Proper 21 C 07
Joy in what we have and what we give
Sept 29, 2007Set: Minimal. As we are moving on Sunday, if it's at all possible to move the couches some place else and just have a few folding chairs, that would be great.
Props: Two big suitcases, small pieces of paper, pens/pencils
Songs
Opening: 'Let Everything that has Breathe Praise the Lord'
Offertory: Hallelujah We Sing your Praises (South Africa) w hand drums This is a hymn like song.
Closing: 'For Joy' (Aaron Strumple)
From 5:00-5:10 - as everyone is finding their seats, a slide show from Rwanda and some Rwandese music will play.
At 5:10, the service starts with a Rwandese Song (Gisenyi Pastors #1) playing with reduced volume as Becky reads opening words over it.
Opening Words: (Becky) on God Mic
The first time I heard this song was after visiting the genocide memorial in Kigali, Rwanda. For those of you who don't know, in 1994 Rwanda was over-ran by one of the most efficient and devastating genocides in history. One million people were killed by their friends and neighbors with simple gardening tools and a few guns in 90 days - leaving houses, crops, schools, churches, and families in ruins.
The morning after my trip to the genocide memorial, I went to a church with nothing but a roof, a stage, and a few weak pews. We've set the room up to give you a bit of an understanding of this.
As I stood in the church, mourning their poverty, I heard this song. The refrain of this song proclaims, "God be praised greatly!" and in that church, God was praised greatly as their beautiful, emphatic voices, dancing, and drum playing flooded the sparse place - that suddenly seemed more extravagant than sparse.
I thought to myself, "These people know something I don't. They know the Gospel in a way I cannot comprehend."
Since the genocide, these people have found unparalleled reconciliation. Not rich by any stretch of the imagination, they gladly give neighbors who have less than themselves. These are people who know what it is to take joy in what they have - and even more joy in what they give.
Tonight's texts invite us to join the Rwandese people in that - to have joy in the things we have - sparse or great as they may be - and to have even greater joy in the things we give.
Welcome to Church of the Apostles and may you find this joy as we journey together tonight. May we all understand the Gospel as the Rwandese do.
Song: 'Let Everything that has Breathe Praise the Lord'
Hallelujah from the heavens
Hallelujah in the heights above the earth
Hallelujah all His angels
Hallelujah for the last who will be first
Let every thing that has breath praise the Lord
Let every thing that has breath praise the Lord
Hallelujah in the morning
Hallelujah for the beauty of His scars
Hallelujah in the twilight
Hallelujah sun and moon and shining stars
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord
When the night seems so long
(Throw your hands to the sky)
You can sing a new song
(Wipe the tears from your eyes)
When you're weak, He is strong
He can heal your wounded soul
And calm the storm inside
For all your times of laughter
And every hopeful prayer
When the world weighs on your shoulders
Through sorrow and your despair
With everything, with every breath, praise the Lord
Let everything, let every breath praise the Lord
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord
Let everything, let every breath praise the Lord
When the night is so long
(Throw your hands to the sky)
You can sing a new song
(Wipe the tears from your eyes)
When you're weak, He is strong
He can heal your wounded soul
And calm the storm inside
1st reading, 1 Timothy 6:11-19 (Jacob Ibarra) (from large Purple Lectionary Book)
As for you, man of God, pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will bring about at the right time-- he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.
As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.
2nd reading, Psalm 146 (Skye)
(Tell a few people ahead of time to say the refrain excitedly)
All: Hallelujah! Praise the LORD, O my soul!
Skye: I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
All: Hallelujah! Praise the LORD, O my soul!
Skye: Put not your trust in rulers, nor in any child of earth,
for there is no help in them.When they breathe their last, they return to earth,
and in that day their thoughts perish.
- All: Hallelujah! Praise the LORD, O my soul!
- Skye: Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help!
- whose hope is in the LORD their God;
- Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them;
- who keeps his promise for ever; and food to those who hunger.
- Who gives justice to those who are oppressed
- and food to those who hunger.
Skye: The LORD sets the prisoners free;
the LORD opens the eyes of the blind;
the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
- All: Hallelujah! Praise the LORD, O my soul!
- Skye: The LORD loves the righteous;
- the LORD cares for the stranger; *
- he sustains the orphan and widow,
- but frustrates the way of the wicked.
- All: Hallelujah! Praise the LORD, O my soul!
- Skye: The LORD shall reign for ever,
- your God, O Zion, throughout all generations.
- Hallelujah!
