Bulletin – Sunday, June 18, 2023 – Third Sunday after Pentecost

Sunday, June 18, 2023
Third Sunday after Pentecost

Approach

Minute Person

Lighting the Christ Candle

In any dark space, lighting even on candle breaks the hold that night and darkness has over us and our lives. When we light a candle symbolizing the Spirit’s flame in the world, darkness is transformed into day, despair is changed into hope, and new life is discovered in barren places.

Call to Worship

One:   I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my supplications.
All:      Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

One:   What shall I return to the LORD for all his bounty to me?
All:      I life up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD,

One:   I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.
All:      Previous in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones.

One:   O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the child of your serving girl. You have loosed my bonds.
All:      I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the LORD.

One:   I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,
All:      in the courts of the house of the LORD, in your midst, O Jerusalem.

All:      Praise the LORD!

(from Psalm 116)

Hymn – “Sing Your Praise to God Eternal” (VU 244)

Sing your praise to God eternal, sing your praise to God the Son,
Sing your praise to God the Spirit, living and forever One.
God has made us, God has blessed us, God has called us to be true.
God rules over all creation, daily making all things new.

Join the praise of every creature, sing with singing birds at down;
When the stars shine forth at nightfall, hear their heavenly antiphon.
Praise God for the light of summer, autumn glories, winter snows.
For the coming of the springtime and the life of all that grows.

Praise God on our days of gladness for the summons to rejoice;
Praise God in our times of sadness for the calm, consoling voice.
God our Maker, strong and loving, Christ our Saviour, Leader, Lord,
Living God, Creator Spirit, be your holy name adored!

Prayer of Approach and Confession

God, our Creator, sower of good seed, we offer to you our uncultivated hearts. Tear out the weeds of selfishness and apathy that choke out your Spirit. Remove the stones of expectation and privilege that keep us from a deeply rooted faith, and plow through prejudice and resentment so that we might bear good fruit in your name. Amen.

(written by Michele Rowe – adapted, Gathering, Pentecost 1 2023, page 45, used with permission.)

Response – “Spirit of Life” (VU 381)

Spirit of Life, come unto me.
Sing in my heart all the stirrings of compassion.
Blow in the wind, rise in the sea; move in the hand, giving life the shape of justice.
Roots hold me close, wings set me free;
Spirit of Life, come to me, come to me.

Words of Assurance

Hymn – “God it Was”

God it was who said to Abram, “Pack your bags and travel on!”
God it was who said to Sarah, “Smile and soon you’ll bear a son!”
Trav’ling folk and aged mothers, wand’ring when they thought they’d done –
This is how we find God’s people, leaving all because of One.

God it was who said to Moses, “Save my people, part the seal!”
God it was who said to Miriam, “Sing and dance to show you’re free!”
Shepherd saints and tambourinists doing what God knew they could –
This is how we find God’s people, liberating what they should.

God it was who said to Joseph, “Down your tools and take your wife!”
God it was who said to Mary, “In your womb I’ll start my life!”
Carpenter and country maiden, leaving town and trade and skills –
This is how we find God’s people, moved by what their Maker wills.

Christ it was who said to Matthew, “Leave your books and follow me!”
Christ is was who said to Martha, “Listen first, then make the tea!”
Civil servants and housekeepers, changing places at a cost –
This is how Christ summons people, calling both the loved and lost.

In this crowd which spans the ages, with the saints whom we revere,
God wants us to share their purpose, starting now and starting here.
So we celebrate our calling, so we raise both heart and voice,
As we pray that through our living more may find they are God’s choice.

The Word

Scripture Reading:           Genesis 18:1-15

¹ 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. ² 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. ³ He said, “My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. ⁴ Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. ⁵ 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.” ⁶ And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah and said, “Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes.” ⁷ Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. ⁸ 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.

⁹ They said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” And he said, “There, in the tent.” ¹⁰ Then one said, “I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent entrance behind him. ¹¹ Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. ¹² So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I be fruitful?” ¹³ The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ ¹⁴ Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? At the set time I will return to you, in due season, and Sarah shall have a son.” ¹⁵ But Sarah denied, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “Yes, you did laugh.”

Scripture Reading:           Matthew 9:35-10:15

³⁵ Then Jesus 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. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; ³⁸ therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

¹ Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. ² These 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; ³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus and Thaddaeus; ⁴ Simon the Cananaean and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.

⁵ These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not take a road leading to gentiles, and do not enter a Samaritan town, ⁶ but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷ As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ ⁸ Cure the sick; raise the dead; cleanse those with a skin disease; cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. ⁹ Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, ¹⁰ no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff, for laborers deserve their food. ¹¹ Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. ¹² As you enter the house, greet it. ¹³ If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴ If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. ¹⁵ Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

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

Meditation – “Laughing at God”

Anthem – “The Greatest of These”

Tho I may speak with the tongues of angels,
Tho I speak with a voice of piece.
And tho I seek all the gifts of heaven,
Or behold all its mysteries,
If I’m not with Love’s compassion,
If I speak without Love’s voice,
My lofty words and noble actions, are as Noise.

For now we see only a glimpse of the things to be.
As thro’ a mirror dimly, ’til Time and Earth are free.
Faith, Hope and Love abide below, abide above,
But ever new, and every true, the greatest of these is Love!

Tho I have faith to remove a mountain,
Tho I’ve faith to command the hills,
And if I dare, in the face of danger, my own body to offer still,
But if I’ve not Love’s understanding,
If I’m lost to Love’s own songs,
My lovely words and thrilling actions are as Gongs.

For now we see only a glimpse of the things to be.
As thro’ a mirror dimly, ’til Time and Earth are free.
Faith, Hope and Love abide below, abide above,
But ever new, and every true, the greatest of these is Love!

The breath of Time rushes every onward, prophecy shall pass away.
Our grandest words and our greatest knowledge shall be gone at the break of Day.
For the wisest of our wisdom, and the boldest prophet’s call
Are merely shadows of the Holy, One-In-All!

For now we see only a glimpse of the things to be.
As thro’ a mirror dimly, ’til Time and Earth are free.
Faith, Hope and Love abide below, abide above,
But ever new, and every true, the greatest of these is Love!

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.

The Response

Prayers of the People

Hymn – “Spirit God, Be Our Breath” (MV 150)

Spirit God: be our breath, be our song.
Blow through us, bringing strength to move on.
Our world seems inward, defensive, withdrawn…
Spirit God, be our song.

Patient God: soothe our pride, calm our fear.
Comfort us.
When we know you are near we grow more certain, our vision is clear.
Patient God, calm our fear.

Loving God: be our voice, be our prayer
Reaching out, joining hands as we share,
We seek your guidance through friendship and care.
Loving God, be our prayer.

Spirit God: be our breath, be our song.
Blow through us, brining strength to move on.
Through change, through challenge, we’ll greet the new dawn.
Spirit God, be our song.

Benediction

Response

May the grace of Christ attend us,
And the love of God surround us,
And the Holy Spirit keep us,
Now and every, always.
Amen, amen, forever and ever,
Amen.