Lectionary Readings
Semicontinuous
Proverbs 22:1–2, 8–9, 22–23
A good name is more valuable than wealth; seek justice for the poor.
Psalm 125
Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, abiding forever.
Complementary
Isaiah 35:4–7a
Miracles of healing and streams in the desert signal God’s coming.
Psalm 146
Trust God, who does justice, sets prisoners free, and helps the poor.
James 2:1–10 (11–13) 14–17
Care for those who are in need; without good works, faith is dead.
Mark 7:24–37
Jesus heals a Gentile woman’s daughter and a man who cannot speak.
— Gathering —
Call to Worship
Be strong, do not fear!
Jesus calls us: Follow me.
We are all God’s children.
Jesus calls us: Follow me.
We turn to Christ,
the way of healing and wholeness.
Jesus calls us: Follow me.
Prayer of the Day
God of mercy,
in a hurting world,
your love shows us another way to live.
Help us to join in your work,
mending what is broken.
May our trust in you be our guide,
leading us to care for our neighbors nearby
and the ones we do not yet know. 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 love us with open arms, O God.
Forgive us when we do not put your love into practice:
when we do not challenge the injustice around us;
when we are not generous with the gifts we have to share;
when we are slow to compassion and quick to judgment;
when we contribute to the brokenness of the world
instead of helping to make it whole.
Forgive us, O God, of the ways we fall short.
Free us to try again,
and let your love lead the 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, worthy of praise,
hear our prayer.
We pray for the seas and the rain forests,
whose breath we share . . .
Put an end to human practices that destroy.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who are oppressed
by political powers . . .
Teach them leadership
that serves the most vulnerable.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who are estranged
from family or home . . .
Bring healing to relationships
and comfort in chosen family.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for those living with disabilities . . .
Make our communities safe and affirming spaces.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who grieve the loss
of parents or partners . . .
Give them communities to accompany them
and keep them in your love forever.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for those who are imprisoned . . .
Set them free to live in your mercy and peace.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for the hungry . . .
Help us to organize a society that nourishes everyone.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Ruler of all generations,
uphold us in all trouble,
that we may praise you all the days of our life.
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:
You come with power to judge and save us,
destroying the works of the wicked
and delivering the poor from their distress.
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 fed the hungry, cast out demons,
healed the sick, liberated the oppressed,
and extended your grace to all people.
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 truly love our neighbors,
honoring the equality of each person
and tending to the basic human needs of all.
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
Wisdom
Olusola David Ayibiowu, 2008
Additional Materials
Congregational Song
GATHERING
- Come, Ye Thankful People, Come (ST. GEORGE’S WINDSOR) GTG 367 (O)
- Today We All Are Called to Be Disciples (KINGSFOLD) GTG 757 (O)
- Jesus, We Are Here (JESUS, TAWA PANO) GTG 392 (E)
- All Things Bright and Beautiful (ROYAL OAK) GTG 20 (G)
WORD
- Heaven Shall Not Wait (HEAVEN SHALL NOT WAIT) GTG 773 (O)
- God of Freedom, God of Justice (PICARDY) VU 700 (E)
- Spirit of the Living God (LIVING GOD) GTG 288 (E)
- A Prophet-Woman Broke a Jar (HOW CAN I KEEP FROM SINGING) GTG 201 (G)
EUCHARIST
- Christ, We Are Blest (SLANE) WAS 3174 (O)
- God Welcomes All (THEMBA AMEN) GTG 399 (E)
- Come, Let Us Eat (A VA DE) GTG 528 (G)
SENDING
- Joy to the World (RICHMOND) GTG 266 (O)
- The Church of Christ Cannot Be Bound (MCKEE) GTG 766 (E)
- Will You Come and Follow Me (KELVINGROVE) GTG 726 (G)
Psalms and Canticles
Psalm 125
Metrical
- Trust in God [SONG 13] GTG 848
- Those Who Rely on the Lord Are Unshakeable [CLERMONT] PAS 125B
Responsorial
- Shalom, Shalom, the Peace of God Be Here PAS 125A
- Lord, Your Justice Stands for All PP 252
Psalm 146
Metrical
- I’ll Praise My Maker [OLD 113TH] GTG 806
- God, the Maker of the Heavens [8.8.8.8] GWA 153
Responsorial
- Halleluia, Halleluia! Praise the Lord! PP 288
- Blessed Are the Poor and Needy UMH 858
Organ Music
- “Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us with Your Love,” CHEREPONI, The Essential Collection for the Church Organist, vol. 1, arr. Robert J. Powell, HOPE (E)
- “Nun bitten Wir Den Heiligen Geist,” BuxWV 209, Complete Organ Works, vol. 4, Dietrich Buxtehude, IMSLP (M)
- “Ubi Caritas,” King of Kings, vol. 4, arr. Norah Duncan IV, GIA (ME)
- “Adoro te devote,” Augsburg Organ Library: Baptism and Communion, arr. David N. Johnson, AF (M)
Anthems for Adult Choirs
- “A Good Work,” Mark Miller, HIN, SATB, pno (E)
- “Healing River,” arr. Mark Hayes, HOPE, SATB, pno (E)
- “Psalm 146: I’ll Praise My Maker While I’ve Breath,” Hal Hopson, MSM, SATBB, org (M)
- “There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy,” Brenda Portman, AF, SATB, keybd (M)
- “Trust in the Lord,” Howard Helvey, MSM, SATB, org (M)
- “Healer of Every Ill,” Marty Haugen, GIA, SATB, keybd (E)
Art
- The Daughter of the Canaanite Woman, Peter Koenig (VDL)
- The Canaanite Woman’s Prayer, Anneke Kaai (AK)
- Rag Collectors, Eugene Laermans (VDL)
