Order of Worship
June 28, 2020
Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
A joint ministry of Rockport United Methodist Church
& St. Thomas Episcopal Church
Opening Hymn: Be Still My Soul
The Opening Sentence
You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. Ephesians 2:19
Confession of Sin
How costly is our broken relationship with God! The price of sin is a spiritless life, which is no life at all. Where are joy, peace, or lasting love to be found, except in the One who creates peace and joy, who sent Jesus Christ, the beloved Son, to save us from our sin? Let us confess, repent, and trust God to forgive us our sin.
Silence may be kept.
O God, on lonely Mount Moriah you put your servant Abraham to the test. We confess that we have failed much lesser tests of our faith. We have allowed sin to run our lives, to shape how we act toward others, and to kill our relationship with you. In your great mercy, forgive us. Change even our bodies from implements of destruction to instruments of your peace; for the sake of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
God, whose name is “I AM”, provides for our weakness. Jesus Christ, “I AM” in the body, gave himself for our salvation. All who are united to Christ in his death are united to Christ in his resurrection. The end is eternal life. I declare to you, in Jesus Christ your sins are forgiven.
The Invitatory
Officiant Lord, open our lips
People and our mouths shall proclaim your praise.
Officiant and People
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as
it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm 13
1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me for ever? *
how long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long shall I have perplexity in my mind,
and grief in my heart, day after day? *
how long shall my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look upon me and answer me, O Lord my God; *
give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death;
4 Lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed over him," *
and my foes rejoice that I have fallen.
5 But I put my trust in your mercy; *
my heart is joyful because of your saving help.
6 I will sing to the Lord, for he has dealt with me richly; *
I will praise the Name of the Lord Most High.
Old Testament Lesson – Genesis 22:1-14 (New Revised Standard Version)
God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.” Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.
When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
The First Song of Isaiah Isaiah 12:2-6
Surely, it is God who saves me; *
I will trust in him and not be afraid.
For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense, *
and he will be my Savior.
Therefore you shall draw water with rejoicing *
from the springs of salvation.
And on that day you shall say, *
Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name;
Make his deeds known among the peoples; *
see that they remember that his Name is exalted.
Sing the praises of the Lord, for he has done great things, *
and this is known in all the world.
Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy, *
for the great one in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Epistle Lesson – Romans 6:12-23 (New Revised Standard Version)
Do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
What then? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that you, having once been slaves of sin, have become obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which you were entrusted, and that you, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness for sanctification.
When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. So what advantage did you then get from the things of which you now are ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Children’s Message
The Song of Hannah 1 Samuel 2:1-8
My heart exults in you, O God; * my triumph song is lifted in you.
My mouth derides my enemies, * for I rejoice in your salvation.
There is none holy like you, *
nor any rock to be compared to you, our God.
Do not heap up prideful words or speak in arrogance; * Only God is knowing and weighs all actions.
The bows of the mighty are broken, * but the weak are clothed in strength.
Those once full now labor for bread, * those who hungered now are well fed.
The childless woman has borne sevenfold, * while the mother of many is forlorn.
God destroys and brings to life, casts down and raises up; * gives wealth or takes it away, humbles and dignifies.
God raises the poor from the dust; * and lifts the needy from the ash heap
To make them sit with the rulers * and inherit a place of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are God’s * on which the whole earth is founded.
Gospel Lesson – Matthew 10:40-42 (New Revised Standard Version)
Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple-- truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”
Sermon
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 to the dead.
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.
The Prayers
Leader: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Leader: Let us pray.
All:
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,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Creator of all things seen and unseen, you blew the Spirit of Christ into apostles and disciples enslaved by sin, freeing your people from death and captivating us with your steadfast love. You raised the body of Christ, the church in the world, to proclaim the good news of salvation. For the sake of the world we pray, Come, Lord Jesus!
We pray for all whom you call into the work of the church. May they know the presence of your Spirit to strengthen, guide, correct, comfort, and challenge. Come, Lord Jesus!
We pray for all whose lives are touched by the church’s witness. May they feel the healing hands of Christ Jesus serving them with gentleness, kindness, grace, and love. Come, Lord Jesus!
We pray for the world into which you call the church. Help us to be faithful in giving ourselves away for the sake of the gospel. Come, Lord Jesus!
In your Spirit, let us show the peace of Christ to a world of violence, share the bread of heaven with a world of hunger, offer springs of living water to a world of pollution, and lead the way of truth and life with the gifts of faith, hope, and love until you bring the fullness of your new creation. Come, Lord Jesus!
Then and now we rejoice with the multitudes: praise, honor, and glory to you, Holy Trinity, in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Almighty God, you have built your Church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone: Grant us so to be joined together in unity of spirit by their teaching, that we may be made a holy temple acceptable to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The General Thanksgiving
Almighty God, Father of all mercies,
we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks
for all your goodness and loving-kindness
to us and to all whom you have made.
We bless you for our creation, preservation,
and all the blessings of this life;
but above all for your immeasurable love
in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;
for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies,
that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise,
not only with our lips, but in our lives,
by giving up our selves to your service,
and by walking before you
in holiness and righteousness all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.
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 Hymn: How Great Thou Art
Benediction
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Thank you for joining us in worship today.
Today’s worship is compiled and adapted from the Book of Common Prayer, Enriching Our Worship, and Feasting on the Word Worship Companion: Year A, Volume 2, Proper 8
Worship Participants:
Rev. Lorrin Radzik, Senior Pastor, Rockport UMC
Father David Radzik, Rector, St. Thomas Church, Berea
Music recorded by Kira Seaton, Minister of Music at St. Thomas Episcopal Church
Permission to print and podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from One License with license # A-710958 and CCLI with license #20417540