The Celebration of the Gospel
June 14, 2020 – The Second Sunday after Pentecost
Note: The Prelude begins at 10: minutes into the video but at the beginning of the audio recordings.
Proclaim the good news, “The Realm of God has come near.”
Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.
—Matthew 10.7-8
_____________We are Received as the Beloved of God _______
PRELUDE
GREETING
OPENING PRAYER
God of love and grace, you have created us in love and beauty, and we praise you.
Jesus Christ, you have walked with us in the journey if faith, and we thank you.
Holy Spirit, you fill us with the power of your love. We open ourselves to be filled with your grace.
We worship you. Alleluia.
SONG
CHILDREN’S TIME
SONG
_____________We are Transformed by the Word of Christ _______
NEW TESTAMENT – Romans 8.31-39
If God is for us, who is against us? God who did not withhold their own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will they not with Christ also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through the One who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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PSALTER – Psalm 84
How lovely is your dwelling place, O God of all the universe!
My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the Holy One;
my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.
Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O God, my ruler and my Love.
Happy are those whose strength is in you.
As they journey through life they go from strength to strength.
O Holy One, God of the universe, hear my prayer; give ear, O God.
For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than live in the tents of wickedness.
For God is a sun and shield, who bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does God withhold from those who walk uprightly.
O God of the universe, happy is everyone who trusts in you.
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GOSPEL – Matthew 9.35– 10.1, 7-8
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the Empire of Grace, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
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. …
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The Empire of Grace has come near.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.”
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SERMON – Our unfinished story
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
SONG – Give me Jesus
SHARING THE PEACE OF CHRIST
_____________We are Sent in the Power of the Holy Spirit _______
SONG – Love is the Journey
TRANSITION LITANY
SAYING GOODBYE
BLESSING AND SENDING
RESPONSE
May the grace and peace of Christ be with you, my friends.
Go and share the love of God, love that never ends.
POSTLUDE