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Woship Resources 2009-2010 — Year C: Live Generously, Love Courageously
Return to Year C: 2009-2010
Resource Index
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Proclaim Freedom
Ordinary Time (Proper 16)
Scriptures: Jeremiah 1:4–10; Psalm 71:1–6; Hebrews
12:18–29; Luke 13:10–17; Mormon 3:29; Doctrine and Covenants 162
Prelude
Introit: “Light Dawns on a Weary World” A soloist or small group sings
verse 1. R-3
OR “Song of Zechariah” A soloist or small group sings verse 1. SP 5
Call to Worship: Psalm 71:1–6
Welcome
*Hymn: “God of Grace and God of Glory” HS 419
OR “Oh, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing” HS 19
OR “I Will Sing, I Will Sing” NS 19
*Prayer of Invocation
*Response
Focus Moment: “I Mean for You to be Free”
Share the book Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom,
by Carole Boston Weatherford, with the whole congregation. If your group is
too large for everyone to see the illustrations, use a document camera to
project them onto a screen, or use several copies throughout the
congregation. This award winning book is readily available in libraries and
online. If possible, use three strong readers: Harriet (italics), God
(capital letters), and the narrator. Read the foreword first to provide
historical context, if needed.
Briefly discuss with the young people and/or the congregation, as
appropriate: What was Harriet’s life like at the beginning of the book? What
kind of a life did God want for Harriet instead? How did God help Harriet
reach freedom? Once Harriet had won her own freedom, why did she risk going
back to the South? Why was Harriet called “the Moses of her people”?
God wants us all to be free. We may not live under conditions of slavery
like Harriet did, but we all are aware of things that keep us and the people
we know or hear about from living the joyful, liberated lives that God wants
for us. What are some of those conditions? (e.g., illness, loneliness,
prejudice, stress, etc. Adults may add grief, poverty, addiction, abuse,
depression, etc.) Write several of these “captivity” words on sheets of
paper with a marker. Briefly discuss: How does God help people escape from
these kinds of captivity? How can we be like Harriet and help others find
freedom?
Ask several volunteers to stand in a row facing the congregation, each
holding up a “captivity” word. Loop a long piece of rope or cord gently
around each person’s wrists, “chaining” them together. (Be sensitive and
omit this activity if the people are uncomfortable with it.) Pause, then
declare to the person at one end, “God means for you to be free;” then free
his wrists. That person rips up his “captivity” word then turns to the next
person in line, repeats the declaration, and frees her. When all are free,
declare, “Well done, Moses, well done.” Start the hymn as folks return to
their seats and the rope and papers are cleared away.
Hymn: “For the Healing of the Nations” HS 452
OR “Heaven Shall Not Wait” SP 28
Message
Based on Luke 13:10–17
Reflection in Scripture and Song
Select a soloist and four readers. The soloist sings the words to
“Prophetic Church, the Future Waits,” HS 293 to the tune of ST. HYLDA,
HS 434
OR “We Are Called to Be Peacemakers” SP 23
Alternately, the congregation can sing the verses of HS 293 or
SP 23, or the verses can be read. Select four people with diverse voices
to read the scriptures.
Scripture: Doctrine and Covenants 162:1
Song: “Prophetic Church, the Future Waits” verse 1
HS 293, tune: ST. HYLDA
OR “We Are Called to Be Peacemakers” verse 1 SP 23
Scripture: Doctrine and Covenants 162:2a–c, e
Song: “Prophetic Church, the Future Waits” verse 2
HS 293, tune: ST. HYLDA
OR “We Are Called to Be Peacemakers” verse 2 SP 23
Scripture: Doctrine and Covenants 162:6
Song: “Prophetic Church, the Future Waits” verse 3
HS 293, tune: ST. HYLDA
OR “We Are Called to Be Peacemakers” verse 3 SP 23
Scripture: Doctrine and Covenants 162:8c
Disciples’ Generous Response
Each Sunday, as part of the Disciples’ Generous Response, we ask you to
integrate the message of “share equally” between Local and World Ministries
Mission Tithes. Generosity stories are provided to keep the church in touch
with how contributions to Mission Tithes spread the peace of Jesus Christ.
