service of the word€¦ · web view14/06/2020 · 2[the israelites] had journeyed from...

SERVICE OF THE WORD – COVID-19 Suspension

St. John Lutheran Church (ELCA)Mineola, IA

Pastor Luke Kuenzli

Order of Service and Worship TextsFor Virtual Worship

Adapted from Evangelical Lutheran WorshipService of the Word and Holy Communion Setting 4

June 2020 during COVID-19 pandemic

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This SUNDAY: June 14, 202010:30am Virtual Worship

CANCELLED for the time being: please pay attention to church website, Facebook page,

and/or word-of-mouth network for updates!Quilting, Bible StudyPreschool, ChoirSunday School, ConfirmationSunday in-person WorshipsRelay for Life (Mills County)

Our tentative date for resuming in-person worship, with precautions including social distancing, masks, and changes to worship practice, is July 5. Until then, we will continue virtual worships via YouTube livestream (and recorded worship services when the live feed fails).

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St. John Lutheran ChurchMineola, Iowa Phone (712) 526-2268Website: stjohnluthchurchmineola.orgPastor Luke Kuenzli

June 14, 2020 10:30am2nd Sunday after Pentecost

We are called to glorify God,

grow in faith, and build community.

Mission Statement


GatheringWelcome/Announcements

As we begin, please prepare by finding a bowl (small or large) and placing some water into the bowl; or you may pour water into the bowl at the same time as Pastor Luke.

Confession and ForgivenessBlessed 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 mercywe have peace with God through ☩ Christ Jesus,through whom we have obtained grace upon grace.Through God’s promise in the waters of baptism, our sins are forgiven.Let us live now in hope. For hope does not disappoint,because God’s love has been poured into our heartsthrough the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Take a moment to dip your hands in the water and make the sign of your cross on your family members’ or your own forehead, a sign that Christ is with us even in the midst of suffering, anxiety, and uncertainty. You may say “Remember your baptism into Christ’s life, death, and resurrection” if you are marking others who have been baptized with the sign of the cross; or “rejoice in God’s grace, poured out for all people in Jesus” if you are marking those who have not been baptized.

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GATHERING SONG “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing”(public domain)

Come, thou Fount of ev’ry blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace;streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.While the hope of endless glory fills my heart with joy and love,

teach me ever to adore thee; may I still thy goodness prove.

Here I raise my Ebenezer: “Hither by thy help I’ve come”;and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger, wand’ring from the fold of God;he, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood.

Oh, to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be;let that grace now like a fetter bind my wand’ring heart to thee.Prone to wander, Lord I feel it; prone to leave the God I love.

Here’s my heart, oh, take and seal it; seal it for thy courts above.

GREETINGThe 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.

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KYRIE (Holy Communion Setting 4)

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SONG OF PRAISE (Holy Communion Setting 4)

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PRAYER OF THE DAY Let us pray. A brief silence is kept before the prayer.God of compassion, you have opened the way for us and brought us to yourself. Pour your love into our hearts, that, overflowing with joy, we may freely share the blessings of your realm and faithfully proclaim the good news of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

WORDFirst Reading: Exodus 19:2-8a

2[The Israelites] had journeyed from Rephidim, entered the wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness; Israel camped there in front of the mountain.3Then Moses went up to God; the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the Israelites: 4You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, 6but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.” 7So Moses came, summoned the elders of the people, and set before them all these words that the LORD had commanded him. 8aThe people all answered as one: “Everything that the LORD has spoken we will do.”

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

Psalm: Psalm 101 1Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all you lands!

2Serve the LORD with gladness; come into God’s presence with a song.3Know that the LORD is God, our maker to whom we belong; we are God’s people and the sheep of God’s pasture. 4Enter the gates of the LORD with thanksgiving and the courts with praise; give thanks and bless God’s holy name.5Good indeed is the LORD, whose steadfast love is everlasting, whose faithfulness endures from age to age.

Second Reading: Romans 5:1-81Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

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6For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. 8But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.

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

Gospel Acclamation (Holy Communion Setting 4) p.151

Announcement of the GospelThe Holy Gospel, according to Matthew 9:35-10:8 [9-23]. Glory to You, O Lord!The Gospel is Proclaimed

35Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” 10:1Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. 2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him. 5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. [9Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, 10no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food. 11Whatever town

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or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. 12As you enter the house, greet it. 13If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. 15Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. 16“See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; 18and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. 19When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; 20for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; 22and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”]

…the gospel of the Lord. Praise to You, O Christ!

