Be Servants of All

A couple of worship resources appropriate for September 23, both adapted from the Book of Mosiah. Scroll down to find:

• A Repentance Reading
• Disciples' Generous Response

Note: The Repentance Reading pairs up passages with similar themes from the Epistle of James and the Book of Mosiah. This dual reading is loosely modeled after the way Christian Science worship moves back and forth between readings from the Bible and Science and Health. I posted another worship resource in the same dual-reading format a few weeks back; I haven't received feedback from anyone who used that resource in a congregation, so I still think of this format as purely experimental. Anyone out there game to run the experiment? The reading looks longer than it really is because I formatted it in such short lines.

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A REPENTANCE READING

Adapted from James 3-4 and Mosiah 1-2 (contemporary language)

1st Reader:   

In the mouth of two or three witnesses—

2nd Reader:        

—shall every word be established.

1st Reader:    [holding up the Bible]

A reading from the Letter of James.

2nd Reader:    [holding up the Book of Mormon]

A reading from the Book of Mosiah.

1st Reader:    [James 3:13]

If you are truly wise,

you will show it with a life of gentle deeds;

for true wisdom gives birth to gentleness.

   

2nd Reader:    [Mosiah 1:49]

This is wisdom—

that when you serve your fellow beings,

you are serving your God.   

1st Reader:    [James 3:14-16]

If in your heart

there is bitterness, jealousy, or selfishness—

this is not the wisdom that comes from God.

These things belong to the devil.

2nd Reader:    [Mosiah 1:73]

O my people—

be careful not to let contentions rise up among you.

Be careful not to give ear to the evil spirit.

1st Reader:    [James 3:17]

The wisdom that comes from God

is peaceable and gentle,

willing to give way,

full of compassion and good fruits,

free of any prejudice or hypocrisy.

2nd Reader:    [Mosiah 1:120]

Give way to the coaxing of the Holy Spirit

and become like a child—

accepting, mild, humble, patient,

full of love,

trusting in God’s will

the way children trust their parents.

1st Reader:    [James 4:1-2]

These conflicts and quarrels among you—

are these not born from your selfish desires?

You covet things you do not have:

that is why you fight with each other.

2nd Reader:    [Mosiah 2:23-24]

If you always remember

how good, and how forgiving, God has been to you,

you will not have a mind to hurt one another.

You will live peaceably

and give everyone their due.

1st Reader:   

In the mouth of two or three witnesses—

2nd Reader:        

—shall every word be established.

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DISCIPLES’ GENEROUS RESPONSE

Adapted from Mosiah 1:49-59

Leader:    God, our creator—

                 You preserve us from day to day.

All:           You support us from moment to moment.

Leader:    You lend us breath, so that we can live and move.

All:           You give us power to act according to our own wills.

Leader:    You have given us reasons to rejoice.

All:           You have granted us the blessing of living in peace.

Leader:    Even if we thanked you, and praised you, with all the power we possess—

All:           Even if we served you with our whole souls—

Leader:    We would still be in your debt for all you have given us.

All:           We would still be unprofitable servants.

The leader gives a prayer of thanksgiving and for the blessing of the mission tithes that are about to be received. After the prayer, the leader reads:

Leader:    My sisters and brothers—

                 When we serve our fellow beings,

All:           we are serving our God.

Leader:    Should we not labor, then, to serve one another?

All:           Let us labor to serve one another.

Mission tithes are now received.

Follow Me

A couple of worship resources appropriate for September 16. One is based on a passage from the Book of Mormon, the other from the Inspired Version. Both are related to the appointed lectionary reading from Mark.

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A CALL TO WORSHIP

Adapted from 2 Nephi 1:71-76

Contemporary language:

Leader:      The holy Messiah sets us free—

All:            for he is filled with love and keeps his promises!

Leader:      For all who are burdened with guilt and remorse,

All:            he offers himself to be the sacrifice that reconciles them to God.

Leader:      He lays down his life: he gives up his body to be killed.

