To Hear and Be Heard
An Intergenerational Service 
for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost 
July 8, 2012

Lectionary Texts: Ezekiel 2:1-5, Psalm 123, Mark 6:1-13

Notes for an Intergenerational Service:

This liturgy includes several strategies to engage the whole congregation in the experience of hearing and being heard so that people of all ages can connect to these themes in the lectionary texts and feel empowered to receive and share the word of God.  Other strategies may be found at the end of this service.

The exegetical notes below model a way of approaching a passage to discover how its meaning can be uncovered  in different ways to engage folks of differing ages and abilities.

Both Ezekiel and Mark witness to an ongoing biblical theme in which prophets find that the divine messages they proclaim fall upon deaf ears.  For many people today, not being heard is an all too familiar experience.  It can occur for a variety of reasons.  Historically marginalized groups have had their voices ignored because of perceived differences.  Children and the elderly too often find themselves brushed aside.  Jesus’ experience in Mark 6 reflects a different but equally familiar reason why voices sometimes go unheard.  In his hometown, the people he teaches are so certain that they already know who he is that they cannot hear his message.  In our personal lives, we sometimes stop listening to those we know well, finishing their sentences because we think we know what they are saying, whether our perception is accurate or not.  In spite of the rejection he experiences, Jesus is undeterred in sharing the good news and empowers the disciples to do the same, with the understanding that they too will not always be heard.  As Christ’s disciples today, we are tasked both to hear and be heard.  All of the unheard voices in our midst are important; any one of them could be a prophet, speaking God’s message to us. 

Hymn 			God is Here!                                                  TNCH 70 

Invocation 
To make this invocation more accessible to pre-literate or visually impaired congregants, introduce the congregational response before you begin, explaining that the phrase “Who will hear their message?” will cue their response, “We will listen and we will hear!”  If this practice is new to the congregation, practice this call and response a few times before beginning the invocation, encouraging them to speak their response with gusto!

Leader: 		The prophets of old spoke of God’s justice, 
even when it was unwelcome.  
Who will hear their message?
Congregation: 	We will listen and we will hear!

Leader: 		Responding to God’s call, Jesus traveled, 
preaching and teaching all who would listen.  
Who will hear his message?
Congregation: 	We will listen and we will hear!

Leader: 		Christ sent out disciples two by two, 
to spread the good news in any place 
that would welcome them.  
Who will hear their message?
Congregation: 	We will listen and we will hear!

Leader: 		God’s prophets are among us still, 
around the world and in these pews.  
Who will hear their message?
Congregation: 	We will listen and we will hear!

Prayer of Confession 
Psalm 123 (sung responsively) 					    TNCH pp. 705-6

Assurance of Pardon
Hymn 		Si Fui Motivo de Dolor, Oh Dios 			TNCH 544

Multigenerational Sermon Activity 
Exploring the themes: How do prophets' voices get lost?  How can we learn to listen to the voices of the prophets among us?

A Multigenerational Sermon Activity is an interactive activity that can introduce, conclude, or be integrated in a sermon so as to encourage a more embodied experience for people of all ages.  It may also be used as a children’s sermon, but is most effective when broad participation is encouraged.

Telephone Repair
This activity begins with the familiar game, “telephone,” in which a group of people sits in a circle (a pair of pews works well in a sanctuary with stationery seating) and passes a single message, whispered from one person to another without repetition, around the circle, to see how the challenges of communication change the message.  Play the game once through in small groups.  Make sure that no one is left out of a group.  Distribute a written message to one person in each group, who will be the beginning and end of the circle.  Explain that each group must pass the message around the circle by whispering (any children in the group can clarify the rules for those who are unfamiliar with the game).  

Ask the congregation how their messages changed and whether they ever mishear what others in their lives have to say.  Inquire what makes for better communication (you may choose to introduce active listening skills), then ask for ideas on how to “repair” the telephone so as to make sure everyone in the circle hears and is heard and the message is successfully passed around the entire circle.  For a second round, encourage each small group to employ these suggestions.

Pastoral Prayer
For a thematic pastoral prayer, the worship leader may list or encourage the congregation to speak aloud the names of individuals and groups who struggle to be heard.  Be sure to include loved ones whom we frequently do not fully hear due to our familiarity in addition to the historically marginalized.
Hymn 		Draw Us in the Spirit's Tether                                      TNCH  337

Call for the Offering
Having heard God’s call to generosity, 
let us listen and respond with open hearts.

Collection of Offering  
In lieu of an instrumental piece, congregations may wish to substitute a video interpretation of Shel Silverstein’s poem, “The Little Boy and the Old Man,” from A Light in the Attic (1981).  Several such interpretations can be found on the internet, but with a little planning ahead a tech-savvy youth or youth group would likely be up to the task of creating one particular to the voices that need to be heard in your community.  This can be an excellent way to engage youth in the worship and outreach life of the congregation.  A copy of the poem may be found at this site: http://www.famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/shel_silverstein/poems/14823

Prayer of Dedication
Outspoken Prophet, 
hear the message we are speaking through these our gifts 
and aid us in spreading that message of hope and love 
to those whose voices have been silenced.  
May they strengthen our congregation 
so that we may continue to listen to those in need.

Hymn 			O for a World                                                    TNCH 575

Benediction
Go out now with eyes and ears open, 
to hear and be heard 
as you share the good news with one another.

To Hear and Be Heard, An Intergenerational Liturgy for the Sixth Sunday of Pentecost, year B, was written by the Rev. Dr. Laurel Koepf Taylor, Assistant Professor of Old Testament at Eden Theological Seminary, Saint Louis, Missouri. 

Copyright 2012 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.  

5 Ways to Welcome Children in Worship*
The Rev. Dr. Laurel W. Koepf Taylor

Engage the Senses
Your worship service already engages multiple senses in more ways than you realize!  Emphasize this and come up with more ways of creating active, multisensory worship that will be authentic to your congregation’s worship style.  Doing this will welcome children as well as a wider range of adults!

Provide Sabbath Toys
When we think of Sabbath Toys, we usually think of our Puritan roots, when children were only allowed to play with Noah’s Ark on Sundays.  Revive this old tradition with a twist!  Provide soft toys that follow the liturgical seasons or the theme of the day’s worship so that children’s play will be a part of the community’s worship, not a distraction from it!  Biblical felt pieces or a pictorial worship bulletin are simple ways to get started.

Go Beyond Children’s Sermons
We communicate our welcome of children in worship most clearly in the liturgical actions we value most in our tradition.  Invite children to take lay leadership roles in worship and make sermons accessible through conversational style, team preaching, sermon activities, and preaching illustrations that appeal to a variety of life stages.

Encourage Church Family
Extended families rarely live close to one another anymore but people still need intergenerational relationships and support.  Church is a great place to provide this!  Members of the extended “church family” who wish to experience spiritual renewal by worshipping with a child can volunteer to give tired parents a break on Sunday morning.  Be sure to oversee this practice in a way that complies with “safe church” policies.

Include Children in the Full Life of the Church!
Adults and children will be more tolerant and loving of one another if they know each other as people.  Encourage children’s participation in church life and create opportunities for friendships to grow across generations.

*Prepared for the Your Church, Better workshops at General Synod, 2011, Tampa, Florida