SERMON Pastor Luke Kuenzli

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Our Gospel lesson for today comes from the early stages of Jesus’ public

ministry in ancient Palestine. You might think “we’re in chapter 9: surely this is

more toward the middle of Jesus’ ministry.” Well, consider that chapter 1 of

Matthew’s Gospel details the genealogy of Jesus, and the account of Joseph’s

dream of an angel. Chapter 2 tells us about the magi and the Holy Family’s escape

to Egypt. Chapter 3 is all about John the Baptist, and Jesus’ baptism. 4 is Jesus’

temptation in the wilderness and the call of Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John.

These four begin their journey with Jesus, and they bear witness to his

power as he heals, cures, teaches, and preaches the Kingdom. Chapters 5, 6 and 7

are Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount. In Chapter 8, Jesus really begins to make

a scene; he heals a leper, restores a Roman centurion’s paralyzed servant (from a

distance, no less!), raises Peter’s mother-in-law from her sickbed, rejects several

would-be followers, calms a storm during a tumultuous sea-crossing, and finally

casts a legion of demons out of a Gentile man into a herd of pigs, and watches

them drown in the sea. Chapter nine recounts a series of healings, including

Matthew’s account first of Jesus raising someone from the dead.

Demons cast out; diseases cured; dignity restored; death defeated… Jesus,

even early in his ministry, is already making a difference in the world he has come

to save. But he and four devoted followers can only do so much, so Jesus does

what any successful movement does; he expands his base. We hear about the

remaining eight disciples – at least we hear their names. Their occupations, we

know less about; we only know half of the twelve: the four fishermen, of course,

plus a tax collector (Matthew) who may have been considered a traitor to his

people, and (if we look to the other Gospels for supplemental information) we are

told that Simon was a zealot – a warrior fighting for the freedom of his people.

Zealots had the reputation of being destructive; according to Roman perspective,

they may have been something like what we would call terrorists. To some in the

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Jewish community, they were freedom fighters, and to others, they were trouble

makers who were only making things worse for everyone.

Jesus’ disciples were not, it seems, all of one mind on what the appropriate

course of action was, in the face of generations of Roman occupation. Yet a zealot

who fought against Rome, and a tax collector who worked for Rome were

numbered among Jesus’ closest disciples… they were of “the twelve.” We hear of

the work Jesus is doing: “[going] about to all the cities and villages, teaching in

their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every

disease and every sickness… [seeing] the crowds, [having] compassion for them,

because they were harassed and helpless…”

And Jesus invites his followers, these twelve, into the same work that he is

doing. When he sends them out, it is with these instructions: “Go nowhere among

the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of

the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven

has come near.’”

This passage from our Gospel is one that has often been used to promote

exclusivism, the idea that God only loves certain groups of people; that God only

saves a few; that God considers some people to be worth less than others, and that

therefore, it’s OK for us to do the same. This is a gross misappropriation of our

Holy Scriptures, removing one passage from a wider scope in order to justify one’s

own limited viewpoint. Jesus came only for the lost sheep of Israel? Really? Even

waaaaaay back in Exodus, that isn’t the case! “Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but

you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation.” Israel wasn’t the frozen

chosen, they were the people through whom God’s kingdom would come to be!

If only Israel mattered to God, then why did Jesus heal that Roman

centurion’s slave, and commend the centurion’s faith? Why cast the legion of

demons from the Gadarene demoniac? Jesus has already begun to move beyond

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such a limited worldview, so why does he walk that back, and send his disciples

only to the Israelites?

Remember that this is the beginning of Jesus’ ministry – the first mission on

which he sent his newly gathered twelve disciples. And consider the warning he

gives them: “I’m sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves… beware of

them [your own people], for they will hand you over… flog you… brother will

betray brother, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and

have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name.” This is

just the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, and it isn’t an easy first step in the ministry of

the Disciples. It is a big job, a hard job, a dangerous job that will lead to conflict.

But the story doesn’t end with this mission, does it? Jesus’ commission to

his disciples – to go out and do the very same work that Jesus himself had come to

do among Israel – was only the beginning. We are told about the successes and

failures of Jesus’ disciples, through the remaining chapters of Matthew’s Gospel

and the others, through the book of Acts and the early letters written to churches

and individuals in their struggles. We hear about the betrayal and suffering and

death experienced by Jesus himself, at the hands of his own people who he had

come to save, the denials by his own disciples. And still, even after Jesus’ death

and glorious resurrection, the conflict raged.

