WORSHIP RESOURCES
Ordinary Time (Proper 14)
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
Seeking A Homeland
Additional Scriptures
Isaiah 1:1, 10-20; Psalm 50:1-8, 22-23; Luke 12:32-40;
Doctrine and Covenants 165:2a
Prelude
Welcome
Welcome! To all those seeking a spiritual home, Community of Christ is a welcoming, loving, worldwide faith community that values each person’s worth as a child of God and provides a safe space to explore and deepen your relationship with Jesus Christ. We proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace!
Call to Worship: Psalm 50:1-2
Welcoming Hymn
“All Are Welcome” CCS 276
OR “For Everyone Born” CCS 285
Encourage participants to sing in languages other than their own.
OR “Come to Me, O Weary Traveler” CCS 230
Invocation
Response
Disciples’ Generous Response
Generosity Scripture: Doctrine and Covenants 165:2a
Statement
When God touches our lives deeply, we want to be more Christlike in our lives. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we acknowledge God’s grace and love in our lives.
We are invited to a journey of whole-life stewardship in response to God’s amazing generosity in our lives as we seek to build communities of joy, hope, love, and peace.
God’s generous compassion is limitless. As we open our hearts to courageously and generously share by placing money in the offering plates or through eTithing, we join the movement of God’s compassion in the world. God shares abundantly, we share faithfully, others share generously, and God’s love and compassion grow endlessly.
If you have participants joining the worship online, remind them that they can give through www.CofChrist.org/give or through eTithing at www.eTithing.org (consider displaying these URLs).
Blessing and Receiving of Local and Worldwide Mission Tithes
Hymn of Community
“Tiona Nehenehe” CCS 382
If unfamiliar with this song, consider singing along with the vocal recording on Community of Christ Sings Audio Recordings available from Herald House.
OR “Bring Forth the Kingdom” CCS 387
OR “God Is Still Speaking” CCS 282
Prayer for Peace
Peace Scripture: Luke 12:32
Light the peace candle.
Peace Prayer
O God of the Pilgrim, Home to Those Who Seek a Home,
Bless all who journey to you this day. Fill us with the compassion to welcome strangers and share with those in need. May your peace break hearts of stone that would turn others away. May your peace lead all to welcome one another and ignore superficial differences. May your peace dwell in this land and all lands so that the pilgrim will be welcomed, and the sojourner accepted. We pray in the name of the peaceful One, even Jesus Christ. Amen.
Scripture Reading: Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
Ministry of Music OR Congregational Hymn of Pilgrimage
“De noche iremos /By Night, We Hasten” Sing several times. CCS 551
Encourage participants to sing in languages other than their own.
OR “Lift Every Voice and Sing” CCS 555
OR “Lord Jesus, of You I Will Sing /Jésus, je voudrais te chanter” CCS 556/557
Encourage participants to sing in a language other than their own.
Message
Based on Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
OR
Testimonies
Invite participants to share their spiritual experiences of finding “home.” In advance, you may want to ask several people to be ready to share.
Hymn of Sending Forth
“With A Steadfast Faith” CCS 649
Find the French and Spanish translations for this song at www.HeraldHouse.org/products/newly-translated-songs-from-world-conference-2023-pdf-download?variant=45826935390481
OR “Go Now Forth into the World” CCS 646
OR “When We Lift Our Pack and Go” CCS 634
Closing Prayer
Sung Response: Doxology “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow” CCS 53
Encourage participants to sing in languages other than their own.
Postlude
SERMON AND CLASS HELPS
Year C—Letters
Ordinary Time (Proper 14)
Hebrews 11:1–3, 8–16
Exploring the Scripture
Hebrews 11 explores the meaning of “faith” against the constant persecution of Christians. Faith has many meanings and uses. It’s a firm belief in a set of religious ideas; a human response to God’s gift of grace; an understanding that transcends learning; and an anchor in life’s difficulties.
A well-known definition is Hebrews 11:1: “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith is the solid ground on which to build hope. And it is the basis for trusting God in the present, regardless of how difficult life becomes. With faith, we can interpret reality through spiritual truths that surpass what the physical eye can see or the rational mind can imagine. Even in the world’s creation, faith affirms that physical matter (things seen) was created from Spirit (things not seen) through the power of God.
The connection between hope and faith was critical for persecuted Christians. The faith in Christ that gave them hope was the same one that caused others to reject and persecute them. Persistent radical hope in the face of such persecution was the source of increased faith for themselves and others. Their experience of faith was the foundation of their future hope. The faith-filled experiences of ancestors such as Abel, Enoch, and Noah (v. 4–7) provided examples of trust and hope in God’s saving power.
Today’s lesson focuses on Abraham, the father of the Israelites, and his wife, Sarah. God called Abraham to leave his home, culture, friends, and everything familiar. Because of his faith, he responded by leaving Ur of the Chaldees to go to an unknown land but never became wealthy. He lived as a temporary foreigner on a small piece of land he bought from a Hittite. Aged Abraham and barren Sarah had Isaac, a miracle baby that testified of God’s faithfulness to his promise of descendants. The results were generations of Israelites, too many to count.
Those who trusted God and believed in his promises lived and died without seeing the results of their faith. They lived in hope, not fulfillment, believing in the vision of a permanent home and many descendants. The text says, “from a distance, they saw and greeted them” (v. 13). “Them” could refer to the multitude of Israelites born through the ages, fulfilling God’s promise. Or “them” could refer directly to the promises which they “saw” in their hearts and “greeted” by expecting and welcoming them as potential blessings for the future.
