WORSHIP RESOURCES
Ordinary Time (Proper 24)
Children’s Sabbath
2 Timothy 3:14—4:5
Proclaim Jesus Christ, Be Persistent!
Additional Scriptures
Jeremiah 31:27-34; Psalm 119:97-104; Luke 18:1-8; Doctrine and Covenants 163:10; 165:6a-c
Preparation
For the next six weeks, worship services will be centered around the Generosity Cycle and the six principles of a Disciple’s Generous Response. This week is the first week of the Generosity Cycle, which focuses on invitation and the first principle of a Disciple’s Generous Response: Receive God’s Gifts. Find information about the Generosity Cycle at CofChrist.org/generosity-cycle. Find information about the Six Principles of a Disciple’s Generous Response at CofChrist.org/our-beliefs.
Each participant needs sticky notes and something to write with during the Disciples’ Generous Response. Have an easel board or a space on the wall for the sticky notes to be posted.
Prelude
Welcome
Welcome to this sacred time of worship. Our theme today is Proclaim Jesus Christ, Be Persistent! It is also the first week of the Generosity Cycle, which invites us to explore the transformative power of generosity and discipleship.
In our scripture focus for today, 2 Timothy, we are reminded of the importance of carrying forward with faith the wisdom, knowledge, and grace that has been shared with us.
Generosity embraces the love that has been abundantly poured into our lives. It is a powerful force that binds us as a community. It’s not just about giving material possessions but about giving our time, kindness, and compassion.
Over the next six weeks, as part of the Generosity Cycle, we will consider the ways our generosity reflects our discipleship and God’s love in our lives. We will do this through centering moments, reflection times, and the Disciple’s Generous Response.
Let us be open to the Spirit’s guidance, allowing it to shape and mold us into more faithful disciples with hearts open to the transformative power of generosity and the teachings that inspire us to continue the path of faith.
Call to Worship: Doctrine and Covenants 163:10
Hymn of Calling
“Community of Joy” CCS 631
OR “Take the Path of the Disciple” CCS 558
Opening Prayer
Response
Prayer for Peace
Light the peace candle.
Sung Peace Prayer
“The Peace of Mind” CCS 320
Stanza 1: soloist #1
Stanza 2: soloist #2
Stanza 3: #1 and #2 form duet
Stanza 4: #1 and #2 sing in a 2-part round.
Add an Amen at the end.
Scripture Reading
2 Timothy 3:14—4:5
Testimony
Ask someone to share a testimony of a time when they persevered—for example, an athlete improving a skill like dribbling, catching, or making free throws, a musician practicing a new piece, or a minister preaching for the first time.
Reflection
Paul realizes that he needs to pass the ministry to Timothy. The one thing he wants Timothy to do is preach the word. Paul urges Timothy to proclaim Jesus Christ and do it persistently and patiently.
Here are times when we might find it difficult to keep preaching or sharing:
· When the response isn’t what we hope it would be.
· When we face persecution.
· When we face spiritual opposition.
· When we are tired.
· When we are sick.
· When unexpected opportunities come.
· On the bus, train, subway, or in the checkout line at a store.
Silently reflect on these questions:
· How might you be more prepared to share the message of Jesus?
· If Paul spoke to you today, to whom would you proclaim the message?
· What are some ways to persevere in your proclamation?
Ask the musician to quietly play the next hymn during Reflection Time and then lead directly into the song when it is time.
Hymn of Centering
“Ubi Caritas et Amor” Sing several times. CCS 152
OR “Be Thou My Vision” CCS 167
Morning Message
Based on 2 Timothy 3:14—4:5
Disciples’ Generous Response
Divide participants into two groups. Follow the outline with each group. Gather again for the Wrap-up.
GROUP 1
Statement
Choose Generosity: Discovering Whole-Life Stewardship states: “No expression of grace and generosity is as complete as the life of Jesus. …God’s astonishing generosity in the life of Jesus is the ultimate example of generosity. …We become whole when we receive God’s gift of Jesus Christ realizing that all we are and all we have is a gift from God.”
Reflection
· Ask: How does the life of Jesus demonstrate God’s abundant generosity?
· Have worshipers write on a sticky note about one teaching/lesson/scripture about Christ that has been a gift in their life.
· Include children by having them write about something they remember regarding Christ.
· Add sticky notes to the wall or easel board as you continue to make a shape, such as a heart or cross.
GROUP 2
Statement
Choose Generosity: Discovering Whole-Life Stewardship states: “Touched by the ever-present Holy Spirit, our inward journey of disciple formation includes many facets: experience, scripture, and prayer …In our outward journey of discipleship, we respond faithfully with steadfast love and commitment to God. We respond willingly to the movement of the Holy Spirit and are faithful to Community of Christ’s mission to proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace.”
