Fourth Sunday After 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
Now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation! Now we are in
the storm, the boat almost swamped; but Jesus is here now, and when we call
him, he will calm the storm. Even the wind and waves listen to him as they
would to their creator. We also listen to him and are called to believe in the
power of God’s word in him, a power greater than all that we fear.
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.
God, who is rich in mercy, loved us even when we were dead in sin, and
made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved. In the name
of ☩ Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven.
Almighty God strengthen you with power through the Holy Spirit, that Christ may
live in your hearts through faith.
Amen.
Gathering Song – Eternal Father,
Strong to Save (ELW #756)
Listen Here
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 – Glory to God (page #213)
Listen Here
Prayer of the Day
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
O God of creation, eternal majesty, you preside over land and sea,
sunshine and storm. By your strength pilot us, by your power preserve us, by
your wisdom instruct us, and by your hand protect us, through Jesus Christ, our
Savior and Lord.
Amen.
Readings
A reading from the First Book of Samuel 17.32-49
David said to Saul, “Let no one’s heart
fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” Saul
said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with
him; for you are just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” But
David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father; and
whenever a lion or a bear came, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after it
and struck it down, rescuing the lamb from its mouth; and if it turned against
me, I would catch it by the jaw, strike it down, and kill it. Your servant has
killed both lions and bears; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like
one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.” David said,
“The Lord, who saved me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear,
will save me from the hand of this Philistine.” So Saul said to David, “Go, and
may the Lord be with you!”
Saul clothed David with his armor; he
put a bronze helmet on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail. David
strapped Saul’s sword over the armor, and he tried in vain to walk, for he was
not used to them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these; for I am
not used to them.” So David removed them. Then he took his staff in his hand,
and chose five smooth stones from the wadi, and put them in his shepherd’s bag,
in the pouch; his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine.
The Philistine came on and drew near to
David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. When the Philistine looked and
saw David, he disdained him, for he was only a youth, ruddy and handsome in
appearance. The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with
sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine said to
David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to
the wild animals of the field.” But David said to the Philistine, “You come to
me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come to you in the name of the Lord
of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This very day
the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off
your head; and I will give the dead bodies of the Philistine army this very day
to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the earth, so that all the
earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may
know that the Lord does not save by sword and spear; for the battle is the
Lord’s and he will give you into our hand.”
When the Philistine drew nearer to meet
David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. David
put his hand in his bag, took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine
on his forehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the
ground.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 9
Listen Here
A reading from the Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians 6.1-13
As we work together with him, we urge
you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says,
“At an acceptable time I have listened
to you,
and on a day of salvation I have helped you.”
See, now is the acceptable time; see,
now is the day of salvation! We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so
that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we have
commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions,
hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless
nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit,
genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of
righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in
ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as
unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see – we are alive; as punished,
and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making
many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
We have spoken frankly to you
Corinthians; our heart is wide open to you. There is no restriction in our
affections, but only in yours. In return – I speak as to children – open wide
your hearts also.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Children’s Message
(from Sermons 4 Kids)
David and Goliath
Go and grab 5 stones! Doesn’t matter what they look like, just 5 stones
and bring them in front of you while you read this message.
You may already know about the boy named David who fought and killed a
giant named Goliath. Goliath was a mighty warrior who was more than nine feet
tall! It’s hard for any of us to show that height, but we can use a measuring
tape. (Ask your parents for a measuring tape to see how tall nine feet is on
your wall or along your floor.)
Goliath wasn’t only tall, but he also wore strong armor on his whole
body, and he had a sword and spear. The armor weighed one hundred pounds.
David, on the other hand, was a young shepherd boy. He had no armor; it
was too heavy for him. And he had no sword or spear. David's weapon was a
slingshot and his ammunition was five smooth stones which he picked up from a
nearby stream. But David defeated that giant who all the Israelite soldiers
were afraid to face!
We might not face a nine-foot giant, but we face giants of other kinds,
like insecurity, loneliness, and failure. And we can remember David’s five
stones to help us defeat the giants we face.
The first stone represents COURAGE. (Hold the first stone in your
hands.) David was not afraid to face the enemy. "Don't worry about a
thing," David told Saul. "I'll go fight this Philistine!" (1
Samuel 17:32) You will use courage to face giants in your life.
The second stone represents CONFIDENCE.
(Hold the second stone in your hands.) As a shepherd, David protected
the sheep from wild animals; so he had confidence to face Goliath. "The
LORD who saved me from the claws of the lion and the bear will save me from
this Philistine!" (1 Samuel 17:37) Like David, you can have confidence
that God will help you overcome the problems you face.
The third stone represents PREPARATION.
(Hold the third stone in your hands.) David didn't face the giant
unprepared. He went to the stream and collected five smooth stones in his bag.
Armed with his shepherd's staff and slingshot, he went to fight Goliath. (1
Samuel 17:40) It’s important for you to prepare to face the challenges in your
life, too.
The fourth stone represents TRUST.
