Worship Guide - Tenth Sunday After Pentecost

Worship Guide

August 6, 2023

Tenth Sunday After Pentecost

 

Creating Disciples of Jesus who Transform the World

 

ENTRANCE WITH PRAISE

 

Greetings:

 

Minister: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!

People: And also with you!

 

Special Music: “Thank God I Do” Stefanie

 

Centering Words:

 

When our faith is at its weakest, God struggles with us-not to punish, but to bless us, if we have the courage to ask.

 

*Call to Worship:

 

Leader:    Are you hungry for a word of hope?

People:   We come to be fed and nourished.

Leader:    Are you yearning to see the bounty of God?

People:   We long to see and believe.

Leader:    Are you ready to witness the power of our God?

People:   We are ready.

Leader:    Come! Let us worship as we pray.

 

ALL: Even when our faith falters, we will not let you go, O God. Even though we are ashamed by our lack of faith, we will not let you go. Because you meet us in our utmost need, we will not let you go. Strive with us until dawn, O Lord, we will not let you go. We need your blessing now more than ever, we will not let you go. Amen.

 

Hymn: Seek Ye First”

 

Seek ye first the kingdom of God

and his righteousness

and all these things shall be added unto you.

Allelu, alleluia

 

Ask and it shall be given unto you

seek and ye shall find

knock, and the door shall be opened unto you.

Allelu, allleluia

 

PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD

 

Words of Assurance

 

Christ’s grace is sufficient to meet every need.

Rejoice and meet your God face to face, as you receive the bounty of God’s hand.

Thanks be to God. Amen

 

*Old Testament Reading: Genesis 32:22-31

 

22 The same night he got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had. 24 Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day is breaking.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” 27 So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then the man said, “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved.” 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.

Leader:    This is the Word of God, for the People of God

People:   Thanks be to God!

 

WORD AND RESPONSE

 

Time with Young Friends: “Jesus Loves Me

 

Children’s Message: “Lunch Box”

 

Hymn: “Be Thou My Vision”

 

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;

naught be all else to me, save that thou art.

Thou my best thought, by day or by night,

waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

 

Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word;

I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord;

thou and thou only, first in my heart,

great God of heaven, my treasure thou art.

 

Great God of heaven, my victory won,

may I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s Sun!

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,

still be my vision, O Ruler of all.

 

Sermon: “Wrestling with Our Hunger” Matthew 14:13-21

 

13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. 15 When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 Jesus said to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” 17 They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” 18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

 

RESPONSE TO THE WORD

 

Prayers of the People: Joys and concerns

    Silent Prayer, Pastoral Prayer

 

THE SACRAMENTS OF HOLY COMMUNION

 

Invitation, Prayer of Confession and Pardon:

 

    Christ our Lord invites to his table

       all who love him,

who earnestly repent of their sin

and seek to live in peace with one another.

Therefore, let us confess our sin before God

and one another.

 

Merciful God,

we confess that we have not loved you

with our whole hearts.

We have failed to be an obedient church.

We have not done your will,

we have broken your law,

we have rebelled against your love,

we have not loved our neighbors,

and we have not heard the

cry of the needy.

Forgive us, we pray.

Free us for joyful obedience,

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

 

 

Hear the good news:

Christ died for us while we were yet sinners;

that proves God's love toward us.

In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!

 

In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.

Glory to God. Amen

  

The Great Thanksgiving  

 

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

 

It is right, and a good and joyful thing,

always and everywhere

to give thanks to you,

Father Almighty, creator of

heaven and earth.

 

You formed us in your image and

breathed into us the breath of life.

When we turned away, and our love failed,

your love remained steadfast.

You delivered us from captivity,

made covenant to be our sovereign God,

and spoke to us through your prophets.

 

And so,

with your people on earth

and all the company of heaven

we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

 

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.

 

Holy are you, and blessed is your Son

Jesus Christ.

Your Spirit anointed him

to preach good news to the poor,

to proclaim release to the captives

and recovering of sight to the blind,

to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

and to announce that the time had come

when you would save your people.

He healed the sick, fed the hungry,

and ate with sinners.

By the baptism of his suffering,

death, and resurrection,

you gave birth to your church,

delivered us from slavery to sin and death,

and made with us a new covenant

by water and the Spirit.

 

When the Lord Jesus ascended,

he promised to be with us always,

in the power of your Word and Holy Spirit.

 

On the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said:

 

"Take, eat; this my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."

 

When the supper was over, he took the cup,

gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said:

 

"Drink from this all of you;

this is my blood of the new covenant,

poured out for you and for many

for the forgiveness of sins.

Do this, as often as you drink it

in remembrance of me."

 

And so,

in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,

we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving

as a holy and living sacrifice,

in union with Christ's offering for us,

as we proclaim the mystery of faith

 

Christ has died;

Christ is risen;

Christ will come again.

Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here,

and on these gifts of bread and wine.

Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ,

that we may be for the world the body of Christ,

redeemed by his blood.

       By your Spirit make us one with Christ,

one with each other,

and one in ministry to all the world,

until Christ comes in final victory,

and we feast at his heavenly banquet.

 

Through your Son Jesus Christ,

with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church,

all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father,

now and forever.   Amen

 

And now with the confidence of children of God, let us pray:

 

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

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.

Amen

 

Sharing of the Cup and Loaf

 

Moment of Prayer and Meditation

 

Prayer of Thanks

 

Eternal God, we give you thanks

for this holy mystery

in which you have given yourself to us. 

Grant that we may go into the world

in the strength of your Spirit,

to give ourselves to others,

in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Amen

 

SENDING FORTH

 

Hymn: “Fill My Cup Loard”

 

Like the woman at the well I was seeking

for things that could not satisfy;

and then I heard my Savior speaking:

"Draw from my well that never shall run dry."

 

Fill my cup, Lord, I lift it up, Lord!

Come and quench this thirsting of my soul;

bread of heaven, feed me 'til I want no more -

fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole!

 

There are millions in this world

who are craving

the pleasures, earthly things afford;

but none can match the wondrous treasure

that I find in Jesus Christ my Lord.

 

Fill my cup, Lord, I lift it up, Lord!

Come and quench this thirsting of my soul;

bread of heaven, feed me 'til I want no more -

fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole!

 

So, my neighbor, if the things

this world gave you

leave hungers that won't pass away,

my blessed Lord will come and save you,

if you kneel to him and humbly pray;

 

Fill my cup, Lord, I lift it up, Lord!

Come and quench this thirsting of my soul;

bread of heaven, feed me 'til I want no more -

fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole!

 

Benediction