Seventh Sunday of
Pentecost
**Please note this service is based on the format of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada. Unless otherwise indicated, all prayers come from Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW). Hymns and other prayers have been sourced to give appropriate credit.
**NRSV translation used for the readings, unless otherwise stated.
**This is for personal use at home as the church is unable to gather in our houses of worship but together we can worship in our own homes.
Introduction to the day
It is an age-old question: why is there evil in the world? In the
parable of the wheat and the weeds Jesus suggests that both grow together until
the harvest. With Paul, we long for the day that all creation will be set free
from bondage and suffering. Having both weeds and wheat within us, we humbly
place our hope in the promises of God, and from the Lord’s table we go forth to
bear the fruit of justice and mercy.
Confession and Forgiveness
Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God, who forgives all our sin, whose mercy endures forever. Amen.
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.
Most merciful God,
we confess that we
are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in
thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as
ourselves. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive
us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your
ways, to the glory of your holy name.
Amen.
In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the God, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Gathering Song – God Is Here! (ELW #526)
Greeting
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion
of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.
Canticle of Praise (p. 213)
Prayer of the Day
Let us pray.
Faithful God, most merciful judge, you care for your children with
firmness and compassion. By your Spirit nurture us who live in your kingdom,
that we may be rooted in the way of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and
Lord.
Amen.
A reading from the Book of Genesis 28:10-19a
God’s graciousness to Jacob is shown in
God’s revelation of the divine self to the patriarch, who is running for his
life after cheating his brother Esau out of the family inheritance. Jacob
promises that if God brings him back to the land, he will be loyal to God and
give God a tenth of everything (vv. 20-22).
Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the Lord stood beside him and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called that place Bethel.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24
O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from
far away.
You search out my
path and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
O Lord, you know it
completely.
You hem me in, behind
and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is so high that I cannot
attain it.
Where can I go from
your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you
are there.
If I take the wings
of the morning
and settle at the farthest limits of the
sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold
me fast.
If I say, “Surely the
darkness shall cover me,
and the light around me become night,”
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is as bright as the
day,
for darkness is as light to
you.
Search me, O God, and
know my heart;
test me and know my thoughts.
See if there is any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way
everlasting.
A reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans 8:12-25
For Paul, true spirituality means that
we experience the reality of the Spirit, which enables us to pray as God’s
children, keeps us in solidarity with creation, and gives us unseen hope that
God will liberate us and creation from bondage to death and decay.
So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation (p. 216)
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
The holy gospel according to Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
Glory to you, O Lord.
Jesus tells a parable
about the coexistence of good and evil in this world. God’s judgment will
remove all evildoers and causes of sin, but not until the end of human history.
He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”
Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!
The gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O
Christ.
Sermon
Some weeks, the lectionary gives us clergy-folk too many
choices. There are lot of directions I could have taken the lesson this week,
and as we all know, when one is confronted with too many choices, often no
choice is made in the end.
So rather than stare at a computer screen waiting for
inspiration to hit, I decided to bake some banana bread. Spiritual inspiration
is frequently found in the most mundane of tasks.
Over the years, I have discovered that cooking and baking
are two very different things. In cooking, I start with a recipe to get the
base list of ingredients and cooking times. If the recipe is new, I might buy
the exact ingredients I need. Very often, though, I am missing an ingredient or
two and either drop them from the meal or replace them. It’s fairly easy to
change up things like the protein, the vegetable, and even some of the
seasonings to use what I already happen to have on hand. I especially love
making chili because I can open the fridge, freezer, and cupboards and just
throw in whatever ingredients I find!
I learned pretty quickly that a baking recipe, for the most
part, really needs to be followed to the letter. The exact amount of flour,
sugar, baking powder, salt, and the like must be used or the recipe turns out
either completely different or completely disastrous. There isn’t totally
rigidity. When I was baking the banana bread, I changed the walnuts for
chocolate chips, but for the most part, baking requires you to be specific in
what ingredients are used and how much.
Baking is a science. You should always pick the best
ingredients and follow the law of the recipe.
There is flexibility in cooking. Sure, you could go out and
buy the best ingredients, or you could cook with what you have and let God take
care of the rest.
Of course, in the end, just because you follow the recipe,
doesn’t mean everything will work out. Sometimes, we make poor choices in
ingredients. I once replaced pasta with lentils (because I had some in the
cupboard and wanted to use them up) and ended up with mush.
Our lives are full of choices, and not just in the kitchen.
We live with so many choices, so many obligations, so many demands and
opportunities that can become overwhelming, fast.
How often have you had two opportunities fall into your lap
and you had to spend time weighing out the pros and cons, praying that you will
make the right decision?
How many times in your life have you made a choice knowing
that you have to just wait and see what happens in order to see the fruits of
that decision?
This is where today’s parable comes in. Yes, the sower
planted with good seeds. Yes, there are now weeds strewn among the wheat that
puts the ideal harvest the sower had imagined at risk. Ideally, the servants
could just rip out the weeds, but the sower knows that to tear out the weeds
now risks ruining the maturing wheat as well. And so the sower must wait,
living with both the wheat and the weeds until the day of harvest when they may
be separated in due time.
