Thirteenth 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
The prophet Jeremiah speaks of the incurable wound of his suffering yet
finds in God’s words the delight of his heart. When Peter doesn’t grasp Jesus’
words about suffering, Jesus tells the disciples they will find their lives in
losing them. Such sacrificial love is described by Paul when he urges us to
associate with the lowly and not repay evil with evil. In worship we gather as
a community that we might offer ourselves for the sake of our suffering world.
Gathering Song – Holy, Holy, Holy,
Lord God Almighty (ELW #413)
Listen Here
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.
Thanksgiving for Baptism
Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God, the fountain of living water, the rock who gave us birth, our light and our salvation.
Amen.
Joined to Christ in the waters of baptism, we are clothed with God's mercy and forgiveness. Let us give thanks for the gift of baptism.
We give you thanks, O God, for in the beginning your Spirit moved over the waters and by your Word you created the world, calling forth life in which you took delight.
Through the waters of the flood you delivered Noah and his family. Through the sea you led your people Israel from slavery into freedom.
At the river your Son was baptized by John and anointed with the Holy
Spirit. By water and your Word you claim us as daughters and sons, making us heirs of your promise and servants of all.
We praise you for the gift of water that sustains life, and above all we praise you for the gift of new life in Jesus Christ. Shower us with your Spirit, and renew our lives with your forgiveness, grace, and love.
To you be given honor and praise through Jesus Christ our Lord in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and forever.
Amen.
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
Listen Here
Prayer of the Day
Let us pray.
O God, we thank you for your Son, who chose the path of suffering for
the sake of the world. Humble us by his example, point us to the path of
obedience, and give us strength to follow your commands, through Jesus Christ,
our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
A reading from the Book of Exodus 3:1-15
Moses experienced the call of God when
God appeared to him in a bush that burned but was not consumed. When Moses
expressed his unworthiness, God promised to be with him. When Moses objected
that people would demand to know God’s name, God revealed his personal name,
Yahweh (I am who I am), or the Lord. Israel discovered God’s true identity when
God took them out of Egypt.
Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of
Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain
of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a
bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses
said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is
not burned up.” When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called
to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said,
“Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you
are standing is holy ground.” He said further, “I am the God of your father,
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his
face, for he was afraid to look at God.
Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in
Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know
their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and
to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with
milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites,
the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. The cry of the Israelites has
now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I
will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” But
Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the
Israelites out of Egypt?” He said, “I will be with you; and this shall be the
sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of
Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.”
But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them,
‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his
name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” He said
further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I am has sent me to you.’” God
also said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God
of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,
has sent me to you’:
This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45b
O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name,
make known his deeds among the
peoples.
Sing to him, sing
praises to him;
tell of all his wonderful works.
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who
seek the Lord rejoice.
Seek the Lord and his
strength;
seek his presence continually.
Remember the wonderful works he has done,
his miracles, and the
judgments he has uttered,
O offspring of his
servant Abraham,
children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
Then Israel came to Egypt;
Jacob lived as an alien in the
land of Ham.
And the Lord made his
people very fruitful,
and made them stronger than their foes,
whose hearts he then turned to hate his people,
to deal craftily with his
servants.
He sent his servant
Moses,
and Aaron whom he had chosen.
that they might keep his statutes
and observe his laws.
Praise the Lord!
A reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans 12:9-21
Paul presents benchmarks for faithful
relationships with Christians and non-Christians. Love is the unflagging
standard of our behavior. When we encounter evil, we do not resort to its
tactics but seek to overcome it with good. While Christians cannot control the
actions and attitudes of others, we seek to live at peace with all people.
Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love
one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not
lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient
in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints;
extend hospitality to strangers.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with
those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another;
do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than
you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble
in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live
peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the
wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the
Lord.” No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give
them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their
heads.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation
Listen Here
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
The holy gospel according to Matthew 16:21-28
Glory to you, O Lord.
After Peter confesses
that Jesus is “the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (16:16), Jesus reveals
the ultimate purpose of his ministry. These words prove hard to accept, even
for a disciple whom Jesus has called a “rock.”
From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to
Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief
priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter
took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must
never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!
You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine
things but on human things.”
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let
them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want
to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will
find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit
their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?
“For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his
Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. Truly I tell
you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the
Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
The gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O
Christ.
Sermon
Guest speaker - David Lose, senior pastor at Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Typically, the focus today
would be on the heartbreak of the rebuke Jesus levels at Peter. Then a connection
would be made between Peter’s disappointment and our own, as we, too, often
want a strong God, even a warrior God, who will come in to save us from our
problems. Those desires make it hard to accept, let alone celebrate, Jesus
coming to us in vulnerability, suffering, and death. Until, that is, we realize
that it is exactly in our own vulnerability, suffering, and death that we most
need God and where Jesus promises to meet us in the cross. And, once again, that’s
not a bad interpretation.
But this week, and in light of
everything, we are instead drawn to the verses often passed over: Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want
to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and
follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who
lose their life for my sake will find it” (16:24-25).
These verses often elicit two
distinct reactions. Some folks embrace Jesus’ words, feeling themselves both
called and capable to make decisions that reflect their Christian commitment,
even to the point of sacrifice. For them, these words are an invitation.