Please use the stories, testimonies, and up-to-date contribution information
as part of your offertory ministry. Visit
www.CofChrist.org/generositystories to print a copy, or contact your
pastor, congregational financial officer, or worship coordinator for a copy.
Scripture: Isaiah 58:6–8
Blessing and Receiving of Mission Tithes
Scripture for Confessional Reflection: Mormon 3:29
Lord, take from us our feelings of guilt so that we may be free to dwell
in your presence.
Prayer for Peace
*Hymn: “Community of Joy, Proclaim the Living Christ!” R-16
OR “Rise Up, O Saints of God” HS 378
OR “Let Justice Roll like a River” NS 28
*Challenge: Doctrine and Covenants 163:2–3a
*Response Repeat the music used during the Introit.
*Postlude
Sermon Helps
Scriptures: Jeremiah 1:4–10; Psalm 71:1–6; Hebrews 12:18–29; Luke
13:10–17
Exploring the Scriptures
One of the central themes of Luke is the proclamation of salvation to all
people regardless of their social, cultural, or political background. No other
Gospel provides us with so many stories of Jesus bringing salvation or freedom
to those marginalized and rejected by traditional and pious Jewish views. Jesus’
message is a message of radical inclusiveness particularly for sinners,
Samaritans, women, tax collectors, and other outcasts.
Luke uses an interesting technique to affirm equality between the
sexes. Next to the nativity stories where a man and a woman are equally paired
up—e.g., Elizabeth and Zechariah, Joseph and Mary, Simeon and Anna—Luke also
presents several stories as doublets to make this point. In Luke 4:33–39 the
author portrays Jesus healing a man followed by the healing of a woman. The same
happens in Luke 7:1–17 and in the two parables of Luke 15:3–10. This phenomenon
is less obvious in today’s text of Luke 13:10–17, as the second part of the
doublet is not immediately following. Nevertheless, the resemblance of Luke
14:1–6 with 13:10–17 is clear. These two stories, not found in any of the other
Gospels, proclaim freedom for both men and women whose circumstances prevent
them from living life as God intends them to.
Although Jesus was raised a Jew and is portrayed as one who kept many of its
traditions—like going to the Synagogue on Sabbath day and celebrating the feasts
and festivals—Jesus also vigorously challenged those practices and traditions
that bound people. For Jesus, compassion is more important than strict
observance of the Torah. Because the woman suffered for eighteen years already,
and there was no indication of emergency, the leader of the synagogue most
likely reasoned that curing her should wait until the Sabbath was over. His fear
of breaking the law seemed to be bigger than his compassion for God’s people.
Only when Jesus made the comparison with personal conduct dealing with creatures
of far less importance, “his opponents were put to shame.” The similarity of the
situations is accentuated by the imagery of a tied ox or donkey and a woman
bound to Satan.
Unlike our modern understanding, ancient cultures attributed both mental and
physical illnesses to demons or spirits, and, in Luke’s world, Satan was
considered to be the ruler of them all (compare to Luke 11:15). Because it was
believed those evil spirits were opposed to God and God’s people, the people
needed to be freed. Only by freeing the crippled woman from her ailment, could
Jesus restore her as a daughter of Abraham, as one who would be free to enter
the kingdom of God.
Be aware, the woman did not ask anything! “When Jesus saw her, he called her
over and said, ‘Woman, you are set free from your ailment’” (Luke 13:12). He
just proclaimed her freedom. Jesus’ compassion for the woman, combined with his
urge to bring salvation, did not allow him to wait for a cry for help. He called
out to her, healed her, and saved her. Unlike the “hypocrites,” he had the right
priority.
Central Ideas
1. Jesus’ proclamation of salvation/freedom is for all alike.
2. Our tendency not to do wrong often prevents us from doing right.
3. Freedom is dependent on those who act.
Questions for the Speaker
1. When have you felt bound by tradition, culture, and/or others? What
(or whose) proclamation set you free?
2. What are the forces of evil or modern demons in your society that keep
people captive? How has the church, your congregation, or an individual in
your congregation publicly addressed one of these?
3. Speaking out can be confrontational and jeopardize relationships.
Relate personal experiences where one spoke out and their words were harmful
at first, but healing in the end.
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