WORSHIP RESOURCES
Ordinary Time (Proper 13)
Ephesians 4:1-16
Develop Disciples to Serve
Additional Scriptures
2 Samuel 11:26—12:13a; Psalm 51:1-12; John 6:24-35
Share and Care
Prelude
Greetings and Welcome
The presider should prayerfully read all the lectionary scriptures several times and prepare a statement of welcome, including an overview of the scripture and theme of the day. An example:
Welcome to this sacred time. We come in response to the invitation issued through God’s grace. We come to continue developing as disciples of Jesus.
The Mission Initiative Develop Disciples to Serve is described as “equipping individuals for Christ’s mission…to be true and living expressions of the life, ministry, and continuing presence of Christ in the world.”
—Sharing in Community of Christ, fourth edition, Herald House.org, page 23.
Today’s theme scripture from Ephesians 4 is packed with the qualities of the committed disciple.
In this spirit, let’s take a few moments to greet one another. You might suggest a statement such as, “May you be blessed today in this community of believers,” or “May you find blessing in our time together.” The introduction to the welcoming hymn will call us back to quiet community.
Welcoming Hymn
“Hark! the Voice of Jesus Calling”
CCS 592
OR “Come Away from Rush and Hurry”
CCS 83
OR “Jesus Is Calling”
CCS 578
Call to Worship Responsive Reading
Leader: Teach us wisdom in our hearts.
People: Let us hear joy and gladness.
Leader: Hide your face from our sins and blot out all our iniquities.
People: Create in us clean hearts, O God, and put a new and right spirit within
us.
Leader: Do not cast us away from your presence.
People: Do not take your Holy Spirit from us.
ALL: Restore to us the joy of your salvation and sustain in us
willing spirits.
—Psalm 51:6, 8-12, adapted
Hymn of Praise
“God Is a Wonder to My Soul”
CCS 216
OR “God of Wonder, God of Thunder”
CCS 18
OR “Teach Me, God, to Wonder”
CCS 176
Invocation
Response
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 4:1-16
Homily
Based on Ephesians 4:1-16
Prayer for Peace
Light the Peace Candle.
Prayer
Inviting God,
You invite us, as disciples of Jesus Christ, to full immersion in your mission. As we worship this morning, may we experience your Holy Spirit prodding us to respond anew to your invitation. It feels doable.
Then we think about the challenges in the world. There is so much poverty to be abolished, hunger to be ended, and peace and justice to be promoted. In particular, the institutions and forces that disrupt our personal peace and threaten the earth are so powerful. It’s all pretty overwhelming, God. So, we turn to you in this prayer for peace.
Help us be immersed in Christ’s peace so that we experience peace in our hearts and minds. Lead political leaders to recognize the worth of every person in the world, whether friend or adversary, leader or citizen. Because it is through Christ, peace is possible. Make it so through us. We pray in Jesus name. Amen.
Peace Ministry of Music or Congregational Hymn
“What Does the Lord Require of You?”
CCS 580
OR “In My Life, Lord”
CCS 602
Encourage participants to sing in languages other than their own.
OR “We Are Pilgrims on a Journey”
CCS 550
Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
Focus Moment
Needed: soft bread, chalk, and a chalkboard.
Before the invention of erasers in the late 1700s, people often used a rolled-up piece of bread to erase graphite. Demonstrate with bread and a chalkboard. Let several try it.
Today, artists still use bread to lighten charcoal or pastel marks in their works.
If there is an artist in your group or community who uses bread this way, ask them to demonstrate.
Let us consider this aspect of the bread of life as we kneel before the table of the Lord and receive that which can heal our brokenness and cleanse us. This type of bread can help create clean hearts and right spirits within us.
Communion Scripture: Mark 14:22-25
Communion Message
Communion Hymn
“In These Moments We Remember”
CCS 515
OR “As We Gather at Your Table”
CCS 523
OR “Eat This Bread” sing several times
CCS 528
Invitation to Communion
All are welcome at Christ’s table. The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, is a sacrament in which we remember the life, death, resurrection, and continuing presence of Jesus Christ. In Community of Christ, we also experience Communion as an opportunity to renew our baptismal covenant and to be formed as disciples who live Christ’s mission. Others might have different or added understandings within their faith traditions. We invite all who participate in the Lord’s Supper to do so in the love and peace of Jesus Christ.
Blessing and Serving of the Bread
Blessing and Serving of the Wine
For guidelines on the Lord’s Supper, including online participation, see CofChrist.org/our-ministry-tools.
Hymn of Commitment
“Take My Life and Let It Be”
CCS 608
OR “If by Your Grace I Choose to Be”
CCS 587
OR “Jesus’ Hands Were Kind Hands”
CCS 585
Disciples’ Generous Response
Statement
During the Disciples’ Generous Response, we focus on aligning our heart with God’s heart. Our offerings are more than meeting budgets or funding mission. Through our offerings we join in making God’s work visible in the world.
Explanation for visitors: For more than twenty years, Community of Christ has used the term Disciples Generous Response in place of offertory. It emphasizes that our offerings are our response as disciples to generous God. Mission Tithes may be designated for worldwide mission or local mission. Undesignated contributions and loose change on Communion Sundays are used for the Abolish Poverty, End Suffering mission initiative.
