SECOND SUNDAY after PENTECOST
June 11, 2023
The Rev. Joshua Heimbuck, Pastor
WELCOME
Welcome to Grace Lutheran Church. We are happy that you have joined us for worship; and we pray that this hour of praise and thanksgiving will be a blessing to you as Christ reveals his love for you and assures you of his presence in your life. Guests and visitors, please honor us by signing our Guest Book located in the entrance hall of the church as you leave. If you have no church home of your own in the area, we invite you to make Grace Lutheran Church the center of your worship, learning, fellowship, and service. The fellowship of this morning continues with a Coffee Hour/Fellowship Hour following worship. Do join us and let us become better acquainted with you as you get to know us better. Come to worship with us again and often!
AS WE GATHER Sent “Harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Jesus’ description of the crowds in Galilee could also apply to the children of Israel in the desert and fits the situation of many in our world today. God’s compassion for the shepherd-less prompted him to choose the children of Israel to be his “kingdom of priests and a holy nation,” moved him to send Christ to die for the ungodly, “while we were still weak,” and compelled him to send disciples to proclaim that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” |
By the power of the Spirit we, too, have been transformed into a servant people--a kingdom of priests and a holy nation—to proclaim the kingdom in the world so that the harvest may be gathered. Freely we have received; freely we must give.
PRAYER BEFORE WORSHIP
Lord, overtake our weakness with your power so that we may proclaim the saving Gospel to all nations. Remove from us all fear and doubt, and move us toward those who have not heard the story of your love. We ask this in the Name of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
+ THE ORDER of CELEBRATING +
WELCOME
INVOCATION & CONFESSION
In the Name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
“Turn to me and be saved,” says the Lord, “for I am God, and there is no other.”
If we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
We have been called for service. How faithfully can we serve?
+ A Brief Silence for Reflection +
Most merciful God, we confess to you our sins of thought, word, and deed, our woeful inadequacy. We have promised to serve you faithfully, but we have broken that promise. We are unworthy servants. Without your help, we perish. Therefore, we implore your mercy for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son. Forgive us our sin and empower us for faithful witness. Turn us, that we may be saved.
Our Lord Jesus had compassion; he sees us harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. For the sake of his suffering and death, your sins are forgiven in the Name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Forgiven and reconciled by God, let us be reconciled with one another and share the peace of our Lord as we greet one another.
PASSING of PEACE
[The congregation is encouraged to share the peace of Christ and greet one another with the words: “The Lord’s peace be with you.” The response: “And also with you.”]
APOSTOLIC GREETING
The love of God the Father, made known in Christ Jesus our Lord, and poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also, with you.
KYRIE
PRAYER of THE DAY
God of compassion, you have opened the way for us and brought us to yourself. Pour your love into our hearts, that, overflowing with joy, we may freely share the blessings of your kingdom and faithfully proclaim the good news of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen
FIRST LESSON Exodus 19:2-8a
[At Sinai God assured Israel, “You shall be my treasured possession,” and commissioned them to serve as mediating priests for the nations. The people commit themselves completely to God’s will.]
[The people of Israel] 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.
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God!
SECOND LESSON Romans 5:6-15
[We are no longer God’s enemies but have peace with God because we were brought into a right relationship with God through Jesus’ death.]
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person through perhaps for a good person one would dare 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 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 of that one man, Jesus Christ abounded for many.
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God!
GOSPEL Matthew 9:35-10:8
The gospel according to Matthew, the 9th chapter. Glory to you, O Lord.
[The mission of Jesus’ followers is to continue the mission of Jesus himself. Here, he instructs his first disciples as to how they might proclaim the gospel through their words and deeds.]
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 on 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 his brother Andrew; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the
tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed hm.
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.”
The gospel of our Lord. Praise to You, O Christ!
SERMON Pr. Josh Text: The Gospel Lesson
APOSTOLIC 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
PRAYERS of THE CHURCH
OFFERING
OFFERTORY PRAYER
Gracious God, with great joy we bring before you a portion of what you first gave us and with these gifts our very lives. Teach us patience and hope as we care for all those in need until the coming of your Son, our Savior and Lord. 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.
WORDS of INSTITUTION
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
PRAYER of THANKSGIVING
We thank you, O God, that you have strengthened our hearts through this feast of life and salvation. Be the light for our path, that we may do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with you, now and forever. Amen
BLESSING
Grace Notes
THE PRESENCE of CHRIST is celebrated in The Lord’s Supper. He comes to us in a real and present way with his life-giving body and blood in the bread and wine of The Sacrament to assure us of our forgiveness and to strengthen us in faith and service. All who trust and believe the words “given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins” are welcome. Come, receive Christ’s presence in the meal prepared for you. Enjoy his presence. Children are encouraged to come forward with their parents and/or grandparents and receive a blessing.
SUMMER HIATUS – The Women’s Bible Study, LWML and the Men’s Saturday Bible Study Breakfast will be on a summer hiatus during June, July and August. Hope you can join us when we reconvene in September.
TODAY – Please join us today right after our worship service to hear the Planning Committee’s, “Goals and Values” Presentation.
This Week at Grace
June 12th – June 18th, 2023
Sunday, June 18th
Bible Study & Sunday School @ 9:00 AM
Worship Service @ 10:00 AM
Coffee Connection Hour @ 11:00 AM