08. Time After Pentecost

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VERSION: 2 April 2002

TIME AFTER PENTECOST

CONTENTS

GENERAL

      This document

      The post-Pentecost period

      Propers / Sundays after Pentecost

      Commemorations

LITURGY

      Sentence

      Introduction to confession of sins

      Introit

      Lord, have mercy

      Offering prayer

      Prayer of the church

      Seasonal preface

HYMNS AND SONGS

      General

      Canticles

MUSIC

VISUAL ARTS

      General

      Colour

      Symbols

CHILDREN

OTHER MATERIAL

      Suggestions for celebrating 'Youth'

      Suggestions for celebrating 'Education' ('Schooling')

TIME AFTER PENTECOST

GENERAL

THIS DOCUMENT

Please see the general worship guidelines and ideas given in the document 'General notes and resources' in this folder. This post-Pentecost document supplements that document, containing additional suggestions for the time after Pentecost. Material specific to each Sunday is given in the documents for those Sundays.

THE POST-PENTECOST PERIOD

The period after Pentecost covers the ‘non-festival’ half of the Christian calendar. Once called 'Sundays after Trinity', these Sundays are now more commonly numbered 'after Pentecost', indicating that this is the 'time of the church'. Some churches call these Sundays (and the Sundays after Epiphany) 'ordinary' Sundays, that is, 'non-festival' Sundays - although it is debatable whether any Sunday can really be called 'ordinary' or 'non-festive', as each Sunday is a celebration of the resurrection.

PROPERS / SUNDAYS AFTER PENTECOST

You will notice in the booklet Revised Common Lectionary for the Lutheran Church of Australia that the sets of readings for the Sundays after Pentecost are labelled by date and by Proper number, eg 'Sunday between 26 June and 2 July inclusive (Proper 8)'. However, the intention is that in worship each Sunday still be named as the particular Sunday after Pentecost. Thus, for example, on the Sunday after Trinity Sunday the first reading will still be introduced: 'The first reading for the Second Sunday after Pentecost is written in . . .'

The reason that the dating and the propers are listed is so that pastors (and readers) can find which set of readings to use for a particular day. Unlike previous usage in the LCA, in the RCL the set of readings used for a particular Sunday after Pentecost will vary from year to year, depending on how many Sundays there are after Pentecost for that year.

To make these resources easier for you to use, for each Sunday we have here given the inclusive date range ('between --- and ---'), the Proper number, and, for each year up to November 2016,  the number of the Sunday after Pentecost and the exact date.

COMMEMORATIONS

On some Sundays, particularly the Sundays after Pentecost, minor festivals may be celebrated (eg Reformation Day, All Saints Day). If the minor festival celebrating the saint or event after which the church is named falls during the week, it may be transferred onto the closest Sunday to enable the congregation to celebrate the event. Care needs to be taken, however, as to how often this is done. The minor festivals, like the Propers in the new lectionary, are fixed to a certain date, and annual celebration of a minor festival on a Sunday would mean that the readings for that Sunday are never used. For instance, if every year both Reformation and All Saints are celebrated on the Sundays before and after 31 October and 1 November, the readings for Propers 25 and 26 would never be heard by the congregation. Even more care needs to be taken that new 'special Sundays', such as National Bible Sunday, Community Care Sunday and LCA Sunday, do not overshadow the readings set down for these days.

Having said that, various commemorations and emphases could be included on the post-Pentecost Sundays. The following are a few suggestions. Others can be found in the Lutheran Book of Worship. Such emphases should not distort or replace the regular liturgy and readings, but could be remembered in announcements, sermon, prayer of the church, an additional collect said after the collect of the day, Scriptural sentence, invitation to confession, offertory prayer thoughts, hymns/songs, or visual presentations.

Saints

Martyrs

Missionaries

Renewers of the church

Renewers of society

Pastors and church leaders

Theologians and teachers of the church

Artists and scientists

Local people and events: LCA, District, local area, congregation

Christian unity

Peace

Environment

Social welfare

Justice and human rights

Right to life

Reconciliation

Current concerns

Special commissionings

The readings for some Sundays lend themselves to certain commemorations.

