Year B - Proper 27 (06 Nov - 12 Nov)

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VERSION: 8 May 2002

SUNDAY BETWEEN 6 AND 12 NOV (PROPER 27), YEAR B

THIRD-LAST SUNDAY OF THE CHURCH YEAR

In 2003: 22nd Sunday after Pentecost, 9 Nov

In 2006: 23rd Sunday after Pentecost, 12 Nov

In 2009: 23rd Sunday after Pentecost, 8 Nov

In 2012: 24th Sunday after Pentecost, 11 Nov

In 2015: 24th Sunday after Pentecost, 8 Nov

- - -

Note: For explanations and suggestions on the various resources provided, see the documents 'General notes and resources' and 'Time after Pentecost' in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

THE LAST SUNDAYS OF THE CHURCH YEAR

As the church year draws to a close, the readings begin to reflect themes of eschatology, that is, the 'last things'. This theme culminates in the celebration of the Last Sunday of the Church Year (Day of the Fulfilment) and the First Sunday of Advent.

LITURGY

SENTENCE

See the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder for suggestions on using a Sentence.

Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many,

will appear a second time,

not to deal with sin,

but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

(Heb 9:28 NRSV)

OR, use one of the general Sentences in the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

PRAYER OF THE DAY (COLLECT)

Traditional

Stir up, O Lord, the wills of your faithful people,

that they may richly bear the fruit of good works,

and receive your rich reward;

through your Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

OR, modernised traditional

Stir up, Lord, the wills of your faithful people.

Help us richly bear the fruit of good works,

and give us your rich reward.

We ask this through your Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

OR, alternative

(Let us pray for vigilance. [silence])

Heavenly Father,

keep us watchful and alert

as we wait for the coming of your Son, our Lord.

When he stands at the door and knocks,

may he not find us asleep

in carelessness and sin,

but awake in hope and rejoicing,

so that we may live with you forever.

We ask this through Jesus Christ,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

OR, new

(Let us pray for faithfulness until Christ's return. [silence])

Awaken us, Lord,

so that when your Son comes

we may be ready to receive him with joy

and serve you with clean hearts.

We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

FIRST READING AND PSALM

Note: There are two sets of first readings (with accompanying Psalms) given for the Sundays after Pentecost: (a) a new semi-continuous set, and (b) a set related thematically to the gospels (as in the earlier form of the lectionary). It is intended that either one of these two sets be used throughout and that they not be mixed.

1a

Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17 Ruth and Boaz

(If using NRSV or NIV, in 3:1 put 'Ruth's mother-in-law' instead of 'her mother-in-law')

Psalm 127

Antiphon:

Children are a heritage of the Lord. (Ps 127:3a)

OR, 1b

1 Kings 17:8-16 Elijah and the widow of Zarephath

(If using NRSV or NIV, begin: 'The word of the Lord came to Elijah . . . ')

Psalm146

Antiphon:

The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down. (Ps 146:8b NRSV)

SECOND READING

Hebrews 9:24-28 Christ's sacrifice takes away sins

ALLELUIA VERSE (Heb 9:26b NRSV)

Alleluia, alleluia.

Christ appeared once for all at the end of the age

to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Alleluia.

GOSPEL

Mark 12:38-44 The widow's generous offering

(If using NRSV, begin: 'As Jesus taught . . . '; if using TEV, begin: 'As Jesus taught the crowd . . . ')

PRAYER AFTER THE GOSPEL

This is the gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

Thank you, Lord Jesus,

for your great generosity to us.

Make our faith sincere,

so that we too give generously of ourselves.

Amen.

OFFERING PRAYER

Thank you, God,

that through Jesus we can come to you.

Remind us that you have saved us

and you care for us,

so that we can generously give to others

as you have given to us.

Amen.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

Call to prayer

The Lord our God is merciful. When people lack the necessities of life he hears their prayers, but those who make a show of themselves he despises. Let us pray to the Lord of all and ask his blessing on those in need.

The regular response, OR:

O Saviour God,

hear our prayer.

Suggested intercessions

Concluding prayer

Merciful God, help us not to use our faith to gain recognition for ourselves, but to trust you with full assurance by placing our whole self before you for your glory and your service. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

PREFACE

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:

* The words 'on this day' are used only on Sundays.

MEMORIAL ACCLAMATION

If using the Service - Alternative Form, or any of the Sing The Feast settings, instead of saying 'Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again' after the words of institution, the following acclamation may be used:

When we eat this bread and drink this cup,

we proclaim your death, Lord Jesus,

until you come in glory.

COMMUNION INVITATION

For a choice of communion invitations, see the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Communion invitation', in the 'General and seasonal' folder. Alternatively, the following invitation may be used (if it has not been used for the memorial acclamation above):

As often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,

you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

(Thanks be to God.)

Come, everything is ready.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

See the service order for a standard post-communion prayer. Alternatively, use the third prayer of the day (as listed above) at this point. It may be modified as follows.

Heavenly Father,

keep us watchful and alert

as we wait for the coming of your Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord.

Help us to hear his voice

when he stands at the door and knocks,

so that he may come in to us

and eat with us.

For he lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

DISMISSAL

Go in peace, for Christ has brought you to God.

Thanks be to God. OR In the name of Christ. Amen.

HYMNS AND SONGS

FOR THE READINGS

Please note:        * =        Modernised version available

      G3, G4 . . . =        Guitar chords available in the Music Package 3, 4 . . .

      GS =        Guitar chords in the Supplement to LH

First reading (a): Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17

-

First reading (b): 1 Kings 17:8-16

LHS

AT

TIS

Second reading: Hebrews  9:24-28

LHS

AT

TIS

Gospel: Mark 12:38-44

LHS

AT

TIS

PSALM 127

For musical settings of Psalm 127, see Music Package 6.

