November 15 – Twenty-fourth after
Pentecost
Lectionary
Lectionary readings from Vanderbilt Divinity Library online
(http://divinity.library.vanderbilt.edu/lectionary/BPentecost/bProper28.htm)
Samuel
is born to Hannah.
The
song of Hannah.
Hebrews 10:11–14, (15–18), 19–25
Provoke
one another to love and good deeds.
Not
one stone of the temple shall be left standing.
Spark
Bring
a few sets of building blocks into the worship space, and invite people to play
with building structures and taking them apart.
With Children
Let’s
build a tower (with blocks or boxes). Invite people to describe the kinds of
things that their tower would be good for. After hearing some of their
suggestions, suggest some things that the tower wouldn’t be good for, eliciting
feedback. If a structure doesn’t work for what we need it to do, what could we
do about it? Is it a good idea to keep things exactly the same if they aren’t
doing what needs to be done?
Sometimes,
both in our lives and in the life of the church, we build patterns that work.
Sometimes, in our lives and in the life of the church, we get stuck in those
patterns. To live out the ministry that God has given us, we need to be ready
to take our patterns apart, find out what still works for what we’re being
called to do, and create something new.
Sermon Starter
When
one of the disciples points out the beauty of the temple stones, Jesus agrees
that they are monumental, then goes on to talk about how they’re going to come
tumbling down.
This
could be a time to explore our own monuments—especially our church buildings.
What do they mean to us? How does our connection to these stones affect our relationship with God? What would it mean
to our faith if these walls came tumblin’ down? What do we do if our
structures—the building, our governance, our patterns—get in between us and
God’s call?
Note:
If you’re thinking about exploring Hannah’s story, especially around issues of
infertility/fertility, read Hope Deferred,
edited by Nadine Pence Frantz and Mary Stimming (Pilgrim Press), for an
exploration of the theology of infertility.
Hymns
VU
446/447 “O God of life”
VU
559 “Come, O fount of every
blessing”
MV 37 “Each
blade of grass”
VU
373 “As comes the breath of
spring”
MV
46 “Bless the Lord”
MV 109 “My
soul is thirsting for you”
VU
374 “Come and find the quiet
centre”
VU
691 “Though ancient walls”
MV
23 “Come, O Holy Spirit”
MV
62 “There is room for all”
MV 138 “My
love colours outside the lines”