The Celebration of the Gospel
June 17, 2018 — Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
The realm of God is as if a sower should scatter seed on the ground…
—Mark 4.26
________We Gather as the Body of Christ______
GREETING
PRELUDE Nun Danket Alle Gott Max Reger
[As we listen to the music we quiet our minds and bodies,
listen for our hearts’ deepest desires,
and become present to the Holy One who is lovingly present for us.]
* CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: Creator God, you scatter the seed of your grace in this world.
All: It produces blessing, though we know not how.
You scatter the seed of your love in us.
It sprouts and grows, though we do not know how.
When the time is ripe you gather your harvest.
We offer our love to you, for the harvest is yours.
* SONG O God beyond All Praising Black hymnal # 2009
___________We Attend to the Word___________
CHILDREN’S TIME
THE WORD IN SONG J Woolcock
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Pastor: The grace of God is with you.
Congregation: And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, we open ourselves in honesty to God.
God of love, help us to see ourselves with the eyes of love,
to see what is in us that is loving,
and what is not loving.
God, we recall when we have been in harmony with you, or with life,
and we give thanks. [silent prayer…]
We recall when we have been out of harmony, and we seek your grace. [silent prayer…]
God of mercy, in Christ you have shown us your grace.
Forgive us, heal us, and perfect your love in us.
SILENT PRAYER … THE WORD OF GRACE
RESPONSE Come and Fill Our Hearts — Black hymnal #2157
PRAYER
God of love, by your Spirit you plant the seed of your grace in us. Water that seed with the word of your love, that it may grow in us and bear fruit, for the sake of the world, in the name of Christ. Amen.
OLD TESTAMENT 1 Samuel 15.34 – 16.13
[The prophet Samuel anoints David as king of Israel. Samuel passes over the brothers who are bigger and stronger in favor of the one God has chosen.]
God was sorry for having made Saul king over Israel. But God said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.”
Samuel did what God commanded, and came to Bethlehem. He sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they came, he looked on Jesse’s son Eliab and thought, “Surely this is God’s anointed.” But God said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for I do not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but I look on the heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, “Neither has God chosen this one.” Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has God chosen this one.”
Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, “God has not chosen any of these.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.” He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. God said, “Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.” Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of God came mightily upon David from that day forward.
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*PSALTER Psalm 1
[When we live in harmony with God we are like trees planted by water, bearing fruit.]
Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread,
or sit in the seat of scoffers;
but their delight is in the law of God,
and on God’s law they meditate day and night.
They are like trees planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the Holy One watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
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NEW TESTAMENT 2 Corinthians 5.16-17
[If anyone lives in union with Christ, it changes the whole world: Creation starts all over again.]
From now on we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once thought about Christ in human terms, now we know Christ in a new way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!
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GOSPEL Mark 4.26-32
[Jesus tells two parables: the Realm of God is like seed growing without our knowing how; and it is like a tiny mustard seed that grows into a large blessing.]
Jesus said, “The realm of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, she does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once she goes in with her sickle, because the harvest has come.”
He also said, “With what can we compare the reign of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
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SERMON A seed growing secretly
SONG Breathe on Me, Breath of God Blue hymnal # 420
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
[Anyone who wishes may share a prayer concern at the microphone.]
THE PRAYER OF JESUS
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
SHARING THE PEACE OF CHRIST
______We Are Sent in Ministry to the World_____
OFFERING OUR GIFTS We Are God’s People Johannes Brahms, arr: Fred Bock
* OFFERING SONG Lord, Be Glorified Black hymnal #2150
* PRAYER
Gracious God, we give you our lives, symbolized in these gifts. Receive them with love, bless them with grace and use them according to your will. May the mustard seed of your grace grow in us, though we know not how. May your love flourish in us and become a great, life-giving blessing for the sake of the world, in the name of Christ. Amen.
THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD
* SONG You Are the Seed Blue hymnal #583
* THE BLESSING AND SENDING FORTH
RESPONSE We stand and sing to our neighbors:
May the grace and peace of Christ be with you my friends.
Go and share the love of God, love that never ends.
POSTLUDE I’ll Fly Away – Albert E. Brumley, arr: Mark Hayes
[During the postlude there are people ready to pray with you at the candles in the corners.]