The livestream may be found here.
June 6, 2021, 9:30
a.m.
Christ raises Adam and Eve from the dead
(traditional Resurrection icon)
SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
The color green,
used for the vestments and paraments for the Sundays after Pentecost,
represents growth and life in the Holy Spirit.
FIRST
READING: In Genesis 3, we see God speaking to the serpent, laying down
consequences for his rebellion against God and seduction of humans. The serpent
and the offspring of the woman will constantly be at odds. The specifics of the
rivalry can be taken in a literal sense: to explain the perennial battle
between snake and man. However, in the ‘typological’ method of interpretation
(in which a lesser thing is a ‘type’ or ‘copy’ of a greater thing), the early
Church understood the ‘offspring of the woman’ to be Christ. The tempter will
‘strike his heel’ (the Crucifixion) but the Son will crush his head (the
victory over sin, death and the devil in the Resurrection).
SECOND READING: Paul meditates
upon the meaning of the afflictions he and his companions are suffering. He
explains that they view these (unspecified) sufferings as both necessary for
the spread of the Gospel and preparation for the experience of the glory of
God, which now cannot be seen but only believed in faith. In the resurrection
of the dead to eternal life, all will be fulfilled.
GOSPEL: Jesus’
image of ‘a house divided’ has resonated through our nation’s history – Abraham
Lincoln’s warning before the Civil War has been a watchword for Americans who
point to the need for national unity. However, the need for a family, a group,
or a nation to maintain its unity is not the point for Jesus. Rather, he is
making clear the absurdity of his opponents’ accusation: ‘He casts out demons
by the prince of demons.’ His is no satanic civil war: rather, God’s Son Jesus
is victorious over the evil powers. He is robbing Satan of his prey, rescuing
God’s people from their bondage. Those who accuse Jesus of evil are ‘sinning
against the Holy Spirit,’ which is to call God’s work evil. Those whom Jesus
frees from Satan now belong to his own family: God’s family.
OPENING
MUSIC Rise, Shine, You People!
David P.
Dahl
BRIEF ORDER FOR CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
In the name of the Father,
and of the X Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
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
If we say we
have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we
confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Silence for reflection and
self-examination.
Most merciful God,
we
confess that we are in bondage 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
Almighty God, in his mercy, has given his Son to die for us and, for his
sake, forgives
us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the Church of Christ, and
by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your
sins, in the name of the Father,
and of the X Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
THE HOLY COMMUNION
I will go to the altar of God,
to the God of my joy and gladness. Psalm 43:4a
X HYMN Rise, Shine, You People!
Stanza One, Cantor; Stanza Two, ALL; Stanza
Three, Pastor;
Stanza Four, ALL
1 Rise, shine, you people! Christ the Lord
has entered
our human story; God in him is centered.
He comes to us, by death and sin
surrounded,
with grace unbounded.
2 See how he sends the pow’rs of evil
reeling;
he brings us freedom, light and life and
healing.
All men and women, who by guilt are
driven,
now are forgiven.
3 Come, celebrate; your banners high
unfurling,
your songs and prayers against the
darkness hurling.
To all the world go out and tell the
story
of Jesus’ glory.
4 Tell how the Father sent his Son to save
us.
Tell of the Son, who life and freedom
gave us.
Tell how the Spirit calls from ev’ry
nation
his new creation.
Text:
Ronald A. Klug, b. 1939, alt.
©
1974 Augsburg Publishing House, admin. Augsburg Fortress
APOSTOLIC 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.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
God, our redeemer,
in Jesus, your promised Messiah,
you crushed the power of Satan.
Sustain your Church in the
struggle against evil,
that, hearing your word and
doing your will,
we may be fashioned into a
household of true disciples,
who share in the victory of the
cross.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the
Holy Spirit.
God for ever and ever.
Amen
CALL TO
THE WORD
A
crowd was sitting around [Jesus],
and
he was speaking the Word to them. Mark 3:32, 2:2c
Let us hear the Word of the
Lord.
Sit
First READING Genesis 3:8-15
8[Adam and
Eve] heard the sound of the Lord
God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and
his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.9But the Lord God called to the man, and said to
him, “Where are you?” 10He said, “I heard the sound of you in the
garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” 11He
said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which
I commanded you not to eat?” 12The man said, “The woman whom you
gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.” 13Then
the Lord God said to the woman,
“What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent tricked me, and
I ate.” 14The Lord God
said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
cursed are you among all animals
and among all wild creatures;
upon your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
15I will put
enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike your head,
and you will strike his heel.”
The Word
of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM
130
Sung responsively between
pastor and congregation.
1 Out of the depths have I called
to you, O Lord; Lord, | hear my voice;*
let your ears consider well the
voice of my | supplication.
2 If you, Lord,
were to note what is | done amiss,*
O
Lord, | who could stand?
3 For there is forgive- | ness with
you;*
therefore you | shall be feared.
4 I wait for the Lord;
my soul | waits for him;*
in
his word | is my hope.
