Lectionary Readings
Semicontinuous
Proverbs 1:20–33
Wisdom cries out in the street: Ignore my word at your peril.
Psalm 19
The heavens declare God’s glory; the law of the Lord is good.
Complementary
Isaiah 50:4–9a
God has given me the tongue of a teacher, to sustain the weary.
Psalm 116:1–9
Lord, you deliver me from death, from weeping, from stumbling.
James 3:1–12
Words have the power to bless and curse; use them wisely.
Mark 8:27–38
Jesus says: You must take up the cross if you want to follow me.
— Gathering —
Call to Worship
Morning by morning we rise in God’s presence.
Jesus calls us: Follow me.
Yet day after day we stray from the path of life.
Jesus calls us: Follow me.
We lose focus; we are lost in shame, and still,
Jesus calls us: Follow me.
Prayer of the Day
Holy God,
your wisdom cries out in the streets
and your grace whispers in the wind.
You speak to us in many ways.
Help us to hear you
in the carbonated laughter of a child
and in weary sighs too deep for words.
As you speak to us,
let us speak of you,
sharing what we believe with our words
and our whole lives. 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 called us to take up our cross and follow you:
to carry the truth of your justice like a banner
and bear the yoke of life as your servant.
We are hesitant, O God, to serve anyone but ourselves.
We draw away from the imagery of the cross,
forgetting that, in you, it has become a source of glory.
Forgive us, O God, and call us once more
to set aside our selfishness and follow in your way.
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:
Faithful God, how blessed are those
who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
Sanctify us by your Word and Spirit
so that we may glorify you
in the company of the faithful;
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 who listens,
hear our prayer.
We pray for those who call for help . . .
Bring rescue and dedicated companions.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who work in crisis response . . .
Protect and sustain them.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for any who need rest they cannot find . . .
Give reprieve and nourishment.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who suffer anguish . . .
Deliver them from their distress.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for all who need mercy . . .
Save them from despair.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who are near death . . .
Welcome them into everlasting peace.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Living God,
you have already delivered us.
Return us to your steadfast love
until our stumbling becomes dancing.
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:
We give you thanks and praise, O God,
for you have chosen the poverty of the world
to make your people rich in faith.
Help us to put our faith into practice
through the offering of our lives—
giving food to the hungry,
clothes to the naked,
and shelter to the poor;
all for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord,
your Word made flesh. Amen.
James 2:5, 14–17
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:
Your word of wisdom is our teacher,
sustaining us in our times of trouble
and calling us to return to you in truth.
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 lived and died and rose again to save us;
now he calls us to take up the cross and follow him,
offering our lives for the sake of the gospel.
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 live as Christ’s body in the world,
proclaiming your grace in word and action,
and, with one voice, blessing your holy name.
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:
God of glory, in this holy feast
you have made us one with Christ
and with that great multitude of the faithful—
those who hunger and thirst no more
and worship night and day in your temple.
Lead us in the paths of righteousness
and guide us to the springs of the water of life,
until we join the choir of the redeemed,
singing: Salvation belongs to our God
who is seated on the throne,
and to the Lamb: Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
— Sending —
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Blessing and Charge
At the doors of the church:
The blessing of the one God—
Spirit, Son, and Father—
be with you now and always. Alleluia!
Ephesians 4:4–6
Lead a life worthy of your calling,
giving glory to God in all things. Amen.
Ephesians 4:1
Lucy Higgs Union Civil War Nurse
Kathy Grant, 2013
Additional Materials
Congregational Song
GATHERING
- Comfort, Comfort Now My People (GENEVAN 42) GTG 87 (O)
- Rejoice in God’s Saints (OLD 104TH) GTG 732 (G)
- Christ Has Risen While Earth Slumbers (SUO GAN) GTG 231 (G)
WORD
- God Is Calling through the Whisper (W ŻŁOBIE LEŻY) GTG 410 (O)
- Depth of Mercy (CANTERBURY) UMH 355 (O)
- God Be in My Head (GOD BE IN MY HEAD) AM 642 (E)
- Que mi vida entera esté / Take My Life and Let It Be (CONSAGRACIÓN) FJ 68 (G)
EUCHARIST
- For the Fruit of All Creation (AR HYD Y NOS) GTG 36 (E)
- Beneath the Cross of Jesus (ST. CHRISTOPHER) GTG 216 (G)
- Give Me Jesus (GIVE ME JESUS (Spiritual)) ZSS 84 (G)
SENDING
- Open My Eyes, That I May See (OPEN MY EYES) GTG 451 (O)
- O Day of Peace (JERUSALEM) GTG 373 (E)
- We Will Follow (SOMLANDELA) WAS 3160 (G)
Psalms and Canticles
Psalm 19
Metrical
- Let the Heaven Light Shine on Me [IRREGULAR] AAHH 630
- Heaven Declares Thy Glory, Lord [BOULDER] RIL 411
Responsorial
- Hear the Commandments of Life UMH 750
- Through the Witness of Creation PAS 19C
Psalm 116:1–9
Metrical
- Help for the World’s Despair [IRREGULAR] GWA 136
- O Thou, My Soul, Return in Peace [MARTYRDOM] PH 228
Responsorial
- I Love the Lord Who Heard My Cry PAS 116 D
- How Can I Repay the Lord PSA 116
Organ Music
- “I Danced in the Morning,” SIMPLE GIFTS, Praise! Eight Pieces for Organ, arr. Emma Lou Diemer, SAC (M)
- “Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word,” The Concordia Hymn Prelude Series, vol. 24, arr. Thomas Gieschen, CON (E)
- “Thy Strong Word,” EBENEZER, Ten Chorale Improvisations, Set 8, arr. Paul Manz, MSM (ME)
- “How Great Thou Art,” Augsburg Organ Library: Healing and Funeral, arr. J. Wayne Kerr, AF (ME)
Anthems for Adult Choirs
- “The Heavens Are Telling,” Franz Joseph Haydn, CPDL, SATB, STB soli, keybd (A)
- “God Be in My Head,” John Rutter, OUP, SATB, acap (M)
- “How Can I Keep from Singing?” arr. Taylor Davis, MSM, SATB, pno, fl, ob (M)
- “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” arr. Gilbert Martin, TPR, SATB, keybd (M)
- “Day by Day,” Thomas Keesecker, MSM, uni, keybd (E)
- “A Hymn to God Creator,” John Ferguson, MSM, SATB div, org (A)
Art
- Wisdom, Ayibiowu, Olusola David (VDL)
- Maestrapeace Mural, San Francisco, Juana Alicia, Miranda Bergman, Edythe Boone, Susan Kelk Cervantes, Meera Desai, Yvonne Littleton, and Irene Perez, 1994 (VDL)
- Hagia Sofia, Istanbul, Turkey, 532 (VDL)
