Resources For Congregations

A Six Week “No Hands But Yours” Habitat for Humanity Worship Service Series

Gathering

The assembly gathers in silence.

The service begins with a responsive reading of the Habitat for Humanity “core principles” followed by the reading of the scripture passage connected to the principle of the day. It is suggested that only the first principle is read on the first week, each of the following principles are then added one-by-one in subsequent services until a recitation of all six core principles occurs on the sixth worship service of the series. You are encouraged to use these materials in one service or in six or any other number of services that will work in your congregation. You may want to use these services during Lent, Advent, the season of Pentecost or any other time during the church year you desire.

We are gathered together under the roof of our “church home” in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit so that we might better…

Week 1: Demonstrate the love and teachings of Jesus Christ.
For our failure in doing so…
Lord, have mercy.
We are gathered together so that we might better…
Week 2: Advocate on behalf of those in need of decent shelter.
For our failure in doing so…
Lord, have mercy.
We are gathered together so that we might better…
Week 3: Focus on shelter by building and renovating simple, decent affordable homes.
For our failure in doing so…
Lord, have mercy.
We are gathered together so that we might better…
Week 4: Engage broad community through inclusive leadership and diverse partnerships.
For our failure in doing so…
Lord, have mercy.
We are gathered together so that we might better…
Week 5: Promote dignity through full partnerships with Habitat homeowners and future home partners.
For our failure in doing so…
Lord, have mercy.
We are gathered together so that we might better…
Week 6: Promote transformational and sustainable community development.
For our failure in doing so…
Lord, have mercy.

The door of the Lord’s mercy has been opened widely to us through the One who left heavenly habitations, to dwell incarnate among us. Having no earthly home to call his own he, never-the-less, takes up gracious residence within all who call upon his name. By his Spirit he binds us into a reconciled community who have been welcomed again by the God, the Father through the advocacy of God, the Son. By that same Spirit we are called to extend welcome and offer restful homecoming to the despairing and displaced. In the name of Jesus. Amen

Principle Passage

The appropriate “Principle Passage” assigned for each service is read after the following introductions.

Principle Passage Week 1: A reading from Luke 5, verses 17-26.
Jesus had the power to move people to not only leave their own homes in hopes of hearing his teaching and seeing his love in action, but also to “improve” the homes of others so as to expand access to that love! While the homeowner in today’s “Principle Passage” may not have at first appreciated the new skylight in his roof, just as the Pharisees did not appreciate the God’s gracious plan of salvation, through that opened ceiling redemption was miraculously demonstrated so that all who have been paralyzed by sin can hope to go “home” again.
Principle Passage Week 2: A reading from John 16, verses 2-12.
Having left his heavenly home to dwell among us for a while, Jesus is poised in today’s “Principle Passage” to return to the Father - but not without promising to his disciples the advocacy of the Holy Spirit! Jesus may bodily ascend, but his Spirit would come down to dwell in us all, perpetually interceding between heaven and earth - convicting the world of sin and bringing to mind the righteousness that has been imputed to prodigals so that sinners might have a divinely “decent” place in the Father’s house.
Principle Passage Week 3: A reading from Isaiah 25, verses 1-9.
The festive foretelling of the Resurrection, found here in Isaiah, is preceded by a review of God’s kingdom building plans. Note that the Lord is all about providing “refuge to the poor” and “shelter to the needy.” Clearly Habitat for Humanity’s third “Core Principle” is very much in line with the will of God! Thank the Lord that the lavish and eternal dwellings which Isaiah describes is not afforded “through silver or gold,” but by our faith in the “holy precious blood” of Jesus’ “innocent suffering and death.”
Principle Passage Week 4: A reading from Deuteronomy 15, verses 7-11.
In this reading Moses widely delegates the responsibility of inclusive care giving to the whole community. Any failure of a community to own this responsibility is to invite hostility into its midst - a hard heartedness that cannot provide refuge and a tight-fistedness incapable of anything constructive. May our hearts be softened to homelessness and our fists be opened to hold up building tools. Beginning with our personal conviction and moving beyond to the community at large may there be a growing realization among us that there are really “no hands but yours.”
Principle Passage Week 5: A reading from Ezekiel 28, verses. 24-26.
In a world in which the goal to “guard each one’s dignity and save each one’s pride” seems tragically and even violently passe, the prophet Ezekiel foretells a day when God’s people can dwell in a place where barbs between neighbors are no more. And so may we - this very day! - recommit ourselves to compassionate Christ-like endeavor so that the world might “know we are Christians by our love,” in particular by our non-judgmental partnering on behalf of fair and equitable housing.
Principle Passage Week 6: A reading from Philippians 3, verse. 12, through chapter 4, verse. 3.
Paul, in this passage, describes the transformational relationships which made the Gospel so effective, beginning with his personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Because of such relationships the community of saints is not merely sustainable on earth, it’s eternal in the heavens! Having heavenly citizenship should empower us towards earthly interventions, whereby God’s constructive grace is carefully and collaboratively applied so as to counter-act rampant and destructive self-centeredness. Since we have been graciously given a heavenly home in Christ, we are all transformed into being home-makers on earth!