Other Christians, however,
struggle to find joy in these words. Some may be aware of their own limitations
and so doubt their ability to embrace the cross, while others experience this
as a request to denigrate themselves and can point to too many examples in
culture where specific persons or groups have been told by their oppressors to
“bear their cross.” Not all struggle and suffering, they will remind us, is
sacrificial or beneficial, and so they are understandably leery of any blanket
statements that legitimate unholy oppression. For both these latter groups,
Jesus’ words are a burden, whether imposed on them by Christ or by others.
There may, however, be a third
way to interpret these words, which is simply to recognize a) that suffering
happens and b) whether you choose it, embrace it, or resist it, Christ is
present with you in it.
Sometimes we are so keenly
aware of Jesus’ words of his impending suffering and death that we assume it
was all part of some plan (presumably God’s plan). But what if, instead, God’s
plan was to send Jesus to bear a word of redemption and grace and love and the
cross happened as a result? (See John 3:19.)
That is, it’s not that the
only way by which God could conceive of redeeming humanity was for God’s son to
be violently put to death, but rather that God in Jesus came amongst us bearing
a vital message of love and acceptance even though Jesus knew that humanity’s
likely response would be to reject the message and kill the messenger.
In this sense, the cross was
not Jesus’ goal, but rather the outcome of Jesus’ fidelity in the face of
unfaithful people. He didn’t choose the cross but rather trusted God to work
even through the extreme of the cross for the sake of the world God loves so
much.
Similarly, the cross isn’t
something we choose, but rather it is something that finds us. Sometimes what
is redemptive in our suffering is obvious – the sacrifices we make for our
family members and friends, foregoing individual “rights” during a pandemic for
the sake of community health – and sometimes it’s hard to tell if there is
anything good at all, let alone redemptive, in the suffering we see and experience.
And yet Christ identifies with all of our suffering, took it all on himself in
his suffering, and promises to meet us in ours.
What does “take up your cross
and deny yourself” look like in this case? Perhaps it’s following Jesus’ lead
and, to the best of our ability, to make decisions and act in a way that
reflects God’s love for us and all people, God’s acceptance of us and all
people, God’s desire for abundant life for us and all people.
“Deny yourself” is not the
same as “forget all about yourself” and certainly is not “debase yourself.” By
linking “and all people” to “us,” we realize God is in it for everyone, not
just us and that is, I think, what denying yourself looks like – seeing that
you and I are part of something larger, in recognizing that there is, in fact,
no meaningful “you” or “I” apart from “us.”
Suffering doesn’t need to be –
and, quite honestly, should be not be – spiritualized. And it should not be
justified. And it should regularly be resisted, particularly as we are moved to
resist the actions and systems that we undertake or in which we are involved
that increase the suffering of others. But trust me, suffering – chosen and
sacrificial or unbidden and at times even unholy – will find us. And Jesus will
be there.
Where or how are you suffering
today? Are you able to name it? Are you tired, hurting, fearful, insecure,
anxious, in pain, or distressed?
Name these things honestly, in
the sense of biblical lament, in order to hear again God’s promise in Christ be
in it with us, to see in our hardships a kindred experience to Christ’s cross,
and to count more fully on Christ’s presence and power to see us through.
We literally cannot save our
own lives, and our attempts to do so often take a toll on ourselves and others.
But as we surrender that impulse and hear and trust God’s promise, we discover
that those things which seek to take our lives are no match for the crucified
and resurrected Christ and we discover new life even amid them.
There is so much suffering
going on right now. Whether related to COVID, racial injustice, economic
hardship, emotional despair, or more.
In all these things, not just
Christ’s cross is present, but Christ himself – holding us, lamenting with us,
encouraging us, and promising us the strength to endure, to flourish, and to
help others do the same.
Amen.
Hymn of the Day – Will You Come and
Follow Me (ELW #798)
Listen Here
Affirmation of Faith
Let us confess
the faith of our baptism, as we say the Apostles’ Creed:
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 faithfulness, you bid your people to follow Jesus. Set the mind
of your church on divine things. Grant us trust in you, that we lose our lives
for the sake of Christ and thereby discover joy in life through him. Lord, in
your mercy,
hear our prayer.
God of wonder, the earth is yours and all that is in it. Heal your
creation and give us eyes to see the world as you do. As the seasons change,
pattern the rhythm of our lives in harmony with all creation. Lord, in your
mercy,
hear our prayer.
God of all nations, you call us to live peaceably with all. Give us ears
to hear one another, even those we name as enemies. Fill all leaders with mercy
and understanding, that they advocate and genuinely care for those who are poor
and most vulnerable in their communities. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
God of salvation, you promise to deliver us. Give those who suffer a
strong sense of your presence and love. Accompany those who are uncertain,
raise the spirits of those who are despairing, and heal the sick. Lord, in your
mercy,
hear our prayer.
God of community, you call us to rejoice in hope, be patient in
suffering, and persevere in prayer. Make our congregation a workshop of your
love. When we quarrel, bring reconciliation. Help us overcome evil with good.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Here other
intercessions may be offered.
God of all grace, you give us everlasting life. In love we recall your
holy ones who now live in your undying light. In our remembering, give us a
foretaste of the feast to come. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
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.
Thanksgiving for the Word
Let us pray.
O God of justice and love, we give thanks to you that you illumine our
way through life with the words of your Son. Give us the light we need, awaken
us to the needs of others, and at the end bring all the world to your feast;
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.
Sending Song – By Our Love
performed by For King And Country
Listen Here
Dismissal
Go in peace to share the good news.
Thanks be to God.
