concerning the idea of healed healers, there is a scene
in Patch Adams where Patch is describing his vision
of a hospital. He says that patients and doctors there
would be partners, that in any particular moment you
would never know exactly which partner was healing
and which was being healed.
Verbal Arts
•
Prayer for Healing by Rachel Hackenberg From Before the Amen: Creative Resources for Worship, ed.
by Maren C. Tirabassi and Maria I. Tirabassi
Dancing Light,
shed light on the corners of our souls
where aches linger
and anger builds like mold
where memories ferment
and self-pity licks its wounds.
Dancing Light,
brighten the shadows deep within
where lies are hidden
and criticism awaits its prey
where contempt lurks
and distrust rustles underfoot.
Dancing Light,
shine upon the windows of our hearts,
where love should live
and forgiveness be always ready
where hope is bright
and praise ever lifts our tongues.
Musical Arts • Hymns and Songs
“Like a Healing Stream”
Like a healing stream in a barren desert, Spirit water bringing life to dusty earth, God is
trickling through our lives as in a dream unfolding, promising revival and rebirth like a healing
stream.
“Waiting for the Touch of God”
I got a life meant for living, waiting for the touch of God…
I got wounds that need a-healing, waiting for the touch of God.
“Te alabamos en todo momento/We All Praise you Every Moment”
In moments of crisis, O God, you will calm us.
…There’s no worry, there’s no sickness, there’s no poverty or wall,
that can keep us from your grace and loving kindness.
SP&P (98)
“Healer of Our Every Ill”
You who know our fears and sadness grace us with your peace and gladness;
Spirit of all comfort fill our hearts.
Healer of our every ill, light of each tomorrow,
give us peace beyond our fear, and hope beyond our sorrow.
“When We Are Called to Sing Your Praise” Faith We Sing (2216)
When we are called to sing your praise with hearts so filled with pain that we would rather sit
and weep or stand up to complain, remind us, God, you understand the burdens we bear; you
too, have walked the shadowed way and known our deep despair.
“We Cannot Measure How You Heal” Worship and Song (3139)
The pain that will not go away, the guilt that clings from things long past, the fear of what the
future holds are present as if meant to last. But present, too, is love which tends the hurt we
never hope to find the private agonies inside, the memories that haunt the mind.
So some have come who need your help, and some have come to make amends, as hands which
shaped and saved the world are present in the touch of friends. Lord, let your Spirit meet us here
to mend the body, mind and soul, to disentangle peace from pain and make your broken people
whole.
“You Feed Us, Gentle Savior”
You call us, Gentle Savior, and send us in your name.
You teach and heal and show us how we can do the same.
So strengthened by your Spirit and nourished by your grace,
we go to be your presence of love in every place.
“Sharing the New Creation”
July 8, 2012
Visual Arts
•
We Are All Witnesses
When I first saw Nike’s “Witness” ad campaign back in 2005, I
was really compelled both by its imaginative possibilities and the spiritual resonances in it.
Originally featuring basketball superstar Lebron James, and later football player Tim Tebow
and NBA sensation Jeremy Lin, it shows the athlete in a victorious pose on a plain black
background with the words “we are all witnesses” or simply “witness” in small white writing
next or above him. For Nike, the ads are meant to connect with fans, celebrating the ways in
which we witness the amazing athletic prowess and history-making performances of these
players (while hopefully encouraging us to buy their products, of course). Why not harness
the creative potential in these ads to draw attention to the ways in which we are called to be
witnesses as Christians.
Create a slideshow using a simple black background with the text “we are all witnesses” in
white, featuring pictures of people in your congregation participating in the church’s mission
and witness programs. Or make posters or banners in the same style, picturing your
congregation as a whole community or as smaller groups of people doing things that define
what it means to share the good news.
Media/Verbal Arts •
Share: On your own Wall…
If you are familiar with Facebook lingo,
you will recognize the common action
that users are invited to take:
You can share photos, statuses, articles,
etc. with one simple click. What if we
used this cultural language to think about
what it means to live a life of example
and witness to others. Invite members of
your congregation who are on Facebook
to share photos, comments, articles that
illustrate the ways in which they seek to
witness to God’s love in their lives. Does
your church have a Facebook page?
Invite people to share their posts on the church page too. Then gather some of these
statements and fashion them into a “Credo” of discipleship by simply adding the phrase, “As
the community of Christ, we seek to live and share God’s love by…” and use it as your
statement of faith during your worship service.
“Say It! Sing It!”
If you can say it, sing it! Let people know how you feel.
If you can pray it, play it, know it, show it. Let them know God’s love is real!
“We Seek to Love” Sing! Prayer and Praise (162)
We seek to love and to share our joy. We offer care, give thanks and praise when Christ is
present among us all. We know the world’s a mission field, needing forgiveness, justice and
hope.
“Let It Shine”
The church bears witness to God’s grace, its mission crystal clear;
to show the world God’s human face, a world that God holds dear.
“Carry the Light”
…Now we go out to share the Good news. Now we go out to share Your love. Carry the light!
“We Are Called”
We are called to act with justice, we are called to love tenderly, we are called to serve one
another, to walk humbly with God!
