The Celebration of the Gospel

July 6, 2014 —Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

Jacob and Esau, at it again.

“One’s foes will be in one’s own household.”
— Matthew 10.36

______ We Gather as The Body of Christ______

 [Special thanks to our guest musician while Ken is on vacation: Julie Spring, on piano and harp.]

GREETING
PRELUDE   Reverie   Hasselmans

[As we listen to the music we quiet our minds and bodies,
listen for our souls’ deepest longings,
and become present to the Holy One who is lovingly present for us.]

CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: Abba, Jesu, Spirit, come.
All:    Abba, Jesu, Spirit, come.
Great Holy Trinity, heavenly family, draw us to your table.
Great Holy Trinity, heavenly family, hold us in your heart.
We worship you. We praise you. We open to you. Alleluia.

SONG   Be Thou My Vision   Blue hymnal # 451

CHILDREN’S TIME

___________ We Attend to the Word___________

PRAYER OF THE DAY
Calm our minds, God, and still our hearts.
Bring us to your table, to delight in your presence, and to feast on your Word.
Be with us in speaking and silence, in understanding and wonder,
in our time together. Amen.

OLD TESTAMENT   Genesis 25. 19-34
[The rivalry of Jacob and Esau, twins who fought even in the womb. Jacob, though the younger (by a minute), cheats Esau out of his right as the elder brother when Esau is hungry and in need.]

These are the descendants of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, sister of Laban the Aramean. Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived. The children struggled together within her; and she said, “If it is to be this way, why do I live?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said to her,

         “Two nations are in your womb,
                and two peoples born of you shall be divided;
        the one shall be stronger than the other,
                 the elder shall serve the younger.”

When her time to give birth was at hand, there were twins in her womb. The first came out red, all his body like a hairy mantle; so they named him Esau. Afterward his brother came out, with his hand gripping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. Isaac loved Esau, because he was fond of game; but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was famished. Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stuff, for I am famished!” (Therefore he was called Edom. ) Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank, and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

NEW TESTAMENT     Romans 7.14-25
[Paul describes the human experience of sin: that “I do not do the thing I want, but the very thing I hate.” Trying harder does not free us from this battle; only God’s grace does. ]

Now we know that the law is spiritual; but I am under the influence of my selfish anxieties. I have been sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now, I agree that the law is good—but I still do what I do not want . In fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my selfish anxiety. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. I do not do the good I intend— but the evil I do not intend is what I do.

Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my body’s fear another law at war with the law of my mind—I’m a prisoner to the law of sin that dwells in my flesh. How wretched I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is controlled by death? Thanks be to God —it is Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, here’s the problem: with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin.

GOSPEL     Matthew 11.34-36
[Jesus describes conflicts that arise within families when people stand for their own truth.]

Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a son against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s enemies will be members of one’s own household.

SERMON

SONG     Family

Children of one Father–Mother,
we are each a sister, brother.
In your image, God, you mold us;
in one family, Lord you hold us.

Though we strive with one another,
hurt our sister or our brother,
in our struggles and our wronging
still is blessing and belonging.

We are not alone, but rather,
Lord, you grant us grace together.
May we learn to love the Other
as our sister-self or brother.

As one family, Lord, you gather
all your children here together.
Help us shed all walls and labels:
bring us home, Lord, to your table.

THE WORD IN SONG     Whispering Hope
Alice Hawthorne (Sue Lee, Bunny Lawton, Carol Storrs)

THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE …   PASSING THE PEACE

 

_____________We Share at Christ’s Table ____________

OFFERING OUR GIFTS   Simple Gifts     Brackett/ Arr. Julie Spring

COMMUNION SONG   I Come with Joy   Blue hymnal # 617

THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is good to give God thanks and praise.

… THE BLESSING AND COVENANT …

THE PRAYER OF JESUS
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.

SHARING THE HOLY MEAL
[Everyone is welcome at the table of Christ’s self-giving love.
The bread is wheat-, soy- and dairy free. We dip the bread in the juice.]

PRAYER OF BLESSING
Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. You have made us one family around your table.   Now send us into the world to help heal the global family, to include every person in your feast of grace, in the name of Christ and then power of the Holy Spirit.   Amen.

 

____ We Are Sent in Ministry to the World____

THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD

SONG   May You Run and Not Be Weary   Black hymnal #2281

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   Variations    Petrini

[During the postlude there are people ready to pray for you at the candle in the corner.]