Sermon and Worship Resources

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

Sermon Aid

Wayne H. Keller

Liturgical Color: Purple/Blue Theme: Witnessing and Previewing. John the Baptist announces the light of the world. THE COMMUNITY PREPARES Choral Invitation Today, have the chancel choir move two-thirds of the way to the rear of the sanctuary, while the second choir moves two-thirds of the way to the front. Deliberately, have the two choirs pass each other in the aisles, even though the choir me...

2. Amazement at Jesus' Teaching

Mark 1:21-28

Sermon Aid

Wayne H. Keller

Liturgical Color: Green Theme: The Peoples' Amazement at Jesus Teaching; Driving out an Evil Spirit. THE COMMUNITY GATHERS Pastoral Invitation Once more, plus four more Epiphany Sundays, we celebrate the Presence and Power of the Evangel. Because God has called us, because God is present with us, worship then is never an obligation, a duty, a requirement. It is, rather, an invitation to examine...

3. Easter Day

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

Sermon Aid

Wayne H. Keller

Liturgical Color: White Theme: Resurrection; the Empty Tomb. You also may want to include the theme of Jesus' crucifixion, for those who expect to experience the joy of Easter without the horror of Good Friday. In no way will we experience life without death, resurrection without crucifixion. A Return To Good Friday, Which At The Time, Appeared Bad Continue to keep the cross and communion table ...

4. Epiphany 8

Mark 2:18-22, Mark 2:13-17

Sermon Aid

Wayne H. Keller

Liturgical Color: Green Theme: Jesus Eating with "Sinners," and Jesus Questioned about Fasting. THE COMMUNITY GATHERS Alternative Idea On the last Sunday of Epiphany, begin a seven-week series on "Jesus' Seven Last Words from the Cross." Use this as a liaison between Epiphany and Lent. Then, on Maundy Thursday or Good Friday, speak on the theme, "The Seven Last Words of the Church," namely, "We...

5. Getting Ready for The Coming Messiah

Mark 1:1-8

Bulletin Aid

Wayne H. Keller

Liturgical Color: Purple/Blue Theme: Preparing the Way; John Announces the Coming of Jesus. John paved the way for Jesus, who then paved the way for us. Choral Invitation Have the two choirs move toward each other. The chancel choir will move one third of the way toward the rear; and the second choir will move one third of the way to the front. The chancel choir will sing "Santa Claus Is Coming ...

6. Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

John 6:16-24, John 6:1-15

Sermon Aid

Wayne H. Keller

Theme: Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand; Jesus Walks on Water. Do you see the connection? Liturgical Color: Green ADORATION Pastoral Invitation Ask three soloists, well in advance, to sing a line or two, beginning with "I come ..." One may come weary; another, in physical pain; another, experiencing the death of a friend. They enter from the rear of the sanctuary, and sing as they come down the ai...

7. Jesus Heals Many

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

Sermon Aid

Wayne H. Keller

Liturgical Color: Green Theme: Jesus Heals Many; Jesus Prays in a Solitary Place; Jesus Preaches Throughout Galilee. THE COMMUNITY GATHERS Pastoral Invitation In the name of the living God, welcome. With what expectations do you come today? (Give the people thirty seconds to identify their expectations, silently.) Mark Twain said, "Blessed are those who expect nothing; for they will not be disa...

8. Jesus Heals the Leper

Mark 1:40-45

Sermon Aid

Wayne H. Keller

Liturgical Color: Green Theme: Jesus Heals the Leper, and Warns Him Not to Tell Anyone. THE COMMUNITY GATHERS Pastoral Invitation In the name of the Author of Epiphany and the other five seasons, joy to you and me! Because of God's touch on our lives, we who were nobodies have become somebodies. In God's Spirit, I invite us to keep on receiving God's healing touch. And all the people said, ____...

