The traditional Christian church calendar is comprised of seasons and special days. We are in the season of Pentecost. The season of Pentecost is the longest season of the church calendar and concludes with Christ the King Sunday. In this season let us consider how we are empowered to act for God.
Brief Order For Confession and Forgiveness
Music to accompany this worship is on Spotify at:
Entrance Hymn
To God the Holy Spirit Let Us Pray
Kyrie
Hymn of Praise
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.
The First Lesson
Exodus 19:2-8
2. They had journeyed from Rephidim, entered the wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness; Israel camped there in front of the mountain.
3. 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:
4. You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.
5. 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,
6. but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.”
7. So Moses came, summoned the elders of the people, and set before them all these words that the LORD had commanded him.
8. The people all answered as one: “Everything that the LORD has spoken we will do.” Moses reported the words of the people to the LORD.
Psalm
Psalm 100 (3)
1. [A Psalm of thanksgiving.] Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth.
2. Worship the LORD with gladness; come into his presence with singing.
3. Know that the LORD is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name.
5. For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
The Second Lesson
Romans 5:1-8
1. Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2. 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.
3. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
4. and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
5. 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.
6. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
7. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person– though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die.
8. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.
The Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia. The kingdom of God | has come near;
repent, and believein | the good news. Alleluia. (Mark 1:15)
The Gospel
Matthew 9:35—10:8 [10:9-23]
35. Then 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.
36. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
37. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;
38. therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
10
1. 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.
2. 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;
3. Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
4. Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.
5. These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans,
6. but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7. As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’
8. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment.
9. Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts,
10. no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food.
11. Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave.
12. As you enter the house, greet it.
13. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. “See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
17. Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues;
18. and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles.
19. 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;
20. for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death;
22. and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
23. 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.
The Sermon
We stand with the powerless, the hated, the abused
The Hymn of the Day
My Hope is Built on Nothing Less
The Creed
The Peace
The Prayers
The Offering
Communion
The Lord’s Prayer
Communion Hymns
Spirit of God
Communal Blessing
Dismissal
The Bible readings are from the New Revised Standard Version. I wish to thank the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA, and its predecessor bodies for all their teaching throughout the years. I’ve used the Lectionary published on the ELCA website at elca.org in preparation of this worship.