5 My soul waits for the Lord, more than watchmen | for the
morning,*
more than watchmen | for the morning.
6 O Israel, wait | for the Lord,*
for
with the Lord | there is mercy;
7 with him there is plen- | teous
redemption,*
and he shall redeem Israel from
| all their sins. R
SECOND READING 2
Corinthians 4:13—5:1
13Just as we have
the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture—”I believed, and
so I spoke”—we also believe, and so we speak, 14because we know that
the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring
us with you into his presence. 15Yes, everything is for your sake,
so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase
thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
16So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting
away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. 17For this
slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory
beyond all measure, 18because we look not at what can be seen but at
what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen
is eternal.
5:1For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we
have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
The Word
of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Stand
VERSE
2
Corinthians 5:19 Setting by Paul Bouman
Sung by the Cantor
Alleluia.
God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, and entrusting us with the
message of reconciliation. Alleluia.
Gospel Mark 3:20-35
The Holy Gospel according
to St. Mark.
Glory to you, O Lord.
[Jesus went home;] 20and the
crowd came together again, so that [Jesus and the disciples] could not even
eat. 21When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for
people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.” 22And the scribes
who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the
demons he casts out demons.” 23And he called them to him, and spoke
to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24If a kingdom
is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25And if a
house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26And
if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his
end has come. 27But no one can enter a strong man’s house and
plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the
house can be plundered.
28“Truly
I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies
they utter; 29but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never
have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—30for they had
said, “He has an unclean spirit.”
31Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside,
they sent to him and called him. 32A crowd was sitting around him;
and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside,
asking for you.” 33And he replied, “Who are my mother and my
brothers?” 34And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here
are my mother and my brothers! 35Whoever does the will of God is my brother
and sister and mother.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sit
SERMON
Stand
HYMN OF THE DAY A Mighty
Fortress is Our God.
Stanza One, ALL; Stanza Two, Pastor; Stanzas Three and
Four, ALL
1 A mighty fortress is our God,
a sword and shield victorious;
he breaks the cruel oppressor’s rod
and wins salvation glorious.
The old evil foe,
sworn to work us woe,
with dread craft and might
he arms himself to fight.
On earth he has no equal.
2 No strength of ours can match his might!
We would be lost, rejected.
But now a champion comes to fight,
whom God himself elected.
Ask who this may be:
Lord of hosts is he!
Jesus Christ, our Lord,
God’s only Son, adored.
He holds the field victorious.
3 Though hordes of devils fill the land
all threat’ning to devour us,
we tremble not, unmoved we stand;
they cannot overpow’r us.
This world’s prince may rage,
in fierce war engage.
He is doomed to fail;
God’s judgment must prevail!
One little word subdues him.
4 God’s Word forever shall abide,
no thanks to foes, who fear it;
for God himself fights by our side
with weapons of the Spirit.
If they take our house,
goods, fame, child, or spouse,
wrench our life away,
they cannot win the day.
The kingdom’s ours forever!
Text:
Martin Luther, 1483-1546; tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978
©
1978 Lutheran Book of Worship, admin. Augsburg Fortress
CONFESSION OF
FAITH
The pastor and people confess
the faith of the Church in the words of the Apostles’ Creed.
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator
of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He
was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and
born of the virgin Mary.
He
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was
crucified, died, and was buried.
He
descended into hell.
On
the third day he rose again.
He
ascended into heaven,
and
is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He
will come again 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 THE CHURCH
Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ
Jesus, and for all people according to their needs.
A brief silence
Father, by his works of healing and exorcism your
Son foreshadowed his death and resurrection, in which he crushed sin, death and
evil forever. Make us, who are freed by his blood, to rejoice and give thanks
for his mighty acts. Lord, in your
mercy,
hear our prayer.
Be with and among those you have brought into your family
to do your will, especially this faith family gathered here. In our
afflictions, help us not to lose heart, and to look not at what can be seen but
at what cannot be seen. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Be with and among the faculty, staff and students
of the North American Lutheran Seminary and Trinity School for Ministry, that
grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the
glory of God. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Inspire all who make, administer, and judge our
laws to love freedom, justice and peace.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Bring peace to our world; comfort all who mourn;
lift up those who live in poverty and fear; protect all who are threatened by
violence and terror, sustain those who are persecuted for your name; and heal
those who suffer illness of body, mind or spirit, especially these whom we name
before you:
The pastor reads the names submitted
for prayer.
The people are invited to offer
spoken or silent petitions.
Lord,
in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Keep
us in communion with those who have gone before us, especially those dear to us
who enjoy the fullness of your Son’s victory. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Into
your hands, Father, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your steadfast
love, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Peace
The
peace of the Lord be with you always.
And also with you.
The people exchange a sign of peace
with the simple words, Peace be with you.
Sit
The Lord’s Table is prepared.
