The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
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Prelude, Welcome, and Information Hymn #324 In the Cross of Christ I Glory |
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The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And also with you. Psalm: Psalm 66: 1-9 Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise. Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you. All the earth worships you; they sing praises to you, sing praises to your name.” (Selah) Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds among mortals. He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. There we rejoiced in him, who rules by his might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations— let the rebellious not exalt themselves. (Selah) Bless our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard, who has kept us among the living, and has not let our feet slip.
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The Lord be with you. And also with you. Let us pray. O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are the city that shelters us, the mother who comforts us. With your Spirit accompany us on our life’s journey, that we may spread your peace in all the world, through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. |
Reading: Isaiah 66:10-14
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah
Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her— that you may nurse and be satisfied from her consoling breast; that you may drink deeply with delight from her glorious bosom. For thus says the Lord: I will extend prosperity to her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall nurse and be carried on her arm, and dandled on her knees. As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bodies shall flourish like the grass; and it shall be known that the hand of the Lord is with his servants, and his indignation is against his enemies.
The Word of the Lord
Reading: Galatians 6:[1-6] 7-16
A reading from the Letter to the Galatians
My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves. All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor’s work, will become a cause for pride. For all must carry their own loads. Those who are taught the word must share in all good things with their teacher.] Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest-time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.
See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand! It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that try to compel you to be circumcised—only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh. May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything! As for those who will follow this rule—peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
The Word of the Lord.
Gospel Verse:
Alleluia! Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, and let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. Alleluia! (Col. 3:15, 16)
Gospel Reading: Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
A reading from the Gospel of Luke
After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’ “Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”
The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!” He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon (added at the end of the document)
Hymn #798 Will You Come and Follow Me
Thanks and Offertory
Prayers of the Church:
Loving God, trusting in the promise that you will be with us on our mission, we offer our prayers for the world, the church, and for all people according to their needs.
[Short pause]
Lord who sends us on mission, let us live daily the rule of live centered on Jesus’ Cross. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Lord who sends us on mission, you comfort us as a mother comforts a child. Help us to share that comfort. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Lord who sends us on mission, continue to send out laborers for the harvest, even as lambs among wolves. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Lord who sends us on mission, let our mission always include peace, Grant peace to the peoples of Ukraine and Russia and wherever there is war and struggle. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Lord who sends us on mission, Jesus told his disciples to heal the sick and proclaim the Kingdom. Bless all who work for the good health of others. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Lord who sends us on mission, grant us daily the joy of knowing that you know us. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Lord who sends us on mission, watch over our nation, our home, and keep it faithful to what we all want to be as a nation. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Lord who sends us on mission, Let our mission always include prayer. We ask you to hear our unspoken prayers… * … Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
{*Gail Mauer, Deb Kirschner, Diane Corns, Robert McCrae}
Loving God, we rely on your promises of peace and mercy. So, we commend to you all for whom we pray, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hymn #691 Accept, O Lord, The Gifts We Bring
The Lord’s Prayer
Finally let us pray for all things as our Lord would have us ask:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Closing prayer & Benediction
Gracious God,
In your mercy defend us from all calamities by fire and water, from war and pestilence, from scarcity and famine. Protect and prosper all who labor, and cause all useful arts to flourish among us. Show yourself to be the helper of the sick and needy, the comforter of the forsaken and distressed. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hymn #551 The Spirit Sends Us Forth To Serve
Benediction & Sending
May the Lord bless us and keep us.
May the Lord’s face shine upon us with grace and mercy.
May the Lord look upon us with favor and X give us peace.
Amen.
Go in peace. Walk humbly with God. Thanks be to God.
Postlude: #892 O Canada
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Services for the next few months will be on YouTube and accessible from an email link or our church Facebook page. Services for the months of July are as below: July 10 Communion, Saxonia Hall, 11:00am July 17 Service on YouTube, 11:00am July 24 Communion, Church, 11:00am July 31 Service on YouTube, 11:00am |
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Go on your way... and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
· We all know that Jesus had 12 “apostles”, a sort of ‘inner circle’ of all his followers. We hear of other followers, even if we don’t have a clear number of all of them. We also know of certain women who supported Jesus in his ministry and even followed after him.
· This passage from Luke’s Gospel tells us that Jesus appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. We don’t know their names. We don’t know if it was a mixed group of men and women, but we do know of their success in their appointed ministry. They returned from their mission with joy and what appears to be amazement. Jesus then tells them that all those amazing things take a back seat to their relationship to God and the Kingdom of God.
· Since the 70 disciples were commissioned to tell the people that Jesus was on his way and in that, prepare his way. For us this means that the proclamation of the Kingdom of God come near is the business of ALL disciples, not just a chosen few or some elite group. This proclamation is the norm for discipleship. How this would be done might depend on a lot of things. Not all of us are great speakers, but all of us could demonstrate the presence of Jesus and the Kingdom of God by how we live and how we treat the people around us.
· It is true that, over time, the Church has developed a group of people to lead worship and preach on a regular basis. This was often done for the “good order” of the Church, as Martin Luther might say. This development of an ordained leadership does not take the ministry of proclamation of the Kingdom away from any Christian. When it is done right, it supports that ministry of the Church as a whole by teaching, counseling, and even leadership. In short, just because I do what I do as a pastor does not prevent you from being proclaimers of the Good News of Jesus Christ.
· Now where do we get this authority? Where did the commissioned seventy get the authority to heal the sick and have power over all the works of the evil one? It did not come from within them, but from the grace, the life, the commission, and the Word of Jesus.
· In the same way, our efforts – such as they might be – flow from Jesus’ call to us to follow him. It is his authority that allows and leads us to proclaim the Good News in an authentic manner and to struggle against evil in our own lives and throughout the world.
· Still we might take more joy in the fact that (our) names are written in heaven, than in any miraculous or amazing power or deeds. As disciples of Jesus Christ, whatever we might do flows from our relationship with him; in him, the Kingdom of God has come near…
Go on your way... and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which He looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which He blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are His body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
— St. Teresa of Ávila (attributed)
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