The Celebration of the Gospel
July 1, 2018 — 6th Sunday after Pentecost
“If I but touch the hem of his garment, I will be made well.”
— Mark 5.25
________We Gather as the Body of Christ______
GREETING
PRELUDE Adagio from Clarinet Concert W. AMozart, arr: Arjan Breukhoven
[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 and wholeness, we come to you broken, and our world is broken.
All: We reach out for the hem of your garment.
We come to you longing for healing.
We open ourselves to your mercy.
You come among us full of grace.
We feel your spirit move in us, and we are healed.
And so we bow before you, and in gratitude, humility and wonder
we tell the story of your grace.
* SONG When Jesus the Healer Passed Through Galilee Blue hymnal # 263
____________ We Attend to the Word__________
CHILDREN’S TIME
THE WORD IN SONG My Spirit Sang All Day Robert Bridges / Gerald Finzi
PRAYER
God of love, even as the world presses in on you with all its wants and demands, you walk among us in peace. You radiate your mercy and grace. We open ourselves to your love. We listen for your Word to enter us and change us. We reach for the hem of your garment. Enter our longing, and heal us. Amen.
NEW TESTAMENT James 5.13-16
[A description of the power of prayer and an invitation to be a community of honesty, prayer and healing.]
Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.
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* PSALTER Psalm 130
[A cry to God from the deep, dark places of our lives, trusting in God’s goodness. God does not judge us according to our shortcomings, but forgives us.]
Out of the deepest places in our hearts we cry to you, O Lord.
Hear the silent cries of our souls.
God, if you kept track our sin, who could survive?
But you forgive abundantly, and we are deeply grateful.
I wait for you, Lord. My soul waits. In your Word is my only hope.
My soul aches for you,
more than one in a long night awaiting morning,
more than one awaiting morning.
O people, hope in God, for with God there is steadfast love,
and with God there is power to redeem.
God will redeem us from all our unfaithfulness.
GOSPEL Mark 5.21-43
[Jesus is on the way to heal a girl near death when a woman with a flow of blood touches the fringe of his prayer shawl, and is healed. Jesus stops to talk with her. He is told that it is now too late: the girl has died. But he goes to her house anyway, and revives her.]
When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered round him; and he was by the lake. Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet and begged him repeatedly, ‘My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.’ So he went with him.
And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” His disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’” He looked all round to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?” But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. When he had entered, he said to them, “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha cum,” which means, “Little girl, get up!” And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
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SERMON
SONG Heal Me, Jesus
Heal me, Jesus. Heal me now.
Heal me, Jesus, with your precious, holy power.
I am yours, my Love, to do with as you will.
So heal me, Jesus, right now.
RECEPTION OF NEW MEMBERS
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
[Anyone who wishes may share a prayer concern at the microphone.]
SHARING THE PEACE OF CHRIST
___________We Share at Christ’s Table _________
OFFERING OUR GIFTS He Touched Me Wm. Gaither, arr: Fred Bock
* COMMUNION SONG We Feast on Your Love
Steve G-H
We feast on your presence. We feast on your love.
This is the banquet we’ve been dreaming of.
We reach for the hem of your garment. We open ourselves to your grace.
In flows the mercy you offer us, in every time and place.
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING Black hymnal # 2257 a
God of love, we give thanks, for you create the world as a flowering of your goodness.
You set free all your children who are detained and imprisoned.
You walk with us in new directions, healed, made new, and full of your light.
Your mercy flows freely, and we open ourselves to its light.
We hunger for your grace, and feast on your generosity.
Therefore with all Creation we sing your praise.
[Sanctus # 2257 b]
Blessed are all who come in your name, and blessed is Jesus, your Christ.
He taught and healed, and made his grace available to all.
He reached out to those who were excluded,
and to those who were denied mercy he offered mercy.
For assailing the structures of injustice he was crucified.
But in love you raised him from the dead,
and he lives among us and his love and presence guides us.
[The Blessing and Covenant…]
Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.”
As often as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection until he comes again.
Remembering these, your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving
as a living and holy sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:
[Memorial Acclamation # 2257 c]
Pour out your holy Spirit on these gifts of food,
that those who receive them may experience your love and grace.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,
healed and restored to life,
and radiant with you grace
for the sake of others who reach out for mercy and healing.
In our compassion may your glory shine.
[Amen # 2257 d]
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 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 healed us. You have raised us from the dead. Send us into the world to offer your grace to all who hunger for it, especially those who are denied mercy in this world, in the name of Christ and the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.
______We Are Sent in Ministry to the World_____
THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD
* SONG Jesus’ Hands Were Kind Hands Blue hymnal #273
* 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 O For A Thousand Tongues Tune: AZMON, arr: Lowell Mason
[During the postlude there are people ready to pray with you at the candles in the corners.]