Pentecost Ten Worship Bulletin | 8-6-23
St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
PENTECOST 10
08-06-2023 10:00AM “Hybrid” Worship
+ We Rejoice in the Spirit +
OPENING SONG: “WE’RE GONNA SIT AT THE WELCOME TABLE”
- We’re gonna sit at the welcome table, we’re gonna sit at the welcome table one of these days, Hallelujah!
We’re gonna sit at the welcome table – We’re gonna sit at the welcome table one of these days!
- Peace and mercy ‘round that table…
- All God’s children ‘round that table…
- Jesus calls you to that table…
- We’re gonna sit at the welcome table…
THE OPENING RITE (based on today’s Gospel and First Lesson):
L Come away to a quiet and lonely place for a while to sit and to rest and to learn at the feet of Jesus.
C Where Jesus lives we will not remain lonely, for there is compassion and healing and hope.
L Whoever thirsts for true life, come and drink! Hear the invitation! Come to God!
C If you have no money but you’re hungry, come and receive, for Jesus gives the bread of life.
L Sometimes I feel so helpless and afraid and desperate.
C And sometimes I don’t recognize the difference between what I want and what I need.
L Sometimes I don’t acknowledge the deep hunger in my heart and the dry thirst in my soul.
C And sometimes I foolishly pursue what truly does not nourish me.
L Sometimes I do not recognize the similarity between my neighbor and myself.
C And sometimes I forget the hungry and the poor in our world today.
L I live in that tension between caring for myself and caring for others.
C And – as I seek to be fed by the Bread of Life – I want to offer life to a hungry world.
PRAYER OF THE DAY:
Compassionate and Providing God, all of creation looks to you.
Please show us the food that can satisfy hungry bodies and desperate souls.
Please forgive us for straying from your love and ignoring your will.
Please restore us to a right relationship with you.
Please send us to speak, to show, and to share the good news of your love through Jesus Christ. Amen.
+ We Rejoice in God’s Saving Word +
FIRST READING: ISAIAH 55:1-5
[God invites Israel to a great feast of food and drink without cost. Even those who are not so faithful – spending their money and time on things that cannot satisfy – are invited to God’s party! And then the party will be graciously expanded to include the entire world! With God it truly is a “welcome table”!]
55:1 Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you that have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
55:2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.
55:3 Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.
55:4 See, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples.
55:5 See, you shall call nations that you do not know, and nations that do not know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.
SONG SELECTION: Stephanie Fluellen
SECOND READING: ROMANS 9:1-5
[Paul is in anguish over the refusal of many of his Jewish people to acknowledge Jesus as Messiah. He will not condemn his own people. And he will not stop believing that God has some plan for them that includes mercy.]
9:1 I am speaking the truth in Christ–I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit–
9:2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.
9:3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh.
9:4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;
9:5 to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
GOSPEL VERSE:
“There’s a sweet, sweet Spirit in this place, and I know that it’s the Spirit of the Lord. There are sweet expressions on each face, and I know they feel the presence of the Lord.
SWEET HOLY SPIRIT, SWEET HEAVENLY DOVE, STAY RIGHT HERE WITH US, FILLING US WITH YOU LOVE.
AND FOR THESE BLESSINGS WE LIFT OUR HEARTS IN PRAISE. WITHOUT A DOUBT WE’LL KNOW THAT
WE HAVE BEEN REVIVED WHEN WE SHALL LEAVE THIS PLACE!”
HOLY GOSPEL: MATTHEW 14:13-21
[The amazingly endless picnic! Not only are we guests at the Lord’s Table… we are also disciples put to work in service to others.]
14:13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns.
14:14 When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick.
14:15 When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”
14:16 Jesus said to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.”
14:17 They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.”
14:18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.”
14:19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.
14:20 And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full.
14:21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
THE SERMON: Pastor Neil or Pastor Gwen
SONG RESPONSE: “NO, NOT ONE!” Tan #308
THE PRAYERS… We pray for NEW LIFE in the Spirit and for the MISSION of the Church to the world!
+ We Rejoice in God’s Nourishing Meal +
THE OFFERING… May the Spirit of God within us guide us to grateful, generous, and fruitful discipleship!
SONG SELECTION: “8:30AM Choir”
THE OFFERTORY SONG:
“Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.
THIS IS MY STORY, THIS IS MY SONG,
PRAISING MY SAVIOR ALL THE DAY LONG! [sing the chorus 2 times]
We are God’s people, we are Christ’s Church, called by God’s Spirit into the world.
We have God’s power from heaven above, we’ll share God’s justice, mercy and love!”
OFFERING PRAYER led by the Communion Assistant:
Lord God, we thank you for making a way out of no way in our life! During this summer may we dedicate our leisure and our work, our rest and our travel, our service and our spending, our health and our wealth, our worship and our witness to glorify You and to extend Your Kingdom to others. Someone somewhere is in need of your Good News. Amen.
THE PREFACE:
L The Lord be with you. C And also with you.
L Lift up your hearts! C We lift them up in love for God!
L Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. C It is right to give God our thanks and praise.
L Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful… C … and set us on fire with your love! Alleluia!
L [continues the Preface]… we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
C [singing…] “Holy, holy, holy, holy,
holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!
and we lift our hearts before you as a token of our love,
holy, holy, holy, holy.
Precious Jesus, precious Jesus,
We’re so glad that you redeemed us, precious Jesus…
Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit,
come and fill our hearts anew, O Holy Spirit…”
THE EUCHARISTIC WORDS by the Celebrant, who recalls and re-enacts Jesus’ Holy Meal.
THE LORD’S PRAYER (spoken)
COMMUNION AND BLESSINGS… All believers in Jesus Christ are welcome at the Lord’s Table! The wine may be received from the pouring chalice; we also have grape juice on the tray. You can receive God’s peace, power, and promises for true life!
COMMUNION SONGS: Tan #438 Tan #435
THE COMMUNION BLESSING by the Celebrant after all have communed.
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER by the Communion Assistant.
+ We Rejoice in Our Mission +
THE BENEDICTION by the Pastor… We are sent forth to be and become the BODY OF CHRIST for the world!
CLOSING SONG: “HALLELUYA! WE SING YOUR PRAISES” Tan #180