Generosity Cycle Worship Suggestions

October 27, 2024

Mark 10:46-52

Heal Our Blindness

Preparation:

Each week for the next six weeks, the gathered community will be asked to write thoughts related to creating a communal statement of generosity. You will need pens and paper for the community to write. These papers will be collected during the Disciples’ Generous Response and will need to be compiled by the pastor team or another group after each service to begin development of the statement. You can find instructions for each week at this link (insert link here). This week is the third week of the Generosity Cycle. The focus is on Discover. You can find information about the Generosity Cycle at (insert link here).

Prelude

Welcome and Call to Worship

Welcome to our worship service today where we gather with open hearts and grateful spirits as we continue our journey of discovery, exploring the profound and transformative power of generosity. Today is the third week of the Generosity Cycle and our worship theme is Heal Our Blindness.

In a world often clouded by personal pursuits, it is said that generosity is healing for the blindness that sometimes shrouds our perception. It allows us to see beyond ourselves and truly connect with the needs of others. Generosity has the ability to mend the brokenness in our lives. It not only impacts those who receive but also serves as a healing balm for the spiritual blindness that may hinder us from recognizing the interconnectedness of all humanity.

May we open our hearts to the idea that generosity has the potential to heal wounds, bridge divides, and cultivate a sense of abundance that transcends material possessions. Through centering moments, reflection time and our Disciple’s Generous Response, we will continue to create our communal statement of generosity as we explore the question: What values do we hold when it comes to generosity? May we do so through the lens of compassion and grace allowing us to see the needs of others with clarity and empathy.

May our time together be filled with inspiration, connection, and a deep sense of gratitude for the gift of generosity.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
   and do not rely on your own insight.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
    fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
It will be a healing for your flesh
    and a refreshment for your body.

Honor the Lord with your substance
    and with the first fruits of all your produce;
then your barns will be filled with plenty,
    and your vats will be bursting with wine.

(Proverbs 3:5-8)

Hymn of Invitation                

“Come Now You Weary”                                                                  
CCS 227

or “Come, Holy Spirit, Come”                                                                     
CCS 154

Opening Prayer

Scripture Reading                  

Mark 10:46-52

Children’s Focus Moment

Read “The Great Kapok Tree” by Lynne Cherry

Synopsis: In the dense, green Amazon rain forest, a man has come to chop down a great Kapok tree. When he lies down to rest, the creatures that inhabit the tree and the surrounding forest come to whisper in his ear, each in its own fashion begging him to spare their home. "You see, all living things depend on one another," buzzes the bee. A boa constrictor, monkeys, colorful birds, a small tree frog, a jaguar, tree porcupines, anteaters, and a three-toed sloth take their turns, each giving an additional reason for the man to abandon his mission and choose to preserve this unique environment. Finally, a young child of the Yanomamo tribe whispers, "Senor, when you awake, please look upon us all with new eyes." And that is exactly what the man does.

Discussion and Questions:

• The way we view the world and the things we do in the world sometimes reflect our values. Does anyone know what the word values mean?
• To me, it means (and say what you think it means or) the things that you do that show what is important in your life.  If you spend your time volunteering in a shelter for people who are unhoused, then that means you value making sure everyone has a safe place where they can be.
•  If you make sure that you spend your money in places that are not harming the earth, then it shows you value the environment and the creation around you.
• How did the animals try to convince the man not to cut down the Kapok tree? What reasons did they give him to save the tree?
• If the Kapok tree did get cut down, what would happen to the animals in the story?
• What can the man do now that he knows how important the tree is to the animals? How can he make a difference?
• Since the man decided not to cut down the tree, what does it show about what he values?
• What would you have done if you were the man? Why did you come to that conclusion?

Centering Moment

Introduction:

For our centering moment today, picture a quiet, ordinary morning.

Guided Reflection:

As you wake up and open your eyes, you see the sun gently filtering into the room. Picture yourself walking toward and looking out a window. This window doesn’t look outside, it looks into the eyes of someone around you. It might be the neighbor silently battling loneliness, the colleague facing professional challenges, or the stranger on the street navigating unseen hardships.

Let your awareness expand beyond the walls of your own concerns. Visualize yourself looking into the eyes of this person with understanding and a shared humanity. Feel the warmth of a newfound connection to the needs of this individual.

Recognize that each person carries a story, and within that narrative are chapters of joy, sorrow, and resilience. Look into their eyes and into their hearts and try to perceive and understand their situation. Send a genuine smile.

Closing:

As you carry this centering moment with you into the day, let it be a source of motivation. Whether in small gestures or grand initiatives, find ways to contribute positively to the needs that surround you.

Hymn of Reflection

“Come and Bring Light”                                                                               
CCS 287

or “Be Thou My Vision”                                                                               
CCS 167

Reflection Time

How we feel about generosity and specifically money can influence how we see the world. It’s important to spend time reflecting on our values when it comes to generosity. For instance, do you or does our congregation/group value security (we can always get the roof on the building fixed whenever we need to), or compassion (we could have a food bank in our building), or generosity (it’s our goal for our neighbors to know us as the most generous church on the block), or legacy (we want our congregation/group to live on in perpetuity).

(Ask the congregation/group to take some time and think quietly to themselves, get with a partner, or get with 3-4 people and discuss what values they hold personally and what values the congregation/group should hold when it comes to money)

(Post this question on a slide or easel board)

What values do you hold personally when it comes to generosity? What values should this congregation/group hold when it comes to generosity?

(feel free to discuss as a congregation by having people share their answers out loud)

Hymn of Faith

"Lord, Lead Me by Your Spirit”                                                                    
CCS 209

or “Tenderly, Tenderly, Lead Thou Me On”                                                  
CCS 256

Morning Message: Based on Mark 10:46-52

Disciples’ Generous Response

Items needed: (give each person two pieces of paper. The first with the question: What values do you hold when it comes to generosity? The second with the question: What values should this congregation hold when it comes to generosity?)

Values are shaped in many different ways. Perhaps your parents instilled certain values in you. Perhaps experiences in your life have brought you to hold certain ideals and values. Perhaps you and your partner have come to a mutual understanding of what values are important for your family. Wherever these values have been formed, they are foundational for how you live your life.

These same values, in a communal setting, can sometimes make us at odds with others. Sometimes different values make us uncomfortable, or we may even feel threatened by someone with a different set of values. By stating our personal values and those we feel the congregation should hold about generosity, the hope is that we can work together to find some common ground to build on as seek to meet the needs of our community with clarity and empathy.

Take some time and write down the values you hold when it comes to generosity and the values you feel the congregation should hold.  

Each week as we answer questions about generosity they will be gathered and reviewed by the pastor team (or whatever group has been selected) to help create a communal statement of generosity that will be presented in the fifth week of the Generosity Cycle. Once you’ve written your answers down, please place them in the offering baskets/plates when they are passed.

(provide 3-4 minutes for this activity)

Blessing and Receiving of Local and Worldwide Mission Tithes

Closing Hymn

“Christ Has Called Us to New Visions”                                                        
CCS 566

or “Lord, Who Views All People Precious”                                                  
CCS 637

Benediction

Sending Forth (Doctrine and Covenants 161:1a-b)

Lift up your eyes and fix them on the place beyond the horizon to which you are sent. Journey in trust, assured that the great and marvelous work is for this time and for all time.

Claim your unique and sacred place within the circle of those who call upon the name of Jesus Christ. Be faithful to the spirit of the Restoration, mindful that it is a spirit of adventure, openness, and searching. Walk proudly and with a quickened step. Be a joyful people. Laugh and play and sing, embodying the hope and freedom of the gospel.

Postlude