The Celebration of the Gospel

Third Sunday after Pentecost
June 14, 2015

The Realm of God is like a mustard seed, the smallest of all the seeds,
yet it becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.
—Mark 4.31-32

_______ We Gather as The Body of Christ_______

GREETING
PRELUDE
8:15: Stars In My Crown – arr: Fred Binckes
10:30: In Celebration by Brian Childers (The Bells of St. Matthew’s)

[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: Eternal Mystery, Sun of Life, you create all things.
All:    Your glory shines in every living being.
Living Christ, Divine Presence, you plant the seed of your love in us.
Your beauty, your grace are hidden in our hearts.
Spirit of Love, you call forth our compassion.
By your growth in us, we flower with the fruit of your grace.
We thank you. We worship you. We give ourselves to you. Alleluia!

* SONG   When Morning Gilds the Skies   Blue hymnal #185

(10:30) CHILDREN’S TIME

___________ We Attend to the Word___________

(10:30) THE WORD IN SONG
Sing It Out!   Victor Jortack (The Choristers)
Two Shaker Songs   arr. E. E. Ferguson

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, help us to see ourselves with the eyes of love,
to see all that is in us that is loving,
and all that is not loving,
and by your Spirit in us to become more loving.
By the grace that we know in Christ,
receive us, 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 OF THE DAY
God of grace, you plant the mustard seed of your love in us. May it flourish and grow by your grace. May the sun of your Word shine upon us; the water of your grace nourish us; the warm earth of Christ hold us and bless us to bring forth life in your name. Amen.

NEW TESTAMENT         from 2 Corinthians 4.6 – 5.17
[God has placed God’s own glory in each of us. Our outer nature is like a cracked clay jar, but our inner nature is glorious, always being renewed. So we don’t just notice outer appearance: we see people’s inner glory. When we live in harmony with this inner grace, all of Creation is renewed. There is a whole new universe!]

God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts also so the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ will shine in our own faces as well.
But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be clear
that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us….
       Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day…. Therefore we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal….
       From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that 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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PSALTER        a paraphrase from Psalm 20
[We celebrate that God is faithful to each person, delighting in their gifts and bringing their dreams to fruit.]

May the Holy One be with you in all your struggles.
       May God treasure your gifts with delight.
May God grant your deepest desires
       and bring to fruition the seeds of grace in you.
We rejoice at one another’s giftedness;
       we celebrate what God is doing in you.
God will always be present with God’s Beloved.
       God responds with love and blessing.
Some trust in power and accomplishments,
       but our trust is in God,
in God’s amazing glory unfolding in each of us.
Help us to trust this vision, O God.
       Be our hope and our trust.
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GOSPEL   Mark 4.26-34
[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.]

The kingdom 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— the sower knows not 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 the sower goes in with the sickle, because the harvest has come.

With what can we compare the kingdom 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

SONG   You Are the Seed   Blue hymnal #583

THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
[Anyone who wishes may share a prayer concern at the microphone.]
PASSING THE PEACE

______ We Are Sent in Ministry to the World_____

OFFERING OUR GIFTS
8:15: To God Be The Glory – Wm. Doane, arr: Ethel Tench Rogers
10:30: How Can I Keep from Singing? arr. Alice Parker

* OFFERING SONG   Bless Thou the Gifts   Blue hymnal #587

* 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. May your grace grow and bear fruit in our lives by the power of your Spirit in us, for the sake of the healing of the world, in the name of Christ. Amen.

THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD

* SONG   As a Fire Is Meant for Burning   Black hymnal #2237

* 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   Since Jesus Came Into My Heart   Tune:  McDANIEL, arr: Mark Hayes

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