Our lives are littered with situations where there is no
clear or easy answer. That is where faith becomes so important.
In this parable, Jesus tells us that in challenging
situations we have the promise that, in the end, God will sort things out.
That doesn’t mean everything will turn out just fine.
Sometimes we don’t choose well. Sometimes things go wrong.
We don’t live in an ideal world and each week we’re faced with
challenging decisions, some small and others large, to which there is no clear
answer. Some decisions we’ll get right, others wrong, and still others we won’t
know whether we were right or wrong for months or years to come. But we still
need to make them.
And then, each week, no matter how we fared, we can come
back to church on Sunday morning to be reminded that God loves us anyway and
promises that, in the end, God will hold all of our choices and all of our
lives together in love.
The promise here isn’t that Christian faith prevents hardship; the promise is that we are not justified by our right choices but rather by grace through faith. And knowing we have God’s unconditional love in spite of our choices frees us to live in the moment.
Hymn of the Day – Almighty God, Your Word is Cast (ELW #516)
Creed
Let us confess
the faith of our baptism, as we say the Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the
Father almighty,
creator of heaven and
earth.
I believe in Jesus
Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by
the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin
Mary,
suffered under
Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died,
and was buried;
he descended to the
dead.
On the third day he
rose again;
he ascended into
heaven,
he is seated at the
right hand of the Father,
and he will come to
judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy
Spirit,
the holy catholic
church,
the communion of
saints,
the forgiveness of
sins,
the resurrection of
the body,
and the life
everlasting. Amen.
Prayers of Intercession
Confident of your care and helped by the Holy Spirit, we pray for the
church, the world, and all who are in need.
Silence
God of the harvest, you sow the good seed of the gospel of Jesus Christ into your field. Help your church throughout the world to be both diligent and patient, full of resolve and gentleness, that our witness may be faithful to your intentions. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
God of all space and time, your whole creation groans in labor pains, awaiting the gift of new birth. Renew the earth, sky, and sea, so that all your creation experiences freedom from the bondage of decay. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
God of the nations, teach us your ways, that we may walk in your truth. Mend the fabric of the human family, now torn apart by our fearful and warring ways. Guide us by your mercy, grace, and steadfast love. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
God of hope, you accompany those who suffer and are near to the brokenhearted. Open our hearts to your children who are lonely and abandoned, who feel trapped by despair, and all who suffer in any way. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
God of the seasons, in the midst of summer, give us refreshment, renewal, and new opportunities. We pray for the safety of those who travel. We pray for those who cannot take the rest they need. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
God of life, those who have died in you shine like the sun in your endless kingdom. We remember with thanksgiving the saints of all times and places and saints close to us. Gather us with them on the day of salvation. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Here other intercessions may be offered.
In the certain hope that nothing can separate us from your love, we offer these prayers to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Peace
The peace of Christ be with you always.
And also with you.
Offering
**Although
not physically at our church buildings to share our offering together I would
encourage you to set your offering of money aside so that it can be dropped off
or placed in the church once services resume, to mail your offering to the
church, or to make donations online. Please remember ministry is still taking
place.
Let us pray.
Salvation belongs to our God
and to Christ the Lamb forever and ever.
Great and wonderful are your deeds,
O God of the universe;
just and true are your ways,
O Ruler of all the nations.
Who can fail to honor you, Lord,
and sing the glory of your name?
Salvation belongs to our God
and to Christ the Lamb forever and ever.
For you alone are the Holy One,
and blessed is the one
whose name is the Word of God.
All praise and thanks to you, holy God!
Salvation belongs to our God
and to Christ the Lamb forever and ever.
Amen.
Thanksgiving for the Word
Let us pray.
Praise and thanks to you, holy God, for by your Word you made all things: you spoke light into darkness, called forth beauty from chaos, and brought life into being. For your Word of life, O God,
we give you thanks
and praise.
By your Word you called your people Israel to tell of your wonderful
gifts: freedom from captivity, water on the desert journey, a pathway home from
exile, wisdom for life with you. For your Word of life, O God,
we give you thanks
and praise.
Through Jesus, your Word made flesh, you speak to us and call us to
witness: forgiveness through the cross, life to those entombed by death, the
way of your self-giving love. For your Word of life, O God,
we give you thanks
and praise.
Send your Spirit of truth, O God; rekindle your gifts within us: renew
our faith, increase our hope, and deepen our love, for the sake of a world in
need. Faithful to your Word, O God, draw near to all who call on you; through
Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be
honor and glory forever.
Amen.
Lord’s Prayer
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.
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.
Blessing
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord’s face shine on you with grace and
mercy.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
Amen.
Sending Song – We Are Called (ELW #720)
Dismissal
Go forth into the world to serve God with gladness; be of good courage;
hold fast to that which is good; render to no one evil for evil; strengthen the
fainthearted; support the weak; help the afflicted; honor all people; love and
serve God, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Thanks be to God.
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