Lectionary Readings
Semicontinuous
1 Samuel 3:1–10 (11–20)
The Lord calls to the boy Samuel; Samuel responds, “Here I am.”
Psalm 139:1–6, 13–18
Lord, you have searched me and known me; you are always with me.
Complementary
Deuteronomy 5:12–15
Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy, says the Lord.
Psalm 81:1–10
Sing aloud to God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.
2 Corinthians 4:5–12
We have this treasure in clay jars; the life of Jesus is revealed in you.
Mark 2:23—3:6
The sabbath was made for humankind; Jesus is Lord of the sabbath
— Gathering —
Call to Worship
Life asks much of us.
Jesus calls us: Follow me.
He offers freedom and rest.
Jesus calls us: Follow me.
He challenges us to Sabbath compassion
for self and others.
Jesus calls us: Follow me.
Prayer of the Day
O God of Creation and Sabbath,
You know us better than we know ourselves.
You formed our inward parts
and wrote the book of all our days;
you made the Sabbath for us
and revealed to us your glory and our identity
in the face of Jesus Christ,
who healed and fed his people.
May we accept your invitation to Sabbath rest,
not a rest that comes
after all that we can accomplish,
but the rest of those who have been set free,
even as you bring about a world
in which all creation can cease from striving,
through the power of your Holy Spirit. 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.
Holy, triune God, we confess
that we have not lived for your glory.
You call us to love and serve you,
but we do not heed your voice.
You offer us restoration in Christ,
but we turn away from your good gifts.
Forgive us, God of grace.
Reveal the treasure of heavenly life
hidden in our fragile human hearts,
so that your love may shine in us;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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, our help and strength,
hear our prayer.
We pray for the young and the old . . .
Give them a shared sense of your calling.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for those longing for rest . . .
Set them free from ceaseless labor.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for all who are afflicted . . .
Raise them up from the dust of death.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for all who are persecuted . . .
Let them know they are not forsaken.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for people who are hungry . . .
Feed them with your abundant blessing.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who are injured or sick . . .
Heal them with your hand of grace.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, our help and strength,
deliver us from our distress,
that we may sing and shout with joy;
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 seek us out and call to us;
you give us vision and purpose;
you strengthen us to respond: Here I am.
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 is the Lord of the sabbath—
he has the power to feed and heal us,
and to raise us up from death to life.
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.
Help us to proclaim the life of Christ
and to share the treasure of your grace,
that all may know your goodness and glory.
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
Gleaners
Jean François Millet, 1857
Additional Materials
Congregational Song
GATHERING
- God Is Calling through the Whisper (W ŻŁOBIE LEŻY) GTG 410 (O)
- God Is Here! (ABBOT’S LEIGH) GTG 409 (E)
- Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise (ST. DENIO) GTG 12 (E)
- Impartial, Compassionate God of All Lives (ST. DENIO) SFHO (G)
WORD
- As a Fire Is Meant for Burning (BEACH SPRING) TFWS 2237 (E)
- Longing for Light, We Wait in Darkness (CHRIST, BE OUR LIGHT) GTG 314 (E)
- Lord, Speak to Me That I May Speak (CANONBURY) GTG 722 (O)
- You Call Us, Lord, To Be (RHOSYMEDRE) WR 583 (G)
EUCHARIST
- God Is Here Today (DIOS ESTÁ AQUÍ) GTG 411 (E)
- O Radiant Light, O Sun Divine (CONDITOR ALME SIDERUM) GTG 671 (E)
- I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light (HOUSTON) GTG 377 (E)
- Send Me, Jesus (THUMA MINA) GTG 746 (O)
SENDING
- I, the Lord of Sea and Sky (HERE I AM (Schutte)) GTG 69 (O)
- Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates (TRURO) GTG 93 (E)
- O Jesus, I Have Promised (NYLAND) GTG 725 (O)
Psalms and Canticles
Psalm 139:1–6, 13–18
Metrical
- O God, You Search Me [O GOD, YOU SEARCH ME] GTG 29
- O, Lord, You Know Me and Search Me Out GWA 19
Responsorial
- I Know the Lord Has Laid His Hands on Me [HANDS ON ME] AAHH 360
- Search Me, O God PP 279
Psalm 81:1–10
Metrical
- Sing a Song of Joy [GENEVAN 81] PAS 81C
- Sing of God Made Manifest [SALZBURG] GTG 156
Responsorial
- O, Be Joyful PAS 81 A
- Ring Out Our Joy PSA 72
Organ Music
- “SURSUM CORDA,” John Ireland, IMSLP (ME)
- “Awake, My Soul, and with the Sun,” MORNING HYMN, The Concordia Hymn Prelude Series, vol. 33, arr. Barry L. Bobb, CON (M)
- “Come, Labor On,” ORA LABORA, Thomas Tertius Noble, arr. Lani Smith, LOR (MA)
- “Open My Eyes, That I May See,” OPEN MY EYES, Clara H. Scott, arr. Emma Lou Diemer, SAC (M)
Anthems for Adult Choirs
- “Search Me, O God,” Jonny Priano, ALF, SATB, acap (M)
- “Order My Steps,” Glenn Burleigh, HOPE, SATB, pno (E)
- “Some Keep the Sabbath,” Jennifer Lucy Cook, PAV, SATB, acap (A)
- “Three Sabbath Songs,” Simon Sargon, Transcontinental Music, 2 pt, org (M)
- “Come Sunday,” Duke Ellington, GSH, SATB, pno (M)
- “Lord, You Have Searched Me,” David Hurd, GIA, SATB, keybd, fl (E)
Art
- Magnificat, Benjamin Wildflower, 2016 (benwildflower.com/products/magnificat-print)
- The Call to Samuel, Frank Wesley, 1923–2005 (VDL)
- Miriam, Laura James, 2003 (LJ)
- Sabbath Afternoon, Alfred Wolmark, 1909 (VCS)
- Gleaners, Jean Francois Millet (VDL) (PD)
- Wheat Field, Ben Shahn, 1958 (VCS)
