A Future with Hope Mission Fund Campaign Four-Week Worship Series

A Future with Hope Mission Fund Campaign
Four-Week Worship Series

Table of Contents

Brief Introduction 4

Suggested Ways to Engage the Congregation 4

Week One: Who Is God? 5

Theme Verse 5

Brief Introduction

This four-week preaching series incorporates core themes and scripture from Bishop Rueben P. Job’s Three Simple Questions—Knowing the God of Love, Hope and Purpose. It also incorporates core themes and scripture gleaned from Bishop John Schol and from the GNJAC’s Future With Hope Mission Fund Campaign case statement. This preaching series is a guide for each pastor and/or worship team to use in planning the services leading up to the Commitment Sunday for each church’s stewardship campaign and Future with Hope Mission Fund Campaign.

Weekly Resources include: Scripture emphasis, suggested themes for preaching, liturgy, hymns, children’s sermons, participation pointers and related quotes.

Each church has its own unique context, worship style, leadership and resources. Our hope is to provide a spark that will help make each Sunday’s worship meaningful, memorable and transformational throughout this four week campaign.

Suggested Ways to Engage the Congregation

· Ask a variety of people for their response to the Three Simple Questions: Who is God?, Who am I?, and Who are We Together? For example, ask 1st and 2nd graders in your Sunday School, oldest members, teenagers, newly joined members, non-church goers, etc. It would be ideal to do this a month prior to the series beginning. Share their responses with the congregation each week: place in bulletin, put up on screen, on social media/website, posters in the gathering area, and personal testimonies during worship. Be creative!

· Provide a blank Doodle Page with each week’s question on top inviting people to draw, write words or phrases that answer the question. Collect them each week and create a visual display of “Doodles.” Use collages; put them up on a screen, in the bulletin, or on social media/website. Create the final week’s bulletin cover by uniting all the responses.

· Start off each Sermon by having members of the congregation turn to someone next to them and share how they would answer that week’s focus question. Roam among the congregation after a few minutes and get a few folk to share what they said. Then move into the message you have prepared that helps answer the question for individual disciples and for the church.

Week One: Who Is God?

Bishop’s Video—A word from Bishop John Schol and the sharing of their commitment to the Campaign.

Theme Verse

Jeremiah 29:11 NRSV

For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.

Suggested Scripture Readings

Hosea 11:3b-4 NRSV

I took them up in my arms; but they did not know that I healed them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with bands of love. I was to them like those who lift infants to their cheeks. I bent down to them and fed them.

I Chronicles 29:1b-14, 17 The Message

…this is not just a place for people to meet each other, but a house for God to meet us. I’ve done my best to get everything together for building this house for my God, all the materials necessary: gold, silver, bronze, iron, lumber, precious and varicolored stones, and building stones—vast stockpiles. Furthermore, because my heart is in this, in addition to and beyond what I have gathered, I’m turning over my personal fortune of gold and silver for making this place of worship for my God: 3,000 talents (about 113 tons) of gold—all from Ophir, the best—and 7,000 talents (214 tons) of silver for covering the walls of the buildings, and for the gold and silver work by craftsmen and artisans. “And now, how about you? Who among you is ready and willing to join in the giving?” Ready and willing, the heads of families, leaders of the tribes of Israel, commanders and captains in the army, stewards of the king’s affairs, stepped forward and gave willingly. They gave 5,000 talents (188 tons) and 10,000 darics (185 pounds) of gold, 10,000 talents of silver (377 tons), 18,000 talents of bronze (679 tons), and 100,000 talents (3,775 tons) of iron. Anyone who had precious jewels put them in the treasury for the building of The Temple of God in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite. And the people were full of a sense of celebration—all that giving! And all given willingly, freely! King David was exuberant. David blessed God in full view of the entire congregation: Blessed are you, God of Israel, our father from of old and forever. To you, O God, belong the greatness and the might, the glory, the victory, the majesty, the splendor; Yes! Everything in heaven, everything on earth; the kingdom all yours! You’ve raised yourself high over all. Riches and glory come from you, you’re ruler over all; You hold strength and power in the palm of your hand to build up and strengthen all. And here we are, O God, our God, giving thanks to you, praising your splendid Name. “But me—who am I, and who are these my people, that we should presume to be giving something to you? Everything comes from you; all we’re doing is giving back what we’ve been given from your generous hand.

