4th Sunday After Pentecost CALL TO WORSHIP P: God cares for us completely and calls for our total commitment. Christ gave his life that we might live and calls us to give our lives to him. Through Christ we have died to sin; in Christ we are fully alive to God. Come, let us worship God. CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS inspired by today’s readings P: Confident that we are promised newness of life through repentance and forgiveness, let us turn to God and to one another, confessing our sin. Silence for reflection P: Hear our cries to you, O Lord: C: for our lack of compassion toward the poor, have mercy on us; for our failure to end the destruction of air, water, soil, and creatures on Earth, have mercy on us; for our disbelief in your power to make us whole, have mercy on us; for making war, have mercy on us; for mistrusting your Word, have mercy on us; for all that we have done and have not done out of hardened hearts, have mercy on us. Forgive us and renew us. Guide us into ways that do not deny you but lead to peace. Amen. P: Do not be afraid. The One who was and is and is to come knows you through and through and has overcome death and sin to forgive you, so that you might be delivered into joy that has no end. Your sins are forgiven. You are alive to God in + Christ Jesus. C: Amen. HYMN “How Firm A Foundation” PRAYER OF THE DAY P: Holy and gracious God, your steadfast love abides with your people in every age. You teach us to trust in you and call us to live in peace with one another. Show us the way to live grateful lives, without fear, knowing the true worth of your creation, including ourselves; in Jesus’ name, we pray. C: Amen. READING Epistle Reading: Romans 6:1b-11 1bShould we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? 2By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? 3Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. 7For whoever has died is freed from sin. 8But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. SERMON Rev. Lori E.L. Kitzing HYMN “Baptized in Water” PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION P: Listening God, hear now ours prayers, both spoken and silent: For peace where there is conflict . . . For food where there is hunger . . . For hope where there is despair . . . For health where there is sickness . . . For faith where there is fear . . . For life where there is death . . . We pray in the name of Jesus, who conquers all that would defeat us and gives us new life. C: Amen. OFFERING PRAYER P: Because we need not fear tomorrow we offer ourselves, our time, and our possessions to the work of the church Financial gifts may be sent to the church. P: Holy God, you give us life, nourishment, and strength. We thank you: for the community of faith you have built, for your servants who have held fast to you through centuries, for the teachings and the witness of our ancestors, for the gospel’s word of welcome to all in need. Bless the gifts that we bring today, may they be used to spread the truth of your love. In Jesus’ name we pray. C: Amen. APOSTLE’S CREED C: I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. LORD’S PRAYER Spoken in Chinese BENEDICTION P: May the love of God, the grace of + Christ, and the Spirit’s peace be with you always. C: Amen. HYMN “We Know That Christ Is Raised” CHARGE
P: Go in peace to love and serve God and your neighbor. C: Thanks be to God. Printed by permission oneliscense.net A-717495
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3rd Sunday After Pentecost CALL TO WORSHIP P: Blessed be the holy Trinity, + one God, whose word never fails and whose promise is sure. C: Amen. CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS inspired by today’s readings P: With confidence in God’s grace, let us confess our sin. Silence for reflection P: Loving God, C: without your grace we are like sheep without a shepherd. Sometimes we are harassed by sin and feel helpless against its power. Sometimes, in our sin, we use our own power to harass the helpless. We are wolves in sheep’s clothing, innocent as serpents and wise as doves. Forgive us, O Lord, and bring us home. Restore us to your flock and fold, we pray; through Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd. Amen. P: Hear the good news of God’s love: in Jesus Christ + we are forgiven. C: Thanks be to God! HYMN “All People That on Earth Do Dwell” PRAYER OF THE DAY P: God of all power and peace, as Jesus sent his disciples out to heal the sick, cast out demons, gather the lost, raise the dead, and proclaim the nearness of your realm, make us ready to go and share the good news we have received; through Jesus Christ our Lord. C: Amen. Gospel: Matthew 9:35—10:8 35Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” 10:1Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. 2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him. 5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. SERMON Rev. Lori E.L. Kitzing HYMN “We All Are One In Mission” Starts at :58 PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION P: Trusting in God’s abundant mercy, let us offer our prayers for a world in need. P: For the church here and around the world, we pray. Seek out disciples and send them out with authority to proclaim good news, bring healing where there is pain, and counter the forces of evil. God, in your mercy, C: hear our prayer. P: For the earth and all its creatures, we pray. Equip farmers and all who labor on the land to produce a harvest. Nourish crops with ample rainfall and abundant sunshine. God, in your mercy, C: hear our prayer. P: For those who govern, we pray. Empower those who seek peaceful solutions to conflict and embolden those who advocate for all who are oppressed. Work through systems of government to establish justice throughout the world. God, in your mercy, C: hear our prayer. P: For those who suffer, we pray. Accompany those who feel helpless, alone, or abandoned. Embrace any who long for successful treatment for mental illness or freedom from addiction. Heal those who are sick (especially Julie, Karla, Stephanie, Cammie, Nancy, Beverly, Micala, Murlene, Donald, Dale, and Jim). God, in your mercy, C: hear our prayer. P: For give thanks for fathers and father figures. Give them strength to live out their calling. We also pray that you would be with all who long to be fathers, children estranged from their fathers, anyone grieving the death of a father, and fathers who have lost a child. God, in your mercy, C: hear our prayer. P: For all the saints, we give thanks. Receive into your eternal care all those who have died and fill us with hope that does not disappoint. God, in your mercy, C: hear our prayer. P: Receive our prayers and answer us, O God, in the name of Jesus Christ. C: Amen. OFFERING PRAYER P: Jesus gathered the disciples and gave them authority to heal the sick, cast out evil, and proclaim the good news. Let us present our offerings for the mission of the church, bearing witness to the kingdom of God. Financial gifts may be sent to the church. P: Loving God, you call us not just to give us the blessing of being called your people, but also to be a blessing for all people on this earth. Give us the wisdom and the courage to be a blessing to this community and to this world. Through these offerings may we be channels of your compassion and healing to others, for the sake of Jesus, in whose name we pray. C: Amen. LORD’S PRAYER Spoken in Serbian BENEDICTION P: May Jesus, who sees the crowd with compassion, have compassion on you. May Jesus, who sees a plentiful harvest, send you out as laborers in his fields. May Jesus, who sees the kingdom of heaven draw near, make you a sign + of God’s love for all people. C: Amen. HYMN “This is My Father’s World” CHARGE