9. Jesus Prays for His Disciples

John 17:6-19

Sermon Aid

Wayne H. Keller

Liturgical Color: White Theme: Jesus Prays for His Disciples, Then, and Now. INVITATION TO WORSHIP Pastoral Invitation (Pastor and People) Pastor: In the name of the One who prayed for, and continues to pray for, his disciples, welcome to this last Sunday in Easter. I invite us to take one minute of silence to recall what we have learned this Easter season, and to recount new acts of obedience....

10. Jesus Teaches the Essence of His Being

John 6:60-71, John 6:25-59

Sermon Aid

Wayne H. Keller

Theme: Jesus Teaches the Essence of His Being the True Bread and Cup. This is too much for many, so they desert him. The disciples, up to this point, promise to stick with him. Liturgical Color: Green THE COMMUNITY GATHERS TO CELEBRATE Pastoral Invitation (Pastor and People) In the name of the Living Bread and Wine, welcome to worship. As we begin worship, I invite you to think about the kind o...

11. Jesus, the Bread of Life

John 6:25-59

Sermon Aid

Wayne H. Keller

Theme: Jesus, the Bread of Life and the Disciples Expectations and Demands. Liturgical Color: Green. ADORATION Pastoral Invitation (Pastor and People) In the name of the risen, active Christ, welcome to the eleventh Sunday of Pentecost. As we begin worship, consider, silently, your expectations of yourself, others, God. Write them down. Do they focus on physical or spiritual bread? Pastor: Jes...

12. Lent 5

John 12:20-36

Bulletin Aid

Wayne H. Keller

Liturgical Color: Purple Theme: Jesus Predicts His Death: The Kernel Must Die Before the Wheat is Born. COMMUNITY GATHERS Pastoral Invitation In the name of the one who soon will die, welcome, as we approach the conclusion of Lent. How goes your Lenten observance? What are you learning? What new decisions are you making? Where do you see your life changing? Have you begun to see the reason for ...

13. No Longer Servants, but Friends

John 15:18--16:4

Sermon Aid

Wayne H. Keller

Liturgical Color: White Theme: No Longer Servants, but Friends. Imagine! Friends of God! INVITATION TO WORSHIP Pastoral Invitation (Pastor and Ministers) In the Name of the One who called us servants and now calls us friends, welcome to this Easter celebration. Today, we come to learn what friendship with God means. I warn you that this discovery is both exciting and fearful. I invite us to giv...

14. The Calling of the First Disciples

Mark 1:14-20

Sermon Aid

Wayne H. Keller

The Community Gathers Pastoral Invitation Again, God, the Evangel, has invited, has called us to worship. We, God's evangels, have said, "yes." God has called us to no spectator sport. The liturgy, that is, the order of worship, is defined as "the work" (and I add, the play) of the people, not the production of the pastor, church secretary, or musicians. So, as always, as God's evangels, we work ...

15. The Season Of Expectancy

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

Sermon Aid

Wayne H. Keller

Liturgical Color: Purple/Blue Theme: Be Alert/Be Prepared. Advent (which means "coming") is the great getting-ready-moment for the birth of the world's Savior. THE COMMUNITY PREPARES Choral Invitation You will need two choirs, or partial choirs. One choir, placed in the chancel, will sing with much vigor and enthusiasm, "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town." The second choir, from the rear of the san...

16. The Season Of Expectancy

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon Aid

Wayne H. Keller

Liturgical Color: Purple/Blue Theme: Announcing, to Mary, the birth of Jesus. Mary accepts the message, though probably with little understanding of what this will mean in the years ahead. THE COMMUNITY PREPARES Choral Invitation The choir which began, three weeks ago, at the rear of the sanctuary, now places itself in the chancel. The choir which began in the chancel places itself at the rear ...

17. The Season Of Renewal

Matthew 6:1-4, Matthew 6:5-15, Matthew 6:16-18, Matthew 6:19-24

Bulletin Aid

Wayne H. Keller

After everyone leaves the sanctuary on Fat Tuesday, and before anyone enters the sanctuary on Ash Wednesday, cover the cross and communion table with the daily newspaper. (You may want to get permission from the worship committee, though I can assure you that you will create more excitement if you tell no one ahead of time. On Ash Wednesday, leave the sanctuary open all day, and all night, if poss...

