Worship for Sunday, July 26, 2020
The 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday, July 26, 2020
Sunday, July 26, 2020
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OUR WORSHIP FOR TODAY
THE OPENING SENTENCE
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Beloved and sovereign God, through the death and
resurrection of your Son you bring us into your kingdom of justice and mercy.
By your Spirit, give us your wisdom, that we may treasure the life that comes
from Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
At Gibeon
the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, ‘Ask what I
should give you.’ And Solomon said, ‘You have shown great and steadfast love to
your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in
righteousness, and in uprightness of heart towards you; and you have kept for
him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his
throne today. And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place
of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go
out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have
chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. Give
your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to
discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?’
It
pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. God said to him, ‘Because you
have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for
the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern
what is right, I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and
discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall
arise after you.
PSALM: Psalm
119:129-136
Your decrees
are wonderful;
therefore
I obey them
with all
my heart.
When
your word is opened
it
gives light;
it
gives understanding to the simple.
I open
my mouth and pant
because
I long for
your
commandments.
Turn
to me and be gracious to me,
as
you always do
to
those who love your name.
Order
my footsteps in your word;
let
no iniquity
have
dominion over me.
Rescue
me from those who oppress me,
and I
will keep
your
commandments.
Let
your face shine upon your servant
and
teach me your statutes.
My
eyes shed streams of tears,
because
people do not keep
your
teaching.
SECOND READING: Romans 8:26-39
Likewise
the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we
ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God,
who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the
Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
We know
that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called
according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be
conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn
within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those
whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also
glorified.
What
then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He
who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not
with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s
elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who
died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed
intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship,
or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it
is written,
‘For
your sake we are being killed
all day
long;
we are accounted as sheep
to be
slaughtered.’
No, in
all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am
convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things
present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything
else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in
Christ Jesus our Lord.
THE HOLY GOSPEL: Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
He put before them another parable: ‘The
kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his
field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the
greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and
make nests in its branches.’
He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom
of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of
flour until all of it was leavened.’
‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure
hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and
sells all that he has and buys that field.
‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a
merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went
and sold all that he had and bought it.
‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a
net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was
full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw
out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and
separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire,
where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
‘Have you understood all this?’ They
answered, ‘Yes.’ And he said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe who has been
trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings
out of his treasure what is new and what is old.’
CHILDREN'S MESSAGE (Video Link): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDRe8hqMS04
THE APOSTLES' CREED
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.
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
Confident of your care and
helped by the Holy Spirit, we pray for the church, the world, and all who are
in need.
A brief
silence.
Merciful God, your reign is revealed to us in
common things: a mustard shrub, a woman baking bread, a fishing net. Help your
church witness to the surprising yet common ways you encounter us in daily
life. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
When your word is opened, it gives light and
understanding. Increase our understanding and awe of your creation; guide the
work of scientists and researchers. Treasuring the earth, may we live as
grateful and healing caretakers of our home. Lord, in your mercy, hear our
prayer.
As the birds of the air nest in branches of
trees, gather the nations of the world into the welcoming shade of your merciful
reign. Direct leaders of nations to build trust with each other and walk in the
way of peace. (Here a particular world struggle may be named.) Lord, in your
mercy, hear our prayer.
Your Spirit helps us in our weakness and
intercedes for the saints according to your will. Help us when we do not know
how to pray. Give comfort to the dying, refuge to the weary, justice to those
who are oppressed, and healing to the sick.
(You may lift up the names of
those for whom you would like to pray here.) Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
You show steadfast love and direct us to ask of
you what we need. Help this congregation ask boldly for what is most needed.
Refresh us with new dreams of being your people in this place and time. Lord,
in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
In you our lives are never lost. Strengthen us
by the inspiring witness of your people in all times and places. Embolden our
witness now and one day gather us with all your saints in light. (You may
lift up the names of those who have died in Christ here.) Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Receive
these prayers, O God, and those too deep for words; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
THE LORD'S PRAYER
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.
forever and ever. Amen.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
A Prayer of St. Chrysostom
Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them:
Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting.
Amen
CLOSING PETITION FOR BLESSING
May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
Amen
CLOSING HYMN: "Sent Forth By God's Blessing" (Video Link): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGZ86ksK1fE
Amen
CLOSING HYMN: "Sent Forth By God's Blessing" (Video Link): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGZ86ksK1fE
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