An Order for the Eucharist on the Third Sunday after Pentecost (14 June 2015)

Third Sunday after Pentecost

14 June 2015

The Gathering of the Community

Entrance Hymn

‘Hail to the Lord’s Anointed’  Common Praise #101

Greeting

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,

and the love of God,

and the communion of the Holy Spirit

be with you all.

And also with you.

You raise the dead to life in the Spirit:

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

You bring pardon and peace to the broken in heart:

Christ, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

You make one by your Spirit the torn and divided:

Lord, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy. [i]

Canticle

‘Laudate Dominum’  Common Praise #313 (sung three times)

Collect of the Day

Let us pray.

Mighty God,

to you belong the mysteries of the universe.

You transform shepherds into kings,

the smallest seeds into magnificent trees,

and hardened hearts into loving ones.

May your life-giving Spirit

re-create us in your image

and shape us into your purposes,

through Jesus Christ.  Amen. [ii]

The Proclamation of the Word of God

The First Reading

A reading from the First Book of Samuel (15.34-16.13).

           ³⁴ Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul.  ³⁵ Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord was sorry that he had made Saul king over Israel.

            ¹ The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul?  I have rejected him from being king over Israel.  Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.”  ² Samuel said, “How can I go?  If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.”  And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’  ³ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you^{.”  4} Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem.  The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, “Do you come peaceably?”  ⁵ He said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.”  And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

            ⁶ When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.”  ⁷ But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”  ⁸ Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel.  He said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.”  ⁹ Then Jesse made Shammah pass by.  And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.”  ¹⁰ Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.”  ¹¹ Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?”  And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.”  And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.”  ¹² He sent and brought him in.  Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome.  The Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.”  ¹³ Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward.  Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.

Thanks be to God.

The Psalm of the Day

Psalm 20 with a refrain from Songs for the Holy One

Refrain (sung twice):  Holy One, into our hands we commit ourselves and our work for peace and justice.

¹ May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble, *

            the name of the God of Jacob defend you;

² send you help from the holy place of the Lord *

            and strengthen you out of Zion;

³ remember all your offerings *

            and accept your burnt sacrifice;

⁴ grant you your heart’s desire *

            and prosper all your plans.

Refrain:  Holy One, into our hands we commit ourselves and our work for peace and justice.

⁵ We will shout for joy at your victory

and triumph in the name of our God; *

            may the Lord grant all your requests.

⁶ Now I know that you, O Lord, give victory to your anointed, *

            whom you will answer out of the heavenly realms

            with the victorious strength of your mighty hand.

⁷ Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses, *

            but we will call upon the name of the Lord our God.

⁸ They collapse and fall down, *

            but we will arise and stand upright.

⁹ O Lord, give victory to your anointed *

            and answer us when we call.

Refrain:  Holy One, into our hands we commit ourselves and our work for peace and justice.

The Second Reading

A reading from Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians (5.6-17).

            ⁶ So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord — ⁷ for we walk by faith, not by sight.  ⁸ Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.  ⁹ So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.  ¹⁰ For all of us must appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.

            ¹¹ Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade others; but we ourselves are well known to God, and I hope that we are also well known to your consciences.  ¹² We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart.  ¹³ For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.  ¹⁴ For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died.  ¹⁵ And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.

            ¹⁶ 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.  ¹⁷ So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation:  everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.

Thanks be to God.

Hymn before the Gospel

‘Alleluia’  Common Praise #712 (Refrain; v. 2; Refrain)

The Gospel

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark (4.26-34).

Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

            ²⁶ [Jesus] said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, ²⁷ and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how.  ²⁸ The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head.  ²⁹ But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.”

            ³⁰ He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it?  ³¹ It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth^{; 32} 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.”

            ³³ With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; ³⁴ he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.

The Gospel of Christ.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

The Sermon

The Apostles’ Creed

Let us confess the faith of our baptism.

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.

