Lectionary Texts
In 1 Kings 17.8-24 the prophet Elijah is staying with a widow and her son. The child becomes ill and dies, and Elijah brings him back to life.
Psalm 146 is a song of praise to God, who made all Creation, and who sets prisoners free, brings justice for the oppressed, and lifts up the downtrodden.
In Galatians 1.11-24 Paul describes his life after experiencing his call from God. He declares that the good news he preaches is not of human origin, but revealed by God.
Luke 7. 11-17, with striking similarities with the story of Elijah reviving the widow’s son, tells of Jesus reviving the dead son of a widow in the town of Nain.
In 1 Kings 17.8-16 Elijah visits a poor widow who is starving during a severe famine. He asks her to share her last bit of meal and oil, which she does. Yet by God’s grace her oil and meal never run out.
Preaching Thoughts
Call to Worship
1.
Leader: God of wonder, we are amazed.
All: You create this world in which we delight, and we praise you.
God of mystery, we are blessed.
You heal us and restore us, and we thank you.
God of grace, we are touched.
You accompany us in our sorrows, and we turn to you.
God of power, we are changed.
You stir in us, and we worship you.
Revive our hearts, and we shall be your praise. Alleluia!
Collect / Prayer of the Day
1.
God of grace, you come to us and make your home with us in all our joys and sorrows. You are present, in love and mercy. We open our hearts to you, to listen for your voice, to receive your grace, to become your people. Only say the word, and we shall be healed. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Readings
Psalm 146 — My paraphrase
O Holy Presence, Power of Life,
we praise you.
We praise you with our saying and doing;
we praise you by being.
Our life doesn’t come from powerful people;
it’s not soldiers who make us free.
What they control dies with them:
thatt’s little stuff, not what’s deeply life-giving.
But unbounded life wells up in us
when we open our hearts to your love for all,
when our hearts fall into the Heart
who is at the heart of all things—
you— who create galaxies,
who handmade the earth;
who filled the oceans drop by drop
and gave them their tiny and huge creatures,
you who never give up on us,
who liberate the oppressed,
who are food for the hungry
and who lift those who are bowed down.
O Love, you set us free
from whatever imprisons us;
you open our eyes when we are blind;
and in you we discover deep love.
You are present in the stranger;
you are the hope and dignity
of the homeless child, the single mother,
the strength of the vulnerable ones.
Those who turn to you
you feed with life,
but the spirit of selfishness
you starve to death.
Holy One,
you love the world into being.
Amazing!
Amazing!
Poetry by Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Response / Creed / Affirmation
Listening Prayer
(suitable as a Collect, preparation for hearing scriptures, or invitation to prayer)
Eucharistic Prayer
[The body of the prayer may be read responsively or by the presiding leader(s) alone.]
God is with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your heart.
We lift them up to God.
Let us give thanks to the Holy One, our God.
It is good and beautiful to give God our praise.
(Sanctus)
Blessed are all who come in your name,
and blessed is Jesus, your Christ,
(The Blessing and Covenant)
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Therefore, remembering these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves as a living and holy sacrifice,
in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:
(Memorial Acclamation)
Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Spirit on us, that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,
(Amen.)
____________
* The Blessing and Covenant
[I usually don’t print the words. I want people to be looking at the bread, not their bulletins.]
On the night in which he gave himself for us
Jesus took bread, blessed it,. broke it, and gave it to his disciples,saying,
“Take and eat; this is my body.”
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup,
blessed it with thanks and gave it to them, saying,
“Drink of this, all of you. This is my blood,
poured out for you and for many, in a new Covenant,
which is the forgiveness of sin.”
As long as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection, until he comes again.
Prayer of Dedication / Sending
Prayer after Communion
God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us.
Suggested Songs
(Click on titles to view, and hear an audio clip, on the Music page)
Wake Us From Our Sleep (Original song)
God of mercy, wake us with your light.
Rouse our sleeping hearts and give us sight.
Raise us up from death; fill us with your breath.
Wake us from our sleep to live new lives in you.
Life comes only from the Word you give.
You alone have power to make us live.
Seeking what is True, Love, we turn to you:
springs of living water flow, and so we live.
Christ, you touch our hearts and heal our fear.
Even in our pain your grace is near.
Spirit, you who save, raise us from our grave.
Born again, dry bones who rise, we live in you.
Christ, light of the world, your radiance bright
wakens us to day out of our night:
shining in, it heals; shining out, reveals.
Help us all to live as children of the light.