Fourth Sunday After Pentecost

Scripture Readings: Genesis 21:8-21; Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17; Romans 6:1b-11; Matthew 10:24-39
Color: Green

Call to Worship #1

L: Welcome! This is a time to celebrate and worship God who loves us!
P: We are grateful and thankful for all God’s blessings in our lives.
L: We gather to remember that Christ gave his life for us.
P: We humbly praise God for such a gift!
L: Come, friends! Come and worship the God of love and hope.
P: Praise be to God at all times and in all places! AMEN.

Call to Worship #2

L: Rejoice! God’s love is poured out for you!
P: How awesome is God who showers us with love!
L: This is a day of celebration!
P: Let’s celebrate God’s mighty healing love.
L: It’s time to worship!
P: We are ready! AMEN.

Call to Worship #3

L: Sometimes we get down; we wonder if we will ever feel happy again.
P: We need something to lift us up.
Soloist: singing refrain of “Love lifted me” from WORSHIP & SONG, p. 3101
L: That’s it! Jesus reminded us of God’s love!
P: That love surpasses all our troubles!
Choir: singing verse 1(including refrain) of “Love Lifted Me” from WORSHIP & SONG, p. 3101
L: We are forgiven and made new in Jesus Christ.
P: He reaches out and lifts us up! ALLELUIA!
ALL: singing verse 2 (including refrain) of “Love Lifted Me” from WORSHIP & SONG, P. 3101

Gathering Prayer

Be with us this day, O Lord. Guide our hearts and guard our steps as we gather to praise your Holy Name and celebrate your love for us. AMEN.

Opening Prayer

Holy God who created all that exists, we praise you. We open our hearts and our spirits this day to your eternal love and forgiving mercy. Be with us as we participate in this worship service. Remind us again that Jesus Christ gave his life that we might fully understand the depth and breadth of your love. In all things and at all times we praise you. AMEN.

Morning Prayer

Lord Jesus, you reached out to us in our distress and lifted us up. You give us new life and we are grateful. For some of us this has been a wonderful week; but for others trials and troubles seem to crowd into their lives. We ask your loving presence with all your people, O Lord. Heal our wounded spirits; restore a sense of joy in our lives. Today we name in our hearts and with our voices those who are in need of your healing love. (Time for naming people or situations in need of God’s healing love…..). We thank you that you reach out to them, to all those whom we have named and for those whose names are in our hearts. Help us to be witnesses to the power of Jesus Christ to make those changes in our lives.

Prayer of Confession

Forgiving and gracious Lord, we come here this day with so many things on our hearts. We’ve managed to get through spring and are heading toward the complexities of the summer months. These months for many will be times of transition; children graduating from school and heading out into the world; young people getting married; families planning vacations; some people planning retirement. For others the transitions may be from healthy living to lives filled with illness and pain. We confess that we haven’t always paid attention to these transitions, unaware of the spiritual and emotional adjustments that they require of those in the process. Forgive us when we get so busy with our own lives that we don’t take time to reach out to someone who is ill; someone who is mourning the loss of a loved one; someone who feels lost and alone. Remind us again of how Christ offered his whole life that we might live. He taught us how to be people of compassion and reconciliation. Be with us as we seek to turn our lives around, back toward you, O Lord; for it is in Jesus’ Name that we offer this prayer. AMEN.

Words of Assurance

Dear friends, listen to the good news! Christ came to give us new life; to redeem and heal our brokenness. We are made whole through his boundless love. AMEN.

Offering

Prayer of Dedication

On this lovely day, at the end of the month of June, we praise and thank you, O Lord. We bring before you our gifts, our lives, our talents. Take all these gifts and use them for work in your kingdom. Bless the gifts and the givers of all gifts. AMEN.

Benediction/Sending Forth

God has given you all that you will need as you reach out in love and caring to others. Go into God’s world bringing the good news of redemption and hope. In Jesus’ Name, go in peace and may the God of Peace go with you always. AMEN.

Children’s Time

How many of you have ever prayed? Prayer can be both personal, just about you and your loved ones; and it can be about God’s larger world. Sometimes in church we pray about people who are sick or who feel lost and alone; other times we pray about peace for God’s whole world; we pray about our environment and about our villages, towns, and cities. On Pet Sunday, we pray about our pets, asking God to keep them safe and well. We can pray about anything. But there are certain things that prayer isn’t about…..

It isn’t about making a deal with God – like saying to God if you will do this for me then I will do something for you………….it isn’t about asking God for a new bike or computer for Christmas or other special occasion…………..it isn’t about asking God to punish those people you don’t like……it isn’t about trying to trick God into doing something for you. That’s just not prayer. Prayer is when we know of a special need, and we ask God to give us the courage and strength to help meet that need. Prayer is about coming to God and telling God all about our sadness and our anger – God can take it! When you pray, remember that Jesus taught his disciples to talk with God in this special way. Here at our church prayer if very important. We believe in the power of prayer to help people get through difficulties. We pray joyfully at some many times because we are so happy. And we pray that God will continue to make us faithful and strong, teaching us again to pay attention to the lessons Jesus taught.

