BULLETIN – SUNDAY, JUNE 18, 2023

BULLETIN – SUNDAY, JUNE 18, 2023

WELCOME to MESSIAH & ST. PETER LUTHERAN CHURCHES

Reverend Nancy Brody, Pastor

Greta Wright, Music Director

Sunday June 18, 2023

Third Sunday after Pentecost

Happy Father’s Day

ANNOUNCEMENTS

PRELUDE

CONFESSION and FORGIVENESS

Blessed be the holy Trinity,[☩] one God, who always hears confession and offers forgiveness. Your word is truth; your mercy endless, and your love forever. Amen. 

Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of our neighbors. Silence is kept for reflection. 

Merciful and righteous God, we confess that we have sinned: sometimes causing hurt, wasting, hoarding or failing to acknowledge your blessings. In the name of Jesus, forgive us and grant us your mercy. If we have failed to be honest, lacked courage to speak, or spoken falsely, in the name of Jesus, forgive us and grant us your mercy. 

At no time is God unwilling to forgive. Imagine God’s grace as a boundless net stretching across time and reaching beyond earth’s atmosphere. As a called and ordained minister, I declare, “God’s grace is upon you. You are forgiven in the name of Jesus Christ [☩] who did everything in his power to reconcile us to God, who has delivered peace, shown abundant mercy, and is lovingly compassionate to all.” Amen.                                 

ENTRANCE HYMN

Rise Up, O Saints of God!     #383

APOSTOLIC GREETING     Page 57

KYRIE and HYMN OF PRAISE     Pages 57-59

PRAYER OF THE DAY 

God of compassion, you have opened the way for us and brought us to yourself. Pour your love into our hearts, that, overflowing with joy, we may freely share the blessings of your realm and faithfully proclaim the good news of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

FIRST READING     EXODUS 19:2-8a

[The Israelites] had journeyed from Rephidim, entered the wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness; Israel camped there in front of the mountain. Then Moses went up to God; the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the Israelites: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.” So Moses came, summoned the elders of the people, and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. The people all answered as one: “Everything that the Lord has spoken we will do.”

PSALM     100

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; come into God’s presence with a song.

Know that the Lord is God, our maker to whom we belong; we are God’s people and the sheep of God’s pasture.

Enter the gates of the Lord with thanksgiving and the courts with praise; give thanks and bless God’s holy name.

Good indeed is the Lord, whose steadfast love is everlasting, whose faithfulness endures from age to age. 

SECOND READING     ROMANS 5:1-8

Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION     Page 62

GOSPEL     MATTHEW 9:35—10:8 [9-23]

Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. [Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food. Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house, greet it. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. “See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”]

SERMON

HYMN of the DAY

Take My Life, that I May Be     #406

PROFESSION of FAITH

APOSTLES’ CREED            Page 65

PRAYERS of INTERCESSION

Trusting in God’s abundant love and mercy, let us offer prayers for a world in need. A brief silence.

Lord, for the church here and around the world, we pray. Seek out disciples and send them out with authority as your apostles to proclaim good news, to deliver healing and counter the forces of evil. God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Creator God, for the earth and all its creatures, we pray. Equip farmers, farm workers, and all who labor on the land to produce a harvest. Nourish crops with ample rainfall and abundant sunshine. Restore lands ruined by pollution or misuse. God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Father God, for those employed to administer justice, we pray. Empower those who seek peaceful solutions to conflict and embolden those who advocate for all who are oppressed. Work through systems of government to establish equity and inclusion throughout the world. God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Compassionate One, for those who suffer, we pray. Accompany those who feel helpless, alone, or abandoned. Embrace any who long for successful treatment for mental illness or freedom from addiction. Heal those who are sick (especially those on our prayer list). God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Dear Parent of us all, for fathers and father figures, we pray. Console all who long to be fathers, children estranged from fathers, anyone grieving the death of a father, and fathers who grieve. Improve cooperation among divorced parents and bless the role of stepfathers. Help men who father children to equally share responsibility and the opportunity to bond with them. Draw near to all for whom this day causes heartache. God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Everlasting to Everlasting, for all the saints, we give thanks. Receive into your eternal care all those who have died and fill us with hope that does not disappoint. God, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

To you, O God, we send our prayers knowing that you will not only hear and receive them, but will answer and bless us according to all that your son Jesus Christ demonstrated as your holy will on earth.  Amen.

EXCHANGE of PEACE

OFFERING & OFFERTORY

Create in me…     Page 75 

LORD’S PRAYER 

BENEDICTION     Page 74

CLOSING HYMN

O Zion, Haste     #397

DISMISSAL     Page 74

POSTLUDE

Revised Common Lectionary copyright © 1992 Consultation on Common Texts. Used by permission. Prayers adapted from Sundays and Seasons, copyright © 2019, Augsburg Fortress. Used with permission. Psalm readings from Lutheran Book of Worship, copyright © 1978. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual Subscription #SB160715 Other quotations from Scripture from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989, National Council of Churches in Christ in the United States of America. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Altar flowers at St Peter have been presented by Ross & Nicole Miller in memory of Lauren Spence.

Altar flowers at Messiah have been presented by Drew and Beth Hogan in Honor of all loving Fathers who have made positive impacts on their family.