Lectionary Readings
Semicontinuous
Job 1:1; 2:1–10
Satan begins a contest with the Lord, testing Job’s faithfulness.
Psalm 26
Vindicate me, O Lord; I have trusted you and walked in integrity.
Complementary
Genesis 2:18–24
God sees that the man is alone, and creates a partner for him.
Psalm 8
Majestic Lord, what are human beings that you are mindful of them?
Hebrews 1:1–4; 2:5–12
Now God speaks to us by a Son, made lower than the angels.
Mark 10:2–16
Jesus responds to a question on divorce and blesses little children.
— Gathering —
Call to Worship
God fills the earth with abundant diversity.
Come, let us worship God.
Humanity is crowned with glory and honor
to sustain it.
Come, let us worship God.
We come before God
with the wisdom of little children.
Come, let us worship God.
Prayer of the Day
Creator God,
from the beginning, you made us for connection.
Help us to nurture kinship wherever we find it,
whether the bonds in our lives
are romantic or platonic, familial or friendly.
When we feel alone,
assure us of your sustaining presence.
Help us to recognize your Spirit among us
in the support we share for one another,
and deepen our understanding of your love
as we seek to more deeply understand each other. 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.
United in your love, O God,
we are one body across the globe.
We are branches of one family
whose roots run in the waters of grace.
Still, O Lord, we do not act like one body.
We find ways to distance ourselves with more than miles.
We find ways to divide ourselves
into endless groups of “us” and “them.”
Again and again, you call us back to the waters;
again and again, we turn away.
Forgive us, uniting God,
and by your forgiveness,
challenge us to tend to each other’s wounds.
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
Sovereign God,
how majestic is your name in all the earth.
Hear our prayer.
We pray for victims of tyranny . . .
Silence the enemy and those who seek vengeance.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for sheep and all creatures of the land . . .
Teach us to tread lightly on the earth.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for birds and creatures of the seas . . .
Give them healthy habitats in which to thrive.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for all those impacted
by the destruction of ocean ecosystems . . .
Turn hearts and minds toward solutions for repair.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who work with their hands
in science and the arts . . .
Give them wisdom and wonder to sustain them
and rest from weariness.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Wondrous God,
who are we that you care for us?
Teach us to love what you have made with our whole hearts,
that we may use our dominion to bring healing to the earth.
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 created us to love one another
and to care for the world you had made.
How majestic is your name in all the earth!
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 to fulfill your law and teach your faithful love.
He welcomed little children, and blessed them, saying:
The kingdom of God belongs to you.
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.
As you have spoken to us through Jesus Christ, your Son,
let our lips proclaim your name to our sisters and brothers,
so that all may know your saving grace.
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
Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler
Unknown artist, 1879
Additional Materials
Congregational Song
GATHERING
- God, You Spin the Whirling Planets (PLEADING SAVIOR) GTG 23 (O)
- Oh Luz divina (DIVINA LUZ) FJ 93 (O)
- Hail the Day That Sees Him Rise (LLANFAIR) UMH 312 (E)
- Wash, O God, Your Sons and Daughters (BEACH SPRING) GTG 490 (G)
WORD
- God of the Sparrow (ROEDER) GTG 22 (O)
- Many and Great, O God, Are Thy Works (LACQUIPARLE) GTG 21 (O)
- Fairest Lord Jesus (CRUSADERS’ HYMN) GTG 630 (E)
- Jesus Loves Me! (JESUS LOVES ME) GTG 188 (G)
EUCHARIST
- O Day of Rest and Gladness (ES FLOG EIN KLEINS WALDVÖGELEIN) GTG 393 (O)
- You Belong to Christ (YOU BELONG TO CHRIST) GTG 492 (G)
- Bread of Heaven, on Thee We Feed (ARFON) GTG 496 (G)
SENDING
- For the Beauty of the Earth (DIX) GTG 14 (O)
- Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light (ERMUNTRE DICH) GTG 130 (E)
- God of Many Faces (SLANE) SFHO (G)
Psalms and Canticles
Psalm 26
Metrical
- O Light That Knew No Dawn [EASTVIEW] RIL 439
- Let This Be My Supreme Desire [IRREGULAR] PAS 26 B
Responsorial
- Redeem Me and Show Me Your Mercy PSA 24
- Your Love Is Before My Eyes PAS 24 A
Psalm 8
Metrical
- Los cielos cuentan la gloria de Dios [IRREGULAR] SSS 11
- O Lord, Our God, How Excellent [WINCHESTER OLD] GTG 25
Responsorial
- Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above UMH 743
- O Lord, Our Lord, How Majestic Is Your Name PAS 8E
Organ Music
- “Give Me Jesus,” Augsburg Organ Library: Summer, arr. Richard Billingham, AF (M)
- “Jesus, Lover of My Soul,” The Concordia Hymn Prelude Series, vol. 19, arr. Wilbur Head, CON (E)
- RHOSYMEDRE, Three Preludes on Welsh Hymn Tunes, Ralph Vaughan Williams, IMSLP (ME)
- “Talk about a Child That Do Love Jesus,” King of Kings, vol. 3, arr. Calvin Taylor, GIA (M)
Anthems for Adult Choirs
- “Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy,” arr. Bryan Sharpe, LOR, SATB, acap (M)
- “City Called Heaven,” arr. Josephine Poelinitz, CV, SATB, solo, pno (E)
- “Lord My God, a Wonder Fills My Heart and Soul,” W. A. Mozart, arr. Hal Hopson, HOPE, SAB, keybd (M)
- “Fairest Lord Jesus,” Derek Hakes, BP, SAB, pno (E)
- “Esto Les Digo,” Kinley Lange, AMP, SATB, acap (A)
- “Wana Baraka,” arr. Shawn Kirchner, SBMP, SATB div, acap (A)
Art
- Made With Love series, Olalekan Jeyifous, 2019 (MoMA)
- Table Manners: Season 2, Zina Saro-Wiwa, 2019 (MoMA)
- A Poem about the Cosmos, Caroline Kent, 2022 (MoMA)
- Inner and Outer Space, Laida Lertxundi, 2021 (MoMA)
