The Celebration of the Gospel

August 16, 2015 — 12th Sunday after Pentecost

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven.
Whoever eats of this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
— John 6.51

______ We Gather as the Body of Christ________

GREETING
PRELUDE   Open My Eyes    Tune: SCOTT, arr: Bob Burroughs

[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: God of life, we taste your glory.
All:    Alleluia! We savor your love.
Christ, our loving companion, we drink deeply of your grace.
Alleluia! We linger in your presence.
Holy Spirit, we feast on your abundance.
Alleluia! We give you thanks and we worship you. Alleluia!

* SONG   Fairest Lord Jesus     Blue hymnal #189

___________ We Attend to the Word___________

PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Pastor:   The grace of God be with you.
Congregation: And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, let us confess our sin to God with one another.
God of love, we lift up all in us that is loving, and give you thanks.
We lift up all that is not loving, and ask your forgiveness.
By your grace in Christ, perfect your love in us.
SILENT PRAYER …   THE WORD OF GRACE
RESPONSE      Lead Me, Guide Me     Black hymnal #2214

PRAYER OF THE DAY
God of love, you sent us Jesus to teach us a new way to live. Grant us your Spirit, that we might listen to him, and be changed, and draw more near to you through his presence in our hearts. Speak, Lord; your servants are listening. Amen.

OLD TESTAMENT       1 Kings 2.10-12;  3.13-14  
[Solomon has become king, and has built the temple in Jerusalem. In a dream God asks him what he wants from God. Solomon asks for wisdom, to be able to govern well and discern right from wrong. God agrees and, pleased that Solomon has not asked for riches or long life or power, promises to give Solomon riches and honor anyway.]

David died, and was buried in the city of David. So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David; and his kingdom was firmly established.
The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, ‘Ask what I should give you.’ And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart towards you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?”
It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor all your life; no other king shall compare with you. If you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your life.”

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PSALTER   Psalm 111
[We praise God; ask to be kept always mindful of God’s wonders, presence and faithfulness; and acknowledge that wisdom is born of wonder and awe at God’s grace.]

Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
Great are the works of the Lord,
studied by all who delight in them.
Full of honor and majesty is God’s work,
and God’s righteousness endures forever.
God has gained renown by wonderful deeds;
the Lord is gracious and merciful.
God provides food for those who fear God;
and is ever mindful of the covenant.
God has shown us powerful works,
in giving us the heritage of the nations.
The works of God’s hands are faithful and just;
all God’s precepts are trustworthy.
They are established for ever and ever,
to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
God sent redemption to the people;
and has commanded the covenant forever.
Holy and awesome is the name of the Hoy One.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it have a good understanding.
God’s praise endures forever.
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NEW TESTAMENT   Ephesians 5.15-20

[Instead of filling up on wine, let the Spirit fill you. Give thanks to God for everything, and make your whole lives a spiritual song, “making melody in your hearts to God.”]

Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Don’t fill yourselves up with wine—that is just sleazy; instead be filled with the Spirit. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Life-Giver at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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GOSPEL   John 6.35, 51-58
[ Jesus describes himself as the Bread of Life. John invites us not simply to have opinions about Jesus, but to “eat his flesh,” to let him get into our insides and become a vital part of who we are. In this way we know real life, life that is connected to God, which Jesus calls eternal life.]

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ So Jesus said to them, “ Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Human One, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.”
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SERMON

SONG Come, My Way, My Truth, My Life   Blue hymnal #164

* AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
We trust in God, the Creator of all things, our Heavenly Parent.
We follow Jesus, who loved and healed, who offered himself for the sake of others. He was crucified, but God raised him from the dead. Risen, he is the food of our souls.  We feast on him as the Bread of Life.
We live by the Holy Spirit, the energy of Christ in our bodies and souls. Each moment, each breath, we commune with God in Christ. We desire always to draw closer to Christ, and to be more loving in the Spirit of God, trusting in the power of forgiveness and the mystery of resurrection, so that we ourselves are the Body of Christ, his flesh and blood. God help us to more freely, deeply and boldly be your people. Amen.

SONG     Lead Me, Lord   Blue hymnal #473

THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
[Anyone who wishes may share a prayer concern at the microphone.]
PASSING THE PEACE
THE WORD IN SONG    Nocturne in F  Mikhail Glinka
(Isabel Omer, piano)

_____ We Are Sent in Ministry to the World______

OFFERING OUR GIFTS
All Things Bright And Beautiful    Tune: ROYAL OAK, arr: Robert F. Swift

* OFFERING SONG  Lead Me, Guide Me Black hymnal #2214

* PRAYER
Gracious God, we give you these gifts as symbols of our lives. Receive them with love, bless them with grace and use them according to your will. Draw us near to Jesus, to walk with him, to eat and drink of his presence and his grace, and to serve you in his name for the sake of the healing of the world. Amen.

THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD

* SONG   Be Thou My Vision   Blue hymnal #451

* THE BLESSING AND SENDING FORTH

RESPONSE Please stand and sing to your 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        Rondo (from Abdelazer)       Henry Purcell, arr: Goeffrey Edwards

[During the postlude there are people ready to pray with you at the candles in the corners.]