I know, dear God, that you care nothing for the surface—you want us, our true selves—and so I have given from the heart, honestly and happily. And now see all these people doing the same, giving freely, willingly—what a joy!

Psalm 36:5-10 NRSV

Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your judgments are like the great deep; you save humans and animals alike, O Lord. How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. O continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your salvation to the upright of heart!

John 15:9-17 NRSV

As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.

Ephesians 5:1-2a NRSV

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us…

Sermon Thoughts

In this first week of the mission fund campaign we ask the question, “Who is God?” We all have at least one name or image of God that resonates with us. In this week let’s seek to broaden our understanding of God and how God works in the world. How can we be faithful to being created in God’s image as we live as followers of Christ in the world today?

Answers to the question: Who is God?

A God of love and justice, a God of healing and hope.

“Far too often we are content with a God too small to be Creator of all that exists. We are content with our own form of a ‘tribal god’ that belongs to us rather than a God who belongs to no one but who gives love, grace, and blessing to everyone.”

--p. 17, Three Simple Questions by Rueben Job

“The God of love is also the God of justice. The two are related, for in the Bible justice is the social form of love. Thus the God of love is not simply ‘nice’ but has an edge, passion for justice. God loves everybody and everything….To take the God of love and justice seriously means to take justice seriously and to be aware that prolonged injustice has consequences.”

--p. 76, The Heart of Christianity, by Marcus J. Borg

Or Use Siri’s responses (Apple’s computer intelligent voice application)

Who is God? “That’s a topic for another day, and another assistant.”
Who is God? “My policy is the separation of spirit and silicon.”
Who is God? “Humans have religion, I just have silicon.”
Who is God? “I eschew theological disquisition.”
Who is God? “I would ask that you address your spiritual questions to someone more qualified to comment. Ideally, a human.”
Who is God? “It’s all a mystery for me.”
Who is God? “I’m really not equipped to answer such questions.”

Worship Resources

Calls to Worship

Leader: The generous love of God abounds.

People: We celebrate and give thanks for God's infinite love.

Leader: The unending grace of God surrounds us.

People: With humble joy, we give thanks for the astounding gift of God's grace.

Leader: The joy of being a child of God encompasses us.

People: With gratitude for a God who knows us by name, we give our thanks.

Leader: The steadfast love of God is always present and always ours.

All: Let us celebrate the overwhelming love of God. Come, let us worship and sing our praise!

Leader: We gather here as the people of God.

People: To do the work of God.

Leader: We gather here as a people of love and hope.

People: To be for the world the grace of Christ.

All: Let it be so. Amen.

Prayer

Creator God, author of all that is and lover of all that you have made, deepen our awareness of your mighty acts past and present and your constant presence with us every moment of our existence. Invade our minds, senses, and hearts like a quiet sunrise, a refreshing rain, a beautiful bouquet, a commanding voice, a trusted companion, and a loving touch—because we want to know you and remember who you are with every breath we take.

By the power of your grace, transform us more and more until we become beautiful reflections of your presence and likeness in all that we do and are, as we offer all that we are and have to you in the name and spirit of Christ. Amen.

--p. 32, Three Simple Questions by Rueben Job

Opening Prayer

God of hope, we come to you in the midst of a world fraught with troubles. Although the darkness is powerful, open our eyes, Lord, to the light of your presence. Give us faith to stand against the voices of division and violence. Through your Spirit remake us into hope-filled disciples, discovering lives attune to your wonder, and sparking in others a desire to know you more. In the name of the One who comes to us, we pray, Amen.

--Rev. Nancy J, on her blog, Wonderings through life and other such nonsense.

Unison Prayer (based on 1 Chronicles 29)

Oh God, this is not just a place for people to meet each other, but a place for you to meet us. We have made it the best place that we can to greet you with honor. Everything we bring here comes from you. So, here we are, God, our God, giving thanks to you, praising your beautiful name. Everything comes from you; all we’re doing is giving back what has come from your generous hand. And so we give from the heart. And we see all of us doing the same, giving freely, willingly, and with joy! All praise and honor and glory is yours forever. Amen.

Offertory Prayer

Remind us that you call us to love our neighbors as ourselves. Help us, God, to exhibit the characteristics of gentleness, joy, generosity, and self-control. Bless this offering which supports those various ministries that enable people to live by the Spirit. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

-- http://davidsbell.org/Offertory_Prayers.html

Litany

(Based on Psalm 36)

One: God’s love soars like a meteor, God’s faithfulness abounds beyond the galaxy