This is part of the worship series,
"Grounded and Growing—Bearing Fruit”
Series Introduction | Ascension Sunday | Pentecost
Love | Joy | Peace | Patience | Generosity & Kindness |
Faithfulness | Gentleness | Self-Control | Communion Liturgy
Also in this year-long Grounded and Growing series:
Advent and Christmas | Epiphany | Lent and Easter
Key Themes: Generosity is an outward, selfless sharing of time, resources, and heart. Reflects God’s bountiful nature. A way of honoring true life by being generous with our life.
Kindness shows genuine care and compassion through thoughtful and generous actions.
Generosity, sometimes translated as “goodness,” is a fruit that grows out of a right recognition that everything we have is a gift from God, and that this life, marked by anxiety and a desire for control, is not the end of things. In his letter to Timothy, Paul tells his young apprentice that the life that is truly life is that which is found in Christ, who gave himself fully and completely out of love for his people. God’s kingdom is coming and is here now, and what matters is that we lay for ourselves a good foundation for the coming age, not a fortress of possessions and security in this life.
So we are called to be generous with what we have, which includes our money and possessions, but also through kindness—a genuine sharing of our empathy, our attention, and our willingness to believe the best of others. Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan, in which the Samaritan man is generous with his time and compassion. This story also calls Jesus’ listeners to think kindly of Samaritans, a people who were often thought of as less-than. This parable invites us to be generous with our compassion, our possessions, and our goodwill.
It may seem counterintuitive, but there is great freedom in generosity. Those who hold things loosely and trust God completely will, says the psalmist, never be shaken. They will never fear bad news—not because bad news won’t come, but because their trust in God is bigger than their fear. The markets may plummet and the profit margins shrink, but their hearts are secure in God.
Service Outline
Call to Worship
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Leader: |
There is none like you, O Lord, |
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All: |
All the nations you have made shall come |
Opening Song
“Behold our God” Baird et al.
Greeting
May grace, mercy, and peace be yours in abundance,
from God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
one God, ruler, redeemer, and sustainer of all creation. Amen.
Song of Praise
“Praise to the Lord, the Almighty” Neander, Winkworth
Call to Confession
Prayer of Confession
Good and gracious God,
you made this world from a place of pure delight.
From the outpouring of your love came
daffodils and walruses,
mighty fir trees,
and the whole breadth of humanity.
Everything we have is a gift from you.
But we want to hoard those gifts
and convince ourselves that the good things in our life
are of our own making.
In our pride we enthrone ourselves upon
the piles of our possessions,
trophies, accomplishments—
even our acts of righteousness and obedience.
From this place of self-righteousness,
we revel in holding grudges against those who have wronged us,
hoarding our mercy and forgiveness.
O God, do not repay us in kind.
When we have tumbled off our thrones
and fallen at your feet, humbled and chastened,
forgive us.
By your Spirit enlarge our hearts
that we might receive life as a gift,
and be generous with our lives in return.
For we are followers of Christ Jesus,
who gave everything, laying down his life for us.
We want to be like Jesus, God.
Help us.
Amen.
Assurance of Pardon & Response of Praise
Friends, hear the good news:
God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. Much more surely, therefore, since we have now been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
—Romans 5:8–11 NRSVUE
Song of Thanksgiving
“All I Have is Christ” Kauflin
Passing of the Peace
God’s grace is abundant, and his love is never ending.
Having received this gift, we have peace with God.
Let us share this gift with one another, passing the peace of Christ Jesus.
Prayer for Illumination
Scripture Reading
First Reading: Luke 10:25–37
Second Reading: 1 Timothy 6:17–19
Sermon
“The Life that is Truly Life”
Song of Response
“The Kingdom is Yours” Wilson et al.
Breath Prayer
[The leader invites the Spirit's presence to fill our lives (as we breathe in) so that our lives might bear good fruit (as we breathe out). This prayer can be repeated a few times.]
Breathe In: “Holy Spirit, fill us with your presence”
Breathe Out: “that our hearts would overflow with kindness.”
Prayers of the People
Offering
The psalmist says in Psalm 112:
Blessed are those who fear the Lord,
who find great delight in his commands.
Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.
Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,
who conduct their affairs with justice.
Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
they will be remembered forever.
They will have no fear of bad news;
their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
—Psalm 112:1, 4–7 NIV
Every week we have an opportunity to practice generosity, to put our trust in the Lord and so be free with our gifts of money, time, and energy. In gratitude for everything God has given us, let us give our offering in joy and trust.
Offering Prayer
Song of Dedication
“My Worth is Not in What I Own” Getty et al.
Benediction
May God the Father, who created the world in all its abundance,
fill you with gratitude and hope.
May Jesus Christ, who laid down his life for the world he loved,
assure you of the never-ending riches of his grace.
May the Holy Spirit, freely given to all who believe,
empower you to live in kindness and love.
May the joy of God’s presence
overflow through you
to every corner of creation.
Amen.
Doxology
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
“For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”
“Or who has given a gift to him,
to receive a gift in return?”
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever.
—Romans 11:33–36 NRSVUE