Reflection
· Ask: How do our inward and outward journeys express God’s generosity?
· Have worshipers write on a sticky note about a time when a spiritual experience (prayer, meditation, worship, scripture study) brought blessing into their lives.
· Have them write about another time when a meaningful connection with someone else brought a blessing into their life (such as sharing a meal or preparing the church for worship).
· Include children by asking them to write something they are grateful for.
· If appropriate, add sticky notes to a wall or easel board. Consider making them into a shape such as a heart or cross.
Wrap-up
Ask a participant from each group to read the sticky notes from their easel board or wall to the other group.
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 Sending Forth
“Christ, You Call us All to Service” CCS 357
OR “When Holy Ghost Shall Come in Power” CCS 628
Benediction
Sending Forth: Doctrine and Covenants 165:6a-c
Postlude
SERMON AND CLASS HELPS
Year C—Letters
Ordinary Time (Proper 24)
2 Timothy 3:14—4:5
Exploring the Scripture
“Continue in what you have learned and firmly believed…” (v. 14). Paul’s instructions take on an intensity and passion as he urges Timothy to stay faithful to the traditions and teachings of the past. Raised Christian by his grandmother and mother, Timothy knows the Hebrew scriptures that foretell the Messiah. These scriptures are true and reliable, a foundation for wisdom and a road map pointing toward the salvation Jesus Christ offered.
The “sacred writings” that helped form his faith journey may have included the early letters of Paul to the churches of Asia Minor. “All scripture is inspired by God” (v. 16). Inspired means it was “breathed into” by God, filled with the breath of the Holy Spirit. Were followers questioning the continued use of the Hebrew Testament? Were they protesting using Paul’s letters for “teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (v. 16)?
When this letter was written, it was routine in many churches to read portions of Paul’s early letters. People may have had access to the earliest gospel manuscripts. These writings were not collected into an official canon of scripture, but they were gaining wider use in the Christian world. In all these writings are the teachings that can counter false doctrines, refute easy interpretations of the Christian way, and correct the behaviors of disciples who stray from the path. Together, they help equip Christ’s followers to serve others compassionately and align with Christ’s teachings.
New ideas and innovative ways of understanding the nature of Jesus Christ were infiltrating the church with false doctrines. Today’s lesson is not arguing against all innovation. It is holding up as a standard of measurement the tried-and-true doctrines that came directly from Timothy’s mother, Eunice, his grandmother, Lois, and the apostles, including Paul. These were the witnesses of the life and death of Jesus Christ.
With God and Christ as his witnesses, Paul begs Timothy to continue proclaiming the gospel. He invokes Christ’s presence as the righteous judge at the end of the age and the divine Son of God who will come again to usher in God’s peaceable reign. He warns the time soon will come when people will settle for an easy path. They will “itch” for teachings that suit their own agendas and reject the sound doctrines and disciplines Paul taught.
Patience, persistence, and steadfastness in the face of difficulties are the tools to teach the truth effectively. The task of the evangelist (one who proclaims the gospel) is to keep teaching the truth, to stay “sober” (centered on Christ, v. 5), and to endure in faith whatever suffering and persecution may result.
Community of Christ encourages members to use six lenses to discern God’s action in the world and join in the mission of Christ. Tradition and scripture are two of those lenses. Also, reasoning, revelation, experience, and common consent inform our journey as disciples. They provide tools for strengthening our faith. “The path will not always be easy…” as we work to identify the core values of the gospel and use them in daily life. But we are assured that God’s Spirit is with us, breathing new life into our efforts to discern the path ahead and serve those in need.
Central Ideas
- Scriptures are a foundation for wisdom and a road map pointing toward the salvation Jesus Christ offered.
- Today’s lesson upholds scripture and tradition as valuable lenses for discerning God’s action in the world and faithfully living the gospel.
- Community of Christ encourages members to use six lenses to discern God’s action in the world and join in the mission of Christ: tradition, scripture, reasoning, revelation, experience, and common consent.
- God’s Spirit breathes new life into our efforts to discern the path ahead and serve those in need.
Questions for the Speaker
- What do you “itch” for as you long for an easier path in discipleship? How do you respond to the desire for new, exciting ways to proclaim the gospel?
- How does your congregation use scripture and tradition to help guide life as a disciple?
- How do you use reasoning, revelation, experience, and common consent to discern God’s action in the world?
- How are you suffering as you struggle to proclaim the centrality of Jesus Christ in an age that refuses to listen? Where does your comfort lie?
SACRED SPACE: A RESOURCE FOR SMALL-GROUP MINISTRY
Year C—Letters
Ordinary Time (Proper 24)
2 Timothy 3:14—4:5
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.
