Lectionary Readings
Semicontinuous
1 Samuel 15:34—16:13
Samuel visits Jesse’s sons and anoints the youngest, David.
Psalm 20
The Lord will help the anointed one; God will fulfill your plans.
Complementary
Ezekiel 17:22–24
The Lord says: I will plant a cedar sprig; it will become a great tree.
Psalm 92:1–4, 12–15
The righteous are planted in God’s house, and grow like a cedar.
2 Corinthians 5:6–10, (11–13) 14–17
We walk by faith, not by sight; in Christ there is a new creation.
Mark 4:26–34
Jesus uses parables about seeds to describe the kingdom of God.
— Gathering —
Call to Worship
Anyone in Christ is a new creation.
Jesus calls us: Follow me.
For the kingdom of God is a small seed
that grows large.
Jesus calls us: Follow me.
Look, new things have come into being.
Jesus calls us: Follow me.
Prayer of the Day
God of the mysterious garden
that flourishes when we least expect,
you do not perceive the world as we do.
In the smallest seed,
you see a home for a host of creatures.
From among the overlooked and forgotten,
you call disciples to carry out your will.
Enable us to regard each person
not through the prejudices that have shaped us,
but through the love of Jesus Christ,
the first fruit of your new creation. 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.
When our actions are not consistent with the truth of your gospel,
forgive us, Lord. Cleanse us and free us.
When our lives do not proclaim the power of your love,
compel us, Lord. Free us and forgive us.
When our minds are full of self-condemnation, with no room for your grace,
revive us Lord. Forgive us and compel us.
For our lives are rooted in our faith in Jesus Christ,
and through Christ’s love alone we are reconciled to you.
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:
Holy, Holy, Holy One,
guide us by the Spirit of truth
to hear the Word of life you speak,
and to give all glory, honor, and praise
to your threefold name;
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
Prayers of Intercession
O God Most High,
hear our prayer.
We pray for people who feel rejected . . .
Claim them as your beloved children.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for all the creatures of the earth . . .
Give them shelter in your steadfast love.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for travelers and refugees . . .
Watch over them at home and away.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for all who cannot see a way forward . . .
Show them a sign of your new creation.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who plant seeds . . .
Satisfy them with an abundant harvest.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who feel small . . .
Surprise them with great things.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God Most High,
redeem the work of your hands,
that we may sing of your faithfulness forever;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
— Eucharist —
Invitation to Offering
At the communion table:
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,
to present yourselves as a living sacrifice,
holy and acceptable to God.
Let us offer our lives to the Lord.
Romans 12:1
Prayer of Dedication
At the communion table:
Generous God, we give you thanks
for all your blessings to us.
Use these gifts we offer
as a sign of your great love for the world,
so that all may know and share
the abundance of your grace;
in your holy name we pray. Amen.
2 Corinthians 8:12–15
Great Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Blessed are you, O Lord our God:
You speak and your will is done.
You lift up those who are weak and lowly
and through them you accomplish great things.
Therefore we praise you, joining the song
of the universal church and the heavenly choir:
A Sanctus (“Holy, holy, holy”) is sung.
Blessed is Jesus Christ, our Savior:
Jesus came proclaiming the mystery of your kingdom:
like seeds planted in a field, springing forth in harvest;
like a mustard seed, growing beyond our imagination.
The words of institution are included here.
Remembering your goodness and grace,
we offer ourselves to you with gratitude
as we share this joyful feast.
A Memorial Acclamation (e.g., “Christ has died”) is sung.
Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us
and upon this bread and cup;
make us one in the body and blood
of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Guide us by your Spirit as we walk in faith,
confidently moving toward your new creation
through the love of Christ that urges us on.
Through the Lord Jesus Christ,
in the unity of the Spirit,
we bless you, God of glory,
now and forever.
An Amen is sung.
Lord’s Prayer
Breaking the Bread
Communion of the People
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Prayer after Communion
At the communion table:
Holy Spirit, you have filled us with your life.
Christ our Savior, you have embraced us in your love.
God our Mother, you have fed with your grace.
