WORSHIP RESOURCES
Ordinary Time (Proper 17)
Hebrews 13:1-8,15-16
Show Hospitality to Strangers
Additional Scriptures
Jeremiah 2:4-13; Psalm 81:1, 10-16; Luke 14:1, 7-14;
Doctrine and Covenants 163:9
Preparation
On a poster board, butcher paper, or a large whiteboard, list the reminders the author of Hebrews suggests that Christians follow from Hebrews 13:1-8. These include:
· Let mutual affection continue;
· Show hospitality to strangers;
· Remember those who are in prison;
· Let marriage be held in honor by all;
· Keep your lives free from the love of money; and
· Be content with what you have.
Add, perhaps on the back of the poster:
Hospitality means being friendly and generous with guests, visitors, or strangers.
—Merriam-Webster dictionary
Provide pineapple stickers, coloring pages, pins, or other tokens for each participant. Have a real pineapple to display. (Pineapples are a symbol of hospitality. See Craft Idea.)
Prelude
Welcome
If technology allows, invite online worshipers to participate by waving to the gathered congregation and the in-person worshipers waving back.
Announcements, Joys, and Prayer Needs
Greet and Be Greeted
Today’s theme is Show Hospitality to Strangers. In our worship we will have opportunities to do just that in movement and words spoken and sung. Let’s take a few minutes to greet our neighbors in worship. Please resume your seats when the music for the Gathering Hymn begins.
Hymn of Gathering
“Make New Friends but Keep the Old” Campfire Song
See YouTube.com/watch?v=Vop_oH8bukI for lyrics. This song may be sung in a two-part round. Ask a young person to lead this song.
OR “Meet Me in a Holy Place” CCS 162
OR “Jesu, Tawa Pano /Jesus, We Are Here” CCS 71
Sing several times.
Encourage participants to sing in a language other than their own.
Responsive Call to Worship
If possible, have the left and right sides of the worshiping group turn toward the center, facing one another during their line. Everyone faces forward for the final line.
Leader: Sing aloud to God our strength;
shout for joy to the God of Jacob.
Left: We will sing a song unto the Lord!
Right: We will sing a song unto the Lord!
All: Hallelujah, glory to the Lord.
—Psalm 81:1 and CCS 112, adapted
Hymn of Praise
“I Will Sing, I Will Sing” CCS 112
Encourage participants to sing in languages other than their own.
OR “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name” CCS 105
French and Spanish translations for this song can be found at:
OR “When in Our Music God Is Glorified” CCS 1
Invocation
Response
Prayer for Peace
Light the peace candle.
Peace Prayer Choose one of the following prayers.
Welcoming God,
When we pray for peace we know that you are the hospitality you ask us to be. We know that the Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf even when our words are inadequate to express our desires. Help us express hospitality to all, both known and unknown. May the blessings of peace within us free us to welcome even strangers into our midst. Amen.
OR
God,
Help me be your agent, one of your messengers,
bringing your kind of peace.
When I encounter hate, let me react with love.
When I am hurt by others, let me forgive.
When those around me question and doubt,
Let me voice my faith, my hope.
Where people are afraid, let me be an encourager
helping them to step into a new and better place.
Brilliant creator and lover of this universe;
Let me offer comfort and hope more often than I need to receive it.
I want to know the deep desires of others’ hearts.
Help me to listen more than I speak.
Let me spread love everywhere I can
without expecting to be loved equally in return.
Let me give of my joy and my gifts
knowing that this is the best way to receive.
When I hurt others, let me make amends.
Let me forgive myself and others for being human.
Make my heart free and expansive.
Help me to understand that when I let go
of all my expectations and rules,
that I will experience abundant life.
—Cathy Warner, Nebraska City, Nebraska, USA
Daily Bread, October 17, 2023
Hymn of Assurance
“God Weeps” CCS 212
OR “My Peace” Repeat twice. CCS 149
OR “With God All Things Are Possible” Repeat twice. CCS 15
Scripture Reading: Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
Focus Moment
Display the list from the Hebrews scripture (See Preparation).
Discuss rules people must follow at home, school, and elsewhere. What other rules can you think of? Show the poster explaining that it is a list the author of Hebrews says Christians should follow. Mention each one and discuss any comments or questions. Point out that Jesus said his disciples should show hospitality to strangers.
Hospitality means being friendly and generous with guests, visitors, or strangers.
—Merriam-Webster dictionary
What do you think about that? What suggestions might we have to help us be more hospitable?
Craft Idea: Have stickers, coloring pages, pins, or tokens of pineapples, one per participant. Display a pineapple and explain that it is a symbol of hospitality. Perhaps someone in your group could research this symbol and explain how it became a symbol of hospitality. (Search “Symbol of Hospitality” on the Indiana University of Pennsylvania website.)
Provide everyone with some type of pineapple to take home.
