This is part of the worship series,
"Rattling Heaven's Door”
Series Introduction
Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4
Week 5 | Week 6
Week Three: The third petition
Give us today our daily bread.
The Opening of Worship
Song
"O Lord, Hear My Prayer" (st. 2) Communaute de Taizé
Call to Worship
We gather on this Sunday to draw wisdom and courage from the One whose life and death and resurrection give us hope.
In this time of worship, we draw apart from life’s busyness to wrestle God in prayer, as Jesus taught.
Song
"O Lord, Hear My Prayer" (st. 1) Communaute de Taizé
Opening Litany
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Leader: |
On this day, we step boldly, humbly into the presence of our God, praying with our suffering Savior the prayer he taught us to pray: |
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All: |
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. |
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Leader: |
With voices around the world, we call: |
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All: |
Give bread! |
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Leader: |
Give us today our daily bread: |
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Reader 1: |
This day, God, people are hungry— |
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Reader 2: |
Children lie down at night with empty stomachs. |
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Reader 1: |
People everywhere search with broken hearts. |
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All: |
We are hungry for justice and mercy, for peace and compassion. |
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Leader: |
We call out for daily bread, for daily needs: |
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Reader 1: |
for water that flows pure from a mountain, |
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Reader 2: |
for air that blows clean across the prairies, |
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Reader 1: |
for foods planted, tended, harvested, and shared, |
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Reader 2: |
for land and sky filled with life and renewal, |
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Reader 1: |
for governments that are just, |
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Reader 2: |
for homes that are places of rest and play, |
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Reader 1: |
for families, friends, partners, neighbors who walk with us, comfort us, love us . . . |
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All: |
Give people everywhere their living Bread. |
Silence
A time of reflection
Song
“The Lord’s Prayer” (st. 1–5) Westra, Post
Passing of God’s Peace
Prayer of Confession
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Leader: |
We confess, God, that we have hoarded and misused the bread you so generously send. |
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Reader 1: |
We have carelessly paved over places that are better suited for growing food and sustaining life; |
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Reader 2: |
we have poisoned waters better used for drinking; |
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Reader 1: |
we have polluted the air your creation breathes every day. |
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All: |
Forgive us, nurturing God. |
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Reader 2: |
Give us open eyes to see the way of renewal. |
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Reader 1: |
Give us open hands to share abundantly. |
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All: |
Give us faith to know that you hold every day in your hands. |
Song
“I Am the Bread of Life”(st. 1-2, 4)Toolan
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Leader: |
Surely, God is the eternal giver of bread, the One Source of everlasting life. Come, feast freely in that grace. |
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Men: |
Today we open ourselves to the power of bread freely given in our lives and our world. |
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Women: |
Today we extend our hands in caring toward humanity. |
Silence
Assurance of Pardon
As a father has compassion for his children,
so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.
For he knows how we were made;
he remembers that we are dust.
But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children’s children,
to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.
—Psalm 103:13–14, 17–18 NRSVUE
Song
“God Bless to Us Our Bread” Bell
Prayers of the People
The focus of this prayer is petition and intercession. People are invited to pray in silence.
Song
“Nothing Can Trouble” St. Teresa
Proclamation of the Word
Prayer for Illumination
Scripture
Matthew 6:11; Exodus 16; John 6
Sermon
“Give Us Today Our Daily Bread”
Sermon Notes
This prayer has obvious and immediate application to the problems of hunger, poverty, and injustice around the world. What is sobering about this petition is the awareness that hundreds of millions of people on our planet do not have their daily bread. Upwards of 25,000 children die of hunger-related causes each day.
In Exodus 16, God shows Israel that they have truly been delivered from Egypt’s economy of scarcity and are now free to live in the assurance of God’s daily provision. Hence the prohibition against hoarding manna and the warning that what is hoarded will rot. Between the storehouses of Egypt (symbol of the economy of death) and the tent of meeting, God graciously gives Israel an experience of daily provision in the wilderness.
In John 6, Jesus announces that he is the bread of life. Our prayer for daily bread thus becomes a prayer for fellowship with him. Life with Jesus is life in the kingdom, and that implies justice for all, including daily bread. Note that this petition asks for our daily bread. And it opens out to expressions of gratitude for bread received, and for careful living so that all may eat.
Response to the Word
Song
Offering
Everyone comes forward to place their offerings in a basket
Song
"You God Are My Firmament" (st. 1–2) Winter
Prayer
The focus of this prayer is thanksgiving, including invitation for people to offer spoken prayers.
Song
"You God Are My Firmament" (st. 3) Winter
Service of Communion
"Concelebration" Wise
This is a sung liturgy for the Lord's Supper composed by Joe Wise. During the communion, a singer introduced verses and phrases the congregation echoed. Other sung arrangements of the Lord's supper liturgy include "The Lord Be With You" Rienstra
Dismissal
Closing Prayer
We Go Forth
Go into the world with faith, hope and love, knowing that God hears our petitions.
Let us recommit ourselves daily: hallowing God’s name, doing God’s will, bringing God’s kingdom to earth.
Seek bread for the people living next to us, for those who are suffering, for those who are hungry.
Let us never tire of working and praying for the daily bread that all of humanity and all of creation need.
Song
“Taste and See” (Psalm 34)
Parting Blessing
Shalom, my friends, until we meet again, shalom.
Shalom.
Revised Common Lectionary
Year A: Season after Pentecost—Proper 20 (25)
Year B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 12 (17)
Year B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 13 (18)
Year B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 14 (19)
Year B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 15 (20)
Year B: Season after Pentecost—Proper 16 (21)