Now send us out into your beloved world
to share your life, your love, your grace with all.
Blessing and honor and glory to you,
holy, holy, holy Lord. Amen.
— Sending —
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Blessing and Charge
At the doors of the church:
May the blessing of the Trinity—
holy, holy, holy Lord—
be with you now and always. Alleluia!
Isaiah 6:3
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here I am; send me!” Amen.
Isaiah 6:8
White Mustard Seeds
Edal Lefterov, 2012
Additional Materials
Congregational Song
GATHERING
- This Is the Day of New Beginnings (BEGINNINGS) UMH 383 (E)
- Now the Green Blade Rises (NOËL NOUVELET) GTG 247 (G)
- Many and Great, O God, Are Thy Works (LACQUIPARLE) GTG 21 (G)
WORD
- Jesus Knows the Inmost Heart (LOE DE ÍSÁ) GTG 427 (O)
- We’ve Come This Far by Faith (THIS FAR BY FAITH) GTG 656 (E)
- God the Sculptor of the Mountains (JENNINGS-HOUSTON) GTG 5 (G)
- How Small a Spark Has Lit a Living Fire! (STRAWBERRY HILL) SF 408 (G)
EUCHARIST
- Take My Life (HENDON) GTG 697 (O)
- Come Now, O Prince of Peace (O-SO-SO) GTG 103 (E)
- What Is the World Like (NEW WORLD) GTG 771 (G)
- Learning to Lean ZSS 167 (G)
SENDING
- I’m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me (I’M GONNA LIVE) GTG 700 (O)
- My Life Flows On (HOW CAN I KEEP FROM SINGING) GTG 821 (E)
- Bring Forth the Kingdom (BRING FORTH THE KINGDOM) TFWS 2190 (G)
- We Walk by Faith and Not by Sight (DUNLAP’S CREEK) GTG 817 (G)
Psalms and Canticles
Psalm 20
Metrical
- El nombre de Dios, te ampare [8.8.8.8.8.8 and coda] PAS 20A
- May God Support You All Your Days [DICKINSON COLLEGE] GTG 548
Responsorial
- May the Blessing of the Lord Be upon Us PAS 20B
- Let Your Heart Take Comfort PSA 14
Psalm 92:1–4, 12–15
Metrical
- Bright Morning Maker as Your Sun Breaks Through [ENGLEBERG] GWA 88
- Bueno es oh Dios, cantarte [ELESDIE] SSS 467
Responsorial
- Sing Praise to God, Our Rock UMH 811
- It Is Good to Give Thanks PAS 92C
Organ Music
- “Your Kingdom Come!” OLD 124TH, The Concordia Hymn Prelude Series, vol. 35, arr. Robert J. Powell, CON (M)
- “Rejoice Ye Pure in Heart,” MARION, Augsburg Organ Library: Healing and Funeral, arr. David M. Cherwien, AF (M)
- “March,” op. 46, no. 5, Alexandre Guilmant, IMSLP (MA)
- “Wir danking Dir, Herr Jesu Christ,” BUX WV 224, Complete Organ Works, vol. 4, Dietrich Buxtehude, BKH (M)
Anthems for Adult Choirs
- “There in God’s Garden,” arr. Jeremy Bankson, MSM, SATB, brass, org, perc (M)
- “Day by Day,” Martin How, OUP, SAB, org (E)
- “Le Seigneur ta priere entends (Psalm 20),” Jan Sweelinck, Creative Spirit, SATB, acap (A)
- “Seeds Grow to Plants,” John Rutter, Bourne, SATB, pno (E)
- “We Walk by Faith,” Karen Marrolli, MSM, SAB, pno (E)
- “The Kingdom,” Andre Thomas, HIN, SATB, pno (M)
Art
- Parable of the Mustard Seed, Kelly Latimore (KL)
- Nature Mosaics with Birds, Mausoleum of Santa Costanza, Rome, Italy, 4th century (VDL) (PD)
- David, Saint-Martin Church, Nohant-Vic, France, 1135 (VDL) (PD)
