Sowing Seeds of Ministry
Service Prayers and Worship Ideas
for the Second Sunday after Pentecost
Proper 6 (Complimentary)

Call to Worship (based upon Psalm 92:1-4)

One:                Come and give thanks to our God. 

                        Sing praises to the holy name.

Many:             With the melody of the lute and the harp

                        and the song in our hearts,

                        we declare God’s steadfast love in the morning

                        and faithfulness at night.

                        God’s works make us glad.

                        Your works are great, O God. 

                        We sing our praises of joy to you. 

Unison Prayer of Invocation

                        O God, maker of all that is beautiful, 

                        Jesus gave us the seeds of your justice and peace. 

                        In this time together, touch us, teach us, inspire us

                        to sow those seeds through our ministries

                        so that all may share in Creation’s abundance

                        to make true the promise

                        that no one will know scarcity

                        and no one will suffer deprivation in this community

                        and beyond.  Amen.

Unison Prayer of Confession

                        Let us take a moment of silence and reflect on our own lives,

                        on our limitations, on our sins.

                        Gracious God, you are indeed generous. 

                        You gave us the gifts of the spirit which enabled us

                        to have so much. 

                        We forget, however, that we have been recipients

                        of other people’s generosity.                                    

                        Believing that what we have is ours,

                        we forget that all we have is yours. 

                        Forgive us. 

                        Help us to remember that being made in your image,

                        we should be as generous as you.  Amen.

Words of Assurance

                        The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit and

                        a contrite heart. 

                        By God’s steadfast love for us, we are forgiven of our sins. 

                        Thanks be to God.

Offering         

                        Jesus’ teachings give us many seeds to sow

                        in this community and beyond. 

                        It is, however, through our offering that we can nurture these seeds

                        so all may know the gospel’s promise. 

Prayer of Thanksgiving

                        You have been exceedingly generous to us, O God. 

                        We return a portion of what we have to you

                        in grateful thanksgiving. 

                        Bless our offerings that they will nurture the seeds

                        of hope and healing in this community and beyond.  Amen.

Benediction

                        May God’s love be with you as you sow seeds of justice and peace

                        along the paths you will travel so all may know the gospel’s promise. 

                        Amen

Worship Idea:

If weather and space permit, conduct worship outdoors.  Invite people to wear their gardening/work clothes and bring some garden tools.  Have a garden bed prepared prior to the service.  Use the worship to plant a garden to attract birds or butterflies.

• Flowers to attract songbirds:  ^{Aster, ^«Calendula (pot marigold), ^{Bellflowers, ^«Bachelor’s Button, ^«Cosmos, ^{Coreopsis, ^«Sunflower, ^{Black-eyed Susan, ^«Marigolds, ^«Verbena, ^{Phlox, ^«Zinnia

• Flowers to attract hummingbirds (tend to prefer red):  Hollyhock, ^«Fuchsia, ^«Four O’clock, ^«Petunia, ^{Phlox, ^«Nasturtium, ^{Columbine, ^{Bee balm, ^«Impatiens

• Flowers to attract butterflies (tend to prefer purple, followed by yellow, pink, and white): Dogwood, ^{Butterfly Weed, Purple ^{Coneflower, ^«Impatiens, Lavender, ^{Bee balm, ^{Peony, ^{Phlox, Primrose, ^{Black-eyed Susan, Pussy Willow, Lilac, ^«Marigold, ^«Zinnia

If the church does not have space for a garden or weather does not permit gathering outdoors for worship, set aside time during the service for people to plant seeds in small plastic pots to take home.

^{Indicates perennials

^«Indicates annuals

Notes:

Flower suggestions come from The Gardener’s Companion A Book of Lists an Lore by Roberta M. Coughlin  Publisher:  Harper Perennial  1991.  ISBN:  0-06-271531-3  Pages 386-391.

An excellent resource for plant and planting information is The Garden Primer by Barbara Damrosch.  Publisher:  Workman Publishing Company 2008.  ISBN: 13: 9780761122753

Sowing Seeds of Ministry:  Service Prayers for the Second Sunday after Pentecost  was written by the Rev. Quentin Chin, member of  Church on the Hill in Lenox, MA. 

Copyright 2009 Local Church Ministries, Congregational Vitality and Discipleship Ministry Team, United Church of Christ, 700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, OH  44115-1100.  Permission granted to reproduce or adapt this material for use in services of worship or church education.  All publishing rights reserved.