“Sent Out in Jesus’ Name” Faith We Sing (2184)
Sent out in Jesus’ name, our hands are ready now to make the earth the place in which the
kingdom comes.
“Go Ye, Go Ye into the World”
…Go ye, go ye into the world and I will be with you there!
“Go to the World”
Go to the world! Go into every place. Go live the Word of God’s redeeming grace.
“God’s Economy”
July 15, 2012
Dramatic Arts
•
Grace Overflowing
Have you ever seen wonderful
fountains like these that look like a jar overflowing with
water? Those kind of water features were the inspiration
for this ritual. Find a large decorative urn, jar, basin or
bowl and a large tray, basin or pool to serve as a base and
water catcher. You could even use a
plastic kiddie pool – just drape some solid
color plastic tablecloths over it, add some
rocks and shells to the inside, and some
greenery to surround it and you’ve got a
lovely ritual centerpiece. Also find a
variety of pitchers, jars and carafes, fill
them with water and place them on tables
near or on the floor around the jar/bowl
and base. Fill the jar/bowl part way with
water.
During the Prayers of the People or at some
other point of prayer in your service, invite people to come to the fount, express in a short
phrase or sentence how God’s grace overflows in their lives, and pour water into the
jar/bowl. Create and teach a response that the congregation can say in response to each
person’s contribution. It could be as simple as “Thanks be to God” or “We praise You for
Your overflowing grace.” As more and more people express gratitude for God’s abundant
gifts, the water will keep spilling over as a symbol of that overflowing grace. When all who
wanted to participate have, conclude with a simple prayer like this one:
Holy One, whose extravagant love saturates our lives, we thank you for all the ways that
your grace overflows in our community. As streams of praise well up in our hearts,
nurture within us the courage to reject the mentality of scarcity and live with confidence
in the abundance of your mercy. Pour out the Spirit of wisdom and undersanding upon
us, so that we may love and serve you, transforming ourselves and the world with your
justice and compassion. Amen.
And/or sing “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”
United Methodist Hymnal (400) / New Century Hymnal (459)
“Your Grace is Enough”
Sing! Prayer and Praise (107) / Worship and Song (3106)
Great is your love and justice, God of Jacob; you use the weak to lead the strong. You lead us in
the song of heaven’s vict’ry, and all your people sing along...for your grace is enough.
“Blessed Be Your Name”
Blessed be your name in the land that is plentiful, where your streams of abundance flow,
blessed be your name.
“Grateful”
Grateful for the life you give us, thankful for your Holy One, joyful in your Spirit flowing over
all, O God of Love. Grateful for the Bread of Heaven, thankful for your Holy Word, joyful in
your mercy flowing, we sill praise you.
“O God Beyond All Praising”
O God beyond all praising we worship you today
and sing the love amazing that songs cannot repay…
“My Gratitude Now Accept, O God/Gracias Señor “
My gratitude now accept, O God, for tender care that you provide; for your abundant
faithfulness. Endless is your supply.
Verbal Arts •
A Garden of Abundance There is no more present symbol of God’s abundant love in the
middle of the summer than a garden overflowing with good food. Ask your congregation
members to share from their abundance by bringing food from their gardens to contribute to
a local food pantry or homeless shelter. Invite people to bring it forward during the offertory
or have dancers process it during the processional hymn or offertory, concluding with a
prayer like this:
Blessed are you, Sustainer of All.
We thank you for the gifts of an abundant garden.
They are symbols of our creative energy,
the energy and newness of spring, which deepens and matures in the summer.
We thank you for the strength and the labor of those who tend creation:
farmers, gardeners, and all who labor.
As the sunlight is transformed into energy by plants,
let your light shining upon us transform us.
Let your word sown in our hearts
blossom into amazing acts of love and service. Amen.
Adapted from prayers by Susan Hodge-Parker in Before the Amen: Creative Resources for Worship
and by Diann Neu in Return Blessing: Ecofeminist Liturgies Renewing the Earth
“Breaking Down the Walls”
July 22, 2012
Visual Arts
I love this graphic
representation of house
constructed from words
that define what makes a
place home. Think about
making your own graphic,
using words that you
brainstorm to describe the
home that God is building
in your community
through your church. Or
use phrases or words from
the scripture readings
you’ve read or themes
you’ve used throughout
the series. Use the
graphic as your bulletin
cover, projected on a wall
in your sanctuary as hightech icon, or formed into a
banner or altar table cover.
 Take this visual idea a
step deeper and have
different people
construct the home as
the worship service progresses. Cut words out of construction paper or poster board.
Use a large bulletin board positioned at the front of the sanctuary as a “canvas.” At
various points throughout the service, have folks come forward and place their words in
the appropriate position using pushpins. Make sure each participant has a template of the
final product so they know where to put their word. By the end of the service, you will
have visually built the home that God is constructing your midst.
•
Car
e
Verbal Arts •
Edgar Guest’s poem, “Home,” would make a evocative liturgical centerpiece for this worship
service. It could also serve as the basis for a litany of thanksgiving that lifts up the various
ways in which God is building a home through your community of faith with Jesus Christ as
the cornerstone. Give thanks for the heap o’ livin’ that makes your church a home for
strangers and outsiders.