They continued to live like strangers because they believed God would give them “a better country, that is, a heavenly one” (v. 16). In response to that faith, God was pleased to be their God and prepare a special city for them (v. 16)—not just a pleasant afterlife, but the earthly foreshadowing of God’s supreme vision for all creation, the community of faith perfected and made whole.
Life is always changing. God calls us to leave the past behind and fix our eyes “beyond the horizon to which we are sent” (Doctrine and Covenants 161:1a). We are travelers, moving in faith, motivated by promises of what can be. We face the present reality with the assurance that God is faithful and with us.
Central Ideas
- Faith is the foundation for a future hope and the basis for trusting God in the present, regardless of how difficult life becomes.
- Abraham and Sarah showed faith in leaving their old lives behind and venturing into an unknown future (Genesis 12).
- In turn, God was faithful in fulfilling the promises made.
- As life changes, we must leave the past behind and move in faith toward an unknown future with hope and trust.
Questions for the Speaker
- When have you left your past behind and traveled into the future in faith?
- How is faith a journey rather than a destination?
- What challenges are you or your congregation facing that call you into a future by faith?
- How do you see God working faithfully to bring a new reality into the church and your congregation?
SACRED SPACE: A RESOURCE FOR SMALL-GROUP MINISTRY
Year C—Letters
Ordinary Time (Proper 14)
Hebrews 11:1–3, 8–16 NRSVue
Gathering
Welcome
Ordinary Time is the period in the Christian calendar from Pentecost to Advent. This span is without major festivals or holy days. During Ordinary Time we focus on our discipleship as individuals and a faith community.
Prayer for Peace
Ring a bell or chime three times slowly.
Light the peace candle.
Loving God, not all of your creation is treated as a treasure from you.
Your sacred creation is abused and misused so that it groans in despair. People have built walls of prejudice and exclusion between each other.
We yearn for peace in our hearts, our families, our communities, and our world.
Help us recognize ways we can contribute to the efforts of pursuing peace on Earth. Give us courage to risk the unknown to share your peace. Amen.
Spiritual Practice
Unity
Read aloud:
As I read the scripture, think over the past week.
Who has shown compassion for a time when you felt sad or were suffering? Who has rejoiced with you in good things that have happened?
Whom do you know who has endured suffering this week? How were you able to share this burden with them?
Who has had cause to rejoice this week? How have you celebrated with them?
But God has so arranged the body… that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.
—1 Corinthians 12:24–26
As you reviewed the past week, who and what came to mind?
Invite people to share. Offer a short blessing of unity and close with “Amen.”
Sharing Around the Table
Hebrews 11:1–3, 8–16 NRSVue
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.
…By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance, and he set out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith, with Sarah’s involvement, he received power of procreation, even though he was too old, because he considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, “as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.”
All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better homeland, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.
The letter to the Hebrews was written in a time of constant persecution of Christians. The connection between hope and faith was critical for these persecuted Christians. However, the faith in Christ that gave them hope was the same one that caused others to reject and persecute them. Still, their experience of faith was the foundation of their hope.
In today’s passage we hear, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith is the solid ground on which to build hope, and it is the basis for trusting God in the present, regardless of how difficult life becomes. Faith allows us to interpret reality through spiritual truths beyond what we can see or imagine.
The faith-filled experiences of ancestors provide examples of trust and hope in God’s saving power. Today’s lesson focuses on Abraham, the father of the Israelites, and his wife, Sarah. God called Abraham to leave everything that was familiar. Because of his faith, he responded by leaving his home to go to an unknown land. However, those who trusted God and believed in God’s promises lived and died without seeing the results of their faith. They lived in hope, not fulfillment, believing in the vision of a permanent home and many descendants.
They continued to live like strangers because they believed God would give them “a better homeland, that is, a heavenly one.” In response to that faith, God was pleased to be their God and prepare a special city for them—not just a pleasant afterlife, but the earthly example of God’s supreme vision for all creation, the community of faith perfected and made whole.
Questions
1. Tell of an “ancestor” whose experience of faith and hope has been an inspiration for your spiritual journey.
2. How have you left your past behind and traveled into the future in faith?
3. How is faith a journey, rather than a destination?
Sending
Generosity Statement
Faithful disciples respond to an increasing awareness of the abundant generosity of God by sharing according to the desires of their hearts; not by commandment or constraint.
—Doctrine and Covenants 163:9
The offering basket is available if you would like to support ongoing, small-group ministries as part of your generous response. You also may give at CofChrist.org/give.
This offering prayer is adapted from A Disciple’s Generous Response:
Discipling God, as we navigate our world of debt and consumerism, help us save wisely, spend responsibly, and give generously. In this way may we prepare for the future and create a better tomorrow for our families, friends, the mission of Christ, and the world. Amen.
Invitation to Next Meeting
Closing Hymn
Community of Christ Sings 650, “Go, My Children, with My Blessing”
Closing Prayer
Optional Additions Depending on Group
· Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
· Thoughts for Children
Thoughts for Children
Materials:
· posterboard and a marker
Sometimes our life is called a journey. God promises to be present with each of us throughout our life’s journey. Have you ever noticed God’s presence in your life? When we share our experiences with others, we are on a journey as a community.
Let’s make a community journey map. Each person, tell of one time when you felt God was present with you. We will enter them on the journey map. (All group members can be recruited to share in this exercise).
The following examples may be helpful:
· When God helped you forgive someone.
· When you felt connected to God through the beauty found in nature.
· When the Holy Spirit provided comfort and strength when you were feeling afraid.
· When someone prayed for you.
· When you prayed for someone.
After children share, talk about the faith journey map as an expression of God’s love for this community. Close with a prayer, asking that we always will recognize God’s presence with us. Thank children for participating.