The Celebration of the Gospel
August 23, 2015 — 13th Sunday after Pentecost
“I am the bread of life.”
— John 6.35
_______ We Gather as the Body of Christ_______
GREETING
PRELUDE Give Me Jesus Traditional, arr: Marianna Kim
[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 love, we are hungry for your grace.
All: You feed us the bread of life, and we thank you.
We are thirsty for your presence.
You give us drink from the well of eternal life, and we rejoice.
We hunger and thirst for true love.
We feast on your grace, and we worship you. Alleluia!
* SONG You Who Are Thirsty Black hymnal #2132
________ We Attend to the Word________
THE WORD IN SONG Let The Lower Lights Be Burning— Phillip P. Bliss
SMUMC Quartet: Susan Myszewski, Priscilla Killian, Don Vonada, Gordon Whitten
PRAYER OF THE DAY
God of life, we hunger for your love, and you give us Christ, the bread of Life. So we come to feast on your Word, to listen and be changed, that we too may be bread for the world. Feed us with your grace. Amen.
NEW TESTAMENT Ephesians 6.10-20
[Set aside all defensiveness and aggressiveness. Let our only weapons or armor be God, and God’s grace. With that power and security alone, we face the world and its challenges. ]
Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of God’s power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.
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PSALTER Psalm 34 Blue hymnal, page 769:1
[We thank God for God’s care and attentiveness. God accompanies us in hard times and provides for us in ways that are real and concrete: “O taste and see that the Lord is good!”]
I will bless the Lord at all times;
God’s praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
O magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt the name of God together.
I sought the Lord, who answered me,
and delivered me from all my fears.
Look to God, and be radiant;
so your faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord,
and was saved from every trouble.
The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear God, and delivers them.
O taste and see that the Lord is good;
happy are those who take refuge in the Beloved.
O fear the Lord, you holy ones,
for those who fear God have no want.
The young lions suffer want and hunger,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
Come, O children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Which of you desires life,
and covets many days to enjoy good?
Keep your tongue from evil,
and your lips from speaking deceit.
Depart from evil, and do good;
seek peace, and pursue it.
The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and God’s ears are open to their cry.
The face of the Lord is against evildoers,
to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears,
and rescues them from all their troubles.
The Lord is near to the broken-hearted,
and saves the crushed in spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the Lord rescues them from them all.
God keeps all their bones;
not one of them will be broken.
Evil brings death to the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
The Lord redeems the life of the faithful;
none of those who take refuge in God will be condemned.
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GOSPEL John 6.25-40
[Jesus says, “I am the bread of life.” His mission is to receive all people (“Anyone who comes to me I will never drive away”) and to give them life (“God’s will is that I should lose nothing of what God has given me”).]
When they found him on the other side of the lake, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Human One will give you. For that one bears the seal of God.”
Then they said to him, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the One whom God has sent.” So they said to him, “What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘God gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Then Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is Abba God who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
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. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. Everything that Abba God gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away; for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of the One who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that God has given me, but raise it up on the last day. This is indeed the will of Abba God, that all who see and trust in the Human One may have infinite life; and I will raise them up on the last day.”
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SERMON True Food
Rev. Zach Kerzee, Simple Church
[Pastor Steve is away today at a wedding. Special thanks to our guest preacher today, Zach Kerzee. Zach is the pastor of Simple Church, a church whose life centers on a dinner every Thursday evening in Grafton. Zach is a recent grad of Harvard Divinity School and is committed to simplicity as a spiritual practice. Recently Zach has become interested in sustainable agriculture and organic farming and enjoys raising chickens and hanging out with his wife Kendra, their daughter Amberly, and their husky, “Skunk.” Zach is from Texas and studied Religion and Greek at McMurry University before moving to New England for seminary. Zach loves to play guitar, read good books, and pack small bags for long trips.]
SONG All Who Hunger Black hymnal #2126
* AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
We trust in God, creator of all that is, provider of every good thing to eat.
We follow Jesus, the Bread of Life, who embodied God’s love, made grace available to all, and gave himself in love for us. He was crucified and died, and was raised from the dead. In him we are all made one, as grains united in one loaf.
We live by the Holy Spirit, the Yeast of God in us, who unites us, nourishes us and gives us strength to love our neighbors. Graced by the power of forgiveness, the promise of resurrection and the mystery of eternal life, we serve in the name of Christ for the sake of others, that in the power of the Holy Spirit we may be bread for the world.
* SONG Let Us Be Bread Black hymnal # 2260
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
Savior Like A Shepherd Lead Us Tune: BRADBURY, arr: Charity Book Putnam
* OFFERING SONG Be Present at our Table, Lord Blue hymnal #621
* 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. You feed us with your grace, with the presence of Christ, the Bread of Life. Send us now as bread for the world in the name of Christ and the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.
THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD
* SONG Let Us Be Bread Black hymnal #2260
* 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 Postlude On “PILGRIMS” Rex Koury
[During the postlude there are people ready to pray with you at the candles in the corners.]