Hymn of Proclamation
“All Are Welcome” CCS 276
“I’m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me” CCS 581
OR “Holy Spirit, Teacher, Friend” CCS 181
Message
Based on Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
Meditation As the Spirit leads…
Do not print this element in the bulletin or show it on the screen. Leave it to
the discretion of the presider to use or not consistent with the ending of the Message. If it is appropriate, the presider can signal the musician to play some meditation music without the interruption of a verbal explanation.
Disciples’ Generous Response
Generosity Hymn Encourage participants to sing in languages other than their own.
“Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow” CCS 53
Sing twice.
OR “Herr, du mein Gott/You Are My God” CCS 12
OR “From You I Receive” Repeat several times. CCS 611
Scripture Reading: Doctrine and Covenants 163:9
Statement
We can help spread God’s love by being kind and sharing with others. Maybe by giving our money, we can be a rainbow for someone else and that can help God’s beautiful love shine for everyone to see.
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
Closing Hymn
“Go Now Forth into the World” CCS 646
OR “Christ, You Call Us All to Service” CCS 357
OR “Thuma Mina” Sing several times. CCS 661
If this song is unfamiliar, consider singing along with the vocal recording on Community of Christ Sings Audio Recordings available from Herald House.
Benediction
Response
Postlude
SERMON AND CLASS HELPS
Year C—Letters
Ordinary Time (Proper 17)
Hebrews 13:1–8, 15–16
Exploring the Scripture
The final chapter of Hebrews reminds Christian disciples to put their faith into practice in their communities. Disciples must live their faith. Jesus is the model for living in a sacred community.
Everything begins with mutual love. Early Christian communities, like our own, sometimes were broken by conflict, power struggles, and misunderstandings. Only when a community is built on mutual love, can it withstand such stresses.
One early meaning of “love” is wishing for good in a person’s life, no matter the cost. That is the Christian love implied in Hebrews 13. Note, however, the first example of such love is not directed within the close community of followers, but rather showing hospitality to strangers. Hebrews affirms that one may be entertaining “angels without knowing it” (v. 2). Angels are messengers from God. We find earlier stories from the Hebrew scriptures of Yahweh appearing as a stranger in Genesis 18–19, Judges 6:11–24, and Judges 13:3–23. Both unknown travelers and Christian disciples from other communities were worthy of compassionate hospitality.
An extended version of hospitality was to visit people suffering from imprisonment or mistreatment. “Remember those who are in prison…those who are being tortured…” (v. 3) as if it were happening to you. Remembering them would include providing food and resources—things not provided by ancient prison houses. Encouragement and emotional support also would be necessary parts of pastoral care.
Advice for family life includes staying faithful to the marriage vows and avoiding greed and miserliness. Being content with a lifestyle of simplicity depends on trust in God. Disciples are encouraged to remember their past and present leaders: “those who spoke the word of God to you” (v. 7). Their lives can be models for living according to gospel principles and making faith a reality.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (v. 8). Constancy in faith and living discipleship can be difficult. Keeping centered on Christ instead of ourselves can stabilize our emotions and thoughts during a crisis. Hebrews mentions strange teachings and dietary laws as distractions that can divert Jewish disciples from the central focus on Christ. Many distractions do the same thing in our day and culture.
A life centered on Christ is a life of gratitude. The “sacrifice of praise” (v. 15) refers to the ancient sacrifice of thanksgiving. For Christians, the sacrifice is not one of the burnt offerings, as dictated by ancient laws, but takes three other forms: 1) praise and thanksgiving to God; 2) doing good to others; and 3) generosity.
A “sacrifice of praise” is more than just praising God. It is worship—joyful, heartfelt, and filled with God’s presence. At its best, worship transforms the worshipers and deepens their relationship with God. The other two forms of “sacrifice” (doing good to others and generosity) echo Hebrew scriptures that stress God’s love of compassion and mercy over burnt offerings. Hearers of this text would have been familiar with Hosea 6:6, Amos 5:23, and Micah 6:6–8.
Now, as then, the invitation is “to do good and share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God” (v. 16). Christ calls us to follow, sharing in mutual love, joyful worship, and sincere ministry that transforms lives and empowers disciples.
Central Ideas
- Community, generosity, and ministry begin with mutual love.
- We express love through hospitality to strangers, pastoral care for prisoners, faithfulness in marriage, and a lifestyle of gratitude.
- Joyful and heartfelt worship can transform and empower disciples and seekers.
- Jesus Christ is steadfast, constant, and reliable today, tomorrow, and always.
Questions for the Speaker
- When have you entertained an angel without recognizing it?
- What does a lifestyle of gratitude and praise look like in today’s world? How difficult is it to keep your life free from the love of money?
- When have you been transformed through worship? What allowed that to happen?
SACRED SPACE: A RESOURCE FOR SMALL-GROUP MINISTRY
Year C—Letters
Ordinary Time (Proper 17)
Hebrews 13:1–8, 15–16 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.