As we share our mission tithes either by placing money in the plates or through eTithing, use this time to thank God for the many gifts received in life. Our hearts grow aligned with God’s when we gratefully receive and faithfully respond by living Christ’s mission.
If your congregation is meeting online, remind participants they can give through CofChrist.org/give or eTithing at eTithing.org (consider showing these URLs on screen).
Blessing and Receiving of Local and Worldwide Mission Tithes
Closing Hymn
“You Are Called to Tell the Story”
CCS 625
OR “Send Me Forth”
CCS 651
OR “When We Lift Our Packs and Go”
CCS 634
Benediction
Response
Postlude
SERMON AND CLASS HELPS
Year B—Letters
Ordinary Time (Proper 13)
Ephesians 4:1–16
Exploring the Scripture
Ephesians 1–3 focused on the theology of unity, with Christ as the barrier-breaker, destroying the walls between Jews and Gentiles. Ephesians 4–6 provide practical instruction about responding to Christ’s reconciling grace through obedience and living life as disciples. “Therefore” in 4:1 shows the logical result of receiving the reconciling love of Christ is to “lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” Such a life is characterized by humility, gentleness, patience, tolerance, and mutual recognition of one another’s personal worth. The primary purpose of these 16 verses is to urge the members to preserve the unity Christ set up.
Verses 4–6 outline seven features integral to oneness—not choices made by humans, but Divine facets of unified faith. “One body” challenged the congregations around Asia Minor and Judea to see themselves as one church, despite differences and conflicts (v. 4). God’s Spirit moves within that body to call members to represent Christ’s teachings, mission, and ministry genuinely.
“One Lord” is Jesus Christ (v. 5). Loyal Roman citizens poured public drinks to the emperor while proclaiming, “Caesar is Lord.” Christians refused to pledge loyalty to Caesar. “Jesus is Lord” became a defiant doctrinal statement that resulted in many Christians being imprisoned or killed.
“One faith” stressed the need to reject old religious practices and beliefs (v. 5). Mixing ideas from different religions was unacceptable in early Christianity. “One baptism” meant that Jews and Gentiles alike received the same sacrament of baptism, dying to old ways, and raised again to new life in Christ (v. 5). There wasn’t one procedure for Jewish Christians and a different one for Gentiles. All baptized converts were equal.
“One God and Father of all” expresses the monotheism of Christianity (v. 6). Pagan converts were expected to renounce the old gods and spirits and cling tenaciously to One God, the Creator, the Father of their new household of faith. The One God is superior to any other being, more powerful, more holy, perfect, and more knowing. But to state that God is “above all and through all and in all” goes a step beyond (v. 6).
Verse 7 moves from Divine features of unity to recognizing the diversity of spiritual gifts among members. Paul quotes Psalm 68:18, which praises the mighty acts of God and includes an image of God as a conquering hero, followed by captives taken in war. God rises to the holy throne in the temple to receive gifts from the people, even those who rebelled.
Paul alters the verses, so it is captivity itself that God holds captive, and God gives gifts to the people he frees. Paul expands on the ascension, applying it to the Risen Christ, alive again after “descending” into the Earth in death (v. 9). Jesus, who was killed, is the same as Christ, who rose again, fulfilling ancient prophecy.
Within the church’s unity, diverse gifts are given and expressed in ministry: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. But the various gifts of ministry have the same purpose: to build up the body of Christ, preserve unity, give witness of Jesus Christ, and help disciples mature. Maturity includes speaking the truth in love, not in a spirit of competition or criticism. It means helping each member grow while developing unity in the body.
Central Ideas
- Today’s text moves from the theology of oneness to the practicalities of living as one within the body of Christ.
- True oneness includes seven Divine facets of unified faith: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, the parent of all.
- Christ provides through the Holy Spirit diverse spiritual gifts to build up and equip the body—not for personal gain.
- Mature ministry includes speaking the truth gently with love and helping one another grow and mature as disciples.
Questions for the Speaker
- How unified is your congregation? What could increase the maturity and unity of the members? Of seekers? Of the larger community?
- How connected is your congregation to other congregations in your mission center? In your nation? In the worldwide church? How are you contributing to the unity of the whole?
- How do your congregational goals express the unity God intends? What can be done to increase engagement with Christ’s reconciling act?
- How do the purposes of ministry in verses 12–13 compare to the Mission Initiatives of Community of Christ? (See https://CofChrist.org/about-us/.)
SACRED SPACE: A RESOURCE FOR SMALL-GROUP MINISTRY
Year B Letters
Ordinary Time, Proper 13
Ephesians 4:1–16 NRSVUE
Gathering
Welcome
Ordinary Time is the period in the Christian calendar from Pentecost to Advent. This period 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.
Today’s Prayer for Peace is inspired by the hymn, “Sing a New World into Being,” Community of Christ Sings 576, by Mary Louise Bringle.
Sing a new world into being:
risk transforming heart and mind!...
Sing a new world into being:
live the promise you believe!