(Hold the fourth stone in your hands.) David didn’t trust in his own
ability. When Goliath shouted at David, cursed him, and was ready to kill him,
David said, "You come to me with a sword and spear, but I come to you in
the name of the LORD God Almighty." (1 Samuel 17:45) When you face
problems, put your trust in God, not in your own ability.
The fifth stone represents VICTORY.
(Hold the fifth stone in your hands.) "It’s God's battle, not
ours," David said. (1 Samuel 17:47) That’s why David had victory over the
giant with only a stone and sling. When you turn your battles over to God,
you’ll have the victory over the giants in your life.
So the next time you’re facing a giant in your life, remember David and
Goliath and the five smooth stones. Say it out loud, holdings the stones in
your hands – courage, confidence, preparation, trust, and victory.
Dear God, just as You gave David the victory in his battle with Goliath,
we know that when we put our trust in You, You will give us the victory over the
giants we face in our daily life. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Gospel Acclamation – Alleluia (page #216)
Listen Here
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark 4.35-41
Glory to you, O Lord.
On that day, when evening had come, he
said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd
behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were
with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that
the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the
cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that
we are perishing?” He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace!
Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them,
“Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great
awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea
obey him?”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O
Christ.
Sermon
May only truth be spoken and only truth
received. Amen.
Today
we begin by acknowledging National Indigenous People’s Day on June 21. We give
thanks for the gifts these communities bring to the church and the world, and
pray for all those involved in strengthening, supporting and advocating for the
marginalized and vulnerable in our society.
Let’s
keep this thought in mind as I tell you a story.
Ancient
Palestine had along its eastern border a mountain range. In that mountain range
are all of the ancient cities of that region – Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron.
Then
there's a coastal plain along the Mediterranean where Tel Aviv is now and
connecting the mountain range with the coastal plain is a series of valleys and
ridges that run east to West. You would have to go through this valley to get
from the coastal plain to the mountains.
This
part of Israel is full of forests and wheat fields and vineyards.
More
importantly, though, in the history of that region, it had a real strategic
function. It is how hostile armies on the coastal plain find their way up into
the mountains and threaten those living in the mountains.
That’s
where we are in today’s reading from Samuel.
The
Philistines, who are the biggest of enemies of the Kingdom of Israel, are
living in the coastal plain. They are originally a seafaring people, and they
start to make their way through one of the valleys up into the mountains.
They
want to occupy the highland area right by Bethlehem and split the Kingdom of
Israel in two.
The
king of Israel, King Saul, obviously catches wind of this and Saul brings his
army down from the mountains and confronts the Philistines in the valley of Elah,
one of the most beautiful of the valleys in the area.
The
Israelites dig in along the northern ridge and the Philistines dig in along the
southern ridge and the two armies just sit there for weeks and stare at each
other.
They're
deadlocked. Neither could attack the other because to attack the other side
you've got to come down the mountain into the valley and then up the other side
and you're completely exposed.
So,
finally, to break the deadlock, the Philistines send their mightiest warrior
down into the valley floor and he calls out and he says to the Israelites, “send
your mightiest warrior down and we’ll have this out, just the two of us!”
This
was a tradition in ancient warfare called single combat. It was a way of
settling disputes without incurring the bloodshed of a major battle.
The
Philistine sent down their mighty warrior. He is a giant. He's 6 foot 9. He's
outfitted head to toe in this glittering bronze armor and he's got a sword and
he's got a javelin and he's got a spear.
He
is absolutely terrifying. He's so terrifying that none of the Israelite
soldiers want to fight him.
It's
a death wish, right? There's no way they think they can take him.
Finally,
the only person who will come forward is this young shepherd boy, who goes up
to Saul and he says, “I’ll fight” and Saul says, “you can't fight! That's
ridiculous! You’re just a kid, he is a mighty warrior!”
But
the shepherd is adamant. He says, “no, no, no, you don't understand! I have
been defending my flock against lions and wolves for years. I think I can do it!”
Saul
has no choice. No one else has come forward. Saul says, “alright then.” He
turns to the kid and says, “but you've got to wear this armor. You can't go as
you are.”
He
tries to give the shepherd his armor and the shepherd says no because “I can't wear
this stuff. I cannot wear this for I have not proved it” meaning “I've never
worn armor before! You’ve got to be crazy!”
The
shepherd boy reaches down, instead, and picks up five stones and puts them in
his shepherd’s bag and starts to walk down the mountainside to meet the giant.
The
giant sees this figure approaching and calls out, “come to me so I could feed
your flesh to the to birds of the heavens and to the beasts of the field!” He
is taunting this person coming to fight him.
The
shepherd draws closer and closer and the giant sees that he's carrying a staff.
That's
all he's carrying, instead of a weapon, just this shepherd staff.
And
the giant, insulted, says, “am I a dog that you would come to me with sticks?”
The
shepherd boy takes one of the stones out of his bag, puts it in his sling, and
rolls it around and let's it fly, and it hits the giant right between the eyes!
Right here in his most vulnerable spot, and he falls down, unconscious.
