The Worship Closet

Acts 16:16-34

• Common English Bible and NRSV
• Did you notice that Paul’s first inclination was not to command the spirit to leave the girl – his first inclination was to ignore it.  When the annoyance was too much, then Paul acted and commanded the spirit to leave the slave girl.  Do we wait until we are personally annoyed with something before we work for justice?  Do we work to set others free only when it will benefit us?
• Paul and Silas are arrested for casting out a spirit that had been holding a girl in slavery.  Persecution of Christ-followers still happens today.  Pray for those who have been captured and persecuted for living out their faith.
• While they are in jail, Paul and Silas have a hymn-sing!  Follow their lead, and have a hymn-sing in worship today.  What songs would you sing if you were in that jail cell with Paul and Silas?
• The jailer’s entire family is baptized when they hear the Word.  Celebrate a baptism or a baptism remembrance during worship.  Be sure to have the font filled with fresh water and part of your worship display.

Psalm 97

• Common English Bible and NRSV
• This psalm is also read on Christmas Day, so you may want to see what has been suggested in these posts: Christmas (Year B) and Christmas (Year C).
• The imagery used describes the rich variety that exists in God’s creation – from coastlands to mountains, fire and clouds, heavens and earth.  Use pictures and other artwork that features the images described in the psalm in your worship display.
• What idols are we tempted to worship?
• They psalmist says that “the Lord loves those who hate evil.”  It is important to note that the psalmist does not say that the Lord loves those who hate certain people or evil doers.  It is vital that we not confuse “evil” with “people” – to do so is to judge, and we are called to love…

Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21

• Common English Bible and NRSV
• Christ is named as “the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end”.  Those key words (and Greek letters) could be used in your worship display.
• All people are called to “come” – everyone “who hears”, who “is thirsty”, and “who wishes to take the water of life as a gift”.
• Bless water (in bottles) and let people take it home.  Or… take the blessed water to the streets and give it away to those in need in your community.
• Decorate your worship space with water (in a variety of containers).
• With all of this talk about water, use it as an opportunity to talk about the need for clean water in our world.

John 17:20-26

• Common English Bible and NRSV
• Jesus prays that there may be unity among all believers.
• You could use the word “unity” or “one” in your worship display.
• Where do we see God’s glory?  Are we aware of how God has given us the gift of glory?

Acts 16:9-15

• Common English Bible and NRSV
  
• We are called to share the Good News in all sorts of places with all sorts of people.  Wherever people are gathered, there is an opportunity for us to experience God in our midst.  Where do people gather in your community?  How could you meet with people there to share the Good News?
• Lydia is described as being “a worshiper of God”, though she had not yet been baptized.  There could be those in your worship community who are not yet baptized.  This text can provide an opportunity to invite those who have not yet been baptized to consider partaking in that sacrament.
• Lydia was a “dealer in purple cloth”.  Meet outside (or in a fellowship hall with tarps on the floor), and make tie-dyed shirts and other items.  Be sure to use various shades of purple in your creations!
• Do you have any craft groups that focus on fabric arts (quilting, embroidery, etc)?  Bless the artists, the fabric, and other craft materials during worship.  If your group makes quilts or blankets that are donated to hospitals or charities, be sure to dedicate and bless them during worship, too.
• The liturgical color is still white, but you may want to feature some purple cloth in your worship display.

Psalm 67

• Common English Bible and NRSV
  
• The word “praise” is repeated throughout this passage.  Explore all of the many ways that we can offer our praise to God: singing, dancing, praying, etc…
• The psalmist mentions that “the earth has yielded its increase”.  Use this as the inspiration for a blessing service for farmers and farm workers.
• Create a “chain of blessings” to decorate your worship space.  Invite the congregation to write words that describe the ways that they (and the church and community) have been blessed by God on colorful strips of paper. Link the papers together (using staples or tape), and hang the paper chain in the worship space.

Revelation 21:10, 22-27, 22:1-5

• Common English Bible and NRSV
  
• Why is it that we cling to our church buildings, when we should be clinging to God?  In the Holy City, there is no temple – just God.  Can we imagine worship without our church buildings?
• Light-related imagery repeats throughout this text.  Use various items that provide light in your worship display: lamps, candles, flashlights, glow sticks, etc.
• How many of us hear that “nothing unclean will enter” the Holy City of God and assume that it means that certain people and groups will not be allowed to enter heaven?  What a shame that we quickly forget the Acts passage from last Sunday, where God reminds us that God makes things (people) clean that (who) were once called unclean.  Who are we to say that God (through Christ) will not make all things clean?  He does say earlier in chapter 21 that he is “making all things new”…

John 14:23-29

• Common English Bible and NRSV
  
• Jesus offers peace.  Use peace symbols to decorate your worship space.
• Are there people in your church and community who need to hear a message of peace?  Write notes of encouragement for people in need of a kind word, and deliver the cards and letters after worship.
• Jesus tells us to let go of our fears.  Invite the congregation to write their fears on slips of paper.  During worship, have the people come forward, crumple or tear their papers, and leave them at the foot of a cross.  You may want to offer each person a token that represents God’s love and peace as they return to their seats (perhaps a heart or peace symbol).

