WORSHIP MATERIALS
June 21, 2020
Lectionary Readings
Genesis 21:8-21
Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17
Romans 6:1b-11
Matthew 10:24-39
Call to Worship (based on Psalm 86)
Leader: Incline your ear to us, O God.
People: Be gracious to us, O Lord.
Leader: Gladden the souls of your servants.
People: You are a good and forgiving God.
Leader: In our days of trouble, we call on you.
People: There is none like you, O Lord.
Leader: You are great and you do wondrous things.
People: You alone are God.
Opening Prayer
One and only God, we come to you in prayer and worship because we need to know you have not forgotten us in our time of trouble. Speak to us your words of comfort and presence, turn to us and be gracious to us, show us a sign of your favor as we give you our hearts in worship. Amen.
Moment for Stewardship
Jesus tells us that God loves us so much that “even the hairs on your head are counted.” For some of us, God has to do less counting than for others! But the message is clear: God knows us intimately and loves us, not in spite of who we are, but because of who we are.
But truly receiving that love requires sacrifice. Sure, we can acknowledge God with our lips, but authentic servanthood runs deeper: “Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” We think we need to hoard our resources to preserve our lives, and yet Jesus tells us that it is in the sharing of our livelihood that we find true life.
We are so loved by God that we have been lavished with blessings, even in the midst of trials. Are we presumptuous enough to think we deserve it? Are we selfish enough to think that all of our blessings are meant for us alone? “Those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” Let us collect our tithes and offerings.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Loving God, you know us and you love us, even when we are not very loveable. Each day, you wake us up and encourage us try again to be your servants. This day we give you our offerings as a way of recommitting our lives to your service. Amen.
Invitation to Communion
Wandering in the wilderness. It’s a common biblical metaphor for a person or group of people who are lost, searching, looking for something they can’t quite find. The Israelites on the way to the Promised Land. Jesus being tempted after his baptism. And Hagar and Ishmael fleeing from Sarah’s wrath.
You may feel like you’re in a wilderness time yourself right now. The future is murky, people are sending mixed messages about what is safe and healthy, and who knows when things will return to “normal,” if that even exists.
But just like God provided water in the desert for Hagar and Ishmael, God provides sustenance in our wilderness at this table. The cup and the bread feed us, nourish us, quench our thirst. The elements remind us we are not alone, we are not forgotten, God walks with us in the wilderness. Let us take these gifts as a reminder that, even in the wilderness, God is good. Let us share in communion together.
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