It takes a heap o’ livin’ in a house t’ make it home,
A heap o’ sun an’ shadder, an’ ye sometimes have t’ roam
Afore ye really ’preciate the things ye lef’ behind,
An’ hunger fer ’em somehow, with ’em allus on yer mind.
It don’t make any differunce how rich ye get t’ be,
How much yer chairs an’ tables cost, how great yer luxury;
It ain’t home t’ ye, though it be the palace of a king,
Until somehow yer soul is sort o’ wrapped round everything.
Home ain’t a place that gold can buy or get up in a minute;
Afore it’s home there’s got t’ be a heap o’ livin’ in it;
Within the walls there’s got t’ be some babies born, and then
Right there ye’ve got t’ bring ‘em up t’ women good, an’ men;
And gradjerly, as time goes on, ye find ye wouldn’t part
With anything they ever used—they’ve grown into yer heart:
The old high chairs, the playthings, too, the little shoes they wore
Ye hoard; an’ if ye could ye’d keep the thumbmarks on the door.
Ye’ve got t’ weep t’ make it home, ye’ve got t’ sit an’ sigh
An’ watch beside a loved one’s bed, an’ know that Death is nigh;
An’ in the stillness o’ the night t’ see Death’s angel come,
An’ close the eyes o’ her that smiled, an’ leave her sweet voice dumb.
Fer these are scenes that grip the heart, an’ when yer tears are dried,
Ye find the home is dearer than it was, an’ sanctified;
An’ tuggin’ at ye always are the pleasant memories
O’ her that was an’ is no more—ye can’t escape from these.
Ye’ve got t’ sing an’ dance fer years, ye’ve got t’ romp an’ play,
An’ learn t’ love the things ye have by usin’ ’em each day;
Even the roses ’round the porch must blossom year by year
Afore they ’come a part o’ ye, suggestin’ someone dear
Who used t’ love ’em long ago, an’ trained ’em jes’ t’ run
The way they do, so’s they would get the early mornin’ sun;
Ye’ve got t’ love each brick an’ stone from cellar up t’ dome:
It takes a heap o’ livin’ in a house t’ make it home.
Musical Arts •
Marty Haugen’s “All Are Welcome” would make a wonderful choral anthem or processional
hymn for this week’s theme. Each verse begins with the phrase “Let us build a house…” and
it is filled with vivid imagery about what it takes to construct a community founded on Christ
as the cornerstone. The choral anthem can include the congregation on the refrain as well.
…Let us build a house where hands will reach beyond the wood and stone
to heal and strengthen, serve and teach, and live the Word they’ve known.
Here the outcast and the stranger bear the image of God’s face;
let us bring an end to fear and danger:
all are welcome in this place.
 Order music through GIA, either in print version or as pdf download:
http://www.giamusic.com/search_details.cfm?title_id=9325
 Here two verses played and sung here: http://youtu.be/OYYOzLzZX6E
 You can find the full lyrics in this worship service guide:
http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=opentoworld.content&cmid=3138
• Hymns and Songs
“Welcome” Worship and Song (3152)
Let’s walk together for a while and ask where we begin to build a world where love can grow
and hope can enter in, to be the hands of healing and plant the seed of peace, singing welcome to
this place.
“Eternal God Transcending Time” Worship and Song (3030)
…guide us through our pilgrim days that we may find a home, where justice truth and mercy
meet, fulfilled in your shalom.
“Christ Has Broken Down the Walls”
…We will tear down the walls! We will tear down the walls!
God has called us one and all; Christ has broken down the walls!
“We Would Be Building”
New Century Hymnal (607)
…We would be building, Architect Divine, reveal the shape of life in your design.
“Welcome to This House” Sing! Prayer and Praise (7)
Welcome to this house, there is room for every one. All will sing, praises we bring. Let us all be
one. Welcome to this house, where God gives the call to serve. All will sing, praises we bring.
Welcome to the house of God.
“Come On In!
…This is the house of wondrous love, being Christian is our creed. See the light through Jesus
Christ, our Savior indeed. He helps us live our daily lives, for benefit of all. To keep the world
in harmony so surely is God’s call. Come on in!
“Together We Serve”
…We welcome the scarred, the wealthy, the poor, the busy, the lonely, and all who need care.
We offer a home to those who will come, our hands quick to help, our hearts ready to dare.
Dramatic Arts •
We Would Be Building Give each worshipper a baggie
of legos as they enter the worship space. During the
Words of Assurance after your Confession of Sin, or as
the Passing of the Peace, ask participants to work with the
people seated around them to build a house with their
legos. This activity serves to embody both the home God
is building in and through us, and they reconciliation we
are called to in Jesus Christ. (Note: this is a great
intergenerational activity, so try to do it during a part of
worship when children are present.) When folks are done
constructing, them bring their “homes” forward and place
them on or around the altar while the congregation sings
the hymn “We Would Be Building” (NCH 607).

Tending the New Creation-Series Vision Resources

Transcription

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