O is for Offertory

What prayer do you say as the gifts of the people are brought to the altar? This special part of our liturgy is called the Offertory and may be sung or said by a choir or the congregation during collection or at the presentation of the offering.

What does the offertory sound like in your church? Is it the same every week? Is it said or sung? Does it mean something to you?

During this year, in which our stewardship theme focuses our attention on the offering, why not take more notice of that offertory? Try some new ones. Change the style. Match it to the season.

Offertory song

Both of our hymnbooks, Lutheran Book of Worship and With One Voice contain offertory songs:

• "Let the Vineyards be fruitful, Lord…", LBW p.66, p.86 or p.107; WOV p.21 or p.35
• "Glory to you, God, for yours is the earth…", WOV p.50
• "What shall I render to the Lord…", LBW p.67, p.87 or p.108
• "Create in me a clean heart…", LBW p.75 or p.118

Other suggestions for offertory songs are:

From With One Voice:

• 705 As the Grains of Wheat
• 732 Create in Me a Clean Heart
• 758 Come to Us, Creative Spirit
• 759 Accept, O Lord, the Gifts We Bring
• 760 For the Fruit of All Creation
• 761 Now We Offer

From Lutheran Book of Worship:

• 217 We Place upon Your Table, Lord
• 255 Lord, Receive this Company
• 404 As Saints of Old
• 411 Lord of All Good

Maybe you’d like to learn Bless the Hands, written by Marty Tuer and André Lavergne, who are both ELCIC pastors. You can find it in a resource called Gathered for Worship (your pastor should have one) or order a copy from the Orders Desk.

Offertory Prayer

Both of our hymnbooks, Lutheran Book of Worship and With One Voice contain offertory prayers:

• "O Lord our God, maker of all things", LBW p.68, p.88, or p.109; WOV p.21 or p.35
• "We offer with joy and thanksgiving what you have first given us…", LBW p.67, p.87 or p.108

But don’t stop there. Does your church use the resource called Sundays and Seasons? Look at the beginning of each season to find a different offertory prayer.

The Elements and the Offertory

The Offertory also includes the gifts of wine and bread that make up our Eucharist. You may want to reflect that by having those elements brought forward at the same time as the offering. Perhaps someone in your congregation would like to bake the bread or bring their home-made wine! Recipes for the bread can be found in books or on the Internet. Try searching for 'Communion Bread recipe'.

Children and the Offertory

Children can lead and add life to the offertory. Debbie Lou Ludolph and Andre Lavergne generously offer free use of their material at

http://www.worship.ca/docs/godkids1.html and
http://www.worship.ca/docs/godkids2.html

If you have experienced a particularly meaningful offertory, share it with us by sending a short story to bfast@elcic.ca