Commemoration        Proper        Reading

Mission/Evangelism        Proper 6 A        Matt 9:35 - 10:8

      Proper 15 A        Matt 15:10-28

      Proper 7 B        2 Cor 6:1-13

      Proper 9 B        Mark 6:1-13

      Proper 19 C        Luke 15:1-10

Reconciliation/Unity        Proper 18 A        Matt 18:15-20

      Proper 19 A        Gen 50:15-21

      Proper 11 B        Eph 2:11-22

      Proper 13 B        Eph 4:1-16

      Proper 7 C        Gal 3:23-29

Bible        Proper 10 A        Matt 13:1-9,18-23

      Proper 23 B        Heb 4:12-16

      Proper 15 C        Jer 23:23-29

Stewardship        Proper 20 A        Matt 20:1-16

      Proper 8 B        2 Cor 8:7-15

      Proper 27 B        Mark 12:38-44

      Proper 20 C        Luke 16:1-13

      Proper 29 C        Luke 19:11-27

Repentance        Proper 8 B        Lam 3:22-33

      Proper 6 C        2 Sam 11:26-

              12:10,13-15

      Proper 14 C        Isa 1:1,10-20

      Proper 26 C        Isa 1:10-18

              Luke 19:1-10

Healing        Proper 5 A        Matt 9:18-26

      Proper 15 A        Matt 15:21-28

      Proper 8 B        Mark 5:21-43

      Proper 9 B        Mark 6:30-34,

              53-56

      Proper 18 B        Isa 35:4-7a

      Proper 21 B        Jas 5:13-20

      Proper 25 B        Mark 10:46-52

      Proper 7 C        Luke 8:26-39

      Proper 9 C        2 Kgs 5:1-14

      Proper 16 C        Luke 13:10-17

      Proper 23 C        2 Kgs 5:1-3,7-15

              Luke 17:11-19

Welfare/Community Service        Proper 18 A        Rom 13:8-14

      Proper 29 A        Matt 25:31-46

      Proper 18 B        Jas 2:1-17

      Proper 10 C        Luke 16:19-31

      Proper 23 C        Jas 2:1-17

Prayer        Proper 12 C        Gen 18:20-32

              Luke 11:1-13

      Proper 24  C        Luke 18:1-8

Education        Proper 15 B        Prov 9:1-6

      Proper 26 B        Deut 6:1-9

Children        Proper 20 B        Mark 9:30-37

      Proper 22 B        Mark 10:2-16

Music        Proper 15 B        Eph 5:15-20

For suggestions for the celebration of Youth and Education/Schools, see under 'Other material' at the end of this document.

Congregations may also consider acknowledging some of the following anniversaries or commemorations of local or wider significance.

Local congregation

* Congregational anniversaries

      establishment of congregation

      dedication of buildings

* Reunions

      of foundation members

      of confirmation classes

Local community

* Anniversary of settlement, institutions

      white settlement

      events connected with Aboriginal history

      establishment of local council

* Events of historical significance, eg

      vintage/harvest festival

      arrival of missionaries

Statewide or national significance

* Civic commemorations

      Australia Day

      Anzac Day

      Australian Federation

      Proclamation of State

*        UN Year of ___

* LCA anniversaries

      Formation of LCA (29 October 1966)

LITURGY

SENTENCE

A Sentence may be said or sung entirely by the minister, or it may be said or sung as a responsive verse. See the document 'General notes and resources' (under 'Sentence') in this folder for suggested general Sentences and for some suggested places in the service for using a Sentence.

INTRODUCTION TO CONFESSION OF SINS

One of the following verses may be spoken before the invitation to confession in the order of service. Other verses, related to readings for the day, are given in the documents for some Sundays.

God is light, and there is no darkness at all in him. If we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing.

OR

Jesus says: 'Healthy people don't need a doctor, but sick people do. I didn't come to invite good people to turn to God. I came to invite sinners.'

OR

You have been baptised in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins may be forgiven.

OR

Jesus Christ gave himself for us, to rescue us from all wickedness and to make us a pure people who belong to him alone and are eager to do good.

INTROIT

In contemporary liturgical practice, the traditional introits are no longer used. For more details, see the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Psalm (and introit)', in this folder.

However, if you do decide to use the appointed psalms as introits, note that for the Sundays after Pentecost two psalms are given, one for each of the alternative first readings. If you use the first set of first readings (the semi-continuous set), you will find that in many cases the accompanying psalm is unsuitable for use as an introit because it has been selected particularly as a response to the first reading, which in turn is not usually related to the rest of the readings and propers. A better choice, for an introit, may be to take verses from the other psalm, the one appointed to go with the 'thematic' first reading (even though that set of first readings is not being used), because that psalm usually relates also to the rest of the propers (particulaly the gospel).

LORD, HAVE MERCY

For guidelines and variations of the 'Lord, have mercy', see the document 'General notes and resources' in this folder, under 'Lord, have mercy' (in both the 'Liturgy' and 'Hymns and songs' sections).

