Trinity
Pentecost 2B
Pentecost 3B
Pentecost 4B
Pentecost 5B
Pentecost 6B
Pentecost 7B
Pentecost 8B
Pentecost 9B
Pentecost 10B
Pentecost 11B
Pentecost 12B
Pentecost 13B
Pentecost 14B
Pentecost 15B
Pentecost 16B
Pentecost 17B
Pentecost 18B
Pentecost 19B
Pentecost 20B
Pentecost 21B
Pentecost 22B
Pentecost 23B
Pentecost 24B
Reign of Christ B
New Year C CD
|
Pentecost 3B LECTIONARY GENERATED LITURGY Third Sunday after Pentecost Year B 1 Sam 17:57-18:5,10-16; Ps 9:9-20; 2 Cor 6:1-13; Mark 4:35-41 Rec. text- NRSV Hymns are from the Australian Hymn Book (AHB) or Together in Song (TIS) unless otherwise indicated. Worship Leader - normal type. Congregational responses - bold type Permission is granted to churches to use this material in services of worship. This liturgy remains the property of Moira B Laidlaw Additional resources for Pentecost 3B: EVERYTHING I POSSESS, Frank Andersen M.S.C, Chevalier Press, Kensington, NSW 2033, 1981; UNITING IN WORSHIP People’s Book, Uniting Church Press, Melbourne, Victoria, 1988; Australian Prayers, Bruce Prewer, Lutheran Publishing House, Adelaide, South Australia, 1983. CALL TO WORSHIP Either read Psalm 9: 9-20 responsively or use the following: Let us praise God who is our strength in times of trouble Those who put their trust in God will never be disappointed. Sing and speak of God’s great deeds to all peoples, who hears our cries and sees our suffering and who lifts us up from the depths, turning our despair into joy, for true power belongs to you, O God, judge of all those who create unjust systems which make people powerless. Let us praise God who is our strength in times of trouble. TIS 15/AHB 493: “God is my strong salvation” AHB 493 can be sung to Thornbury AHB 389 TIS 47/AHB 46: “ O God, our help in ages past...” TIS 28: “God is our strength and refuge” PRAYER OF PRAISE AND ADORATION - Gracious and loving God, you enabled the Psalmist to turn to you confident that all his cries and prayers would be heard by you and answered by you. Prayers uttered in the belief that you would not permit evil and despair to have the last word. We offer our prayers in that same belief, and with even greater confidence, for in Jesus you have made known your great love for all people. He bears our burdens in times of trouble and through his sacrificial love, our lives are blessed, strengthened, and empowered by the gift of the Holy Spirit. For these great gifts, we offer our thanksgiving, our praise, our adoration, and this prayer, in Jesus’ name. Amen EPISTLE: 2 Corinthians 6: 1-13 Invite people to listen closely to the reading and remember some of the difficulties which the Apostle Paul experienced or - instead of someone reading the verses as is, ask them to tell of some of the hardships as though they were Paul and to link to material below regarding why Paul was able to keep going - as we are. A WORD WITH THE CHILDREN/YOUNG PEOPLE Ask if anyone can say what some of these difficulties were...Paul describes them as afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labours, sleepless nights, hunger- maybe some he described as ‘afflictions’ included having stones thrown at him, being stripped of his clothes and beaten with sticks, being shipwrecked and bitten by a snake! No wonder he had sleepless nights! Wouldn’t we?? Yet, all he was doing was telling people about Jesus. He also tells us that he had patience, that he felt genuine love for people and that he experienced God’s power with him. It was this power that kept him strong and helped him to keep going despite all the difficulties. He was a bit like the disciples when they were caught in the storm - it was Jesus’ presence with them that brought calm and peace. There are times when we, like Paul and the disciples go through difficult and maybe stormy times in our lives - when people get sick or families split up, or our friends move away and we’re lonely. When we are afraid - for whatever reason - at these times Jesus helps us keep calm - helps us be strong to cope with whatever it is that causes us pain, or worries us. The Holy Spirit is the special gift of Jesus’ life in us and he gives us a sense of stillness inside, no matter what storm is raging outside. It is our assurance of his love and care for us forever and ever. TIS 412/AHB 324: “God sends us his Spirit to befriend and help us” TIS 717/SCRIPTURE IN SONG 509: “Give thanks with a grateful heart” SCRIPTURE IN SONG 27: “Be still and know that I am God” PRAYER OF CONFESSION: Merciful God, we share the conviction of the Psalmist that you are our stronghold in times of trouble and we rejoice over the evidence of such care for us and for all people which we experience in Jesus. Yet, we confess how easily we identify with the fear of the disciples when they were caught in the storm; like them, our faith falters and our anxiety levels soar when life becomes too turbulent for us. We fail to remember that Jesus demonstrated that your power, O God, can bring peace even into the stormiest situations. And so, time and again, the stresses of living and working and learning threaten to swamp us. Our lives sometimes feel as though they are spinning out of control with worries over health, relationships, finances, the state of the world....We forget that Jesus is in our midst calming our fears and strengthening us especially when we feel most vulnerable and fearful and weak. ( a time of silence ) Solo voice or choir sing the response from TIS 16: “Do not be afraid, I am with you...” Gracious God, forgive us all our fears and weaknesses, we pray. Renew and strengthen our faith in the living Christ so that we can live empowered by his presence. This we pray in Jesus’ name. ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS As the Apostle Paul wrote: “If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved” (Romans 10: 9) . The good news therefore is this: “now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation!” (2 Corinthians 6:2b) Thanks be to God! SONG: “This is Our Acceptable Time” in Everything I Possess, p.33f. OLD TESTAMENT: 1 Samuel 17: 57-18:5,10-16 GOSPEL: Mark 4: 35-41 SERMON TIS 555/AHB 464 “Put all your trust in God” TIS 254: “O changeless Christ, for ever new...” TIS 154: “Great is your faithfulness...” TIS 153/AHB 93: “God is love...” TIS 233/AHB 173: “I will sing the wondrous story” SUGGESTIONS FOR PRAYERS OF THANKSGIVING AND INTERCESSION “A Litany for the Church” - Litany 6, pp176-178 Uniting in Worship People’s Book; “For Faith” p.110f. and “Contemporary Wilderness” p. 150f. Australian Prayers THE LORD’S PRAYER OFFERING PRAYER OF DEDICATION We dedicate these gifts and our lives to you, O God, in thanksgiving for your great gift of Jesus in whom we know an inner peace which is beyond our human understanding. Strengthen and empower us with the Holy Spirit to be bearers of this peace wherever we go. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen TIS 687: “God gives us a future” TIS 616/AHB : “ O day of God draw near” TIS 609/AHB 537: “May the mind of Christ my Saviour...” TIS 161/AHB 109: “Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord!” BENEDICTION: The protection of God surround you, the peace of Jesus Christ fill you, the breath of the Holy Spirit inspire you. THREEFOLD AMEN |