Bulletin – Sunday, August 18, 2024 – Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost / Communion

Sunday, August 18, 2024
Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost / Communion

We Gather as People of Faith

Welcome

Announcements

Lighting the Christ Candle

Call to Worship

One:   Welcome. God calls out to God’s people, which are all people: “Come and worship.” All over the world, believers and seekers gather to worship God.
All:      Today, we respond as followers of Jesus to give thanks for God’s love. We sing, pray, listen, join in the meal of sacred memory, and remember what it means to share in the spirit that makes us one.

Hymn – “Praise the Lord with the Sound of Trumpet” (VU #245)

Praise the Lord with the sound of trumpet,
Praise the Lord with the harp and lute,
Praise the Lord with the gentle-sounding flute

Praise the Lord in the field and forest,
Praise the Lord in the city square,
Praise the Lord anytime and anywhere.

Praise the Lord in the wind and sunshine,
Praise the Lord in the dark of night,
Praise the Lord in the rain or snow or in the morning light.

Praise the Lord in the deepest valley,
Praise the Lord on the highest hill,
Praise the Lord, never let your voice be still.

Praise the Lord with the crashing cymbal,
Praise the Lord with the pipe and string,
Praise the Lord with the joyful songs you sing.

Praise the Lord on a weekday morning,
Praise the Lord on a Sunday noon,
Praise the Lord by the light of sun or moon.

Praise the Lord in the time of sorrow,
Praise the Lord in the time of joy,
Praise the Lord every moment, nothing let your praise destroy.

Praise the Lord in the peace and quiet,
Praise the Lord in your work or play,
Praise the Lord everywhere in every way!

Prayer of Approach and Confession

God who hears our hearts and discerns our intentions, let us be aware of your spirit in us, in those around us, those far from us, and in the beauty of the world. Forgive us if we fail to see your healing grace, supportive presence, and insistent demand that we love one another. Help us focus on your abiding peace, that is ours as we forgive and are forgiven. Amen.

Words of Assurance

Sung Response – “Alleluia” (MV #50)

Alleluia, Alleluia,
Alleluia, Alleluia.

We Hear God’s Word

Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 2:10-12, 3:3-15

¹⁰ Then David slept with his ancestors, and was buried in the city of David. ¹¹ The time that David reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned for seven years in Hebron, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. ¹² So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David; and his kingdom was firmly established.

³ Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David; only, he sacrificed and offered incense at the high places. ⁴ The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the principal high place; Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt-offerings on that altar. ⁵ At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, ‘Ask what I should give you.’ ⁶ And Solomon said, ‘You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart towards you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. ⁷ And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. ⁸ And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. ⁹ Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?’

¹⁰ It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. ¹¹ God said to him, ‘Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, ¹² I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you. ¹³ I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honour all your life; no other king shall compare with you. ¹⁴ If you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your life.’

¹⁵ Then Solomon awoke; it had been a dream. He came to Jerusalem, where he stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. He offered up burnt-offerings and offerings of well-being, and provided a feast for all his servants.

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 5:15-20

¹⁵ Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of the time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸ Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, ²⁰ giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church
Thanks be to God!

Hymn – “Morning Has Broken” (VU #409)

Morning has broken like the first morning,
Blackbird has spoken like the first bird.
Praise for the singing!  Praise for the morning!
Praise for them, springing fresh from the world!

Sweet the rain’s new fall sunlit from heaven,
Like the first dew fall on the first grass.
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden,
Sprung in completeness where God’s feet pass.

Ours is the sunlight!  Ours is the morning
Born of the one light Eden saw play!
Praise with elation, praise every morning,
God’s recreation of the new day!

Meditation

Hymn – “I Love to Tell the Story” (VU #343)

I love to tell the story of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and his glory, of Jesus and his love.
I love to tell the story, because I know ’tis true;
It satisfies my longings as nothing else can do.

I love to tell the story, ’twill be my theme in glory,
To tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love.

I love to tell the story, more wonderful it seems
Than all the golden fancies of all our golden dreams.
I love to tell the story, for some have never heard
The message of salvation from God’s own holy Word.

I love to tell the story, ’twill be my theme in glory,
To tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love.

I love to tell the story, for those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.
And when, in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song,
‘Twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long.