OFFERING PRAYER

During these post-Pentecost Sundays, when there is an emphasis on living the Christian life, it may be particularly appropriate to use the offertory prayer provided for each Sunday. For explanation, see the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Offering prayer', in this folder.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

For general guidelines and ideas, see the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Liturgy', 'Prayer of the church', in this folder.

It is generally preferable to use a well-known response such as 'Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer' to the intercessions, so that the congregation can respond readily without having to look at the printed order of service or bulletin, which can be disrupting. However, for those who want variations, alternative responses are supplied in the Sunday documents.

SEASONAL PREFACE

Strictly speaking, there is no seasonal preface for the time after Pentecost, as these Sundays are 'ordinary' or non-festival Sundays. However, the following preface is given for use in the Service - Alternative Form and the Sing the Feast form of the liturgy, and may be used for any form of the holy communion service.

It is indeed right and good,

Lord God, holy Father,

that we should at all times and in all places

give thanks to you,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

(On this day)*

he overcame death by his resurrection

and opened up for us

the way to eternal life with you.

And so, with angels and archangels,

and with all the company of heaven,

we adore and praise your glorious name:

OR, the same preface could be adapted to fit the Service with Communion (LHS page 6):

It is truly fitting and right, and for our lasting good,

that we should at all times, and in all places,

give thanks to you,

O Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God,

through Jesus Christ our Lord;

who (on this day)* overcame death by his resurrection

and opened up for us the way to eternal life with you.

Therefore with angels and archangels,

and with all the company of heaven,

we adore and magnify your glorious name,

evermore praising you and saying:

* The words 'on this day' are omitted if the service is not on a Sunday.

HYMNS AND SONGS

GENERAL

For many suggestions for metrical paraphrases of liturgical parts, as well as sources and guidelines for hymnody, see the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Hymns and songs', in this folder.

CANTICLES

For guidelines on using canticles as well as different versions of the texts, see the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Canticles', in this folder.

MUSIC

For various music resources and guidelines, see the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Music', in this folder. See also in this folder the document 'Indexes to Music Packages'.

VISUAL ARTS

GENERAL

For general guidelines and ideas, see the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Visual arts', in this folder.

COLOUR

The colour for the post-Pentecost period is green. Once identified with the Trinity (because this colour was used in what was mistakenly called the 'Trinity' season in the old lectionary), green symbolises growth. Just as the festival half of the year focused on the events of the life of Christ, so now the non-festival half of the year focuses on the growth of the body of Christ, the church.

SYMBOLS

Symbols of Christian life and growth, such as the tree of life and the vine, are appropriate in the post-Pentecost period, symbolising the growth of the kingdom of God. These symbols also use green, which is the colour of the period.

Here are some ideas:

Tree of life: stylised tree with branches, leaves, roots, alpha and omega on branches

The vine and branches

The spread of the gospel: equal-armed cross with small crosses at end of each arm

The ark or ship of the church

The word: open book (with alpha and omega) or lamp

Worship and music, the new song of the Lord: harp or lyre

Prayer: an incense burner with rising smoke

Shield of faith, hope and love: shield shape containing cross, anchor, heart

The church/gospel in the world: cross mounted on orb

Christ the rock: cross on top of a large solid rock/mountain

Lamp of knowledge: ancient type of lamp

Hope and peace: dove bearing olive branch

Office of keys: pair of crossed keys

Gifts of God, plenty: sheaf of wheat, bunches of grapes

On the last Sundays of the church year, these symbols are appropriate:

Crown of victory: crown with cross

Victory over death: cross over snake

Jesus Christ, the Alpha and Omega: chi rho with alpha and omega

CHILDREN

For guidelines and general ideas on involving children, see the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Involving children', in this folder. An offering procession is an example of a dramatic rite which can speak to all people, including children.

OTHER MATERIAL

SUGGESTIONS FOR CELEBRATING 'YOUTH'

Here are some suggestions for the celebration of a 'Youth Sunday'.

Lutheran Worship, page 127 'For young persons'

Lutheran Book of Worship, page 51 'Young persons'

SUGGESTIONS FOR CELEBRATING 'EDUCATION' ('SCHOOLING')

Here are some suggestions for the celebration of an 'Education Sunday' with an emphasis on schools. (Note that, strictly speaking, Christian education involves the ongoing Christian nurture and growth of all members of the congregation, not just the formal schooling of children. Emphases on Christian education in this broader sense could include use of Luther's Small Catechism (see the document 'Catechism resources' in the 'General and seasonal' folder) or various study courses.)

Lutheran Worship, page 131 'For Christian schools'

Lutheran Book of Worship, page 44 'For schools', page 46 'For teachers'