June 30, 2024 – Sixth Sunday after Pentecost / Proper 8

Lectionary Readings

Semicontinuous

2 Samuel 1:1, 17–27
David laments the deaths of Jonathan and Saul, killed in battle.

Psalm 130
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; in your word I hope.

Complementary

Lamentations 3:22–33
The steadfast love the Lord never ceases; God’s faithfulness is great.

Psalm 30
O Lord, you brought me up from the grave; my soul praises you.

2 Corinthians 8:7–15
Give generously to those in need; for our sake, Jesus became poor.

Mark 5:21–43
Jesus heals a long-suffering woman and raises a girl from the dead.

— Gathering —

Opening Sentences

The steadfast love of God never ceases.
God’s mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning.
Great is your faithfulness, O God.
Weeping may linger for the night,
but joy comes with the morning,
for you hear us when we cry.
So we will praise you and will not be silent.
Sing praises, O you faithful ones,
and give thanks to God’s holy name.

Prayer of the Day

Merciful God,
you listen to all our prayers—
cries of joy and cries for help,
shouts of frustration and speechless awe,
wordless weeping and lengthy lament.
Some of us wait decades for your response;
others sense it immediately.
May we come to know your presence,
even when you seem absent,
and seek your unexpected responses.
Embolden us to keep praying
through dismay and disappointment,
for the Holy Spirit speaks for us
when we are unable to pray. 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.

You shower us with blessings,
with chances to know your grace.
Still, O Lord, we twist your promises
and pray for blessings we can own.
You call us to leave our selfish ways
and follow your call to compassion.
Still, O Lord, we choose shallow belief
over transformative faith.
You have told us that your love is enough,
that the waters of mercy will not run dry.
Still, O Lord, we choose fear instead of trust,
hiding behind the illusion that we can survive on our own.
Forgive us, Holy One, and by your forgiveness,
offer us a chance to try again.

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