Gathering Song

Key to Music Collections

ELW Evangelical Lutheran Worship
WOV With One Voice
TFF This Far by Faith
LBW Lutheran Book of Worship
W&P Worship & Praise
OBS O Blessed Spring
ASG As Sunshine to a Garden
GS2 Global Songs 2

Week 1: Your Kingdom Come! LBW 376
Week 2: Father Most Holy ELW 415, LBW 169
Week 3: God of the Poor W&P 17
Week 4: Come to Us, Creative Spirit ELW 687, WOV 758
Week 5: Lord, Your Hands Have Formed ELW 554, WOV 727
Week 6: In Christ There Is No East or West ELW 650, LBW 359, TFF 214

Greeting

The Lord be with you – for there are “no hands but yours.”
And also with you – for there are “no hands but yours.”

Prayer Of The Day

Let us pray…

Week 1: Though sin would ever separate us from you, dear Father in heaven, your love for the rebellious, alienated and outcast appeared bodily among us in the person of the itinerant Christ. Having no home of his own, apart from his place at your right hand, he sought us out in love and saved us by the word of life. His teaching was that of hope and homecomings. Furthermore, your love for us was powerfully demonstrated in the wood and hammers and nails of Christ’s crucifixion. For this we give you thanks and praise! By the cross we cross over from death into life, from alienation to atonement through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
Week 2: The first saints of our Christian communion were “put out” of both their spiritual homes and their physical homes for calling upon the name of Jesus. O Christ, you foretold their exclusion and despair, but you would not leave them or forsake them. We rejoice in your ascension because by your Holy Spirit you can now make your dwelling within us all. The advocacy of the Spirit graciously connects all who have called upon your name in heaven and on earth, granting us eternal companionship and refuge through you, Lord Jesus Christ, who with the Father and the Spirit are one God, now and forever.
Amen.
Week 3: O Lord, our God, the prophet proclaims your wondrous deeds! But rather than miracles beyond all human emulation, these are deeds we can do! We can dare to partner in your eternal plans to provide “refuge to the poor” and shelter to the “needy in their distress.” You are our shelter and the provider of heavenly habitations. According to your will may we provide - here and now - habitats for humanity so that the wonders of your love might be found on earth, through us, as they are found in heaven, through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
Week 4: Heavenly Father, pour out the healing balm that is your Holy Spirit upon us. Relax the grip of our fists and soften the hardness of our hearts so that we might care to live beyond self and dare to lay hold of the tools of compassion. Hands more accustomed to being clenched in anger and hearts more inclined to ignore “needy neighbors” must be made more liberal and ungrudging through the application of your magnanimous grace. We pray that the wideness of your mercy might be found in us, serving as the strong and large foundation for all we build in your name, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen
Week 5: You are the Lord, our God – worthy of devotion and trust! We leave to you the acts of judgment, so that we might freely and fully pursue the things that make for peace. You have made us partners in the Gospel through which we are eternally safe and secure. May we be agents of that safety and security as we labor non-judgmentally to “build houses and plant vineyards” to the end that those once deemed contemptible, become compatible. May our communities increasing become cities of gracious refuge through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
Week 6: Dear God, your mercies move us to present our bodies as living sacrifices. Because of Jesus that liturgy of life is holy and acceptable you. Therefore we pray that we might not be “conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds, so that we may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.” It is your will, Lord, that we recognize the variety of ways we have been gifted by your Spirit and to use those gifts faithfully for the sake of “transformational and sustainable community development” through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

Word

PSALM

Week 1: Psalm 25:4-14 or Psalm 51:1Ð17(Ash Wednesday)
Week 2: Psalm 55:1-19
Week 3: Psalm 25:4-14
Week 4: Psalm 43:1-5
Week 5: Psalm 113:1-9
Week 6: Psalm 68:1-10

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Be My Home W&P 16

PASSION READING FROM THE GOSPEL OF LUKE (NRSV)

For those intending to use these worship materials during special Lenten services the following lessons from the Gospel of Luke has been segmented according to the six services as follows:

Week 1: Luke 21:20-38 The Destruction of the Temple Foretold
Week 2: Luke 22:1-30 The Plot to Kill Jesus
Week 3: Luke 22:31-46 Jesus Predicts PeterÕs Denial
Week 4: Luke 22:47-65 The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus
Week 5: Luke 22:66-23:25 Jesus before the Council
Week 6: Luke 23:26-56 The Crucifixion of Jesus

CHILDREN'S LESSON - "TOOL TIME"

According to local custom the children of the congregation are invited to participate in the following object lessons.

