Below are some worship resources which you are welcome to use at no charge. Please just use a copyright acknowledgment "Copyright Lisa Frenz 2006. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission."
Below is the order of worship for this service. Please feel free to use its liturgy, litanies and prayers as best suits your worshiping community. The anthems, hymns and scripture texts are suggested only, please feel free to use others as appropriate. The direction (spoken over music) means that I would like to have your musician play softly under the spoken words.
P = Presiding Minister
A = Assisting Minister
R = Reader
L = Martin Luther. You may wish to dramatize this by having someone dress in costume.
If you do use this I just ask that you acknowledge the source as follows:
From Reformation Sunday Service, conceived and written by Lisa Frenz Copyright 2003. All rights reserved.
written by Lisa Frenz © 2003
Eucharist Scripture Texts translated by Annal Frenz © 2001
Stand = Please stand as you are able. Sit = Please sit
Prelude & Lighting of Candles
Call to Worship: Shake Up the Morning (Bell, Gather Comprehensive, GIA Music) Choir
Stand
P: Shake up the morning!
C: For God has given us a new covenant: knowledge carried in our hearts.
P: Shake up the world!
C: For God has given us a gift beyond price: justification through Christ Jesus.
P: Shake up the church!
C: For God has given us freedom: a permanent place in God's family.
Gathering Song: We Are Marching in the Light of God (With One Voice 650, Augsburg Fortress Press)
We are meeting . . .
We are praying . . .
We are living . . .
We are acting . . .
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
A: Let us pray.
(The prayer of the day is spoken)
Sit
L: (Posts copy of Martin Luther's 95 Theses at the front of the church. Turns and addresses the congregation.) "Out of love and concern for the truth, and with the object of eliciting it, the following heads will be the subject of a public discussion at Wittenberg under the presidency of the reverend father, Martin Luther, Augustinian, Master of Arts and Sacred Theology, and duly appointed Lecturer on these subjects in that place. He requests that whoever cannot be present personally to debate the matter orally will do so in absence in writing."*
P: The beginnings of faith call for seeking the Lord.
The beginnings of faith call for the reading of Scripture.
The beginnings of faith call for understanding the Word of God.
The authority of the Scripture stands on its own.
Our discussion and questions are answered there.
Seek the Lord in The Word.
C: May we Christians never fear to ask those questions.
May we never fear the truth of Scripture.
May we never cease proclaiming God's Word.
May we never cease to critically apply Scripture to our lives.
May the Holy Spirit infuse us with the living knowledge of Christ, the Word made flesh, the Way, the Truth, and the Light. Amen.
L: "Therefore nothing except divine words are to be the first principles for Christians, all human words are conclusions drawn from them and must be brought back to them and approved by them."**
First Lesson: Jeremiah 31:31-34
R: The word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
A: The Lord of hosts is with us;
C: the God of Jacob is our stronghold. (Ps. 46:4)
Psalm 46: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (Text: Martin Luther, 1483-1546, Lutheran Book of Worship 228, Augsburg Fortress Press)
Second Lesson: Romans 3:19-28
R: The word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Scripture Song: Oh, Come, Let Us Worship (Ray Makeever, Dancing At The Harvest 5, Augsburg Fortress Press)
Stand
P: The Holy Gospel is found in John 8:31-36.
C: Glory to you, O Lord.
The Holy Gospel is read
Holy Gospel: John 8:31-36
P: The Word of the Lord.
C: Praise to you, O Christ.
Sit
Anthem: Voices That Challenge (Haas, , Gather Comprehensive, GIA Music) Choir
Music for Meditation
.Message: A Revolution in Faith, A Reformation Dialog for Two Voices
There is a revolutionary sitting among us, a person who is working to upset the status quo, change the face of society, throw out the old way of doing things, strip away everything that is comfortable and reliable, everything that is us, who we are.
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a person s foes will be those of his own household."
Incendiary, isn t it? Everything changes, doesn t it?, when we hear those words. Our family is no longer to be the focal point of our life. Our family is no longer part of who we are. Our family is no longer the source of order and serenity in our life. The rules are broken, and the foundation of our life isn t as solid as we thought it was.
"Those who love father or mother more than me are not worthy of me; and those who love son or daughter more than me are not worthy of me; and those who do not take-their cross and follow me are not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it."
Follow him. That is the call of a revolutionary. Follow him where? Follow him out of the bounds that society has said are correct. Follow him into no man s land. Follow him into a world where you ve never been, into a world inhabited by strangers and outcasts—the homeless, the mentally ill, the prostitutes and pimps, the thieves, the dishonest, the immigrants, the elderly, the people with AIDS. In other words, the people who smell funny, talk strangely, live badly, look ugly, who may be dangerous—the people you would never, ever take out to dinner, much less invite into your home. That s where this revolutionary leads. That is where Jesus is taking us.
