Sermon and Worship Resources

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Mark 13:1-31, Mark 13:32-37

Sermon Aid

Wayne B. Keller

Theme: Signs of the end - The return of Christ symbolized by the fig tree. Liturgical Color: Green THE COMMUNITY GATHERS Consider this: Welcome to the party! How have you prepared for this party today? How we prepare for this weekly party will determine partly, how we prepare for the final one. The Scripture gives us signs; God gives us Spirit; the Church gives us symbols. Continue with this l...

2. Advent 2

Mark 1:1-8

Sermon Aid

Wayne B. Keller

Liturgical Color: Blue/Purple Theme: Preparation - Getting ready for the world's savior. Meditation 1. Beginning: How do you get ready for the coming of the world's savior into your life each day? 2. Ending: What will you do this week to ready yourself for the coming of the world's savior into your life, into the life of your neighbor? Invitation to Worship Suggestion: God has prepared for us ...

3. Advent 3 - Witnessing

John 1:19-28, John 1:1-18

Sermon Aid

Wayne B. Keller

Liturgical Color: Blue/Purple Theme: Witnessing - Bearing witness to the light of the world. Invitation to Worship One pastor began this way: By now, this third Sunday in Advent, what does Christ's coming mean to you? More work or new hope, exhaustion or peace? Rushing around doing this and that or an opportunity to discover anew the world's savior? Continue with this, or a similar, litany betw...

4. Advent 4

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon Aid

Wayne B. Keller

Liturgical Color: Blue/Purple Theme: Announcement - You're the one, Mary! You're the ones, church! Invitation to Worship One pastor began this way: We're getting closer. We keep hearing the announcement, usually somewhat ahead of schedule; for, by now, the mass media has announced Jesus' birth billions of times. However, in the midst of the Christmas confusion and busyness, there are two attitud...

5. An Invitation to Rest

Mark 6:30-44

Sermon Aid

Wayne B. Keller

Liturgical Color: Green Theme: Jesus' invitation to the disciples to leave the crowd and to rest; peoples' unwillingness to leave them alone; Jesus' compassion toward them. Pastoral Invitation Suggestion: Begin, what do you expect to happen today? God promises that if we expect little, we will receive little; if we expect much, we will receive much. The decision is in the eye of the beholder. C...

6. Easter Sunday

John 20:1-9, John 20:10-18

Sermon Aid

Wayne B. Keller

Liturgical Color: White Theme Jesus' resurrection; always include also the theme of Jesus' crucifixion. Many Easter worshipers, including members of the congregation, want to reap the benefits of Christianity without the demands of Christ; they want life without death, resurrection without crucifixion. You may want to print these two quotes on the order of worship: 1. "No one experiences resurrec...

7. Epiphany 2

John 1:43-51, John 1:35-42

Sermon Aid

Wayne B. Keller

Liturgical Color: Green Theme: Calling the disciples to a special ministry. Invitation to the Celebration Pastor: We have come, maybe reluctantly, maybe expectantly, because the living God has invited us to come. People: We have come, with reluctance and expectation, to affirm who we are, whose we are, what we do, where we go, in the power of the world's Savior. Pastor: We affirm our life, corpo...

8. Epiphany 3

Mark 1:14-20

Bulletin Aid

Wayne B. Keller

Liturgical Color: Green Theme: Jesus' preaching commands/demands change - Repentance Call to Worship One pastor did this: Begin with a contemporary call to repentance, using the method of the Old Testament prophets. You may want to read, The Prophets on Main Street, by J. Elliott Corbett, published by John Knox Press, Richmond, Virginia. You may want to conclude with the words ascribed to Jesus...

9. Epiphany 4

Mark 1:21-28

Sermon Aid

Wayne B. Keller

Liturgical Color: Green Theme: A teaching with authority - A summary of Jesus' teaching ministry. Invitation to the Celebration Consider this: In God's Name, welcome to the fourth Sunday in Epiphany. Now that we've been celebrating this relatively unknown season for several weeks, and have been singing Epiphany music, have you learned anything new about the season itself? Give the people an oppo...

10. Epiphany 6

Mark 1:40-45

Sermon Aid

Wayne B. Keller

Liturgical Color: Green Theme: Jesus' healing of the leper - Jesus' insistence that the leper tell no one. Invitation to Worship Try this: As pastor and choir process into the sanctuary, touch some of the people, or stop and greet them. If you do not process, without announcing the purpose, come from the chancel and do the same. Then, welcome people to worship. Along with the phone company, ask...

11. Friendship with God

John 15:18--16:4

Sermon Aid

Wayne B. Keller

Liturgical Color: White Theme: Friendship with God Invitation to Worship Consider these ideas: (1) Print at the beginning of the order of worship these words: "The reason that dogs have so many friends is that they wag their tails instead of their tongues." (2) Pastor says: True friendship is based upon God's love for and forgiveness of us, and our willingness to accept God's unconditional gif...

