Description
Mark 12:38-44
Things are not always as they seem. While false advertising may be illegal late-night television is full of infomercials that promise to deliver much with little investment. If everyone could be independently wealthy working from home, then why aren’t we? Not everything that seems great really is. We see two such examples here. As Jesus teaches in the temple he denounces the grandeur of the scribes and uplifts the meager offering of the widow. When it comes to faith it’s not always as it seems from outward appearances which Jesus makes abundantly clear here.
We Lift Our Hearts in Worship
[Preservice options include videos (countdowns, worship music, welcomes), worship music CD, or live music by worship band.]
Time of Praise and Worship
Promises
Jared Anderson, ©2006 Vertical Worship Songs (Admin. by Integrity Music, Inc.)
Reaching For You
Lincoln Brewster & Paul Baloche, ©2010 Integrity’s Praise! Music, Integrity Worship Music (Admin. by Integrity Music, Inc.) Leadworship Songs (Admin. by Integrity Music, Inc.)
O Praise Him
David Crowder, ©2003 worshiptogether.com songs (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) sixsteps Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
[Traditional Options]
Renew Me O Eternal Light
LBW 511; LSB 704; LW 373
O God, My Faithful God
ELW 806; LBW 504; LSB 696; LW 371; PH 277
I Surrender All
BH 75 347; BH 91 275; CH 596; HWC 366; HPW 42; HFG 408; HLC 373; HGP 362; HSP 275; RH 483; STTL 486; WC 579; UMH 354; WAR 474; WHM 404; WIS 287
Invocation and Introduction of Today’s Theme
Pastor We come today to experience God’s presence.
ALL We come humbly, leaving the pride of work behind.
Pastor We come to worship our Living Lord Jesus.
All Holy Spirit humble us in the presence of our Lord to be faithful to you.
Pastor We gather now in the name of our wonderful creator God, our Living Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit who fills us.
ALL Amen!
Opening Prayer
Pastor Loving Lord Jesus, we live a world of upward mobility. We are constantly seeking the next thing, seeking to prove ourselves and to promote ourselves. We want to be recognized and uplifted. Yet pride can so quickly enter into our lives. As we cone now in worship help us to lay aside our pride. Help us to experience your grace and humble ourselves in your glorious presence.
ALL In Jesus’ ….. Amen.
Time of Greeting
Time of Confession and Forgiveness
[Alternate location: following Message]
Pastor We come before you Jesus our sins, our pride, our selfishness…
(silence)
Pastor Lord, we confess that we live prideful lives…
All We live lives seeking recognition and accomplishment.
We want to be recognized for our faithfulness.
We focus on ourselves instead of others.
Forgive us for being prideful in our faith, for seeking to uplift ourselves instead of others and failing to live humbly.
Pastor Our Lord Jesus Christ is the King of Kings and our Messiah. Yet Jesus humbled himself, experience death on the cross to forgive our sins. He comes to you now, taking the weight of pride, struggles and selfishness to the cross. Experience now the forgiveness if your sins, open your eyes once again to the glory of our Living Lord.
All Amen
We Hear God’s Word
[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]
First Reading: 1 Kings 17:8-16
Elijah show’s a widow and her son God’s faithfulness.
8 Then the word of the Lord came to him: 9 “Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food.” 10 So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” 11 As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.” 12 “As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.” 13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land.’”15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. 16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.