P: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord and your neighbor. C: Thanks be to God. Printed by permission oneliscense.net A-717495 2nd Sunday After Pentecost CALL TO WORSHIP P: We gather in the name of the Triune God: Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit. C: Amen. CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS based on Matthew 9 P: Jesus tells us, it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. Let us confess the afflictions that separate us from God so that we can receive the care of the ultimate physician. Silence for reflection P: Today we’ll hear the call story of Matthew, C: You also call us. But sometimes we prefer to close our eyes, cover our ears, and turn our backs to your will. Forgive us, O God, and grant us the confidence and the hope that we need to follow when you call. Amen. P: In the name of the God who raised Jesus from the dead, + your sins are forgiven. Walk in the way of faith, that you may have abundance and joy. C: Amen. HYMN “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee” Flashback to the early 90s and Sister Act 2 PRAYER OF THE DAY Matt. 9:9–13 P: Merciful God, you tell us in Scripture that you desire mercy and not sacrifice. You showed us an example of your mercy in the life and actions of Jesus Christ. Let your church live out that mercy for others, as the healing and compassionate presence that Jesus was in the world. In his name we pray. C: Amen. Hosea 6:6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. Psalm 50:7-15 7“Listen, my people, and I will speak: Israel, I will bear witness against you; for I am God, your God. 8I do not accuse you because of your sacrifices; your burnt offerings are always before me. 9I will not accept a calf from your stalls, nor goats from your pens; 10for all the wild animals of the forest are mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. 11I know every bird of the mountains, and the creatures of the fields are mine. 12If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the whole world is mine and all that is in it. 13Do you think I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? 14Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving and make good your vows to the Most High. 15Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall honor me. Gospel: Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 9As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. 10And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.” 18While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” 19And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. 20Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, 21for she said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.” 22Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. 23When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, 24he said, “Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. 25But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. 26And the report of this spread throughout that district. SERMON HYMN “Draw Us in the Spirit’s Tether” PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION P: Trusting in God’s abundant mercy, let us offer our prayers for a world in need. P: We pray, O God, for the church. Unite us with any on the margins, that the whole world recognizes that your mercy is greater than our human capacity to restrict it. God, in your mercy, C: hear our prayer. P: We pray, O God, for creation. Tend forests and fields and safeguard all cattle, birds, and wild animals. Preserve lakes, rivers, and oceans and send rains to water the earth. Revive lands recovering from natural disasters. God, in your mercy, C: hear our prayer. P: We pray, O God, for the nations. Awaken in our leaders compassion for people who have too often felt forgotten or neglected, and inspire policy solutions that promote equity and inclusion. God, in your mercy, C: hear our prayer. P: We pray, O God, for all who are in need. Accompany anyone enduring chronic illness, any who suffer in secret, and those grieving a loved one’s death. Send healing for all who plead for relief from sickness or pain (especially Julie, Karla, Stephanie, Cammie, Nancy, Beverly, Micala, Murlene, Donald, Dale, and Jim). God, in your mercy, C: hear our prayer. P: We pray, O God, for the eradication of racial hatred. On this week when we commemorate the Emanuel Nine, we implore you to cast out the demons of white supremacy that make us believe lies about ourselves and our neighbors. God, in your mercy, C: hear our prayer. P: We give thanks, O God, for Barnabas and all the saints. Renew our faith that you can do what you have promised and raise us, with all our beloved dead, to new life. God, in your mercy, C: hear our prayer. P: Receive our prayers and answer us, O God, in the name of Jesus Christ. C: Amen. OFFERING PRAYER P: God, who knows our needs and our wants, gives us all we have and invites us to give in gratitude and joy so that we can bless others as we have been blessed. Let us worship God through our offerings, in thankfulness and love. Financial gifts may be sent to the church. P: Loving God, you call us not just to give us the blessing of being called your people, but also to be a blessing for all people on this earth. Give us the wisdom and the courage to be a blessing to this community and to this world. Through these offerings may we be channels of your compassion and healing to others, for the sake of Jesus, in whose name we pray. C: Amen. LORD’S PRAYER Bryan Fowler BENEDICTION P: May God our Father bless you so that you can be a blessing to others. May Christ + bless you so that you can be healers of a world that is hurting. May the Holy Spirit bless you so that you can spread the hope that only the triune God can inspire and give to this world. C: Amen. HYMN “O Jesus, I Have Promised” CHARGE P: Go in peace to love to serve the Lord and your neighbor. C: Thanks be to God. Printed by permission oneliscense.net A-717495 |
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April 2024
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