Tenth Sunday After Pentecost

August 1, 2021

Prelude Broken

Acknowledgement

Welcome

A warm welcome is extended to all as we gather here at St. Paul’s today. We hope that you enjoy your time of worship with us either in person or virtually.

Your presence both enriches us and this time of celebration together.

Gathering Song 536 Singing Songs of Expectation

Singing songs of expectation, Onward goes the pilgrim band, Through the night of doubt and sorrow, Marching to the promised land.

Clear before us through the darkness Gleams and burns the guiding light: Trusting God we march together Stepping fearless through the night.

One the light of God's own presence, O'er his ransomed people shed, Chasing far the gloom and terror, Brightening all the path we tread:

One the object of our journey, One the faith which never tires, One the earnest looking forward, One the hope our God inspires.

One the strain the lips of thousands Lift as from the heart of one; One the conflict, one the peril, One the march in God begun:

One the gladness of rejoicing On the far eternal shore, Where the one almighty Father Reigns in love for evermore.

Gathering (loosely based on the hymn “People are God’s language”)

Those who listen, those who seek can hear God speak

It is in the beauty around us, the whisper of compassion

God can also work through people

Those who help bring calm in the midst of misery, comfort in the face of misery, kindness instead of more cruelty

With the help of God we can plead

For peace, mercy, justice and liberty for those who are in need

Acts of gentleness and thoughtful words

Ensure the message of God’s love is heard and lived

Lord of every new day when the road ahead is totally scary or far too comfortable, reveal your life-giving waymarks, so that having made them our own, we travel on with risk, vulnerability, vision, awareness, passion, struggle, energy, and compassion as our constant companions. Amen (by Peter Millar, Waymarks)

The Proclamation of the Word

A Reading from the second book of Samuel (11.26—12.13a)

When the wife of Uriah heard that her husband was dead, she made lamentation for him. When the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son.

But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord, and the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, ‘There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and herds; but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his meagre fare, and drink from his cup, and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him. Now there came a traveller to the rich man, and he was loath to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb, and prepared that for the guest who had come to him.’ Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, ‘As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die; he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.’

Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul; I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added as much more. Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, for you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. Thus says the Lord: I will raise up trouble against you from within your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbour, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this very sun. For you did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.’ David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ Nathan said to David, ‘Now the Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die.

Listen for the Leading of the Spirit R: Thanks be to God

Psalm 51.1–13 Solo Sung by Rachel

A Reading from the letter of Paul to the Ephesians (4.1–16)

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it is said, ‘When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.’ (When it says, ‘He ascended’, what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knitted together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.

Listen for the Leading of the Spirit R: Thanks be to God

Gradual Hymn Forgive us Now (Tune In)

Forgive us now, O God of love For all the pain that we have sown For all the broken hearts we’ve left And all the words we’ve left unsaid Forgive us gracious God of life

Forgive us now, O mother love For all the idols we have built For all the time we’ve worshipped there In company of dark despair Forgive us mother of all hope

Chorus As we forgive, may we be healed As we reach out, may you be near And take our hand to comfort bring So we can face the start again

Forgive us now, O holy one

For crimes committed in your name

For all the holy wars we wage

For all the children we enslave

Forgive us now O holy one

Forgive us now, O Jesus Christ

For all the pride before the fall

For all the times our heart was cold

For all the monologues we’ve told

Forgive us Jesus of new life

The Lord be with you R: And also with you

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. John (6.24–35)

Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ

So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

When they found him on the other side of the lake, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.’ Then they said to him, ‘What must we do to perform the works of God?’ Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’ So they said to him, ‘What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” ’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ They said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’

Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

The Gospel of Christ R: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

Homily

An Affirmation of Faith (Rex Hunt Liturgies) In response to the word reflected on, let us share an affirmation of faith.

I believe in God's World, In beauty of earth and sky and sea; In sunbeams playing on rippling water; In moon and stars milking the midnight sky;

I believe in God's World, In green life pulsing through brown earth, In miracle of bud and flower and fruit; In great trees raising gnarled arms against rain and wind;

I believe in God's World, In cry of new born seeking the lifegiving breast; In gnarled old age dozing in the sun; In sweating backs bent over unyielding soil;

I believe in God's World, In Jesus hung between earth and sky, In the giving of one's life in the service of humanity, I believe in God's World. Amen

Offering Hymn Let us Break Bread Together

Let us break bread together on our knees, (on our knees) Let us break bread together on our knees. (on our knees)

When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun, O Lord, have mercy on me (on me)

Let us drink wine together on our knees, (on our knees) Let us drink wine together on our knees. (on our knees)

Let us praise God together on our knees, (on our knees) Let us praise God together on our knees. (on our knees)

Prayer over the gifts

God our sustainer, accept all we offer you this day, and feed us continually with that bread which satisfies all hunger, your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ

Prayers of Intercession (www.lutherancore.website)

May we have courage in uncertain times, Let it all happen. No mood is final. May we recognise new beginnings in what seem to be endings, Let it all happen. No feeling is final.

And so we take this flame and light our pascal candle as we bring our prayers and concerns to God...

For the Church, the world, and needs of all people, let us pray to the Lord.

A brief silence

God our loving parent, thank you for giving us the bread we need for body and soul, even when we are estranged from you and from one another. Thank you for Jesus, our Life, our Bread, our source of unity with you and with each other.