18. The Season Of Renewal

Mark 1:1-8

Bulletin Aid

Wayne H. Keller

Theme: The Wise Men's Visit; King Herod's Anxiety; John's Preaching; Jesus' Baptism. The beginning of Jesus' journey to the Cross and Empty Tomb. THE EKKLESIA GATHERS TO CELEBRATE Pastoral Invitation If your people have no idea of the meaning of ekklesia, explain it. The ekklesia is the evangel (small e); God's Spirit is the Evangel (large E). We will discover the meaning of that truth this Epip...

19. The Season Of Renewal

John 3:1-21

Bulletin Aid

Wayne H. Keller

Theme: Jesus Teaches Nicodemus. God Overcomes the Darkness by Sending the Human Jesus Who Became the Risen Christ. WE OFFER OURSELVES IN THE SPIRIT OF THE LIVING CHRIST Pastoral Invitation In the name of the unique, one of a kind, human, Jesus of Nazareth, welcome to the fourth Sunday in Lent. We're here! Now what? No matter what our reason for coming, now that we're here, with what kind of expe...

20. The Season Of Renewal

John 13:1-17

Bulletin Aid

Wayne H. Keller

Theme: Jesus Washes the Disciples' Feet; Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial. Consider a silent communion with the worshipers focused on the Cross and communion table still covered with the daily newspaper. Some ideas for the bulletin; some ideas for the pastor: 1. Simulate the washing of the people's feet as they enter the sanctuary, by shining their shoes. Be prepared to have some reject the act; be ...

21. The Season Of The Evangel: Epiphany 2

John 1:43-51

Bulletin Aid

Wayne H. Keller

Theme: Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael. What method has God used to call you? THE COMMUNITY GATHERS Pastoral Invitation In the Name of God, the Evangel, the Author of the Good News, welcome to all of you evangels, receivers and sharers of the Good News. Good morning, evangels. You know who you are and whose you are. Response Leader: Yes, we do know who we are. We have come today to celebrate o...

22. The Season Of The Holy Spirit

Mark 11:1-11

Bulletin Aid

Wayne H. Keller

Theme: Jesus Before Pilate. "Are You the King of the Jews?" The question for us is this: "Is Jesus our King?" THE COMMUNITY GATHERS TO CELEBRATE Pastoral and Congregational Invitation (Pastor and Ministers) Welcome to Christ the King Sunday. According to one author (unknown to me), and according to the prophets of Israel, God was not meant to be worshiped. We are related to God, not through ador...

23. The Season Of The Holy Spirit

John 6:25-59

Bulletin Aid

Wayne H. Keller

Theme: Jesus Continues the Bread of Life Theme; Jesus Responds to the Grumblers. Jesus talks about life; his detractors talk about Jesus. Liturgical Color: Green ADORATION Pastoral Invitation Before worship and before people enter the sanctuary, have several people, of all ages, lying in the chancel, "asleep." At the beginning of worship, have them "wake up" slowly, greet each other in slow moti...

24. The Season Of The Holy Spirit

John 6:25-59

Sermon Aid

Wayne H. Keller

Theme: Jesus Again Continues the Bread of Life Theme; This Time People Argue Among Themselves. Note: The idea for this celebration of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper comes from a sermon by Henry E. Kolbe, a United Methodist clergyman (now deceased). The sermon was printed in The Pulpit magazine (July-August, 1966). I used this idea previously in Lectionary Worship Workbook, Cycle B, published ...

25. The Season Of The Holy Spirit

Mark 7:1-23

Bulletin Aid

Wayne H. Keller

Theme: Jesus Deals with Cleanliness and Uncleanliness: The External and the Internal. How do we decide which are the "worst" sins? Liturgical Color: Green THE COMMUNITY GATHERS TO CELEBRATE Pastoral Invitation (Pastor and Ministers) When you entered the sanctuary door, you passed the entrance exam; so welcome to worship. Are you ready to hear and to respond to the Good News? M: Well, Pastor ____...

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