All:            But he takes his life back again through the power of the Spirit.

Leader:      Rising from death, he frees all from the power of death,

All:            for he pleads on behalf of all people.

Leader:      How important it is to tell everyone on earth

All:            about the mercy and love of the holy Messiah!

Traditional language:

Leader:      Redemption comes in and through the holy Messiah,

All:            for he is full of grace and truth.

Leader:      He offers himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law

All:            to all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit.

Leader:      He lays down his life according to the flesh,

All:            and takes it again by the power of the Spirit.

Leader:      He brings to pass the resurrection, being the first that should rise,

All:            inasmuch as he makes intercession for all who are born.*

Leader:      How great the importance to make known to the inhabitants of the earth

All:            the mercy and grace of the holy Messiah!

* Original: for all the children of men

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DISCIPLES’ GENEROUS RESPONSE

Adapted from Mark 8:36-40 IV (contemporary language)

Leader/Reader 1:

Jesus said:

Reader 2:

If you want to be my follower—

stop worrying about yourself,

pick up your cross,

and come with me.

All:  Jesus, I will follow you.

Reader 3:

If you want to save your life,

you must be willing to give it up for me.

If you are not willing to give up your life for me,

you will lose it.

All:  Jesus, I give you my life.

Reader 4:

What good would it do you

if you owned the whole world

but lost your soul?

What else could possibly be worth

as much as your soul?

All:  Jesus, I give you all that I own.

Reader 2:

Give up worldly things,

and do not be ashamed of me.

All:  Jesus, I want to take your name upon me

         and do your work.

First-Friday contemplative service

I led the first-Friday service of contemplative song and prayer this evening. The theme was "Christ, our peace."

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PSALM 29

Holy One,
how powerful is your voice!
How majestic!
You speak—
and thunder echoes over the sea.

You speak—
and mighty cedars are splintered.
You speak—
and mountains leap like young calves.

You speak—
and fire flares into being.
You speak—
and earthquakes shake the desert.
You speak—
and the wind strips forests of their leaves.

In your temple, the crowds cry, “Glory!”
Even the vast oceans are subject to your rule.
Mighty One—give us strength!
Speak peace to your people!

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EPHESIANS 2:13-14

You who once stood far away
have now been brought close
in Jesus Christ.

He is our peace.
He has united us
by bringing us all together
into his own body.

Thus he has broken down the walls
and the hostilities
that once divided us.

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JOHN 16:20-22, 33

Jesus said to his disciples:

When a woman is in labor,
she is in anguish.
But when her child is delivered,
her anguish is forgotten
because of her joy at seeing her child.

So it is with you.
Now you grieve.
But when you see me return to you,
your hearts will be filled with joy—
a joy that no one can ever take away from you.

I have told you this
so that you may be at peace.
In the world, you suffer.
But do not despair—
I have overcome the world.

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PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

Jesus, lover of souls—
we lift up to you
people who are in need of peace.

We lift up to you individuals and families
who are in grief or distress.
Holy One—speak peace to your people.

We lift up to you individuals and communities
who live under the threat of violence.
Holy One—speak peace to your people.

We lift up to you communities and nations
divided by hostility or conflict.
Holy One—speak peace to your people.

Jesus—
you were lifted up on the cross
so that you could draw all people to yourself.
We do not know how it is to be done,
but we pray for the day
when all will be reconciled to one another in you.

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CONCLUDING PRAYER

Christ, our peace—
all around us
there is darkness,
and turmoil,
and pain.
But again and again,
you whisper to us by your Spirit:
“Do not despair.
I have overcome the world.”

All Are Worthy

Worship resources appropriate for September 9. Built around the theme of the worth of every individual, or based on scriptural readings indicated for the day.

Scroll down to find the following:

1. A call to worship - responsive style
2. A call to worship - narrative style
3. A repentance reading
4. Disciples' generous response

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A CALL TO WORSHIP 

Responsive style

Inspired by 2 Nephi 11:98-99, 104-105, 113; D&C 16:3c

Leader/1st Reader:

Is there anyone to whom the Lord says: Depart from me?

