Offertory Prayers and Invitation for November 2018

Each month’s Offertory Prayers includes an “Invitation to the Offering” (see below) along with a digital image for those who might want to use it. We hope you will find this a helpful way to remind the people in your pews that their offering travels to many places to make a powerful difference in the lives of people they may never meet. You can find great stories of the difference our giving makes at http://umcgiving.org.

Invitation to the Offering

Your offering last week empowered ministry within our congregation and in response to the needs of our community. It also supported the work of our Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR), working to help us all live in our multicultural world in a way that reflects the love of Christ. GCORR provides a variety of training opportunities across The United Methodist Church. One example is training for crossracial, crosscultural (CR/CC) appointments. “CR/CC appointments are made as a creative response to increasing racial and ethnic diversity in the church and its leadership. CR/CC appointments are appointments of clergypersons to congregations in which the majority of their constituencies are different from the clergyperson’s own racial/ethnic and cultural background” (Book of Discipline 2016, para.425.4); This ministry happens, thanks to the way the people of The United Methodist Church live and give connectionally. I invite you to give generously as we worship God through sharing our gifts, tithes, and offerings.

We invite you to learn more about the work of the General Commission on Religion and Race at http://www.gcorr.org

Note: The following prayers relate to lectionary texts selected for use in Discipleship Ministries’ worship resources.

November 4, 2018 – Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost/in Kingdomtide

God of love and uncountable blessings, we bring our gifts this day in the sight of our cloud of witnesses — the saints who have guided our lives and watch over our faithfulness from heaven’s balcony. As we strive to live out their hope and faith in the promise of your kingdom, may we also rededicate ourselves to live so this world better reflects your kingdom and rule. In Christ, we pray. Amen. Revelation 21:1-6a—NOTE: This text is actually from the lectionary readings for Nov. 1, All Saints Day)

November 11, 2018 – Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost/in Kingdomtide

God of all power and grace: we have often been overwhelmed by the indifference of the world and have let it discourage us from the work of disciple making and world transforming to which you’ve called us. Remind us once more of the victory of Christ and the victory available to us. As we give our tithes and offerings, may we do so with the confidence of victors, knowing that in your love, grace, and compassion, you will have the last word. We pray this in the name of your Son, who bore our sins and who defeated our death. Amen. (Hebrews 9:11-14, 24-28)

November 18, 2018 – Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost/in Kingdomtide

Holy Architect of the Universe: we bring our gifts to you this morning, and many of us have held back, worried about what the future might bring, worried in some cases what tomorrow may bring. We all know we have not lived up to the disciples we could be, and often not even the human beings we ought to be. May the gift we receive this morning be the confidence to stand before you in worship not because of what we’ve done In Christ, but confident that what Christ has done for us is sufficient for us to be here. This we pray in that holy name above all others, Jesus the Christ. Amen. (Hebrews 10:11-14 [15-18], 19-25)

November 25, 2018 – Twenty-Seventh Sunday after Pentecost/in Kingdomtide

God of all our yesterdays, our todays, and our tomorrows: we bring our hearts this morning; we bring our gifts; we bring our desires to be a part of your love revolution in this world. We long to be your lights of hope in a world filled with despair, the trumpet of victory to your people, who too often feel outnumbered and overwhelmed, and the voice of confidence to those who have already conceded defeat. Dedicate our gifts; dedicate our hearts to shaping a world with love so that Christ won’t feel a stranger on his return. We pray this in the name of Jesus, who gave in love all there was to give for us. Amen. (Revelation 1:4b-8)

November Offertory Prayers & Invitation to the Offering were written by the Rev. Dr. Ken Sloane, Director of Stewardship & Connectional Ministries, Discipleship Ministries, The United Methodist Church. [email protected]

United Methodist News Photo by Joey Butler