Week 1: Object - Crow/Wrecking Bar (Luke 5:17-26):
Key Concept: God can use brokenness to demonstrate his restorative love.
Story Line: Paralytic's friends take the tile roof apart in order to lower him down (explain crow bar) - Jesus surprises his listeners by healing the man's heart (forgiveness) before healing his legs - we learn about his power to turn brokenness into wellness - though sad times and even parental discipline might feel like a crowbar in our souls, God allows us to be taken apart in order to build us back up better than ever!
Week 2: Object - Sanding Block/Electric Sander (John 16:2-12):
Key Concept: The Holy Spirit use of Law and Gospel can make our "rough place plane!"
Story Line: Jesus disciples were sad - they thought life was going to get "rough" if Jesus went away from them - Jesus promised to send them a helper, the Holy Spirit - the Holy Spirit is like this sanding block/electric sander - smoothes out the "rough spots" - removes the bumps of sin, the empty holes of sorrow - preps us for the filling/covering action of God's grace - his "finishing" helps us to all to beautifully fit together according to his plan.
Week 3: Object - Church Blue Prints (Isaiah 25:1-9):
Key Concept: God has a plan to build his kingdom here-and-now unto here-ever-after!
Story Line: Show/explain blue prints - Isaiah speaks of God's kingdom building plans - God builds through us! - Isaiah talks about how selfish/mean plans will come to ruin, but the plans of compassion ("You have been made a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy.") are blessed by God - God is building a wonderful heaven for us (Is. 25:6ff) and he wants us to build the same kind of place for others on earth.
Week 4: Object - Work Gloves (Deuteronomy 15:7-11):
Key Concept: Hearts that are hard and hands that are hurtful can't build God's kingdom.
Story Line: Last week we spoke about God's kingdom. - Dr. Martin Luther wants us to lift up our hands to pray that we might be helpers in that kingdom building - praying hands, helping hands, loving hearts are what God is looking for in us - work gloves protect the hands of builders from getting calloused and cut - for God's work healthy, helpful hands are open hands, not "tight-fisted" - pray for hands that are open, generous, giving, that do good toward the poor.
Week 5: Object - Wire Cutters/a small section of Barbed Wire (Ezekiel 28:24-26):
Key Concept: There are painful barriers that keep people apart, but the safety of God's kingdom is not a matter of barbed wire!
Story Line: Sometimes neighbors don't like each other - they build fences, walls - not just decorative fences but barbed wire - explain the barbed wide fencing off of once open range, property protection from vandals, theft, etc. - while God wants his children to be protected from people who break his commandments, we need to be loving in our relationship with others - compassion and forgiveness are like these wire cutters - only love can truly make our neighborhoods secure!
Week 6: Object - Hammer and Chisel (Philippians 3:12-4:3):
Key Concept: The hammer and chisel are a team that can amazingly "transform" one thing into another when both are used by a master carver.
Story Line: A hammer alone can pound things, but it's not very useful for fine detail - a hammer and a chisel can work together to do fine and beautiful work - God is like a master carver who uses a variety of people as his tools, his hammer and chisels (lots of different kinds of chisels for different purposes) to "transform" one another into the loving likeness of Christ (a block of wood and a wood carving of Jesus would also be illustrative).

HOMILY

The following theses excerpted from Habitat for Humanity’s mission statement may serve to guide the preacher’s exposition of the “principle passage” and/or other Scriptures assigned for the day as they relate to Habitat for Humanity’s “core principles.”