No. He says: Come to me, all—

black and white, male and female, Jew and Gentile.

All:      Christ our God,

the worth of souls is great in your sight!

2nd Reader:

He eats and drinks with people whom others shun as sinners.

He reaches out to touch people whom others call unclean.

All:      The worth of souls is great in your sight!

3rd Reader:

He listens to people whom others think should keep quiet.

He is kind to people whom others wish would go away.

All:      The worth of souls is great in your sight!

4th Reader:

He makes time for children when others consider them a nuisance.

He welcomes women among his disciples in a society that favors men.

All:      The worth of souls is great in your sight!

5th Reader:

He reaches across the barriers that separate his tribe from others.

He shows compassion to people who are in his country as enemies.

All:      The worth of souls is great in your sight!

6th Reader:

He willingly suffers for the sake of all people.

As he is dying, he prays for the people who tortured him.

All:      The worth of souls is great in your sight!

Leader/1st Reader:

Has he commanded anyone that they should not come and partake of his goodness?

No. All are equally privileged, and no one is forbidden.

All:      Christ our God,

the worth of souls is great in your sight!

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A CALL TO WORSHIP

Narrative style

Adapted from 3 Nephi 5:14-17; 8:27

1st Reader:

The Lord said to the crowd:

“Stand up, and come to me.

Touch the wound in my side.

Feel the prints of the nails in my hands and feet.”

2nd Reader:

So the crowd went forward,

one by one,

until they all

had seen with their eyes

and felt with their hands,

and knew that it was him.

There were about 2,500 people in the crowd—

men, women, and children.

3rd Reader:

After they all had gone forward

and witnessed for themselves,

they shouted together:

All:

Hosanna! Blessed be the name of God, most high!

3rd Reader:

Then they bowed down at Jesus’ feet

and worshipped him.

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A REPENTANCE READING

Inspired by D&C 163:2b

1st Reader:

Living Christ—

Your love for us is more impassioned than the greatest passion we have ever known.

It streams out to us, like light streaming from the sun.

No matter what we have done wrong, or failed to do right, you embrace us.

No matter how many times we have already asked, you forgive us.

You have blessed us with life . . . ,

redemption . . . ,

nurture . . . ,

community . . .

We could not begin to repay your generosity to us.

[There is a substantial period of silence for reflection.]

1st Reader:      Living Christ—

All:                  We thank you

for your abundant gifts of grace.

2nd Reader:

We are not as generous toward others as you are with us.

We are not as compassionate, or concerned, or welcoming, or forgiving.

We do not treat others as the beings of inestimable worth that you see them to be.

Sometimes this is because we act selfishly or thoughtlessly.

Sometimes it is because we have been hurt or unjustly treated.

Sometimes it is because we are part of an unjust system that diminishes the worth of others.

[There is a substantial period of silence for reflection.]

2nd Reader:    Living Christ—

All:                  Transform us, by your grace,

to be generous, as you are generous.

3rd Reader:

We long for relationships that are harmonious, nurturing, and just.

We long for these qualities in our families and friendships . . . ,

in the church . . . ,

at school and work . . . ,

in our neighborhoods and communities . . . ,

among nations . . .

Where there is pain, we long for healing.

Where there is division, we long for reconciliation.

[There is a substantial period of silence for reflection.]

3rd Reader:     Living Christ—

All:                  Restore us, through your grace,

to healthy and righteous relationships.

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DISCIPLES’ GENEROUS RESPONSE

Adapted from James 2:15-16

1st Reader:      If a brother or sister lacks clothing or food,

and you say to them…

2nd Reader:    “I pray that you will not be cold…”

1st Reader:      or…

3rd Reader:     “I pray that you will have enough to eat…”

1st Reader:      but you do not give them the things they need—

what good is that?