Jesus died for us, so that we might live for him. “For while we were still

weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die

for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually

dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ

died for us.” While we are still sinners, Christ gives his life for us so that we might

live for him. But what does living for Jesus look like, anyway?

Is it an exclusivist approach that says “I’ll help people who agree with me,

who look like me, who believe as I do…? Only my own people, who are lost. No

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one else.” No. That was just the beginning, remember? It wasn’t for Jesus’ own

sake that he sent his disciples out to the lost sheep of Israel alone, as a way to limit

the work of his disciples. It was a starting point – begin with what you know, your

family, your friends, your neighbors. Learn to love them, so that you can better

love others as the mission continues to expand.

Jesus commission to his first twelve was to go throughout Israel. At the end

of Matthew’s Gospel, we have the “Great Commission,” which we heard last week

on Holy Trinity Sunday. “Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing

them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…” Jesus

sends his twelve throughout Israel because they can understand Israel; they know

Israel; they love Israel, and even so, there will be danger. If they started with

something they didn’t understand, they’d be dead in the water; completely helpless

to make any difference. The game would be lost before it even started. Jesus had to

start his disciples off somewhere, but that wasn’t where they ended.

It takes one step, to begin following Jesus. Just one. It takes one more to

continue the journey. Yet another to follow more closely. But this way, this path,

this road through the life of faith – it is taken just one step at a time.

So I beg you, brothers and sisters in Christ, the beloved saints of God who

rise up to do God’s will; the redeemed sinners of this world who Christ died to

save, the followers of Jesus, baptized by water and Spirit and the promises of

God… I beg you to take one step. And let me suggest what that step might be, for

white Christians today.

Listen to the voices of the people crying out for justice, for freedom, for

healing, for equality. Don’t tune them out, but hear them. Listen with compassion,

as Jesus did, to those who are harassed and helpless before our current status quo.

What you have done to this point matters less than what you do from here on out.

Whether you identify with Matthew the tax collector, benefiting from the current

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system or with Simon the zealot, fighting against it, or with the fishermen, largely

unaffected by it, take one step in following Jesus, in participating in his work of

salvation. He has called you to follow, so take a step. Read a book on anti-racism,

consider a narrative written from a perspective other than your own. Talk to your

pastor about where you struggle, why you struggle, to love people who are

different. Take a step. And then, don’t stop there. Take another step. Learn to love.

Practice hospitality. Grow in your faith. Build a loving community. Glorify God

through a life of following Jesus, of seeking after God’s will, of showing

compassion, of working for justice for the oppressed.

It isn’t an easy first step, or second, or fifty-third. It is hard, challenging,

dangerous even. It may lead to conflict within your family. Jesus warned his

disciples about this reality, but he called them, commissioned them, sent them

out… and they healed diseases. They cast out demons. They preached the

Kingdom. And they failed, they didn’t understand, they suffered. But they

persisted; they endured. And their character grew with hope, and that hope did not

disappoint. Our hope in Jesus Christ cannot disappoint.

Jesus died for us, so that we might live for him. So that we might live with

hope. Hope for our own lost and sinful souls. Hope for the Kingdom to come.

Hope for God’s mercy to make of a us a people who follow after Jesus, so that we

can heal and cure and preach and teach Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection which

reconciles all people. “Make our love, O God, more faithful; let us take you at your

word,

and our lives will be thanksgiving for the goodness of the Lord.” May our lives be

thanksgiving for God’s goodness, for the wideness in God’s mercy. Bring us to

your kingdom, Jesus, one step at a time. Amen.

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HYMN OF THE DAY “There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy” ELW #588(public domain)

There’s a wideness in God’s mercy, like the wideness of the sea;there’s a kindness in God’s justice which is more than liberty.

There is no place where earth’s sorrows are more felt than up in heav’n.There in no place where earth’s failings have such kindly judgement giv’n.

There is welcome for the sinner, and a promised grace made good;there is mercy with the Savior; there is healing in his blood.

There is grace enough for thousands of new worlds as great as this;there is room for fresh creations in that upper home of bliss.

For the love of God is broader than the measures of our mind;and the heart of the Eternal is most wonderfully kind.

But we make this love too narrow by false limits of our own;and we magnify its strictness with a zeal God will not own.

‘Tis not all we owe to Jesus; it is something more than all:greater good because of evil, larger mercy through the fall.

Make our love, O God, more faithful; let us take you at your word,and our lives will be thanksgiving for the goodness of the Lord.