Dear Lord, we praise you. We praise you that you are, that you always have been, and always will be. Please open our eyes to help us visualize the world it as you intended.
Where there is hate, may we exemplify love. Where there is need, may we be charitable. Where there is loneliness, may we give comfort. Where there is misunderstanding may we seek reconciliation. Where there is sorrow, may we show compassion, for it is only in giving of ourselves that we can become instruments of peace in the world. Amen.
—Hilda F. Deem
Spiritual Practice
Inner-healing Prayer
Read aloud:
In the scriptural reading for today, Jesus heals a man with demons inside of him. These demons are called Legion, which in the time of Jesus, was another name for the Roman army. A legion was the very thing that was oppressing people in the region.
We all have insecurities and “demons” within us that keep us from being our whole selves. Today’s spiritual practice addresses our need to seek healing for the wounds within us and things that oppress and divide us.
Inner-healing prayer helps us focus on emotional wounds, deep needs, issues such as self-hatred, fear, inability to forgive, and need for approval. These wounds can be painful and difficult to face alone. We seek the presence of Christ, and encouragement from the community of faith to help us heal.
As I read the following prayer from Psalm 81:5b–10, allow it to sink deeply into your heart. Read Psalm 81:5b–10:
I hear a voice I had not known:
“I relieved your shoulder of the burden;
your hands were freed from the basket.
In distress you called, and I rescued you;
I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah
Hear, O my people, while I admonish you;
O Israel, if you would but listen to me!
There shall be no strange god among you;
you shall not bow down to a foreign god.
I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.
I will read the passage again. This time ask yourself the following questions.:
- What insecurities do I have?
- Where do I find it difficult to forgive others?
- Where do I find it difficult to forgive myself?
Read Psalm 81:5b–10a second time.
Invite the group to choose a partner and share answers to the questions. An alternative to sharing is to spend the sharing time in silent reflection. Allow five to six minutes for this discussion.
Sharing Around the Table
Hebrews 13:1–8, 15-16 NRSVue
Let mutual affection continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them, those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured. Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers. Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for he himself has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” So we can say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?”
Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
The final chapter of Hebrews reminds Christian disciples to put their faith into practice in their communities. Disciples must actively live their faith, and that begins with mutual love. Early Christian communities, like our own, sometimes were broken by conflict, power struggles, and misunderstandings. A community can withstand such stresses only when built on mutual love. One earliest meaning of “love” is wishing for good in a person’s life, no matter the cost. That is the Christian love implied here.
The first example of such love is focused on showing hospitality to strangers. Both unknown travelers and Christian disciples from other communities were worthy of compassionate hospitality.
The second example of this kind of love is focused on people suffering from imprisonment or mistreatment. Remembering them would include giving them food and resources—things not provided by the ancient prison houses. The writer also includes advice for one’s personal life, including staying faithful to the marriage vows and avoiding greed. Being content with a lifestyle of simplicity depends on trust in God.
Finally, disciples are encouraged to remember their past and present leaders, “those who spoke the word of God to you.” Their lives can be models for living according to gospel principles, making faith a reality.
Constancy in faith and living discipleship can be difficult. When struggles come, keeping centered on Christ instead of ourselves can stabilize our emotions and thoughts during the crisis. A life centered on Christ is a life of gratitude. For Christians, a “sacrifice of praise” is more than just praising God. It is worship—joyful, heartfelt, and filled with God’s presence. At its best, worship transforms the worshipers and deepens their relationship with God.
Now as then, the invitation is “to do good and share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” Christ calls us to follow, sharing in mutual love, joyful worship, and sincere ministry that transforms lives and empowers disciples.
Questions
1. How do you exercise mutual love through hospitality?
2. How have you found it difficult to remain constant in your faith and discipleship?
3. What does a lifestyle of gratitude and praise look like today?
4. How have you been transformed through worship? What allowed that to happen?
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 24, “Hidden Christ, Alive Forever”
Closing Prayer
Optional Additions Depending on Group
· Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
· Thoughts for Children
Thoughts for Children
Materials:
· large poster board
· marker
Say: Today we will learn about hospitality. Hospitality is when we welcome others into our lives and make them feel welcome.
Jesus modeled hospitality to others, and when we follow Jesus, we show hospitality, too.
Sometimes it is easy to offer hospitality to our friends. We welcome them and look forward to being with them. But many people do not get invited or do not feel welcomed.
Ask: Who are the people who do not experience hospitality: Possible answers: sick, poor, homeless, foreigners.
Have you ever been unwelcome or unwanted? How did that make you feel?
On a large sheet of poster paper or card stock, create a “welcome mat.” Write the word WELCOME in large letters and then invite children to call out the people who need to be welcomed into our lives.
Write these words on the welcome mat and display it for all to see.
Pray that we all might offer God’s hospitality to others.
Thank the children for participating.