The livestream may be found here.
June 13, 2021, 9:30
a.m.
The Third
Sunday after Pentecost
‘The kingdom of God…is like a mustard seed’ (Mark 4:30, 31)
THIRD 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.
SECOND READING: We look at the world by faith, not
by sight. We look not at each other’s sins, but instead at the holiness which
God has given to us and intends for us fully in heaven. We view death not as an
end, but as a beginning of a transformed life. If anyone is in Christ, there is
new creation, for the individual, the community, and the world.
GOSPEL: The parable of the sower and the
seed and the parable of the mustard seed show us that the kingdom of God does
not come complete in itself. Rather it comes in embryonic form and grows; as a
seed takes root, grows, and sprouts, so does the kingdom of God grow among
people and in people. The kingdom seems a trifling thing, small and weak and
unnoticed, invisible but coming to visibility and maturity in its time. When
the fullness of the kingdom has arrived, the harvest takes place: presumably,
the revelation of Jesus as Lord of the world. For each of us, we harvest at our
death what God has sown in us and brought forth in life (1 Cor. 15:35-44, Gal.
6:7-9)
In Jesus
of Nazareth, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI writes: ‘It is striking what a significant role the image of the seed plays
in the whole of Jesus’ message. The time of Jesus, the time of the disciples is
the time of the sowing of the seed. The ‘Kingdom of God’ is present in seed
form. Observed from the outside, the seed is something miniscule. It is easy to
overlook. The mustard seed – the image of the kingdom of God – is the smallest
of seeds, yet it bears a whole tree within it. The seed is the presence of what
is to come in the future. In the seed, that which is to come is already here in
a hidden way. It is the presence of a promise. On Palm Sunday, the Lord
summarized the manifold seed parables and unveiled their full meaning: ‘Truly,
truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it
remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit’ (John 12:24).
OPENING
MUSIC All Who Believe and Are Baptized
D. Buxtehude
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 All Who Believe and Are Baptized LBW 194
Text: Thomas H. Kingo,
1634-1703; tr. George T. Rgh, 1860-1943, alt.
Tune: ES IST DAS HEIL, Etlich christlich Lieder, Wittenberg,
1524
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
Our Father in heaven,
at whose bidding the seed will sprout
and the shoot will grow to full stature,
hear the prayer of your assembled people.
Make us trust in your hidden ways,
that we may pray with confidence
and wait for your kingdom now growing in our
midst.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the
Holy Spirit.
one God, now and forever.
Amen
CALL TO
THE WORD
With
many parables he spoke the word to them,
but
he explained everything in private to his disciples. Mark 4:33a, 34b
Let us hear the Word of the
Lord.
Sit
First READING Ezekiel 17:22-24
22Thus says the
Lord God:
I myself will take a sprig
from the lofty top of a cedar;
I will set it out.
I will break off a tender one
from the topmost of its young twigs;
I myself will plant it
on a high and lofty mountain.
23On the mountain height of Israel
I will plant it,
in order that it may produce boughs and bear fruit,
and become a noble cedar.
Under it every kind of bird will live;
in the shade of its branches will nest
winged creatures of every kind.
24All the trees of the field shall know
that I am the Lord.
I bring low the high tree,
I make high the low tree;
I dry up the green tree
and make the dry tree flourish.
I the Lord have spoken;
I will accomplish it.
The Word
of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM
92:1-4, 11-14
Sung responsively between
pastor and congregation.
1 It is a good thing to give thanks
| to the Lord,*
and to sing praises to your
name, | O Most High;
2 to tell of your lovingkindness early | in the morning*
and
of your faithfulness in | the night season;
3 on the psaltery, and | on the
lyre,*
and to the melody | of the harp.
4 For you have made me glad by your | acts, O Lord;*
and
I shout for joy because of the works | of your hands.
11 The righteous shall flourish |
like a palm tree,*
and shall spread abroad like a
ce- | dar of Lebanon.
12 Those who are planted in the house | of the Lord*
shall
flourish in the courts | of our God;
13 they shall still bear fruit | in
old age;*
they shall be | green and
succulent;
14 that they may show how up- | right the Lord is,*
my
rock, in whom there | is no fault. R
SECOND READING 2
Corinthians 5:6-17
6So we are
always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we
are away from the Lord—7for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8Yes,
we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home
with the Lord. 9So whether we are at home or away, we make it our
aim to please him. 10For all of us must appear before the judgment
seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in
the body, whether good or evil.
11Therefore,
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. 12We
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. 13For if we are beside ourselves,
it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14For the love of Christ urges us
on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have
died. 15And 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.
16From 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. 17So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new
creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!
The Word
of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Stand
VERSE
Psalm
132:9 Setting by Paul Bouman
Sung by the Cantor
Alleluia.
Let your priests be clothed with righteousness, and
let your faithful people sing for joy. Alleluia.
Gospel Mark 4:26-34
The Holy Gospel according
to St. Mark.
Glory to you, O Lord.
26[Jesus] said,
“The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground,27and
would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does
not know how. 28The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then
the head, then the full grain in the head. 29But when the grain is
ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.”
30He also said, “With what
can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? 31It
is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of
all the seeds on earth; 32yet 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.”
33With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were
able to hear it; 34he did not speak to them except in parables, but
he explained everything in private to his disciples.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sit
SERMON
Stand
X HYMN OF THE DAY Your Word, O Lord, is Gentle Dew LBW 234
Stanza One, ALL; Stanza Two, Pastor; Stanza Three, ALL
Text: Carl B. Garve, 1763-1841; tr. Catherine Winkworth,
1829-1878, alt.
Tune: AF HIMLENS, Koralpsalmboken, Stockholm,
1697
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
A brief silence
Father,
we give you thanks, for in Christ you have created us anew and planted your kingdom within our hearts. Tend
and nourish what you have begun in us that we may grow and bear fruit for your
glory. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our
prayer.
Be with your
whole Church, that your people may walk by faith and not by sight, knowing the
fear of the Lord, and help us to bear witness to your Son by spirit-filled
words and holy deeds. 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,
and bring us with them to that day in which the kingdom is revealed in its
majesty, the harvest of the fullness of growth and flower. 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 1 Peter 2:9-10 Setting by Harvey
E. Hahn
Sung by the Cantor
You are
a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that you
may proclaim the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his
marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once
you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
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
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.
He is both the sower and the seed, and he
dwells in us by the Holy Spirit; that we might no longer live for ourselves but
for him, who died and was raised for us.
And so, with the Church on earth and the hosts
of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
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
You have made me glad by your acts, O Lord;
and I shout for joy because of the works of your hands.
Psalm 92:4
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.
Please
meditate on the text of the hymn as it is played.
O
Blessed Spring
1 O blessed spring,
where word and sign
embrace us into
Christ the Vine:
here Christ enjoins
each one to be
a branch of this
life-giving Tree.
2 Through summer heat of
youthful years,
uncertain faith,
rebellious tears,
sustained by Christ's
infusing rain,
the boughs will shout
for joy again.
3 When autumn cools and
youth is cold,
when limbs their
heavy harvest hold,
then through us,
warm, the Christ will move
with gifts of beauty,
wisdom, love.
4 As winter comes, as
winters must,
we breathe our last,
return to dust;
still held in Christ,
our souls take wing
and trust the promise
of the spring.
5 Christ, holy Vine,
Christ, living Tree,
be praised for this
blest mystery:
that word and water
thus revive
and join us to your
Tree of Life.
Text:
Susan Palo Cherwien, b. 1953
Text
© 1993 Susan Palo Cherwien, 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
Benediction
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!