Week 1: Demonstrate the love and teachings of Jesus Christ.
“We will act in all ways in accord with the belief that God’s love and grace abound for all; that every human life is priceless; that we must never exploit another for our own profit; that Christ can multiply the miniscule to accomplish the magnificent; and that we are to act as faithful stewards of the resources we receive.”
Week 2: Advocate on behalf of those in need of decent shelter.
“We commit, as an integral part of our work, to communicating the needs of all people for safe and decent shelter, thereby engaging in deliberate efforts to leverage change within society to eliminate restraints that contribute to poverty housing.”
Week 3: Focus on shelter by building and renovating simple decent, affordable houses.
“We have chosen, as our means of manifesting God’s love, to build adequate and durable homes with those in need of shelter, carrying out the belief that safe and affordable housing is a basic human right and a fundamental component of dignity and long-term well-being for every person on earth.”
Week 4: Engage broad community through inclusive leader-ship and diverse partnerships.
“We will work in people-to-people partnership. Following Christ’s example, we believe that everyone—regardless of race, nationality, religion or socioeconomic status—can work together for the good of all; that everyone can unite behind serving those in need within a human community; and that everyone has something to contribute to the work of building houses and hope.”
Week 5: Promote dignity through full partnership with Habitat homeowners and future home partners.
“We put into practice the belief that healthy self-regard—and the benefits that derive from that sense of worth—is promoted not simply by living in an adequate house, but by fully contributing to the process of acquiring that house and by the opportunity to help others also acquire adequate shelter. Promoting dignity also refers to the nondiscriminatory selection of all home partners based on need and willingness to partner.”
Week 6: Promote transformational and sustainable community development.
“We view our work as successful when it promotes holistic and lasting positive change within a community; when it is based on mutual trust and fully shared accomplishment; when it promotes improved relationships among all peoples; when its goal is local, community leadership for ongoing work; and when it demonstrates respectful stewardship of all human, economic and natural resources.”

Hymn Of The Day

Week 1: From Loving Hands OBS 55
Week 2: When in the Hour of Deepest Need LBW 303
Week 3: My Soul Finds Rest in God Alone ASG 26
Week 4: Wide Open Are Your Hands LBW 489
Week 5: When Love Is Found WOV 749
Week 6: Let Us Put on the Clothes of Christ GS2 32

Prayers Of Intercession

The prayers are prepared locally for each occasion. An assisting minister invites the assembly into prayer with these or similar words.

Recognizing that there are no hands but ours, we raise up holy hands for upbuilding intercession in the powerful name of Jesus, the carpenter Christ.
Let us pray for communities of faith and family, for citizens and aliens, for the distressed, the displaced, as well as the devoted among all creation…

Each portion of the prayers ends with these or similar words.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Here other intercessions may be offered.
The prayers conclude with these or similar words.
While we long for heavenly habitations, when our unending praises will supplant all needy supplication, we remember those who are without refuge and shelter on earth. Prosper the home-making ministry of Habitat for Humanity and all of its partners from homeowners, to volunteers, to suppliers and supporters, leaders both within and without the organization who crave your blessing unto the fulfillment of their “core principles.” And may those same principles find a home in our hearts, that able hands might both pray and labor on behalf of those without a place to call home.

Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Into your outstretched hands, welcoming Father, we commend all for whom we pray, for we are mutually sustained by your love, through Jesus Christ, our Savior.
Amen.

Offering

Offering Prayer (Adapted from Micah 6:8)
This prayer may be considered common to every service. It is suggested that a percentage of the offerings collected, if not the entire offering of special services, go to support local efforts on behalf of affordable housing such as Habitat for Humanity. You can connect with such efforts through www.creatingahabitat.org and www.thriventbuilds.com

Let us pray.
Dear Lord, what you require of us is simple:
To act justly – use our offerings to promote equity;
and to love mercy – use our offerings to create harmony;
and to walk humbly with you, our God – by our offerings we express our grateful desire to walk in the steps of your compassion. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

A service with communion continues with the peace. A service without communion continues with the Lord’s Prayer and the sending.

Communion Song

Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ ELW 674, WOV 754, TFF 232

Sending

BLESSING (Adapted from 1 Peter 3:13ff NRSV)
In accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation…grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever.
Amen.

Sending Song

Week 1: Sent Forth by God’s Blessing ELW 547, LBW 221
Week 2: You Are Mine ELW 581, W&P 158
Week 3: Be Thou My Vision ELW 793, WOV 776
Week 4: There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy ELW 587/8, LBW 290
Week 5: Light Dawns on a Weary World ELW 726
Week 6: The Church of Christ, in Every Age ELW 729, LBW 433

Dismissal

Christ has no body now on earth but yours,
no hands but yours, no feet but yours;
yours are the eyes through which Christ’s compassion looks out on the world, yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good
and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now. (~ St. Teresa of Avila)

Thanks be to God.

Except as noted this service has been written and placed into public domain by David M. Schoenknecht, Augsburg Fortress, Chicago Area Field Representative, 2006. Intended for use in conjunction with Creating a Habitat for Humanity: No Hands but Yours by Jonathan T.M.Reckford, Minneapolis: Fortress Press 2007.

*New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.