"When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying. 'Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.'And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, 'I will; be clean.'"
Touch the untouchables, reach out for the impossible, welcome the unthinkable. All of this leads to changes in our thinking, changes in our lives, changes in society. The great reformation of our spirits and hearts and minds is what this revolutionary is calling for: Changes—reflecting the Kingdom of God to bring in the Kingdom of God.
"The Pharisees said to his disciples, 'Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?' But when Jesus heard this, he said, 'Those who are well have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. Go and learn what this means: "I desire mercy, and not sacrifice."'"
"I desire mercy, not sacrifice." I desire action, not ceremony. I desire risk, not safety. Reformation is all about risk and changes, about going where Jesus leads, not knowing where it will end, knowing only that Jesus requires that we reform our lives, our families, our society, our very selves.
"God knows, I, Martin Luther, never thought of going as far as I did. I intended only to attack indulgences. If anybody had told me, a celibate priest, when I was at the Diet of Worms, ‘In a few years you ll have a wife and your own household, I wouldn t have believed it."
There is a revolutionary sitting among us, a person who is working to shake up the establishment, reform the rules we live by, challenge our faith, lift us out of our rut, revise the way we think, and change the focus of our world. This is the day the universe changes, because this revolutionary is our Lord, Jesus the Christ.
+++
L: Change. Challenge. Revolution.
Our past. Luther. Reformation.
What is it we are celebrating today? Certainly, we commemorate history, a story about people that lived over 450 years ago. It's about a man named Martin Luther and others who thought that the priests and other church leaders were not following the Word of God as Jesus taught us. Dr. Luther was a very talkative man and had a lot to say about this problem. He was almost killed for what he was saying about the church, but in the end he said no matter what happened, he had to speak the truth about Jesus. And that Truth changed the church.
Then there is Reformation: changing, renewing, rethinking, so we are always following Jesus' words. Dr. Luther's 95 Theses are list of complaints he had about his church, things he saw that he thought were wrong. He called for dialog, discussion. He called for a review of faith and practice. He asked questions and sought answers from God through prayer and scripture. He listened to the living Word of God. He took seriously those answers. Then, he changed the world.
So, is the Reformation over? Is it only in the past? Or is it reformation with a small "R"? Is reformation, making changes, part of what Jesus wants us to do? What do we see that is wrong with our church today; our community, our world? It is, after all, a community of people who are very human and fallible. What is the Living Word telling us? What questions is God asking us? What is Christ calling us to do about those wrongs? Are the wrongs we want to change something that Jesus wants us to correct, or are they things we personally don't just don't like, or feel uncomfortable with? What are we to change? Let us hear, feel and live the Word of God. Let us ask the questions, like Martin Luther did, and perhaps we too can change the world.
.Stand
Theme Song: Battle Hymn of the Republic (Lutheran Book of Worship 332, Augsburg Fortress Press)
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
he is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
he has loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword:
his truth is marching on.
Refrain:
Glory, glory! Hallelujah!
Glory, glory! Hallelujah!
Glory, glory! Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.
He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
he is sifting out the hearts of all before his judgment seat.
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer him; be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on. Refrain
In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
with a glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me.
As he died to make men holy, let us live to make men free,
while God is marching on. Refrain
Text: Julia Ward Howe, 1819-1910
Apostles' Creed:
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth;
I believe in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord;
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit,
and born of the Virgin Mary,
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day He rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. AMEN.
Prayers of the Church
Greeting of Peace:
P: The peace of Christ be with you.
C: And also with you.
(All greet each other with a word of peace.)
Sit
Offering
Stand
Offering Prayer:
A: Let us pray, Lord of Love,
C: You gave us the greatest gift of all, our Savior Jesus Christ. We ask that you accept the gifts we bring: our possessions, our time and our talents. Use them as You will for your purpose. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Eucharistic Prayer:
(Spoken over music with sung responses.)
"Wake up you who sleep!" (W. Michael Aguilar III, Shandy Music Industries, P.O. Box 10402, Portland, Oregon 97296) Based on Ephesians 5:14
P: You know that you were ransomed from the useless way of life
not with perishable things,
silver and gold,
But with the costly blood of Christ—
as a lamb without blot or blemish.
Christ having been known before the foundation of the world
was made visible at the end of time for your sake,
through him the faithful are in God
Who raised him from the dead and gave him glory,
So that your faith and hope are in God.
