Tenth Sunday after Pentecost 8/1/21

Date
August 7, 2021
Author
Don Bennett
Category
Bulletins

Created, saved and gifted by God, we seek, serve and share Jesus Christ.

Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
August 1, 2021 – 10:30 am

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
901 East Stroop Road
Kettering, OH 45429-4688
(937) 298-0136

Introduction

Apparently not satisfied by Jesus’ feeding of thousands, some who were there press him for a sign of his power; perhaps it is daily manna they want. As always in John’s gospel when people want a sign, Jesus offers himself. He is the bread come from heaven to give life to the world. He calls us to come to him and believe in him, and through that relationship to know the one who sent him.

Hungry for More
They were hungry, but they didn’t know what they were hungry for. Their longing compelled them to cross the sea and comb through the villages in search of the one who could meet their deepest desires. They had seen the sign, after all—the baskets of leftover bread, the impossible abundance of fish. Surely, they must find the source to have their needs fulfilled once and for all.
Perhaps we too are hungry—for security, for certainty, for power, for recognition, for the simple assurance that we are good enough in a world that always seems to demand more. We too may find ourselves searching for the one who can calm our spirits or offer us those things on which our hearts are set. We cry out with the crowd, “Give us this bread always” (John 6:34). Care for us. Feed us. Help us. Reassure us. We have seen what you can do. Show us this sign again so that we may believe.
But God gives us more than bread; indeed, God gives us more than whatever we think we most desire. Jesus takes our questions and those things we think we need and redirects us to himself—the source of all life for the world. We ask for the things we most crave. Jesus offers us abundant life. We ask for what we can com-prehend. Jesus gives us the promises of God that pass all understanding.
John’s gospel invites us to dwell with Jesus in the mysteries of God. Not to understand exactly. Not to have our fill of the things we demand. But to abide with God. To be wrapped in the promises of the one who has been feeding the hungry and sustaining life since the very beginning, giving us life that cannot be earned but is simply received through Jesus.

GATHERING

The Holy Spirit calls us together as the people of God.

PRELUDE

WELCOME

ANNOUNCEMENTS

CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

All may make the sign of the cross, the sign that is marked at baptism, as the presiding minister begins.

Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God, whose steadfast love is everlasting, whose faithfulness endures from generation to generation.
Amen.

Trusting in the mercy of God, let us confess our sin.

Silence is kept for reflection.

Reconciling God,
we confess that we do not trust your abundance, and we deny your presence in our lives. We place our hope in ourselves and rely on our own efforts. We fail to believe that you provide enough for all. We abuse your good creation for our own benefit. We fear difference and do not welcome others as you have welcomed us. We sin in thought, word, and deed. By your grace, forgive us; through your love, renew us; and in your Spirit, lead us; so that we may live and serve you in newness of life. Amen.

Beloved of God, by the radical abundance of divine mercy we have peace with God through Christ Jesus, through whom we have obtained grace upon grace. Our sins are forgiven. Let us live now in hope. For hope does not disappoint, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

GATHERING HYMN – “Blest Be the Tie That Binds”

Blest be the tie that binds
our hearts in Christian love;
the unity of heart and mind
is like to that above.

Before our Father’s throne
we pour our ardent prayers;
our fears, our hopes, our aims are one,
our comforts and our cares.

We share our mutual woes,
our mutual burdens bear,
and often for each other flows
the sympathizing tear.

From sorrow, toil, and pain,
and sin we shall be free;
and perfect love and friendship reign
through all eternity.

GREETING

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.

KYRIE

Gathered in peace, gathered in peace, let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy.
Lord have mercy.

For peace from above, and for the saving power of God, let us pray. Christ have mercy.
Christ have mercy.

For peace in the world, for the Church, for the unity of all, let us pray. Lord have mercy.
Lord have mercy.

For this holy place, and for all who gather here for praise, let us pray. Christ have mercy.
Christ have mercy.

SONG OF PRAISE

This is the feast! Come and celebrate the victory of our God!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! This is the feast!

Worthy is Christ, the Lamb once slain,
whose blood was shed to give freedom for all.
Power and riches, wisdom and strength,
honor and blessing; come give glory to Christ!

Yes, This is the feast! Come and celebrate the victory of our God!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! This is the feast!

Sing out with joy, all the people of God!
Join in the song of creation!
Blessing and honor, glory and might
to God and the Lamb for evermore!

Yes, This is the feast! Come and celebrate the victory of our God!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! This is the feast!

This is the feast of praise and rejoicing,
for the Lamb, the one who was slain,
will come forth now and begin God’s reign!
Sing all you people, sing Alleluia!