John 5:1-9

• Common English Bible and NRSV
• Are you waiting for someone to make life happen for you?  Are you expecting someone else to do all of the hard work so you don’t have to lift a finger?  The “ill” man in this passage had been waiting for someone to make him well.  It is hard to take pity on him, really – he sounds lazy.  Jesus heals him, but he (Jesus) does so on his own terms — he requires the man to participate.  Jesus tells the man to stand up, pick up his mat, and walk.  Sometimes, all we need to get on the path to healing is a gentle, but firm, kick in the pants from the Divine…
• I really like the way that you can read the last sentence 2 different ways (in the NRSV).  On the one hand, it simply tells us that this story takes place on the day of the sabbath.  On the other hand, it tells us that – now that the man had been healed – it was now (finally) a day of sabbath.
• This is a wonderful passage to use as inspiration for a service of healing.
• Jesus provides sabbath rest to someone through the gift of healing.  How do we provide the gift of sabbath to others?

Acts 11:1-18

• Common English Bible and NRSV
• We don’t like it when other believers don’t look like us (or sound like us, or eat like us, or sing like us, or pray like us…). But, here’s the thing: God doesn’t make any distinctions between us, and we are supposed to treat one another as God treats us. It wasn’t an easy lesson for Peter or the other apostles, and it isn’t easy for us – but it is a lesson that we must learn.
• We are not the ones who get to decide who/what is “clean” or “unclean”. Only God makes that call. The heavenly declaration of “What God has made clean, you must not call profane” should haunt us. How often do we behave as though we know who is “in” and who is “out”? God’s love and grace is so much bigger than we can imagine. It is time for us to stop building walls around the Lord and the gift of grace. God makes the final call — it is our job to simply reach out in the same love that God has shown to us.
• This is a great Sunday to celebrate and give thanks for your church and community’s ecumenical (and, perhaps, interfaith) relationships.
• The mention of the Spirit in this text can remind us that the Day of Pentecost is just a few weeks away.  Start advertising your Pentecost services now. If you want the congregation to wear red on Pentecost Sunday (or bring red flowers to plant around your church building, or collect red-colored non-perishable food items, etc), be sure to start advertising that now.

Psalm 148

• Common English Bible and NRSV
• There is something about this Psalm that reminds me of the book Goodnight Moon…
• Have you ever heard of Mad Libs? You could re-create this Psalm Mad Libs style! Invite the congregation (or, just the kids – but adults will enjoy this, too) to suggest nouns, verbs, adverbs, and adjectives to fill in the blanks and re-create the Psalm in a new, unique way.
• Invite kids to illustrate this passage during the service. Display their artwork in the sanctuary. Or, put the artwork together to create a one-of-a-kind book for the church library!

Revelation 21:1-6

• Common English Bible and NRSV
• It is amazing, really, that God choses to dwell with us. What are we doing to make God feel welcome among us?
• What have you seen/experienced God “making new”? How do we work with God in that re-creative process?

John 13:31-35

• Common English Bible and NRSV
• Those who use the Revised Common Lectionary know that this message of “love your neighbor” seems to repeat again and again.  Perhaps that is because it is a message that we need to hear again and again.
• How do we love one another? How do we show love to strangers – and even our enemies?
• Do people know – by our actions alone – that we follow Christ Jesus? Do the things that we post online demonstrate that we are Christians?
• This is another great opportunity to talk about bullying and cyber-bullying. How can your congregation promote healthy and safe relationships that demonstrate love and grace?

Acts 9:36-43

• Common English Bible and NRSV
• This text can easily be presented as a dramatic reading.  Kids and youth may really enjoy pantomiming the scripture as it is read.
• Some women’s circle groups in churches are called “Dorcas Circles” or “Tabitha Circles”.  Use this Sunday as an opportunity to honor the women and women’s organizations in your congregation.
• Does your church have a crafting group or prayer shawl ministry?  Pray over their ministry, blessing them and the many things that they make.
• Does someone need to tell you to “get up”?  Is there something in your life that needs the gift of new life and resurrection?  Pray for new life in your church and community.
• Decorate your worship space with handmade clothing, quilts, blankets, and other crafts.

Psalm 23

• Common English Bible and NRSV
• The 4th Sunday of Easter is often called “Good Shepherd Sunday”.  You may want to use a variety of “shepherd” images in your worship display.
• I have written about this scripture before – click here to check out what was suggested last year.
• The message that God cares for us like a shepherd cares for his/her sheep is a message that most (if not all) of us need to hear again and again.
• Invite people in the congregation to illustrate this text while you read it and preach it.  You could use craft paper that comes on a roll (either taping it to a wall or rolling it out on the floor), letting people draw on it with crayons or colored pencils.  If you use markers, be sure that the markers use washable ink and that the color does not bleed-through the paper.
• Decorate your worship space with artificial lawn/turf and/or fountains (streams) of water.

Revelation 7:9-17

• Common English Bible and NRSV
• Different traditions may have different takes (different interpretations) of the phrase “the great ordeal”.  You may want to explore a variety of commentaries to learn more about your traditions – as well as the faith traditions of others.
• The elder proclaims that the people will “hunger no more”.  Use this as an opportunity to talk about the issue of hunger.  Collect funds or non-perishable food donations for a local food pantry or soup kitchen.

John 10:22-30

• Common English Bible and NRSV
• Jesus is walking in the temple at the time of the Festival of Dedication.  Not familiar with the “Festival of Dedication“?  Most of us know it as Hanukkah.
• Do we believe?  Do we hear the voice of the Shepherd?  Do we recognize the Shepherd’s voice?