Second Sunday after Pentecost June 14, 2020
WELCOME/ANNOUNCEMENTS
– Covid Update – Keep Holding on! There is talk of a resurgence of the virus and competing opinions about what that means. Some are reporting that while the number of positive tests are on the rise, there are others pointing out that there is still a decline in deaths and hospitalizations. For the sake of the health of our members we want to err on the side of caution. We will continue to record our services until we get the green light from the authorities. This is not to say that we can’t be the church. God has given us the opportunity to live out our lives even under these circumstances as a kingdom of priests. We should all be asking God how we can best serve Him as priests and use this time confinement to find new ways to reach out to the world with the love of Christ.
– Rocky Railway VBS has been rescheduled for the first week of June 2021.
– Watch your emails and our church website for updates; mybslc.org
INVOCATION
P: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
OPENING SENTENCES
Psalm 67:4–7
P: Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth.
C: Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!
P: The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us.
C: God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
P: Let us confess our sin that still so easily besets us, and receive the full forgiveness our Lord daily provides for us.
C: Lord Jesus, I have sinned times without number, and been guilty of pride and unbelief, and of neglect to seek you in my daily life. My sins and shortcomings present me with a list of accusations, but I thank you that they will not stand against me, for all have been laid on Your righteous and holy body crucified for the whole world’s justification. Deliver me, gracious Lord, from every evil habit, every interest of former sins, everything that dims the brightness of your grace in me, everything that prevents me taking delight in you.
P: St. Paul writes: “Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”
Therefore, upon this, your confession, I, by virtue of my office as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God to all of you. And in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
SHARING THE PEACE
SONG OF PRAISE
“Give us Your Heart”
Kristen Lintvedt & Zach Allen
PRAYER OF THE DAY
P: Let us pray.
O God our Father, our Creator and Redeemer, by Your call You have made us a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Give us the faith and joy to pray for the salvation of all people and to live holy lives in the forgiveness of our sins; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
OLD TESTAMENT READING
Exodus 19:2–8 (At Mount Sinai)
They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, while Moses went up to God. The LORD called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”
So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the LORD had commanded him. All the people answered together and said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the LORD.
L: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
EPISTLE
Romans 5:6–15 (Reconciled through Christ)
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die – but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.
L: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
VERSE
Matthew 9:37b–38
P: Alleluia. The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;
C: therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Alleluia.
HOLY GOSPEL
Matthew 9:35–10:8 (Jesus sends out the Twelve)
Pastor: The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the ninth and tenth chapters.
People: Glory to You, O Lord.
And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.
P: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to You, O Christ.
HYMN No. 933
“My Soul Rejoices”
SERMON
“What are We to God?”
Pastor Vern
CONFESSION OF FAITH
THE APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His 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 into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
OFFERING
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
LORD’S PRAYER
All: 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 OF THE LORD
Numbers 6:24–26
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and + give you peace.
C: Amen.
SENDING
P: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
C: Thanks be to God!
CLOSING SONG
“We Believe”
The Newsboys