The Text of the Service for Sunday, 17 July 2022

 

The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

Prelude, Welcome, and Information Hymn #886  Oh, For a Thousand Tongues To Sing

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 15 Lord, who may dwell in your tabernacle? who may abide upon your holy hill? Whoever leads a blameless life and does what is right, who speaks the truth from his heart. There is no guile upon his tongue; he does no evil to his friend; he does not heap contempt upon his neighbour. In his sight the wicked is rejected, but he honours those who fear the Lord. He has sworn to do no wrong and does not take back his word. He does not give his money in hope of gain, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.  Whoever does these things shall never be overthrown.

The Lord be with you.       And also with you. Let us pray. Eternal God, you draw near to us in Christ, and you make yourself our guest. Amid the cares of our lives, make us attentive to your presence, that we may treasure your word above all else, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.     Amen.

Reading:  Genesis 18:1-10a

A reading from the book of Genesis

The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground. He said, "My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant." So they said, "Do as you have said." And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes." Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.  They said to him, "Where is your wife Sarah?" And he said, "There, in the tent." Then one said, "I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son."

The Word of the Lord

Reading:  Colossians 1:15-28

A reading from the Letter to the Colossians

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him— provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven.

I, Paul, became a servant of this gospel. I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. I became its servant according to God's commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.

The Word of the Lord.

Gospel Verse: 

Alleluia! Blessed are those who hold the word fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance. Alleluia!  (Luke 8:15)                               

Gospel Reading:  Luke 10:38-42

A reading from the Gospel of Luke

Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home.  She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her."

This is the Gospel of the Lord.   Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon (added at the end of the document)

Hymn #793   Be Thou My Vision

Thanks and Offertory

Prayers of the Church:  

Lord, we wish to choose the better part and we trust in your promise of grace and mercy. So, we offer our prayers for the world, the church, and for all people according to their needs.

[Short pause]

Lord, we are busy about many things. Help us to be busy about the things of your kingdom. Lord, in your mercy,   Hear our prayer.

Lord, we are busy about many things. Raise our memories and hopes to embrace the peace of the Cross. Lord, in your mercy,   Hear our prayer.

Lord, we are busy about many things. In our busy-ness, keep us aware of your presence and teachings. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.

Lord, we are busy about many things. Today we remember and ask for peace for the peoples of Ukraine and Russia and wherever there is war and struggle. Lord, in your mercy,   Hear our prayer.

Lord, we are busy about many things. Let us remember that all healing and health come from you. Bless all who work for the good health of others. Lord, in your mercy,   Hear our prayer.

Lord, we are busy about many things. Watch over those who work the land for the feeding of the world. Grant us the rain that is needed. Lord, in your mercy,   Hear our prayer.

Lord, we are busy about many things. Look with favor on all who minister in the name of your Son. Bless Peace Christian Church, a Lutheran Fellowship, Chatham, and their interim pastor, Pr. Paul Sodtke. Lord in your mercy,  Hear our prayer.

Lord, we are busy about many things. Despite that, we ask you to hear our unspoken prayers for so many… * … Lord, in your mercy,   Hear our prayer.

{*Gail Mauer, Deb Kirschner, Diane Corns, Robert McCrae}

Lord, you yourself are the “better part.” Trusting in you, we commend to you all for whom we pray, through Jesus Christ our Lord.     Amen.

Hymn #535  Hallelujah! We Sing Your Praises

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

Glory to God, whose power, working in us,

can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.

Glory to God from generation to generation,

in the Church and in Christ Jesus, for ever and ever. Amen.

Hymn #520  Dearest Jesus, at Your Word

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.

He has told you, O mortal, what is good,
    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice and to love kindness
    and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)

Go in peace. Serve the Lord.   Thanks be to God.

 

W

 

Services for the next few months will be on YouTube and accessible from an email link or our church Facebook page. Services for July and August are shown below: July 24             Communion, Church, 11:00am July 31              Service on YouTube, 11:00am August 7           No service; Pastor’s summer holiday August 14         No service; Pastor’s summer holiday August 21         Communion, Saxonia Hall, 11:00am August 28        Communion, Church, 11:00am

Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 

·        Today’s passage from Paul’s letter to the Colossians is rather “high” theology, speaking of things beyond our understanding and thinking. In its own way, it might be considered poetry and there is a chance it might have been a part of a hymn.

·        However… it’s rather deep and complex and it would be hard to explain, especially in the time we have here. Maybe some other time.

·        Instead we’ll look at the Gospel reading and at Martha and Mary and Jesus.

·        Now neither one of the women were wrong in what they did. Martha was following the custom of hospitality, a custom that was quite strong in their culture and time. In many places, it’s still just as strong. To share food in a household in Jesus’ time was to be invited into the family circle, a rather intimate thing. Martha was doing what was required of her in the customs of the day. Failing to be a good hostess would be disrespectful of the guests.

·        Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying, was taking the position of a hearer and learner, in other words, a disciple. Her actions were the actions of a student. In one of his letters, Paul says much the same thing, even using similar words.

·        So what’s the problem here? Both Martha and Mary were doing the right thing. Despite his friendly teasing ("Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things…”), Jesus acknowledges the good Martha had done while also acknowledging the good Mary had done.