12. The Cleansing of the Temple

John 2:12-25

Sermon Aid

Wayne B. Keller

Liturgical Color: Purple Theme: The cleansing of the temple; the promise of Jesus' resurrection. The Community Gathers Pastoral Invitation to the Celebration: Suggestion: In the Name of God, the Holy One and Loving One, welcome to worship. Are you ready to begin? If not, I invite you to allow the Spirit of God to make you ready, not only for Jesus' words of comfort, but also, for Jesus' words of ...

13. The Preaching Ministry

Mark 1:35-39, Mark 1:29-34

Sermon Aid

Wayne B. Keller

Liturgical Color: Green Theme: The preaching ministry, augmented by the healing ministry, of Jesus. The Community Gathers Suggestion: Welcome to worship in the Name of the God of wholeness. God has sent Christ to bring healing, liberation, salvation to the world, the world which God loves, and asks us to do the same. Continue with this litany: Pastor: Our wholeness is in the name of the Lord, ...

14. The Season Of The Evangel

Matthew 2:1-12

Bulletin Aid

Wayne B. Keller

Theme: The News of Birth; the fear of Herod; the coming of Wise Men - An announcement of the gospel for the world. Call to Worship Suggestion: God is the God of the universe, even that part of the universe that we don't know, don't care about, don't like. Invite the people to expand their appreciation for the world by placing pictures around the sanctuary which speak of God's whole world. Ask th...

15. The Season of the Holy Spirit

John 18:28-40

Bulletin Aid

Wayne B. Keller

Theme: Pilate's question: "Are you the Jews' king?"Jesus' response: "You say so ... I bear witness to the truth." Pilate's perplexity: "What is truth?" THE COMMUNITY GATHERS TO CELEBRATE Suggestion: Begin, are you here? I mean, really here this morning? Are you here to hear the truth as God's Spirit reveals the truth? If not, wake up. (Use an alarm clock, or some kind of sound to wake the people ...

16. The Season of the Holy Spirit

Luke 24:36-49

Sermon Aid

Wayne B. Keller

Liturgical Color: White Gospel: Luke 24:44-53 Mark 16:15-20 Theme: Luke 24:44-53: Jesus' reminder to, and departure from, the disciples. Mark 16:15-20: Jesus' directives to, and departure from, the disciples. Pastoral Invitation to the Celebration Try this: Welcome to Ascension Day - probably a day of mystery for most of us. Begin with where the people are by asking them to share their first im...

17. The Season of the Holy Spirit

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon Aid

Wayne B. Keller

Theme: Thanksgiving THE COMMUNITY GATHERS One pastor began this way: We meet to praise, in a sense, to "Cheer for God." The amen literally means, "hip, hip, hurray!" Call out some praise words; and ask the people to respond with "hip, hip, hurray!" Then, conclude with Iranaeus statement, "The glory of God is man/woman fully alive!" so, rejoice, rejoice, rejoice, as thanksgiving, thanksliving peo...

18. The Season of the Nativity

Luke 2:1-7, Luke 2:8-20

Sermon Aid

Wayne B. Keller

Liturgical Color: White Theme: Birth of the World's Savior - Include the themes of crucifixion, resurrection, Pentecost. Suggestion Use the following themes to identify each section of the order of worship: I. The Community Awaits Christ's Coming. "For whom are we waiting, anyway?" II. The Community Celebrates Christ's Birth "God so loves the world that God gave the only forgotten son. Remember...

19. The Season of the Nativity

John 1:1-18

Sermon Aid

Wayne B. Keller

Liturgical Color: White Theme: John's version of the Christmas story - The Word Pastoral Invitation to the Celebration Suggestion: Begin, In the Name of the Word, the Word made flesh, welcome to this Christmas celebration. God continues to present the Gift, we continue to receive, relieved of the Christmas rush. Continue with a litany of John 1 , using either the J. B. Phillipps' translation or...

20. The Season of the Resurrection

John 20:24-31, John 20:19-23

Sermon Aid

Wayne B. Keller

Liturgical Color: White Theme: The risen Christ confronts a doubting Thomas Pastoral Invitation to the Celebration Suggestion: Begin, when we worship, we celebrate our personal relationship with God, our affirmations and our doubts, and our worldwide relationship with each other - as fellow humans, both friends and enemies, as fellow Christians, both known and unknown, both living and dead. Cont...

21. The Transfiguration

Mark 9:2-13

Sermon Aid

Wayne B. Keller

Liturgical Color: White Theme: The Transfiguration of Jesus The Community Gathers Suggestion: Begin, Be still: be aware of God's Presence.(Give several moments of silence.) After several moments of silence, ask the people to respond, verbally, with the message they heard from God. The Act of Confession Try this: Again, begin, be still; listen for God's voice. (give three minutes of silence) Ask...

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