Lectionary Readings
Semicontinuous
Job 38:1–7 (34–41)
From the whirlwind, the Lord answers Job: Who else is like God?
Psalm 104:1–9, 24, 35b
Bless the Lord: sovereign over all things, wrapped in glorious light.
Complementary
Isaiah 53:4–12
The suffering servant of God was wounded for our iniquities.
Psalm 91:9–16
The Lord says: I will deliver and protect those who love me.
Hebrews 5:1–10
The Son of God suffered willingly; now he is our great high priest.
Mark 10:35–45
Jesus came to be a servant and to give his life for others.
— Gathering —
Call to Worship
Like sheep, we have gone astray.
Jesus calls us: Follow me.
Follow the one who humbled himself.
Jesus calls us: Follow me.
Follow the one who was servant of all.
Jesus calls us: Follow me.
Prayer of the Day
No one can compare to you, O God.
Human language cannot fully describe you.
Still, you became human,
and with words we could understand
you called us to serve one another
and showed us love even to death.
Invite us once more into this mystery of our faith,
that we may all, in our own ways,
offer ourselves to one another. 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 Lord, you have taught us
that whoever wishes to become great must be a servant,
and whoever seeks to be first
must be last and servant of all.
Still, O Lord, we are like James and John,
seeking seats of glory.
We organize our lives around ladders to climb,
not realizing that we are stepping on people whom you love.
Forgive us, O Christ, and teach us to follow in your way,
for the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve,
and to give his life as a ransom for many.
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:
Sovereign God, let your Word rule in our hearts
and your Spirit govern our lives
until at last we see the fulfillment
of your realm of justice and peace;
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
God our dwelling place,
hear our prayer.
We pray for those who are unhoused . . .
Provide safe housing
and inspire leaders to advocate for the poor.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who are victims of evil . . .
Surround them with love stronger than death.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who perpetrate evil . . .
End cycles of violence and exploitation.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who are injured . . .
Bring healing and recovery.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who have injured others . . .
Bring restoration and reconciliation.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who call for help . . .
Listen and hear; send people to support them.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Deliverer,
protect your children with your love,
that we might learn to love one another
and be satisfied our whole life long.
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:
To you, O God, we offer our lives—
our abundance, our poverty,
all that we have, all that we are—
a sign of our great thanksgiving
for the treasure of your grace.
Take and use us for good
in the world that you so love;
we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Mark 12:41–44
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 know the pain of the afflicted;
you hear the cries of the oppressed
and satisfy them with long life and salvation.
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 drank the cup of suffering and sorrow;
for our sake, he received the baptism of death
and gave his life as a ransom for sin.
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.
Teach us to turn to Christ, our great high priest,
who knows our weakness and waywardness
and yet prays with loud cries for our salvation.
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:
Blessed are you, O Lord our God,
creator and ruler of the universe,
for your have satisfied our souls
with this feast of your grace.
Keep us faithful in your service
until your realm of glory comes;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
— Sending —
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Blessing and Charge
At the doors of the church:
The blessing of the holy, triune God,
who was and is and is to come—
first and last,
beginning and end,
Alpha and Omega—
be with you now and always. Alleluia!
Revelation 1:8
Go in peace to love the Lord your God
with heart and soul and mind and strength,
and to love your neighbor as yourself. Amen.
Mark 12:29–31
Lord, that I May See
Matyas Church, Budapest, Hungary, 1970
Additional Materials
Congregational Song
GATHERING
- Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee (HYMN TO JOY) GTG 611 (O)
- Give Praise to the Lord (LAUDATE DOMINUM) GTG 550 (G)
- The Risen Christ (THE RISEN CHRIST) WAS 3179 (G)
WORD
- Christ Be Beside Me (BUNESSAN) GTG 702 (O)
- My Song Is Love Unknown (LOVE UNKNOWN) GTG 209 (E)
- Why Do Nations Rage Together (EBENEZER) GTG 758 (E)
- There Is a Balm in Gilead (BALM IN GILEAD) GTG 792 (G)
EUCHARIST
- God Loves Us in Mysterious Ways (DUNDEE) SFHO (O)
- At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing (SALZBURG) EH 174 (E)
- This is the Night (MY NEIGHBOR) GTG 206 (G)
SENDING
- Let All Things Now Living (ASH GROVE) GTG 37 (O)
- All Praise to Thee, My God, This Night (TALLIS’ CANON) GTG 675 (G)
- As We Part for the Towns and Cities (CONNECTION) WAS 3180 (G)
Psalms and Canticles
Psalm 104:1–9, 24, 35b
Metrical
- Al Rey adorad [LYONS] SSS 2
- Bless the Lord, My Soul and Being! [RUSTINGTON] GTG 34
Responsorial
- Lord, Serve Out Your Spirit PAS 104 G
- Praise to the Lord UMH 826
Psalm 91:9–16
Metrical
- The Angels Keep A-watching [IRREGULAR] AAHH 130
- El que habita al albrigo de Dios [ABRIGO DE DIOS] SSS 49
Responsorial
- God Is My Light PP 166
- Grant Us Salvation UMH 810
Organ Music
- “Elegie,” Organ Music for Manuals, Book 1, César Franck, OUP (E)
- “Herzliebster Jesu,” Organ Works, Johannes Brahms, IMSLP (M)
- “On Eagle’s Wings,” Augsburg Organ Library: Funeral and Healing, arr. Marilyn Biery, AF (E)
- “Christus, der ist mein leben,” Johann Gottfried Walther, IMSLP (ME)
Anthems for Adult Choirs
- “Surely He Has Borne Our Griefs,” Allen Pote, HOPE, SATB, keybd (E)
- “All That Hath Life and Breath,” Rene Clausen, MF, SATB div, acap (A)
- “Christus Paradox,” Alfred Fedak, GIA, SATB, keybd (E)
- “Praise, Praise, Praise the Lord,” arr. Ralph Johnson, earthsongs, SATB, acap (E)
- “Greater Love Hath No Man,” John Ireland, OUP, SATB, org (A)
- “Ain-a That Good News,” arr. William Dawson, HAL, SATB, acap (M)
Art
- The Lord Answers Job Out of the Whirlwind, William Blake, 1805–6 (VDL)
- Wind Piece, Hans Haacke, 1969 (NGA)
- The Wind, Félix Vallotton, 1910 (NGA)