·        One commentator stated that Jesus is saying that women have as much to learn and teach as any man. The culture of the day would make it extremely hard for the people in general to accept this and really any sort of ultimate equality of women and men. To call Jesus a “feminist” might be taking things a bit too far, especially considering the time he lived in. When looking at these stories from scripture, we need to realize that our interpretation of them is just as ‘shaded’ as the original, although in a different way.

·        What this story is about is the need of both Martha and Mary. Both service and the Word are necessary for the Christian life. Martha represents the ministry of service (diakonia in the original language, the word where “deacon” comes from.) For her part, Mary represents the ministry of the Word. Jesus’ remarks don’t show that ministry of the Word is preferred to the ministry of service, but that service is not to be at the expense of the Word. Both are needed and service and the word of God require each other. After all, Martha and Mary ARE sisters and they remain friends and disciples of Jesus. They are of the same family and sisters to Lazarus, Jesus’ good friend who was raised from the dead.

·        Service, the Word, and resurrection life… It sounds like this family tells us what our lives as Christians are to be about. We listen to God’s Word; we serve one another and the world in love; we live a life raised from death, for a life following Jesus at his call.

Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 

 

YouTube Notification for Sunday, 17 July 2022

 

​Here is your notification and invitation to this Sunday's Service of Word & Prayer on YouTube at 11:00am on Sunday, 17 July 2022.

Here is the link: Word & Prayer for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

I hope you'll be able to join me and all those who will watch and pray.

Pastor John

The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost ----- 17 July 2016

Luke 10:38-42

38 Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. ³⁹ She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." ⁴¹ But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; ⁴² there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her."

Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things;  there is need of only one thing.

·        We’re all very familiar with the Mary-and-Martha story. It might be hard to understand at times. There are time when this story might have made us angry.

·        How could this simple story make angry, you might ask? Well, have you never had a gathering at your house and had able bodied people engage in deep conversation… while there was a table to set, or a roast to get to the table, or worst of all, dishes to wash and put away? If that’s ever been the case, you know how Martha felt. "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me."  There are days when the words of the Gospel really hit us where we live.

·        I was acquainted with a pastor who would cancel the Sunday worship service once in a while and send the congregation out to do service for the neighborhood – cutting lawns, fixing walkways, trimming hedges, painting – especially for shut-ins. To be honest, I was never that brave.

·        When we see Mary and Martha in the Gospels, they are always together. Their brother, Lazarus is often with them as well. Both of the women are faithful disciples. They are just different in how they are faithful. Mary is held up by some preachers as an example of the necessity of prayer in the life of a Christian. Martha seems to take a back seat because of her busy-ness. Still, as I said, Mary and Martha are never seen apart. There has to be something to that.

·        As Christians, we are called to work and to pray. It has long been a Lutheran concept that doing your work right and doing it well. Martin Luther is quoted as saying “The Christian shoemaker does his duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship.” This is all part of the Reformation idea that we find our holiness in what we do daily rather than through intense bodily penances, fasting, vigils, or hair shirts – all things recommended by the medieval Church as a way to be close to God.

·        The Reformation did a lot to bring Martha and Mary together rather than splitting them apart. Prayer is the vocation of all Christians and service (shown by Martha in her hospitality) is the vocation of all Christians.

·        Let’s not think of this as a tug-of-war or a ride on a see-saw. It is true that balance is required in practical terms; the crops won’t bring themselves in, will they? On the other hand, I’ve heard people say that their work is their prayer. I’ve found that to be a convenient excuse for being busy and not praying or attending the congregation’s worship. A person can pray while they work, but work is not prayer. The classic definition of prayer is the “lifting of the heart and mind to God.” Prayer and work can be done together but one cannot replace the other.

·        There is a base line that needs to be considered.

·        The activity we all are involved in and the quiet that prayer often requires are both needed. If we choose one and lack the other, we find we on shaky ground in the face of a false split. That’s why Martha and Mary are two sides of the same coin. The busy devotion of the one is added to the attention to the Word of God of the other. Maybe they’re never seen apart in the Gospels because they are a true example of discipleship when they are together, even with the tension between them that this reading shows.

·        So why does Mary have the better part? Because all of a disciple’s actions – even Christian charity and hospitality, if they are to be sustained - must flow from who we are. Who we are is formed, inspired, and continually fed by the Word of God. We have to sit still to hear and digest it; Only then can we apply it to our daily lives.

·        We are a people called, gathered, and formed by the Word of God. To be Jesus’ hands and feet and voice in the world today, we need to know Jesus. We know him through his Word given to the Christian community. Prayer (and worship) are the way we have contact with God through grace and it is through prayer that we can hear the Word of God and come to live it out in our actions. In this case, what we do flows from who we are.

·        Simply put, we are all both Mary and Martha. Our prayer leads us to action because our action is the fruit of our relationship with God. Our actions and their effects leads us to prayer because our actions are a way of God expressing grace in the world. Whether we cry out from our weakness or rejoice in what God is doing, we are praying… and the circle turns.

·        Martha did not do wrong in being hospitable. Mary did not do wrong in listening at Jesus’ feet. To make a proper house, both are needed.

·        Lately, I’ve added some sort of contemporary comment on the reading. Last week, it was from Dr. Seuss. This week, I remembered a sentence from a silly movie called Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. The main character says this “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Prayer and action in God’s grace are what our lives are to be. I, for one, don’t want to miss it.

"Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her."