Weaning

FROM CHAOS TO COMMUNITY: Weaning

Bring in and place or uncover items for this week’s stagescape during the second song.

ENTRANCE

Bring in and place or uncover items for this week’s stagescape during the opening song.

“Everything Falls” CCLI #5490411 OR
“Mothering God, You Gave Me Birth” The Faith We Sing, 2050

WORD AND RESPONSE

Three readers are positioned at different places. An older-adult woman may be near the Lord’s Table, front and center. A mother of a teenager may be to the left. A teenager may be to the right.

Reading 1 (Older-adult woman) based on Genesis 21:8 (NRSV)
My son, Isaac, kept growing. The day of his weaning had come. It was time to rejoice. My husband, Abraham, threw a great feast!

“I Was There to Hear Your Borning” Cry (st 1, 2, 1) TFWS 2051

Reading 2 (Mother of a teenager) based on Genesis 21: 9-11 (NRSV)
Sarah, my mistress, saw Ishmael, playing with her toddler, Isaac. And she said to Abraham, “Throw out this slave woman with her son. The son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son, Isaac.”

Abraham appeared deeply distressed. My son, Ishmael, was his son, too.

“Holy Darkness” (refrain, st 1, refrain) Worship & Song, 3141

Reading 3 (teenager) based on Genesis 21:14-16 (NRSV)
Abraham, my father, rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to my mother, Hagar. He put it around her shoulder. Then he sent us both away. We left and started wandering in the desert of Beersheba. When the water of the skin was gone, she pushed me away to take shelter under some bushes. Then she walked off, about the distance of a bowshot. As she was leaving, I could hear her say, over and over, “Do not let me look on the death of my child.” Then she started weeping, loudly.

(Silence)

Reading 4: (Mother of a teenager) based on Genesis 21:17-19 (NRSV)
I do not know what my boy said. But as I was weeping, an angel appeared to me. It told me God heard my son’s voice. It told me not to be afraid. It said to go get my boy and keep moving on, because God would make a great nation of him. And right then, I saw a well. And I went to the well, and got water, enough for both of us, and we moved on.

“Holy Darkness” (refrain, st 2, st 4, refrain) W&S 3141

Sermon “Weaning”

Call to Attend to People Parting Ways
As music plays or is sung by choir or ensemble, invite worshipers to take a moment to reflect on times of “weaning” in their own lives where they have parted ways or changed the nature of the connection with another person. Encourage folks to write down who these people are, to pray for them in this moment, and to discern how God is calling them to continue to trust these persons into God’s care and keeping.

“Lord of All Hopefulness” TFWS 2197 OR CCLI #4778835
Tune: SLANE (UMH 451)

Prayers of the People
Whichever form you use, include time for people to pray (silently) for those they have listed and for one another to respond faithfully, and conclude with a petition for the forgiveness of sins.

“Prayers of the People” CCLI #7039048 OR
“Prayers of the People” TFWS 2201

The Lord’s Prayer

THANKSGIVING (AND COMMUNION)

May the peace of Christ, who unites us in love
and goes with each of us at our partings,
be always with you.

And also with you.

The peace may be exchanged and the offering collected. If Communion is celebrated, the Lord’s Table may also be prepared at this time.

“Praise You in This Storm” CCLI #4543620 OR
“You Are Mine” TFWS 2218

The Great Thanksgiving BOW 70-71

Music During Communion
“O God, in Whom We Live” W&S 3153 OR
“Jesus Is Here Right Now” Africana Hymnal, 4134

Thanksgiving after Communion UMH 11]

SENDING FORTH

“Let Your Mercy Rain” CCLI #4822853 OR
“Blest Be the Tie That Binds” (st 1, 3, 4) UMH 557

Deacon or Pastor:
Blessed be the ties that bind us.
Blessed be the paths that carry us from each other.
Blessed be God who goes with us in every journey,
and establishes our way.

Go in peace.

Postlude Reprise of “Let Your Mercy Rain” or “Blest Be the Tie That Binds”