Lord, we thank you for the blessing of children. Forgive us when we fall short. We know that too many children are undernourished, undereducated, and under-protected. As pursuers of peace, we first must stand for justice, seeking to know your will as advocates for children all over the world.
May your peace dwell in our homes because we have sought to live justly with one another. May peace dwell in our neighborhoods because we have advocated for justice in our communities. May peace dwell in our world because we have listened to your voice and responded to the call that all children might live in conditions that are wholesome, nurturing, and just. Guide us in the ways of your justice and peace, we pray in Jesus’s name. Amen.
Spiritual Practice
Affirmations
Read the following aloud:
At the core of Christianity there is the belief that life and creation are good and are gifts from God. The practice of affirmations may be used daily to recognize and name divine goodness and love in your life.
Read the following affirmations aloud, one at a time. Have the group repeat each one.
Ring the chime to begin the affirmations.
Divine light breathes life into the universe. (Group repeats.)
Divine light creates reconciliation within our hearts. (Group repeats.)
Divine light is experienced in friendship, family, and community. (Group repeats.)
Divine light brings understanding and peace. (Group repeats.)
Divine light touches all creation. (Group repeats.)
Divine light is within me. (Group repeats.)
Divine light is within all. (Group repeats.)
Ring the chime to end the affirmations.
Invite the group to share its experience with this practice.
Sharing Around the Table
2 Timothy 3:14–4:5 NRSVue
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that every person of God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but, having their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. As for you, be sober in everything, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.
Paul expects to die soon. He is concerned about Timothy’s faithfulness and issues faced by the early Christians as they developed a faith tradition separate from Judaism and inappropriate influences from the Greco-Roman world.
Paul gives final instructions to encourage Timothy as he leads the followers of Jesus. In verses 3:14–17, Paul reminds Timothy that he has received reliable, authoritative teaching since his childhood from Paul, possibly other ministers, and his family that has informed his beliefs and his faith. He states the importance of sacred writings, scriptures inspired by God (the Jewish Scriptures, possibly some of Paul’s writings, and possibly some early gospel writings), as sources for his theological instruction. They’re “useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness” to equip and encourage believers for good work among the people of God.
Paul gives a call to action and encourages the leaders to continue in sound ministry, teaching sound doctrine in verses 4:1–5. The exhortations in these verses summarize the main thrust of the letter. They are motivated by the final judgment of all people, including Timothy and his flock, upon the return of Christ.
Timothy is urged to proclaim and teach the gospel message of love for everyone and liberation for the oppressed. This will require patience and persistence when the time is not favorable. He is warned that some members of the flock may have their ears “tickled,” which recognizes eagerness to adapt opposing doctrines that are speculative, less demanding, easier, non-authoritative understandings of God and discipleship. Paul calls for soberness, or clear-sightedness and prudence, when challenged by competing claims within the flock and society.
He counsels Timothy to take on the burdens of leadership and fully carry out the challenging ministerial functions of proclaiming and teaching, knowing that he may have to endure suffering, especially from the opposition of new teachers who create problems.
In these verses, Paul speaks of tradition and scripture as useful lenses to understand truth and discern God’s action. Community of Christ also encourages members to use reasoning, experience, revelation, and common consent to inform our journey as disciples. They all are helpful tools for strengthening our faith.
The path will not always be easy as we work to identify the core values of the gospel and use them in daily life, but we are assured that God’s Spirit is with us, breathing new life into our efforts to discern the path ahead and serve those in need.
Questions
1. What kind of “tickling” might befall contemporary Christians who look for an easier path in discipleship? What are the consequences in your congregation?
2. Some Christians use verse 3:16 (“All scripture is inspired of God”) to undergird the idea of biblical inerrancy/literalism. Other Christians would say the verse doesn’t imply that scripture is God-spoken, but that it is inspired, reflecting God’s presence in its substance, with a human element in the authorship. How does Community of Christ understand these viewpoints? Where would you find a current, comprehensive description of the church’s understanding of scripture?
3. How do you use the lenses of reason, experience, revelation, and common consent to discern God’s action in the world? Are some lenses better than others?
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 640, “I, the Lord of Sea and Sky”
Closing Prayer
Optional Additions Depending on Group
· Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
· Thoughts for Children
Thoughts for Children
Instructions:
Sharing story is part of our discipleship. Today we will share story as a group spiritual practice.
The Bible is full of stories of people who loved God, followed Jesus, and shared their stories of faith.
· Ask children to share something about their story, how they feel about Jesus, or something in the Bible that is meaningful for them.
· Affirm each child’s sharing by responding with a statement such as: “Thank you for sharing with the group.” Or, “Thank you for sharing this meaningful experience with us.”