July 5 – Fifth after Pentecost
Worship
materials for the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost through the Eighth Sunday after
Pentecost were contributed by Dan Benson, Don Nicol, and Alydia Smith of Bloor
St. United Church, Toronto, Ont.
Lectionary
Lectionary readings from Vanderbilt Divinity Library online
(http://divinity.library.vanderbilt.edu/lectionary/BPentecost/bProper9.htm)
David
is anointed king.
God
be praised in the city of Zion.
My
grace is sufficient; my power made perfect in weakness.
Jesus,
rejected in Nazareth, sends out the 12 to teach.
Spark
“When
the going gets tough, the tough get on with it!” Post a variety of such
sayings.
With Children
If
we are planning an important trip, what should we pack? Ask the children for
suggestions and have props on hand, e.g., a suitcase or backpack with
toothbrush, clothes, food, shoes, money, radio, iPod, flashlight, hat, sweater,
sunglasses. Include some silly items since you don’t know where or when you’re
going.
Re-examine
the list and get rid of everything you don’t truly need.
Then
ask: if you’re going to be staying with good friends, who will take good care
of you, feed you, and clothe you, what do you really need? Jesus sent his disciples on their mission with only a
staff (which is like a walking stick). What was the one thing they really needed for their assignment? It
was the message they were taking to the people: the Good News that Jesus gave
them: “That God loves us, and we are to love each other as God loves each of
us.”
Sermon Starter
Paul
lives with the “thorn in his side” and, instead of using it as an excuse to
avoid his mission, finds the thorn sustenance for his work. He sees his own
weakness quite clearly, which makes him more aware of his reliance on God. He
is strong because of that weakness. He persists despite his personal burden;
the opposition he faces fuels his perseverance.
Jesus
teaches his disciples to preach the Good News and to “shake the dust off their
feet” if they and their message are not welcomed. There’s a sense of urgency,
that time shouldn’t be wasted where people need too much convincing. Don’t
waste time! Move to the next possibility!
We
value persistence, while giving up seems like a character flaw. Yet Jesus tells
his followers not to persist where
they are not welcome. Was it because the “reluctant” weren’t worth saving? Was
there such urgency that they didn’t have time to spend where there was
opposition? Or was it simply that, without any money or food, the disciples
were totally dependent on the hospitality they found—or not?
Like
other gospel stories, there’s a harsh reality check here that runs counter to
the sweetness that often describes Jesus. How can we reconcile this in our
lives and our faith? How does our faith inform our decisions about persisting
or moving on?
Hymns
VU
211 “Crown him with many
crowns”
VU
235 “O worship the King”
VU 245 “Praise
the Lord with the sound of trumpet”
VU 280 “Mother
and God”
VU
458 “Christ, let us come with
you”
VU
560 “O Master, let me walk with thee”
MV 176 “Three
things I promise”
VU
625 “I feel the winds of God
today”
VU
660 “How firm a foundation”
MV
209 “Go, make a diff’rence”
MV 212 “Sent
out in Jesus’ name”