APOSTLES’ CREEDI 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 Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary,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, 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.

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PRAYERS OF INTERCESSIONCalled into unity with one another and the whole creation, let us pray for our

shared world. A brief silence.Holy One, you bring us together and call us your own. Bless theologians,

teachers, and preachers who help us grow in faith. Guide your church, that we might be a holy people... …Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

Holy One, the whole earth is yours. Where there is fire, bring cool air and new growth. Where there is flooding, bring abatement. Where there is drought, bring rain. Inspire us to care for what you have provided. We pray especially for… …Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

Holy One, we have created divisions you will not own. In places of conflict especially… …raise up leaders who work to develop lasting peace and reconciliation. Encourage organizations and individuals who care for all forced to leave their homes. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

Holy One, you care for those who are harassed and helpless. Protect and defend those who are abused. Heal those who are sick. Feed all who hunger. Empower all whose voices go unheard, and help us respond to the pressing needs of our neighbors. We pray especially for… …Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

Holy One, you provide a plentiful harvest of gifts and resources. Prepare us to labor and gather the fruits of this congregation, that we might discover new ways of living. Minister to us in our work, that we do not lose heart. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

Holy One, you bring all people to yourself. We give thanks for the holy people who have gone before us. Sustain us in your mission until the day you bear us up to join the saints in light. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

Receive these prayers, O God, and those too deep for words; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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PEACE The peace of Christ be with you always. And also with you.Please take a moment to greet your family members who are with you, or to send a greeting via text message to someone you are thinking of today.

ThanksgivingOFFERING

While we cannot take up a physical offering through our virtual worship, I would encourage you to continue the practice of giving. Even though we cannot meet in person and our church building is closed to the public, we do have continued commitments to ministries beyond our congregation’s walls, such as the MCMA food pantry, the Mills County Storehouse, Bethany Lutheran Home, the Western Iowa Synod, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, as well as commitments to our congregation’s employees and expenses such as utilities.

OFFERTORY SONG “Now Thank We All Our God” public domain

Now thank we all our God with hearts and hands and voices,who wondrous things has done, in whom this world rejoices;

who, from our mothers’ arms, has blest us on our waywith countless gifts of love. And still is ours today.

Oh, may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,with ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us,

and keep us all in grace, and guide us when perplexed,and free us from all harm in this world and the next.

All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given,the Son, and Spirit blest, who reigns in highest heaven,

the one eternal God, whom earth and heav’n adore;for thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.

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THANKSGIVING FOR THE WORDThe presiding minister leads one of the following or another appropriate prayer.Let us pray.

Praise and thanks to you, holy God, for by your Word you made all things:you spoke light into darkness, called forth beauty from chaos,and brought life into being.For your Word of life, O God, we give you thanks and praise.

By your Word you called your people Israel to tell of your wonderful gifts:freedom from captivity, water on the desert journey,a pathway home from exile, wisdom for life with you.For your Word of life, O God, we give you thanks and praise.

Through Jesus, your Word made flesh, you speak to us and call us to witness:forgiveness through the cross, life to those entombed by death,the way of your self-giving love.For your Word of life, O God, we give you thanks and praise.

Send your Spirit of truth, O God; rekindle your gifts within us:renew our faith, increase our hope,and deepen our love, for the sake of a world in need.Faithful to your Word, O God, draw near to all who call on you;through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord,to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,be honor and glory forever. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYEROur 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,

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forever and ever. Amen.

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Sending

BLESSINGNeither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come,nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

God, the creator, ☩ Jesus, the Christ, and the Holy Spirit, the comforter,bless you and keep you in eternal love. Amen.

SENDING SONG “Rise Up, O Saints of God!” ELW#669Text © Norman O. Forness, admin. Augsburg Fortress

Rise up, O saints of God! From vain ambitions turn;Christ rose triumphant that your hearts with nobler zeal might burn.

Speak out, O saints of God! Despair engulfs earth’s frame;as heirs of God’s baptismal grace, the word of hope proclaim.

Rise up, O saints of God! The kingdom’s task embrace;redress sin’s cruel consequence; give justice larger place.

Give heed, O saints of God! Creation cries in pain;stretch forth your hand of healing now, with love the weak sustain.

Commit your hearts to seek the paths which Christ has trod;and, quickened by the Spirit’s pow’r, rise up, O saints of God!

DISMISSALGo in peace. Christ is with you. Thanks be to God.

From Evangelical Lutheran Worship copyright © 2006. All rights reserved. And/or from Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2020 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved.

Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #46263.

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