Gospel (Naomi Wachira)
(from large Purple Lectionary Book)
All Stand
Luke 16:19-31
Jesus said, "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, `Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.' But Abraham said, `Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.' He said, `Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father's house-- for I have five brothers-- that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.' Abraham replied, `They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.' He said, `No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' He said to him, `If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"
All SitReverb (Becky)
Intro to Open Space (Becky)
Stage left station: Prayers of the People
Stage right: All Angels
Center of the room: Two suitcases, some paper, and some pens/pencils. People will write things they have on one paper, and things they give (or have given, or will give) on another. One suitcase will be marked: Things we have. The other will be marked: Things we give. At the end of the service, after the blessing, whoever does the blessing will close both suitcases, maybe pause for a little bit, and pick up the "Things we give" suitcase and walk to/out the door.
Fam Biz - (5 minutes or less)
- We are moving to Fremont Baptist for services (Oct-Early Dec). Our last service at th Abbey is TODAY!
The First Service at Fremont Baptist Oct 6. We will celebrate the feast of St. Francis and do a blessing of pet's.
Bring your cage or leash for you pet as the pet blessing will take place outdoors.
We are moving tomorrow. Come haul stuff! 10am-5pm
Next Sunday, October 7th - Taize service - 6:30 at Fremont Baptist
COTA Retreat. October 12-14 Sign up in the back, for a time of prayer, rest, reflection and community in a beautify natural setting.
'Simply Giving' forms are on the back counter. Fill one out to auto deduct your regular tithe & capital campaign pledge.
Attach a canceled check and bring the form back and give it to Karen or mail it back COTA's P.O box.
- Powerpoint Jockeys needed: We need 4-6 people operate the power point on rotation once a month or once every two months.
We really need help with this. It easy to learn and an important ministry to help our community worship.
See Karen to sign up for upcoming dates you can help.
- The 'Feed' after service is at Praxis as we kick off our South Africa trip - (maybe have Megan do the announcement for this)
The Peace
Lucas: The peace and of the Lord be with you always.
ALL: And also with you.
Lucas: Let us share Christ's peace.
Offering
Song for Offering> Offertory>Eucharist: 'Hallelujah, We sing your Praises' (keys or piano would be nice')
this is a South African song.
Offertory Procession
Eucharist (Karen) 'All Africa Eucharistic Prayer' (w. cahone or djembe drum beat)
God of our ancestors, friend in our midst, your children come before you.
Here is food! Here is drink!
These things are yours before they are ours.
Now we are making a feast, but it is a thanksgiving:
God, we are thanking you.
With our ancestors in fatih and all the hosts of heaven,
O God, we thank you and rejoice.
This food—we shall eat it in your honor!
This drink—we shall drink it in your honor!
We thank you for giving us life.
We thank you!
We thank you for giving us freedom.
We thank you!
We thank you for bringing us peace.
We thank you!
We thank you for the one who bore our sins upon the cross.
We thank you!
We thank you for the one who brought us over from death to life.
We thank you!
Father, send the Spirit of life,
the Spirit of power and fruitfulness.
With the Spirit's breath, speak your Word into these things.
Give us who eat and drink the living body and the lifeblood of Jesus, our brother,
life and power and fruitfulness of heart and body.
Give us true communion with your Son.
On the night of his suffering,
he gave thanks for the bread that he held in his hands.
This bread he shared among his followers, saying:
All of you, take this, eat this;
it is my body, handed over for you.
Do this and remember me.
The body of Christ! Amen
Then he shared drink with them, saying:
All of you, take this, drink this;
it is my blood, the blood of the new covenant
that begins now and lasts forever.
This blood is poured out for you and for all people
so that sins may be taken away.
Do this and remember me.
The blood of Christ! Amen
Let us proclaim the mystery of faith.
Hail, hail, hail
Jesus Christ our Lord,
death, resurrection, and return!
May happiness come!
Lord, you are resurrection and life.
You, Crucifixion, are here!
You, Resurrection, are here!
You, Ascension, are here!
You, Spirit - Medicine of Life - are here!
Father, bring us life;
give us kinship with Mary, the mother of our Lord,
with all the elders and ancestors of your people,
and with all your children
And you, our prayer -
Prayer of the long-distant past;
you, ancient Word, spoken by the Father;
you, Breath of the Spirit—
Prayer of the ancestors,
you are spoken now!
AmenSong during Communion distribution: Rwandese song(s): Church#1 and possible Church #2 depending on how much time is needed
Blessing: Karen
Closing Song: 'For Joy' (Aaron Strumpel)
Before saying the dismissal, close both suitcases and pick up the "Things we give suitcase" and walks to the door as though leaving. Stand at the door, turn around and say:
Dismissal: Go in joy to love and serve God's world!
All: Thanks be to God !
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