August 8, 2027 – Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost / Proper 14

Lectionary Readings

Semicontinuous

2 Samuel 18:5–9, 15, 31–33
Absalom dies in a failed rebellion against his father, King David.

Psalm 130
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; hear my supplications.

Complementary

1 Kings 19:4–8
An angel brings food and drink to Elijah in the wilderness.

Psalm 34:1–8
I cried to the Lord for deliverance; taste and see that God is good.

Ephesians 4:25—5:2
Put away bitterness; be kind to one another; be imitators of God.

John 6:35, 41–51
Jesus says: I am the bread of life that has come down from heaven.

— Gathering —

Call to Worship

Receive the nourishment God provides for you.
Come, let us worship God. 

Live tenderhearted, as members of one another.
Come, let us worship God. 

Imitate the loving-kindness of Christ.
Come, let us worship God. 

Prayer of the Day

O fragrant offering,
you call us beloved children
and you teach us to imitate you,
carrying an aroma of love.
We know what love is
because you showed us;
when we were brought low,
you invited us to eat and to rest.
Lead us to the table,
where we can taste and see God’s goodness
that saves our poor souls from trouble.
As you take care of us in our distress,
may we take care of others.
This we pray through the living bread,
who gave his flesh
for the life of the world. Amen.

Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song

Thanksgiving For Baptism

At the baptismal font:
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

O Lord our God, we give you thanks
for the grace that is at work in us
through the gift of our baptism—
the sign of your threefold name,
the communion of your faithful people,
the promise of your glorious realm.
By the power of your Holy Spirit,
poured out upon us in baptism,
let your grace and peace grow in us,
until we gather at your heavenly throne
to give you thanks and praise forever;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Confession and Pardon

At the baptismal font:
It is only by the power of God
that we are able to stand against evil.

Trusting in God’s grace, let us confess our sin.

Hear our prayer, O God of grace.
You have called us to wear truth as a garment,
but we are prone to lie and would rather wear a mask.
You have called us to struggle against evil in this world,
but instead we struggle for success and for power.
You have called us to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,
but we keep it to ourselves, for fear of being judged.
Hear our prayer, O God of grace.
Clothe us in your strength, peace, and faith.
Wash us in your mercy,
and make us imitators of your compassion.

Lifting water from the font:
Now stand firm in your faith,
covered by the saving grace of God
and ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.

In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!
Thanks be to God.

— Word —

Prayer for Illumination

At the lectern or pulpit:
Faithful God, how blessed are those
who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
Sanctify us by your Word and Spirit
so that we may glorify you
in the company of the faithful;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Scripture

Before the readings:
The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
Listen to the word of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 6:4

After the readings:
Keep these words in your heart.
The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
Thanks be to God.
Deuteronomy 6:6

Sermon

Ascription of Praise

After the sermon:
To the Lord our God, Alpha and Omega,
be all glory and honor forever. Amen.
Revelation 21:6

Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song

Affirmation of Faith

Time after Pentecost
The life, death, resurrection,
and promised coming of Jesus Christ
has set the pattern for the church’s mission.
His human life involves the church
in the common life of all people.
His service to men and women
commits the church
to work for every form of human well-being.
His suffering makes the church sensitive
to all human suffering
so that it sees the face of Christ
in the faces of persons in every kind of need.
His crucifixion discloses to the church
God’s judgment on the inhumanity
that marks human relations,
and the awful consequences
of the church’s own complicity in injustice.
In the power of the risen Christ
and the hope of his coming,
the church sees the promise
of God’s renewal of human life in society
and of God’s victory over all wrong.
The church follows this pattern
in the form of its life
and in the method of its action.
So to live and serve
is to confess Christ as Lord.
Adapted from the Confession of 1967, 9.32–33