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Sunday’s Coming: working toward October 28

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so–are you on Reformation Sunday? All Saints? Something else? The usual lectionary? The narrative lectionary?

Perhaps you’ll be thinking about Blind Bartimaeus and his request: “let me see again.”

Perhaps you’ll be thinking about a psalm–either the Mighty Fortress one or taste-and-see.

Perhaps you’ll be contemplating Job or Jeremiah.

Or are you thinking about Hebrews and the atoning sacrifice and the priestly nature of Jesus?

Or something else entirely?

Grab some coffee or tea, a snack, and a brainstorming hat–join the conversation as we create for this week!

brainstorming: Reformation and All Saints

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Pretty soon we come up on a set of Sundays that some of us celebrate while others of us go on with the usual ending-days-of-the-lectionary.

Some of us will be celebrating Reformation Sunday on October 28–commemorating the 95 theses and other catalysts of reformation in our church’s history. How might you be both remembering/celebrating and looking at how we are Reformed and always being reformed?

Some of us will be observing All Saints Sunday the following week. In some churches that involves reading out the names of those who’ve died in the past year, or other pieces here and there. How will you help us remember our place in the Communion of Saints, as well as the place of those who have gone on ahead?

And in the midst of all of this, many of us will also be contemplating Stewardship Commitment sunday(s). How are you inviting people to commitment? How will you dedicate their pledges, offerings, and commitment to sharing? Does stewardship commitment go beyond a monetary pledge, or is the fall season only for thinking about money? In either case, how will you invite, encourage, dedicate?

Leave your ideas in the comments, because together our efforts produce so much more than any of us alone!

confession: easy as Holy Holy Holy

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Holy, holy, holy God, the words of praise slip easily from our lips.  You are almighty!  You are glorious!  You dwell in holy splendor!  But as we are swept up in those lofty words, we can miss the point.  Because we can describe you, we start to think that we can understand you.  And then we think we can predict your actions, and expect your favor, and control your mercy. Holy God, forgive us for limiting our vision of you:  for only acknowledging your presence some of the time, for refusing to see the complexities of your blessings, and for praying only for the people we think are worthy of our concern.  Close our lips and turn our eyes to gaze on you in awe and wonder, so that we may receive your love and your grace, not as facts to understand but as gifts to treasure.  We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, your Son and our Savior.  Amen.

 

Submitted by Rev. Eric Beene, White Bluff Presbyterian Church, Savannah, GA.

illumination: a glimpse of joyous life

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Most Holy Mystery,
open our eyes, our ears, and our hearts
as your scripture is read and your Word proclaimed,
that we might gain a glimpse of your joyous life
and join the dance of Father, Spirit, and Son
now and always.
Amen.

Submitted by Rev. Andy James, First Presbyterian Church, Whitestone, New York.

confession: change

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One:      Holy God, you call us to change our hearts and lives, to return to you.

All:      So often we like the way things are,
and we aren’t sure what changing our way
and following you would mean.

One:      You promise new life for all,

All:      but sometimes we decide who is good and who is bad,
closing off your love for ourselves and others.

One:      You call us to seek your heart,
to allow ourselves to be born anew in your Spirit.

All:      So often we live in the literal meaning of your words,
rather than letting the spirit of your word live in us.
Come and dwell within us,
and transform us from the inside out. Amen.

 

Submitted by Rev. Teri Peterson, Ridgefield Crystal Lake Presbyterian Church, Crystal Lake IL.