Third Sunday after Pentecost: Service of the Word
June 13, 2021 at 10.00 AM
Welcome to our Online Service.
In preparation, you may want to think about posture and your environment at home. You may find it helpful to light a candle, place or hold a cross…whatever is helpful.
GATHERING THE COMMUNITY
Prelude Music will be played as part of our preparation for worship
The Greeting
The minister makes the Territorial Acknowledgement and introduces the theme of the service.
Minister The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
All And also with you.
Minister Drawn from many backgrounds and experiences,
All God gathers us as one body.
Minister Bringing our whole selves before our Maker,
All God transforms us more and more into who we were created to be.
Minister We stand together as people loved by God,
All and who are called to love others in ordinary and extraordinary ways.
Minister Let us celebrate God’s majesty, and delight in the wonder of God’s love. Together we shall confess our sins and receive assurance that we are forgiven.
As the scriptures are read, we can allow God’s word to speak to us, and ponder its meaning for our lives.
In our prayers, we give thanks for God’s goodness, we pray for others as well as for ourselves, and we offer our lives anew in Christ’s service.
All this we do, because we believe in the presence among us of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and in the mighty power of the Holy Spirit.
Silence is kept.
CONFESSION
Minister My friends, not out of dread and fear, but believing that God is faithful to forgive, let us rid ourselves of what we need to carry no longer.
All Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us, that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your name. Amen.
Minister Merciful God, grant to your faithful people pardon and peace, that we may be cleansed from all our sins and serve you with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
All Amen.
THE COLLECT OF THE DAY
Minister Let us pray that the Spirit will work through our lives to bring Christ to the world.
Almighty God, without you we are not able to please you. Mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
All Amen
THE PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD
FIRST Reading
Reader A READING FROM THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL
Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord was sorry that he had made Saul king over Israel. The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons." Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me." And the Lord said, "Take a heifer with you, and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.' Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you." Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, "Do you come peaceably?" He said, "Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed is now before the Lord." But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, "Neither has the Lord chosen this one." Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, "Neither has the Lord chosen this one." Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, "The Lord has not chosen any of these." Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your sons here?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here." He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, "Rise and anoint him; for this is the one." Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah. 1 SAMUEL 15:34-16:13
Reader Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people.
All Thanks be to God.
Musical Interlude
Second Reading
Reader A READING FROM THE SECOND LETTER OF PAUL TO THE CORINTHIANS
We are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord - for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.
For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil. For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.
From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 2 CORINTHIANS 5: 6-10, 14-17
Reader Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people.
All Thanks be to God.
Musical Interlude
THE GOSPEL Michael McManus
Reader +The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.
All Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come."
He also said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade." With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples. MARK 4:26-34
Reader The Gospel of Christ.
All Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
HOMILY
After the Homily there will be a period of time for reflection.
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
Minister Let us confess our faith as we say,
All 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.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Minister Gathering our prayers and praises into one, let us pray as our Saviour taught us,
All Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.
Announcements
The Minister gives the Announcements.
THE DISMISSAL
Minister Glory to God
All whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to God from generation to generation, in the Church and in Christ Jesus, for ever and ever. Amen.
Minister Jesus said, ‘I am with you always.’ May God the Creator bless you. May God the Son walk with you. May God the Spirit lead your lives with love, this day and for evermore.
All Amen.
Minister Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
All Thanks be to God
If you would like to join us for a virtual coffee hour on Zoom, please go to https://bit.ly/3hM6u2Z Meeting ID: 240 454 925 Passcode: 153936