That’s a pretty tall order. I’m going to ask you to pray with me now. Let’s form a circle and hold hands.

“God of love and prayer, help us to be good workers for you; help us always to pray to you, sharing with you our happiness and hurts. Let us listen to Jesus who taught his friends to pray. These things we ask in his name. AMEN.”

Art for the Altar/Worship Center

Theme: Christ came that we might have life, and have it abundantly.
Design: Focus on the cross which is raised above the main level of the table/altar. Votive candles represent the people in prayer.
Equipment and supplies: There should be a center riser which will hold the altar cross; two risers on either side, lower than the center one, will hold the altar candles; the riser in front of the cross will hold the white pillar candle; Green fabric covering the entire worship center (this fabric should puddle to the floor covering the entire worship center;30 votive candles (these candles are clustered in front of the cross on the main level of the table/worship center – a few may be distributed further out on the table as desired; 1 large white pillar candle to be placed on a riser in front of the cross; several Boston ferns or other large leafy plants to be placed at the base of the table; ivy or other trailing vines to be placed on either side of the main cross.

Scripture into Script

(Paraphrase of portions of Psalm 86.)

Reader 1: Lord, are you there? Listen to me, please – listen closely because I don’t know if I can speak any louder – my spirit is in such pain! Please hear me – I am poor and I need you..
Reader 2: I’ve tried to be faithful to you all my life, O Lord. I have placed my trust in you. Please guard my life and save me!
Reader 1: My heart is breaking. I cry a lot – and call out to you all day long. Be near me, O God.
Reader 2: Then it happens! I feel a calmness settle over me as I bow my tearful head in contrition. God’s peace is seeping into my life, entering gently, quieting my soul.
Reader 1: My breathing is easier because I have placed my focus on God and not on my sadness and sorrow. I wait for God. I wait…… for God.
Reader 2: And sure as the sun rises, God’s healing love rises in my heart, giving me courage and strength. Just when Iwonder if God has even heard me, God’s love flows to me through Christ Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. I am saved – and sent forth with joy! AMEN

Message Movers

I love to swim through waters that are clean and clear. I appreciate being able to see very quickly what is below me and a vision of my destination. I love clear waters! But there are murky waters – where you cannot see what is beneath you and your destination is obscured by various floating bits that get in the way.

Today’s Gospel lesson was like that for me. It’s been quite a week and I was hoping for a lovely clear passage of Scripture, easily identified and leading me toward Christ and his mission for each of us – but that was not to be. So much information in these passages. So I began by prayer – I admit that I always begin with prayer because I need all the help I can get. I often try to tell God what I want God to reveal to me. This time was different – I stopped talking and just sat quietly. I have no idea how long I sat, but I know that in that time, God opened the scriptures to me in a loving and gentle way.
This scripture is about courage and confidence in God’s abiding mercy and love. In the core of this Gospel passage, Jesus reminds the disciples that what they have heard whispered in the dark of their fear – the love, the empowerment, the redemption – they are to proclaim in the light of the new day! Don’t be afraid, he said. Keep focused on God and remember that God is always with you. Be faithful to God’s word – that word is love; the kind of love that lifts people from lives of despair into abundant life of joy and peace; love that reconciles and redeems; love that is willing to go the extra measure for the sake of someone else. That’s what it’s all about. This love that Jesus brought is not little cherubs and pink hearts! It is powerful! It is mighty! It flashes in the sunlight and echoes from the rooftops.

Sounds so simple, doesn’t it? Nothing is ever simple – we have to let go of our demands and quietly place our lives in Christ Jesus who came to reveal God’s awesome, abundant, eternal love for us – love that surpasses our understanding. There’s an interesting word “Understanding” – we know that some people will get it – get why we are able to move through trials, because of the presence of God – there are others who won’t get it – it won’t make any sense to them, they might employ the attitude of “it’s all up to me, no one is going to help, definitely not this God who claims to love us. If God does love us, then why do bad things happen?” You’ve heard those phrases most likely – but they are going to be saved for another time, another sermon.

Meanwhile, do not fear! God’s power and love is stronger than any force – it moves beyond the bounds of death and destruction – it shines in the light and provides guidance and shelter during the storms. And it is a free gift for you. How about that! You came to church and you are leaving with a FREE GIFT! Not many people can say that. God’s love is freely given – no strings attached – it’s God’s to give and yours to receive. So turn your hearts in quiet to God who is waiting for you – waiting to hear your fears and your joys; waiting to hear your concerns and your celebrations. Come to the God of mercy, justice and love. Come, God is waiting…….