1 Peter 1:18-21
"Wake up you who sleep!" WMA
P: Blessed is the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ
who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavens;
Just as God chose us to be in Christ
before the foundation of the world,
God chose us to be holy and blameless
before God in love.
God destined us for adoption through Jesus Christ
According to the favor of God's will,
For the praise of the glory of God's grace
which God gave us in the beloved, Jesus Christ,
In whom we have redemption through his blood—
the forgiveness of our sins—
According to the riches of God's grace
Which he lavished on us
in all wisdom and insight.
"Wake up you who sleep!" WMA
P: God has made known to us the mystery of the divine will
According to the favor which God set forth in Christ
As a plan for the fullness of time
to sum up all things in Christ—
all the things of heaven
and all the things of earth in him—
In whom we also were chosen,
destined according to the purpose of the one
who sets everything in motion
According to the council of God's will
For we exist to praise the glory of God—
we who first hoped in Christ.
Ephesians 1:3-12
"Wake up you who sleep!" WMA
P: For I received from the Lord
that which I also handed down to you—
that the Lord Jesus
in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;
and after giving thanks, He broke it and said,
"This is My body, which is for you;
do this in remembrance of Me."
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, saying,
"This cup is the new covenant which is 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.
I Corinthians 11:23-26
"Through God" (W. Michael Aguilar III, Shandy Music Industries, P.O. Box 10402, Portland, Oregon 97296) Based on Romans 11:36
P: Let us pray,
C: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen.
Sit
Communion Song: Come to the Table (Text: Claire Cloninger, Worship & Praise 33, Augsburg Fortress Press)
Distribution of Communion
Stand
Dismissal from Communion
P: Now may the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ keep you always in God's grace.
C: Amen.
Post-communion Song: "One body, one Spirit" (W. Michael Aguilar III, Shandy Music Industries, P.O. Box 10402, Portland, Oregon 97296) Based on Titus 3:4-7 & Ephesians 4:4-6
A: Let us pray.
Lord of all,
C: You have shared yourself with us through the feast of salvation and nourished us with your Spirit. Give us the strength to share ourselves with the people we meet, the desire to be Christ to the world and the wisdom to discern your will for us. Amen.
The Blessing:
P: The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine on you,
And be caring towards you;
The Lord lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26
C: Amen.
Sit
Community Announcements
Stand
Sending Song: Go My Chosen One (W. Michael Aguilar III, Shandy Music Industries, P.O. Box 10402, Portland, Oregon 97296)
OR The Church Song (Text: Jay Beech, Augsburg Fortress Press)
.OR Onward, Christian Soldiers (Lutheran Book of Worship 509, Augsburg Fortress Press)
Onward, Christian soldiers,
marching as to war,
with the cross of Jesus
going on before.
Christ, the royal master,
leads against the foe;
forward into battle,
see, his banners go!
Refrain:
Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
with the cross of Jesus going on before.
Like a mighty army
moves the church of God;
let us boldly follow
where the saints have trod.
We are not divided;
all one body we;
one in hope and doctrine,
one in charity. Refrain
Crowns and thrones may perish,
kingdoms rise and wane,
but the church of Jesus
constant will remain;
gates of hell can never
'gainst the church prevail.
We have Christ's own promise,
and that cannot fail. Refrain
Onward, then, you faithful,
join our happy throng;
blend with ours your voices
in the triumph song.
Glory, laud, and honor
unto Christ the king.
We through countless ages
with the angels sing: Refrain
Text: Sabine Baring-Gould, 1834-1924
.OR Christ for the World We Sing (Text: Samuel Wolcott, 1813-1886, Tune: Italian Hymn Lutheran Book of Worship 522), Augsburg Fortress Press)
Christ for the world we sing;
the world to Christ we bring
with loving zeal:
the poor and them that mourn,
the faint and overborne,
sin-sick and sorrow-worn,
whom Christ doth heal.
Christ for the world we sing;
the world to Christ we bring
with fervent prayer:
the wayward and the lost,
by restless passions tossed,
redeemed at countless cost
from dark despair.
Christ for the world we sing;
the world to Christ we bring
with one accord;
with us the work to share,
with us reproach to dare,
with us the cross to bear,
for Christ our Lord.
Christ for the world we sing;
the world to Christ we bring
with joyful song:
the newborn souls, whose days,
reclaimed from error's ways,
inspired with hope and praise,
to Christ belong.
Text: Samuel Wolcott, 1813-1886
A: Go in peace and serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Postlude
* Martin Luther, John Dillenger, Doubleday & Company, Incorporated, June 1972, Opening invitation to the 95 Theses.
** What Luther Says, Ewald M. Plass, St. Louis MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, Quote 267