Stand
OFFERTORY Acts 2:42, 46 Setting by Randall Sensmeier
Sung by the Cantor
And they
devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of
the bread and the prayers. And day by day, attending the temple together and
breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and generous
hearts.
PRAYER OF PREPARATION
As the grain once scattered in the fields
and the grapes once dispersed on the hillside
are now reunited on this table in bread and wine,
so, Lord, may your whole Church be gathered together
from the corners of the earth into your kingdom.
Amen
GREAT THANKSGIVING
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 him thanks and praise.
It is indeed right and salutary that we
should at all times and in all places offer thanks and praise to you, O Lord,
holy Father, through Christ our Lord.
It is he who breaks the ancient bondage to
sin and evil and by the power of the Spirit gathers from all the peoples of the
earth a new family to do your will and to proclaim your glory.
And so, with the Church on earth and the hosts
of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
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!
You are indeed holy, almighty and merciful God;
you
are most holy, and great is the majesty of your glory.
You so loved the world that you gave your only Son,
that
whoever believes in him may not perish
but have eternal life.
Having come into the world, he fulfilled for us your
holy will
and
accomplished our salvation.
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, therefore, his salutary command,
his
life-giving Passion and death,
his
glorious resurrection and ascension,
and his promise to come again,
we
give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
not
as we ought, but as we are able;
and we implore you mercifully to accept our praise and
thanksgiving, and, with your Word and Holy Spirit,
to bless us, your servants,
and
these your own gifts of bread and wine;
that we and all who share in the body and blood of your
Son may be filled with heavenly peace and joy,
and,
receiving the forgiveness of sin,
may be sanctified in soul and
body,
and
have our portion with all your saints.
All honor and glory are yours, O God, Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit,
in
your holy Church, now and forever.
Amen
Christ is in our midst.
By the power of the
Spirit,
we pray to his Father,
saying:
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
With
the LORD there is plenteous redemption;
He has redeemed us from all our sins. Psalm 130:7
AGNUS DEI (Lamb of God)
Sit
DISTRIBUTION
Admission to the Sacrament is by
invitation of the Lord, presented through the Church to those who are baptized.
They may receive the Lord’s Body and Blood who
are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
who commune in their home churches, and who believe that Jesus Christ,
crucified and risen, is truly present in, with, and under the forms of bread
and wine for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.
The
communicants will be invited forward one family unit at a time. Please do not
come forward until the pastor directs you to come forward, do not approach all
the way to the table until the pastor has retreated.
When the pastor says ‘The body of Christ,
given for you,’ eat the bread. When the pastor says, ‘The blood of Christ, shed
for you,’ drink the wine. Please take
the plate and the glass(es) and place them on the table that is indicated.
Now We Join
in Celebration
1 Now we join in
celebration
at our Savior's
invitation,
dressed no more in
spirit somber,
clothed instead in
joy and wonder;
for the Lord of all
existence,
putting off divine
transcendence,
stoops again in love
to meet us,
with his very life to
feed us.
2 Lord, as round this
feast we gather,
fill our hearts with
holy rapture!
For this bread and
cup of blessing
are for us the sure
possessing
of your loving deed
on Calv'ry,
of your living self,
our vict'ry,
pledge of your unfailing
presence,
foretaste here of
heav'nly gladness.
3 Lord, we share in this
communion
as one fam'ly of
God's children,
reconciled through
you, our brother,
one in you with God
our Father.
Give us grace to live
for others,
serving all, both
friends and strangers,
seeking justice,
love, and mercy
till you come in
final glory.
Text:
Joel W. Lundeen
Text
© Joel W. Lundeen, admin. Augsburg Fortress.
After all have returned to their places, the congregation stands at the
direction of the pastor.
The body and
blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
Amen
Pour out upon us the Spirit of your love, O Lord, and unite the wills of those
whom
you have fed with one heavenly food, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
SENDING
The Lord
bless you and keep you.
The Lord
make his face to shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord
look upon you with favor and give you peace.
Amen
Dismissal
Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
THIS WEEK
FOR THE FAITH FAMILY Sun/ June 6 WORSHIP 9:30 AM Prayer at
the Close of the Day (livestream) 9:30 PM Food Bank Sat/ June 12 NA Meeting 11 AM SATURDAY
EVENING WORSHIP 6:30 PM Sun/ June 13 WORSHIP 9:30 AM Prayer at
the Close of the Day (livestream) 9:30 PM
From Sundays and Seasons.com.
Copyright 2021 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved.
Reprinted by permission under Augsburg
Fortress Liturgies Annual License #20540.
New Revised Standard Version Bible,
copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in
the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Common Worship: Times and Seasons,
material from which is included in this
service, is copyright © The
Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England, 2006.
Agnus Day appears with the permission
of www.agnusday.org
CHURCH STAFF
St Stephen Lutheran Church
55 Forsythe Road
Pittsburgh PA 15220
(412) 279-5868
office@ststephenpittsburgh.org
Saturday
Evening Worship – 6:30 pm
Sunday
Morning Worship –9:30 am
