June 20, 2027 – Fifth Sunday after Pentecost / Proper 7

Lectionary Readings

Semicontinuous

1 Samuel 17:(1a, 4–11, 19–23), 32–49
Armed with only a sling, young David defeats the giant Goliath.

or 1 Samuel 17:57—18:5, 10–16
David finds favor and success, while Saul is possessed by evil.

Psalm 9:9–20
The Lord helps the oppressed; the poor will not be forgotten.

or Psalm 133
How good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity.

Complementary

Job 38:1–11
The Lord answers Job: Who else but God can control the seas?

Psalm 107:1–3, 23–32
Give thanks to the Lord, who saves us on the stormy seas.

2 Corinthians 6:1–13
Do not accept God’s grace in vain; now is the day of salvation.

Mark 4:35–41
Caught in a storm at sea, Jesus calms the wind and waves.

— Gathering —

Call to Worship

The voice of God comes in many ways,
sometimes in the whirlwind.
Come, let us worship God. 

Sometimes in words of peace.
Come, let us worship God. 

Sometimes in words of salvation.
Let us open wide our hearts!
Come, let us worship God. 

Prayer of the Day

Almighty God,
you stilled the waters
and fished from them with friends;
you answered Job from a whirlwind
and gently water the earth with dew each day.
Though you hold all power and glory,
you do not use them to uphold the powerful
but to uplift those brought low
by oppression, trouble, and sorrow.
May we use our power and privilege,
in whatever measure,
with the same spirit that you have used your power.
May we learn wisdom
as we consider the steadfast love
that you have shown us in Jesus Christ,
who did not consider equality with you
as something to be grasped,
but emptied himself and became obedient,
even to death on a cross. 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.

O Christ whose voice brought peace to the waves,
we pray for a glimpse of your peace in our lives.
When all around us has given way to chaos,
ground us in your presence.
When the struggle for justice
seems endless and we grow tired,
refresh us by your mercy.
Help us to see that you are in the boat with us,
even when we are certain that it is sinking.
Forgive us when we doubt the power of your grace, O Lord,
and make us agents of your reign.

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