Yes, This is the feast! Come and celebrate the victory of our God!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! This is the feast!

PRAYER OF THE DAY

O God, eternal goodness,
immeasurable love, you place your gifts before us; we eat and are satisfied. Fill us and this world in all its need with the life that comes only from you, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

WORD

God speaks to us in scripture reading, preaching, and song.

FIRST READING Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15

A food crisis becomes a faith crisis for the Israelites in the wilderness. The hungry people forget God’s saving work in the exodus, and they wish for the food they had in Egypt. Nevertheless, God miraculously meets their needs, with manna for bread and quail for meat.

A reading from the book of Exodus.
The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wil- derness. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
Then the LORD said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not.”
Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, ‘Draw near to the LORD, for he has heard your complaining.’” And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. The LORD spoke to Moses and said, “I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.’ ”
In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.”

Word of God, word of life.
Thanks be to God.

SECOND READING Ephesians 4:1-16

Christians share fundamental unity and diversity. Our unity consists in the one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God. Our diversity is expressed in various forms of ministry whose goal is equipping the saints and building up Christ’s one body.

A reading from the book of Ephesians.
I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it is said,
“When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.” (When it says, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.

Word of God, word of life.
Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Alleluia.
Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life!
Alleluia. Alleluia!

GOSPEL John 6:24-35

Many of the five thousand people Jesus fed in the wilderness continued to follow him throughout the countryside. Jesus challenges them to consider the real nature of their quest.

The holy gospel according to John.
Glory to you, O Lord.

When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were [beside the sea,] they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.
When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” Then Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

The gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.

Youth Message

MESSAGE

HYMN OF THE DAY – “Hungry”

Hungry, I come to you
For I know you satisfy.
I am empty,
But I know your love
Does not run dry.
And so I wait for you,
So I wait for you.

I’m falling on my knees,
Offering all of me.
Jesus, you’re all
This heart is living for.

Broken, I run to you
For your arms are open wide.
I am weary,
But I know your touch
Restores my life.
And so I wait for you,
So I wait for You.

I’m falling on my knees,
Offering all of me.
Jesus, you’re all
This heart is living for.

So I wait for you, so I wait for you.
So I wait for you, so I wait for you.

I’m falling on my knees,
Offering all of me.
Jesus, you’re all
This heart is living for.

Jesus, you’re all
This heart is living for.

APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
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,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come 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 INTERCESSION

Rooted in Christ and sustained by the Spirit, we offer our prayers for the church, the world, and all of creation.

A brief silence.
Each intercession concludes:
Hear us, O God,
your mercy is great.

We lift these and all our prayers to you, O God, confident in the promise of your saving love; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

MEAL

THE GREAT THANKSGIVING

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is indeed right and good that we should everywhere and always offer thanks and praise to you, holy God, mighty and immortal, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who on this day broke the bonds of death, opening to us the way of everlasting life and giving us a foretaste of the feast to come.

And so with the Church on earth and hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna, hosanna in the highest!

Blessed are you, Holy God, from the rising of the sun to its setting, we bless your holy name. You set creation’s table with the bounty of your goodness and satisfy the needs of every living thing. You gather the peoples of the earth to feast on your promise and your presence made known to us in your Son, Jesus.

In the night in which he was bretrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.

Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgviness of sin. Do this in remembrance of me.

As often as we share this meal, we proclaim his death unitl he comes:

Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come,
Christ will come again.

Pour out your Holy Spirit upon these gifts and this company, making us one in Christ Jesus. Through him all glory and honor is yours, gracious Father, with your Spirit, both now and forever.

Amen, amen, Alleluia!
Amen, amen!

LORD’S PRAYER

Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.
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, forever and ever. Amen.

INVITATION TO COMMUNION

Christ has set the table with more than enough for all. Come!

HOLY COMMUNION – Receiving the Lord’s tangible presence.

The body of Christ, given for you.
The blood of Christ, shed for you.
Each person may respond: Amen.

Communion Statement ~ If you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is your Savior and Redeemer and would like to receive Holy Communion, then come forward to receive the elements. If you would just like to come forward and receive a blessing, then you may do that also.

NOTE: We invite everyone to come forward for Holy Communion. If you have a gluten allergy, gluten-free wafers are available upon request when receiving Communion. Also, if you prefer not to receive wine at Communion, apple juice is available upon request.

LAMB OF GOD

Lamb of god, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us.
Lamb of god, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us.
Lamb of god, you take away the sin of the world: grant us your peace, grant us your peace.

COMMUNION HYMN – “I am the Bread of Life”

“I am the Bread of life.
You who come to me shall not hunger,
and who believe in me shall not thirst.
No one can come to me unless the Father beckons.”