The following paraphrase of Psalm 127 by David Sch¸tz may be sung to the tune Jerusalem, TIS 416. If reproducing this version, please put 'Words (c) David Sch¸tz' at the beginning or the end of the psalm.

Unless the Lord God builds the house,

all those who labour build in vain.

Unless the Lord God keeps the watch

the watchers stay awake in vain.

In vain you rise at early hour,

in vain you go late to your beds,

eating the bread of anxious toil,

for he gives his beloved rest.

Your sons and daughters are a gift,

a heritage that's from the Lord;

and every child born of the womb

God gives to you as his reward.

So are the children of your youth

like arrows in the warrior's hand -

happy are those whose quiver's full!

In confidence they take their stand.

PSALM 146

For musical settings of Psalm 146, see Music Packages 6, 9 and 10.

TIS 90, I'll praise my maker while I've breath, is a paraphrase of Psalm 146:1,2,5-9. Or, either of the following paraphrases of the psalm by David Sch¸tz may be used. If reproducing either of these versions, please put 'Words (c) David Sch¸tz' at the beginning or the end of the psalm. The first may be sung to the tune Adelaide, LH 461.

As long as I have breath,

I'll sing my praise to God:

      O praise the Lord, my soul!

Don't trust in human strength,

in whom there is no help.

      O praise the Lord, my soul!

When mortal breath is gone,

and strength returns to dust,

      all human plans will end;

but Jacob's God keeps faith -

he made the earth and sky

      and all that they contain!

He gives the hungry food,

and justice to the poor

      and sets the prisoners free.

The righteous know his love.

He lifts up those weighed down,

      and makes the blind to see.

He cares for refugees,

for widows, orphans too,

      but all who hate him fall!

Forever Zion's God

is King of all the earth,

      O praise the Lord, my soul!

This second version may be sung to the tune of 'Now the green blade rises' (LHS 764, AT 15, TIS 382).

Verses1-4

Praise the Lord, my soul! I'll praise him all my days.

Trust no human leader - mortals bring no aid.

Their breath departs, their bodies turn to dust,

all their plans will perish, as all creatures must.

Verses 5,6

Blest are those who find their help in Jacob's God.

Blest are those whose hope is in the Lord their God.

He made the sky, the sea, and all the earth.

He is always faithful, always keeps his word.

Verses 7,8

The Lord feeds the hungry, sets the prisoner free,

by his healing power the blind are made to see,

he gives his justice to all those oppressed,

lifts up those bowed down, and loves all righteousness.

Verses 9.10

Strangers, widows, orphans know his loving grace.

But he brings to ruin every wicked way.

The Lord will reign forever, Zion's God.

Through all generations, praise the Lord our God!

NOTES ON THE READINGS

See the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Notes on the readings', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

1 KINGS 17:8-16: Elijah was directed for his own protection to a heathen region because of King Ahab's determination to kill him.  The widow at Zarepath appears to have been a worshipper of the Lord God. Elijah's request for her last reserve of food was not motivated by selfishness so much as a test of his faith (and hers) that God would somehow make good his promise that the widow would be able to continue to feed him regardless of the famine. Miracles are not frequently mentioned throughout the Old Testament. They do appear at particular times in the history of the plan of salvation when the maintenance of a people who could hold and pass down its truths was endangered.

HEBREWS 9:24-28: This reading repeats the substance of last week's second reading. The Old Testament priests needed to offer up sacrifices for the sins of the people again and again. This was a human act commanded by God in an edifice built with human hands. Christ needed only to make one sacrifice once, thus paying for all sin once and for all. He entered the true sanctuary of God's actual presence with a perfectly completed salvation. Otherwise his birth and death would have been needed repeatedly since Adam's fall into sin, for human sin is continuous! Because his salvation is an accomplished fact, he will come again at the end of all things to take to himself his perfected waiting people.

MARK 12:38-44: Not all church officials who wear long robes and receive general approval are necessarily among God's elect. Hypocrisy can exist among the seemingly 'holy' Christians. Beware!  There is such a thing as greater condemnation. In sharp contrast to the scribes is the widow at the temple. The importance of money in God's kingdom is relative to what God does in blessing its use. Jesus' comment about this widow's gift shows that whether great or small, it is the loving motivation of the heart towards God which determines the generosity of the gift. This widow was similar to the widow at Zarepath in the demonstration of a total and implicit faith.

VISUAL

VISUALS FOR THE READINGS

Pictures or visual symbols could be displayed on banners or the overhead screen during the readings. For instance, reading 1b could be accompaniedby a picture of a jar with flour and a jug with oil (or according to TEV, a bowl and a jar).

DRAMA

'MEGA DRAMA'

See a drama for the day in Mega Drama resources (Openbook Publishers), originally included in these worship resources when they were released on disks.

DRAMATISING THE READINGS

The readings can be read by more than one person to make the dramatic meaning of the text clearer. For instance, reading 1a from Ruth could be read by three readers: narrator, Naomi, one of the women; reading 1b from 1 Kings by four readers: narrator, voice of the Lord, Elijah, the widow; and the gospel by two readers: narrator (the pastor), and Jesus.

CHILDREN

'COME AND SEE JESUS'

The Come and See Jesus curriculum published by Openbook Publishers has a wealth of material and ideas that may be adapted for use in worship. Please note that a new edition of this material is currently available for the Revised Common Lectionary.

This week's story is 'Elijah and the widow'. Material for this story may be found in

Original Edition, Series B, Semester 2 (Pentecost 25)

OR

Revised RCL Edition, Series B, Semester 2 (Proper 27)