I love to tell the story, ’twill be my theme in glory,
To tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love.

We Respond to God’s Word

Invitation to Share

Offering Response – “What Can I Do?” (MV #191)

What can I do? What can I bring?
What can I say? What can I sing?
I’ll sing with joy. I’ll say a prayer.
I’ll bring my love. I’ll do my share.

Offering Prayer

Hymn – “Break Now the Bread of Life” (VU #501)

Break now the bread of life, Saviour, to me,
As once you broke the loaves beside the sea.
Beyond the sacred page I seek you, Lord;
My spirit waits for you, O Living Word.

Bless you own truth, dear Christ, to me, to me,
As when you blessed the bread by Galilee;
Then shall all bondage cease, all fetters fall,
And I shall find my peace, my all-in-all.

Communion

One:   The Spirit of God be with you all.
All:      And also with you.

One:   Lift up your hearts;
All:      We lift them to God.

One:   Give thanks to our God!
All:      All our thanks, all our praise!

One:   Your smile on Sarah and Abraham, your hand with Moses and Miriam, Your words through Deborah and Isaiah, Your lived as Jesus among us, healing, teaching, dying rising, inviting us all to your feast.

One:   In the night in which he was betrayed, Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.

One:   Again, after supper he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: this cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.

One:   Holy God, we remember your Son, his life with the humble, his death among the wretched, his resurrection for us all: your wisdom our guide, your justice our strength, your grace our path to rebirth.

One:   And so we cry, Mercy:
All:      Mercy!

One:   And so we cry, Glory:
All:      Glory!

One:   And so we cry, Blessing:
All:      Blessing!

One:   Holy God, we beg for your Spirit. Enliven this bread, awaken this body, pour us out for each other. Transfigure our minds, ignite your church, nourish the life of the earth. Make us, while many, united. Make us, though broken, whole. Make us, despite death, alive.

One:   And so we cry, Come, Holy Spirit:
All:      Come, Holy Spirit!

One:   And so the church shouts, Come, Holy Spirit:
All:      Come, Holy Spirit!

One:   And so the earth pleads, Come, Holy Spirit:
All:      Come, Holy Spirit!

One:   You, Holy God, Holy One, Holy Three, our Life, our Mercy, our Might, our Table, our Food, our Server, our Rainbow, our Ark, our Dove, our Sovereign, our Water, our Wine, our Light, our Treasure, our Tree, our Way, our Truth, our Life.

One:   You, Holy God, Holy One, Holy Three! Praise now, praise tomorrow, praise forever.

One:   And so we cry, Amen:
All:      Amen!

Prayers of the People

Prayer after Communion

You, Holy God, Holy One, Holy Three! We praise you for your gift of life for us; for the gift of life we, as your body, can pass on to others. You, Holy God, Holy One, Holy Three! Sustain and guide us as we become your sacrament in the world. Amen.

We Go Into God’s World

Hymn – “He Leadeth Me” (VU #657)

He leadeth me; O blessed thought!
O words with heavenly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be, still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.
He leadeth me! He leadeth me!
By his own hand he leadeth me!
His faithful follower I would be,
For by his hand he leadeth me!

Sometimes ‘mid scenes of deepest gloom,
Sometimes where Eden’s bowers bloom,
By waters calm, o’er troubled sea,
Still ’tis his hand that leadeth me.
He leadeth me! He leadeth me!
By his own hand he leadeth me!
His faithful follower I would be,
For by his hand he leadeth me!

Lord, I would clasp thy hand in mine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine,
Content, whatever lot I see,
Since ’tis my God that leadeth me.
He leadeth me! He leadeth me!
By his own hand he leadeth me!
His faithful follower I would be,
For by his hand he leadeth me!

And when my task on earth is done,
When by thy grace the victory’s won,
Even death’s cold wave I will not flee,
Since God through Jordan leadeth me/
He leadeth me! He leadeth me!
By his own hand he leadeth me!
His faithful follower I would be,
For by his hand he leadeth me!

Benediction

Response – “I’m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me” (VU #575)

I’m gonna live so God can use me anywhere, Lord, any time.
I’m gonna live so God can use me anywhere, Lord, any time.

I’m gonna work so God can use me anywhere, Lord, any time.
I’m gonna work so God can use me anywhere, Lord, any time.