Bulletin – June 13, 2021

Sunday, June 13, 2021

Third Sunday after Pentecost

Approach

Lighting the Candle

As plants grow and flourish in the light of God’s creation, we too grow and flourish in the light of God’s love. We light this candle this morning as a reminder that it is in the glow of God’s love that we come together in community to grow in our faith, to grow in our love, to grow in community. This light reminds that God’s love is with us encouraging us as the sun encourages the freshly planted seed to grow.

Call to Worship

One: Called to be branches in Christ’s body,

All: we yearn to be connected to the vine.

One: Called to be mustard bushes offering shade to God’s creatures,

All: we search for places to plant the seeds of faith.

One: Called to be growing with God in the midst of this world’s painful questions,

All: we seek God’s nurturing presence.

One: Called to be nourished in this time and place,

All: we come together in community to worship and grow in God’s presence.

(adapted from Katherine Hawker)

Hymn – “Soil of God, You and I”

Soil of God, you and I, stand ready to bear

Seeds of faith nourished by God’s tender care.

Growing in everyone for here God is found.

All stand together, we are…

Holy ground.

Soil of God, you and I, now ready to be

Part of God’s promise, for others to see.

Open to everyone for here God is found.

All stand together, we are…

Holy ground.

Soil of God, you and I, now called to rebirth,

Joining as partners with all of the earth.

Living in harmony for here God is found.

All stand together, this is…

Holy ground.

Prayer of Approach

God of small seeds and mighty plants, you take our meager lives and with your love cause them to produce acts of loving kindness for you in this world. We remember with gratitude those people who generously sowed the seeds of faith in our lives. Above all, we recognize how you have blessed our lives with the gift of the Holy Spirit so that our faith has miraculously and mysteriously grown.

We confess the times we fail to involve ourselves in planting any seeds of faith in the lives of others; the times when our personal agendas become more important than yours; the times when we have denied others the opportunity to expand their faith through our lack of interest or involvement; the times when our lives become so entangled with the values of the world that we forget what you have said and done and promised.

Loving God, we know that when we become disconnected from you, our lives become parched and unfruitful and our faith becomes stunted and dry. Bless and renew our lives, we pray, so that we remain connected to you at all times and in all places, strengthening our faith to expand and, growing strongly and vigorously, to bear the fruit of your mercy, your love, your undying life.  Amen.

(adapted from Moira Laidlaw)

Words of Assurance

Time for all ages

Hymn – “As Trees from Tiny Seeds Can Grow”

As trees from tiny seeds can grow,

As yeast expands the lifeless dough,

As light, unhampered, shines around,

So does God’s gracious love abound.

As hidden treasure is reclaimed.

We. God’s new people, are renamed.

For us the pearl, long sought, is found.

Christ is our treasure sure and sound.

We are not promised weedless fields.

Nor are we given equal yields.

But God’s true faithfulness shall stay

With us, supporting all the way.

As coins, once lost, are found with joy,

As Jesus loves each girl and boy,

So we, now found by God, rejoice,

Lifting in praise one heart and voice.

The Word

Scripture Reading:            2Corinthians 5: 6 – 10, 14 – 17

⁶So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord—⁷for we walk by faith, not by sight. ⁸Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. ¹⁰For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.

¹⁴For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. ¹⁵And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.

¹⁶From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. ¹⁷So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

Scripture Reading:            Mark 4: 26 – 34

²⁶He also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, ²⁷and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. ²⁸The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. ²⁹But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.”

³⁰He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? ³¹It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; ³²yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” ³³With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; ³⁴he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.

Thanks be to God!

Meditation – “What we grow.”

Anthem – “Good Soil”

The Response

Prayer

God of Light, open our eyes to see you all around us. Lead us from darkness to light, from trouble to peace, from death to life.

We pray for the gift of your presence in our lives.

Hear our prayer.

God of Wonder, help us to care for all that you love—for all that you have created. Help us to be faithful stewards of your creation, knowing that there is enough for all and not just a privileged few.

We pray for the gift of your presence in our lives.

Hear our prayer.

God of Faithfulness, bless all of our families and friends wherever they may be. Bless your church all around the world. Bless all who teach and all who work in the world offering their services to other. Bless all who do your work in the world.

We pray for the gift of your presence in our lives.

Hear our prayer.

God of Mercy, heal those who are sick. Especially those in this community whom we lift up to you now……(prayer list).

Help us to care for those who are hungry, those who are afraid or sad, those who are caught up in conflict of any kind, those who feel left out, and those who feel lonely.

We pray for the gift of your presence in our lives.

Hear our prayer.

God of Love, thank you for creating all of us, as we are today. We thank you for loving us so much, thank you for being love. Hear us now as we continue to pray in the words that Jesus taught us;

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 tresspasses as we forgive those who trespassed against us.

Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory for ever and ever.

Amen.

Hymn – “To Think That Faith”

To think that faith, though small at times as modest mustard seed,

Could put down roots and grow a Church to nourish souls in need.

To think that hope, a human dream, when anchored in life’s Source,

Could hold the Church’s tossing ship, through storm and stress, on course.

To think that love, received and shared in saving bread and word,

Could make us one to work at peace and just, like our Lord.

Such gifts defy all reasoned speech, and so, in search of ways

To thank the God who stirs us still, we sing our prayer and praise.

Benediction

Mighty God, to you belong the mysteries of the universe.

You transform shepherds into kings, the smallest seeds into magnificent trees, and hardened hearts into loving ones.

As we go from this place and into this coming week, bless us with your life-giving Spirit, re-create us in your image, and shape us to your purposes. So that as we go we feel your presence with us each and every day and we know that we do not go alone, but that the God of Creation, the Son who is Love Incarnate, and the Spirit of Holy Inspiration go with us each and every step. Amen.

Response

Send us out, in the power of your Spirit, Lord.

May our lives bring Jesus to the world.

May each though and word bring glory to your name,

Send us out, in your Spirit, Lord, we pray.