Daring, dreaming God, day after day and week after week, we pray for peace. We work for peace. We carry the pursuit of peace on our shoulders like the work animal carries its load. Today, however, we remember a different kind of difficult: singing peace. To sing is to proclaim your peaceful kingdom! To sing is to risk transformation! To sing is to dream, and it is scary to dream. What if we fail? What if our dream is more a nightmare? What if we fall short of our dream?
Empower us, daring God, to sing a new world into being. May we carry the song of peace on our lips like the songbird sings each morning, warming up for the day’s work ahead. Help us believe in the words we sing, in the words of peace that you call us to create and live.
In the name of Jesus, who sings the promise. Amen.
Spiritual Practice
Unity
Read the following to the group:
Our Enduring Principle focus this week is on Unity in Diversity. Not one person on Earth is exactly like another. We all are shaped by our culture, genetics, upbringings, families, experiences, beliefs etc. But one thing we all have in common is that we all are divinely made. Unity in Diversity is respecting the differences while honoring the Divine in all voices.
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 NRSV
Think over the past week. Who has shown you compassion when you felt sad or were suffering? Who has rejoiced with you in good things? Invite people to share.
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? Invite people to share.
Offer a short blessing of unity and close with “Amen.”
Sharing Around the Table
Ephesians 4:1–16 NRSVUE
I, therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace: there is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it is said,
“When he ascended on high, he made captivity itself a captive;
he gave gifts to his people.”
(When it says, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) He himself granted that some are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.
This passage challenges the congregations around Asia Minor and Judea to see themselves as one church, despite differences and conflicts. The writer offers several “teaching points,” that unify believers.
“One Lord” is Jesus Christ. Loyal Roman citizens poured public drinks to the emperor while proclaiming, “Caesar is Lord.” Christians refused to pledge loyalty to Caesar. “Jesus is Lord” became a defiant doctrinal statement that resulted in many Christians being imprisoned or killed.
“One faith” stressed the need to reject old religious practices and beliefs. Mixing ideas from different religions was unacceptable in early Christianity. “One baptism” meant that Jews and Gentiles alike received the same sacrament of baptism, dying to old ways and raised again to new life in Christ. There wasn’t one procedure for Jewish Christians and a different one for Gentiles. All baptized converts were equal.
“One God and Father of all” expresses the monotheism of Christianity. Pagan converts were expected to renounce the old gods and spirits and cling tenaciously to One God, the Creator.
The writer then recognizes the diversity of spiritual gifts among members. Within the church’s unity, diverse gifts are given and expressed in ministry: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. But the various gifts of ministry have the same purpose: to build the body of Christ, to preserve unity, to give witness of Jesus Christ, and to help disciples mature. Maturity includes speaking the truth in love, not in a spirit of competition or criticism. It means helping each member grow while developing unity in the body.
Questions
- Romans honored the imperial leaders. Who or what do you honor (by giving praise, time, and devotion)?
- How connected are you to other people of faith? What understandings do you find in common?
- How do you express spiritual giftedness?
Sending
Generosity Statement
Beloved Community of Christ, do not just speak and sing of Zion. Live, love, and share as Zion: those who strive to be visibly one in Christ, among whom there are no poor or oppressed.
—Doctrine and Covenants 165:6a
The offering basket is available if you would like to support ongoing, small-group ministries as part of your generous response.
The 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 602, “In My Life, Lord”
Closing Prayer
Optional Additions Depending on Group
- Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
- Thoughts for Children
Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
—1 Corinthians 11:23–26 NRSV
Communion Statement
All are welcome at Christ’s table. The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, is a sacrament in which we remember the life, death, resurrection, and continuing presence of Jesus Christ. In Community of Christ, we also experience Communion as an opportunity to renew our baptismal covenant and to be formed as disciples who live Christ’s mission. Others may have different or added understandings within their faith traditions. We invite all who participate in the Lord’s Supper to do so in the love and peace of Jesus Christ.
We share in Communion as an expression of blessing, healing, peace, and community. In preparation let’s sing from Community of Christ Sings (select one):
515 “In these Moments We Remember”
516 “Coming Together for Wine and for Bread”
521 “Let Us Break Bread Together”
525 “Small Is the Table”
528 “Eat This Bread”
Thoughts for Children
You will need:
- straw for each person
- small pieces of paper (about two inches square)
Give each person a straw and hold up a small piece of paper.
Say: I would like you to pass this piece of paper around our circle without touching it with any part of your body. You can use the straws to help.
Allow participants to brainstorm together how to pass the paper. Let them try until they successfully do so.
Once the piece of paper has been passed around, say: Passing this piece of paper around our circle was difficult. It required everyone to participate, use skills, and share ideas of what might work. Today’s scripture reminds us that we are called to be peacemakers, and sometimes that is difficult work. Still, we are called to work together to make God’s peace a reality.
Note: If participants have trouble finding ways to pass the piece of paper, you might suggest:
- Blowing the paper to the next person.
- Bending the straw in half and using it like tweezers.
- Sucking on the straw to grab hold of the paper and then letting your breath out to pass it to the next person.
Adapted from “Go with Peace” by Kelly Guinan