Tenth Sunday After Pentecost Worship Bulletin | 7-28-24
07-28-2024 10:00AM “Hybrid” Worship
+ We Rejoice in God’s Glory +
THE OPENING RITE:
L May the peace, power, and promise of Jesus Christ be with you today!
Let us bow our heads and humble our hearts before God, who understands us as we are, yet is always ready to help us become all that we are intended to be. Let us not seek to hide our guilt, but let us confess our sins and our failings.
C Gracious God,
there is much we have done that is against Your will,
that is against our neighbor,
that is against those we do not consider our neighbor,
that is against this environment,
and that is self-destructive.
We have acted in ways that we wish we could take back,
and we have looked the other way when action was needed.
Unless You forgive us, we cannot stand in Your presence as Your people. Amen.
L Our God is an awesome God, generous in grace, mighty in mercy, and lavish in love.
Through the life, death, and rising of (+) Jesus Christ, God forgives us, heals us, strengthens us, and transforms us.
Let your life reflect God’s love by how you live and what you give. Amen.
OPENING SONG: “GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH” Tan #138
THE APOSTOLIC GREETING by the Pastor.
PRAISE SONG: “MY SOUL DOTH MAGNIFY THE LORD”
My soul doth magnify the Lord.
My-y soul doth magnify the Lord.
He’s bread when I’m hungry, water when I’m thirsty,
He saved my soul, although I’m not worthy.
My soul doth magnify the Lord!
PRAYER OF THE DAY (together):
Holy God, we acknowledge you, the creator, redeemer, and sustainer of our lives, and Jesus Christ, the lover of our souls.
By your Holy Spirit, help us to comprehend with our minds the fullness of your boundless love, and to have this love rooted and grounded in our hearts and community.
May we, in turn, love the world in sincerity and truth, in Christ’s name, Amen.
+ We Rejoice in God’s Saving Word +
FIRST READING: 2 KINGS 4:42-44
[A generous gift and generous sharing, founded on trust in God.]
4:42 A man came from Baal-shalishah bringing food from the first fruits to the man of God: twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. Elisha said, “Give it to the people and let them eat.”
4:43 But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred people?” So he repeated, “Give it to the people and let them eat, for thus says the LORD: They shall eat and have some left.”
4:44 He set it before them; they ate and had some left, according to the word of the LORD.
SECOND READING: EPHESIANS 3:14-21
[A community rooted and grounded and even possessed by Christ’s love!]
3:14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,
3:15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name.
3:16 I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit
3:17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love.
3:18 I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth
3:19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
3:20 Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine,
3:21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
GOSPEL VERSE:
“Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me
Break me… melt me… mold me… fill me. Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.”
THE HOLY GOSPEL: JOHN 6:1-21
[Multiplying by dividing! God will nourish and sustain through our giving.]
6:1 After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias.
6:2 A large crowd kept following him because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick.
6:3 Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples.
6:4 Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near.
6:5 When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?”
6:6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do.
6:7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.”
6:8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him,
6:9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?”
6:10 Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place, so they sat down, about five thousand in all.
6:11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted.
6:12 When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.”
6:13 So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets.
6:14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.”
6:15 When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
6:16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea,
6:17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.
6:18 The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing.
6:19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified.
6:20 But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”
6:21 Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.
SONG SELECTION: ALL SAINTS CHOIR
THE SERMON: Pastor Neil or Pastor Gwen
SONG RESPONSE: “THANK YOU, LORD”
(1) Thank you, Lord… thank you, Lord… thank you, Lord… I just want to thank you, Lord!
(2) Been so good…
(3) Love you, Lord…
AN AFFIRMATION OF OUR FAITH (The Apostles’ Creed):
L Living in the joy and the power of the Risen Lord, let us boldly confess our faith…
C I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s 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 into hell. 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…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 +
OFFERING [OFFERING… [Just like the boy whose lunch was shared to feed a huge crowd in today’s Gospel, most of us have something to give. Are we able to risk and willing to share?]
Those in the Sanctuary can put their offering in the offering plate to share their gratitude and their generosity in response to Christ’s love. Those who are farther away might: mail a check or money order to St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2169 74th Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19138… contribute online through bit.ly/stpetersgiving and set up a one-time donation or a recurring weekly gift to selected categories… or text Give+ at 833-914-0896 and follow the instructions to register and record your contribution. God has blessed us to be a blessing!
SONG SELECTION: ALL SAINTS CHOIR
OFFERING 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, thank you for making a way out of no way in my life! During this summer may I dedicate my leisure and my work, my rest and my travel, my service and my spending, my health and my wealth, my worship and my 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!
THE EUCHARISTIC WORDS by the Celebrant, who recalls and re-enacts Jesus’ Holy Meal.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
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. . Praise the Lord for this community meal that renews and unites us!
COMMUNION SONGS: Tan #435 Tan #463
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: “LET US TALENTS AND TONGUES EMPLOY” Tan #681