The Prayers of the Community

Intercessions, Thanksgivings and Petitions

The Exchange of the Peace

May the peace of the Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

The Holy Communion

Offertory Hymn

‘For the Fruit of All Creation’  Common Praise #259

The Prayer over the Gifts

Let us pray.

Holy God, gracious and merciful,

you bring forth food from the earth

and nourish your whole creation.

Turn our hearts toward those

who hunger in any way,

so that all may know your care;

and prepare us now

to feast on the bread of life,

Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.  Amen. [iii]

The Thanksgiving at the Table

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Blessed are you, gracious God,

creator of heaven and earth;

you are the source of light and life for all your creation,

you made us in your own image,

and call us to new life in Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Therefore we praise you,

joining our voices to proclaim the glory of your name. [iv]

Holy, holy, holy Lord,

God of power and might. 

Heaven and earth are full of your glory. 

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 

Hosanna in the highest. [v]

Holy God, you alone are holy, you alone are God.

The universe declares your praise:

beyond the stars; beneath the sea; within each cell; with every breath.

We praise you, O God.

Generations bless your faithfulness:

through the water; by night and day;

across the wilderness; out of exile; into the future.

We bless you, O God.

We give you thanks for your dear Son:

at the heart of human life; near to those who suffer;

beside the sinner; among the poor; with us now.

We thank you, O God.

In the night in which he was betrayed,

our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks;

broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: 

Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. 

Do this for the remembrance of me.

Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks,

and gave it for all to drink, saying: 

This cup is the new covenant in my blood,

shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. 

Do this for the remembrance of me.

Remembering his love for us on the way,

at the table, and to the end,

we proclaim the mystery of faith.

Christ has died.  Christ is risen.  Christ will come again.

We pray for the gift of your Spirit:

in our gathering; within this meal;

among your people; throughout the world.

Blessing, praise and thanks to you, holy God,

through Christ Jesus, by your Spirit,

in your church, without end.

Amen. [vi]

The Lord’s Prayer

As our Saviour taught us, let us pray,

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 for ever.  Amen. [vii]

The Breaking of the Bread

Creator of all,

you gave us golden fields of wheat,

whose many grains we have gathered

and made into this one bread.

So may your Church be gathered

from the ends of the earth

into your reign of justice and peace. [viii]

The gifts of God for the people of God.

Thanks be to God.

Communion

Hymn after Communion

‘Breathe on Me, Breath of God’  Common Praise #649

The Sending Forth of the Community

The Prayer after Communion

We give you thanks, almighty God,

that you have refreshed us

through the healing power of this gift of life.

In your mercy, strengthen us through this gift,

in faith toward you

and in fervent love toward one another;

for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen. [ix]

Glory to God,

whose power, working in us,

can do infinitely more

than we can ask or imagine. 

Glory to God from generation to generation,

in the Church and in Christ Jesus,

for ever and ever.  Amen.

Closing Hymn

‘You Are Salt for the Earth’  Common Praise #502 (with the Presider as Cantor)

The Dismissal

The Deacon sends the People forth with a Dismissal for the occasion.

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[i] Common Worship (2000), 133.

[ii] Liturgy Task Force, ‘Trial Use Collects, Prayers over the Gifts and after Communion:  Propers 10 to 22, June to August 2015, Year B’, 1.

[iii] Liturgy Task Force, ‘Trial Use Collects, Prayers over the Gifts and after Communion:  Propers 10 to 22, June to August 2015, Year B’, 8.

[iv] The Book of Alternative Services (1986), 218.

[v] Common Praise #732.

[vi] ‘Thanksgiving at the Table IX’, Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), 68.

[vii] Songs for a Gospel People #12.

[viii] The Book of Alternative Services (1986), 212 alt.

[ix] Liturgy Task Force, ‘Trial Use Collects, Prayers over the Gifts and after Communion:  Propers 10 to 22, June to August 2015, Year B’, 8.