The
shepherd boy runs up, takes the giant’s sword, and cuts off the giant’s head. The
Philistines see this, and they turn and they just run.
This
is, of course, the familiar story of David and Goliath.
David
has always been considered the underdog, with the assumption that Goliath
should have won that fight.
Why
is this the assumption?
Is
it because Goliath is so tall and David is so small?
Is
it because Goliath has all the weapons and David has nothing but a sling and a
rock?
In
general, we tend to judge people by their appearance, even if we don’t mean to.
Think
for a moment about your reaction to the following images:
A
big guy, wearing a leather jacket covered in tattoos and piercings?
A
woman dressed in a business suit?
A
group of teenagers hanging out on the corner?
A
person sitting outside 7-11 asking for change?
An
elderly-looking couple sitting on their porch?
A
well-kept lawn?
A
backyard full of car parts and other random items?
Take
note of your internal reactions to those images.
Perception
is everything, and yet, it means nothing.
We
don’t know anything about those people or those homes. We see them and we make
an assumption based on our perception.
I
have a hard one for you. One street corner has a white male asking for food.
The other street corner has an Indigenous male asking for food. To whom do you
have more empathy?
When
David walks out to meet Goliath in the valley, we can imagine the Philistines
laughing at David’s size and the Israelites embarrassed that their smallest
person was the only one with courage enough to face the giant.
But
they knew nothing about David, the shepherd of sheep who protects his flock
from lions and other prey on a daily basis.
David,
the man who is a sharp-shooter with a sling – a sling, not a sling-shot – 2
very different weapons – who was trained to take down a rushing lion in a
single shot.
David,
whose weapon of choice was a tame-looking rock that, actually, had similar
ballistics to a .45 pistol. (Not that they would have known that, but for your
knowledge.)
Our
perception of people, our assumptions about them, need to go beyond exterior
looks.
We
need to look deeper into a person’s life history in order to get to know them,
and even then, it is not our place to judge, but to have empathy and grace.
We
also need to consider other people’s perception of us.
How
many people put an orange frame on their Facebook profile picture over the last
little while?
How
many of us are hurting from the news, praying and grieving for those who are
lost and those who are mourning?
Now
how many of us have put our grief into action?
I
am guilty of this as well. I will not lie.
We
have created a perception that we walk with the Indigenous community who are
now up to 572 souls who were stolen, lost, and now found.
But
it’s easy to grieve for these babies and children.
It’s
easy to reflect an air of grief and sorrow for the families.
It’s
all about perception.
Now
we need to care and grieve for those who survived.
We
need to action on behalf of the alcoholic, the drug addict, the beggars, and
the parents who never got to parent.
We
need to walk with those who physically survived Residential Schools but have
lost their futures.
We
need to recognize that we have an opportunity to correct our perception of the
Indigenous community by learning the factual history of Canada, extend
apologies, and make change for the future of our relationship with them.
It
is easy to be Goliath, a giant who expects everyone to tremble before us. A
giant who will stomp on anyone in our way.
We
need to be David. Going into the fight with nothing but a few stones and a
strong faith in God as our weapons.
When
David’s stone hit Goliath in the forehead, history was forever changed.
It’s
time for us to pick up our stones and take down our own Goliath’s.
Amen.
Hymn of the Day – Jesus Saviour,
Pilot me (ELW #755)
Listen Here
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
Let us come before the triune God in prayer.
Silence
Holy God, you gather your people from east and west, north and south. We
pray for the mission of the church throughout the world, that your steadfast
love may be made known to all peoples.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
You laid the foundations of the earth and the waters are the womb of creation.
The morning stars sing your name and all creation shouts for joy. We pray for
your blessed creation, that it may continue to flourish and magnify your glory.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
You keep watch over all nations. We pray for countries experiencing
violence, hunger, and unrest. Guide worldwide and local community organizations
in their efforts to establish safety and justice.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
You are close to the brokenhearted and near to those in distress. We
pray for those who are experiencing oppression. Liberate us from the systems
and chains that bind us. Remove the barriers that separate us from one another.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
You dwell with us in this faith community. We pray for our leaders and
elders. Grant them knowledge, patience, and kindness, that through their
leadership you may be exalted in this assembly.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Please
take time to offer your own intercessions or to pray in silence.
Your love endures in all situations. On this Father’s Day, we pray for
those who are fathers or wish to be fathers, for those with broken or strained
relationships, for those who are missing their fathers, and for fathers who
have lost children. Bless and strengthen them.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
We lift our prayers to you, O God, trusting in your abiding grace.
Amen.
Peace
The peace of Christ be with you always.
And also with you.
Hymn
of Thanksgiving – Praise and Thanksgiving (ELW #689)
Listen Here
**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.
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, 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 and ever. Amen.
Blessing
May our glorious God grant you a spirit of
wisdom to know and to love the risen Lord Jesus.
The God of life, Creator, ☩ Redeemer, and Sanctifier, bless you now and
forever.
Amen.
Sending Song – My Life Flows On (ELW
#763)
Listen Here
Dismissal
Go in peace. Christ is with you.
Thanks be to God.
