Welcome
Blessed be the holy Trinity, + one God, who upholds us through adversity, who consoles us in our sorrows, whose mercy endures forever.
Amen.
A reading from Isaiah 54:10:
For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the LORD, who has compassion on you.
Prayer of Lament:
We lament before you, O God, Comforter in our distress,
the losses that our congregation and community have suffered.
We have missed our weekly assembled worship,
our sharing of bread and cup,
our communal song,
our greetings of peace;
the full observances of Holy Week,
the Three Days, Easter, Pentecost, and Trinity;
baptisms, confirmations, weddings, and funerals;
gatherings for education;
coffee hours; the mutual consolation of the faithful enacted each Sunday,
and we mourn members, friends, and family who have died of COVID-19.
O God, we lament our losses, for they are many.
Restore us, gracious God.
Restore us, gracious God.
We lament before you, O God, Sustainer of the universe,
the tragedies that our world has experienced.
We lament the millions sickened;
the countless dead;
thousands unemployed;
medical systems depleted;
economic security threatened;
government assistance inadequate;
political discord escalated;
despondency rampant;
racial injustice intensified;
communal engagements canceled. . .
O God, we lament the world’s tragedies, for they are incalculable. Heal us, compassionate God.
Heal us, compassionate God.
Psalm 91
1 You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
2 will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress;
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence;
4 he will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
or the arrow that flies by day,
6 or the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
or the destruction that wastes at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the LORD your refuge,
the Most High your dwelling place,
10 no evil shall befall you,
no scourge come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder,
the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.
14 Those who love me, I will deliver;
I will protect those who know my name.
15 When they call to me, I will answer them;
I will be with them in trouble,
I will rescue them and honor them.
16 With long life I will satisfy them,
and show them my salvation.
Litany for Re-Gathering:
Yet today, O God of the everlasting arms,
we rejoice at this re-gathering of our congregation:
we praise you for Sunday worship in word and sacrament;
for the personal presence of our pastor, and ministers;
for infants, children, youth, adults, and the aged together;
for communal song and live music;
for Bible study;
for service with one another for the wider community;
for the mutual consolation of the faithful enacted on Sundays and weekdays
O God, we rejoice at this re-gathering for baptismal life together.
Empower our church, faithful God.
Empower our church, faithful God.
And we pray, O God of safe harbor, for the emergence of a wholesome world:
with health restored;
mourners consoled;
vaccines available;
hospitals restocked;
employment reinstated;
poverty averted;
sustenance shared;
science respected;
travel resumed;
fear replaced with confidence;
sorrow turned to joy . . .
O God, we pray for the emergence of a wholesome world.
Renew the whole world, merciful God.
Renew the whole world, merciful God.
Give us your peace, eternal God.
Give us your peace, eternal God.
Procession of Re-Entry
Let us re-enter in peace,
in the name of Christ. Amen.
All proceed to make their way from the parking lot to the sanctuary. We ask that you follow the ushers’ guidance to appropriately distanced seats among the pews.
Prayer of the Day:
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.
Siblings in Christ, with gratitude for this building of United In Christ, we are gathered once more to re-dedicate it for the worship of almighty God and for the building up of the body of Christ. From this day forward, let it once again be a place for the gathering of the people of God, a place for proclaiming the gospel through word and sacrament, a place for bringing life and hope to us and to this community.
Let us pray.
Most High God, whom the heavens cannot contain, we give you thanks for the gifts of those who have prepared this house of prayer to your glory; we praise you for the fellowship of those who by their use will make it holy; and we pray that all who seek you here may find you and be filled with joy and peace, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
First Reading: Ezekiel 17:22-24
22 Thus says the Lord GOD:
I myself will take a sprig
from the lofty top of a cedar;
I will set it out.
I will break off a tender one
from the topmost of its young twigs;
I myself will plant it
on a high and lofty mountain.
23 On the mountain height of Israel
I will plant it,
in order that it may produce boughs and bear fruit,
and become a noble cedar.
Under it every kind of bird will live;
in the shade of its branches will nest
winged creatures of every kind.
24 All the trees of the field shall know
that I am the LORD.
I bring low the high tree,
I make high the low tree;
I dry up the green tree
and make the dry tree flourish.
I the LORD have spoken;
I will accomplish it.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Gospel: Mark 4:26-34
This is the Holy Gospel according to Mark, the 4th chapter.
Glory to you, O Lord.
26 He also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, 27 and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. 28 The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.”
30 He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; 34 he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon:
Musical Reflection: “On Eagles Wings”
Prayers of Intercession
Alive in the risen Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, we bring our prayers before God who promises to hear us and answer in steadfast love.
Prayers continue with each petition ending:
. . . Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
In the hope of new life in Christ, we raise our prayers to you, trusting in your never-ending goodness and mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Apostle’s Creed:
Let us confess our faith using the Apostle’s 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 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.
Announcements
Offering
You are invited to place your offering in one of the plates around the sanctuary or to make use of our online offering plate through tithe.ly by scanning the QR code to the right. You may also place your offering at www.unitedinchristlutheran.net/giving by clicking on the green “Give Now” button.
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, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God, through our Savior Jesus Christ; who on this day overcame death and the grave, and by his glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life. And so, with all the choirs of angels, with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name saying:
Alleluia! Come, Holy Spirit!
Holy God, you alone are holy, you alone are God.
The universe declares your praise: beyond the stars; beneath the sea; within each cell; with every breath.
We praise you, O God.
Generations bless your faithfulness: through the water; by night and day; across the wilderness; out of exile; into the future.
We bless you, O God.
We give you thanks for your dear Son: at the heart of human life; near to those who suffer beside the sinner; among the poor; with us now.
We thank you, O God.
In the night in which he was betrayed, 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 for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.
Remembering his love for us on the way, at the table, and to the end, we proclaim the mystery of faith:
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
We pray for the gift of your Spirit: in our gathering; within this meal; among your people; throughout the world.
Blessing, praise, and thanks to you, holy God, through Christ Jesus, by your Spirit, in your church, without end.
Amen.
Lord’s Prayer:
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us saying:
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.
Communion:
Admission to the Sacrament is by invitation of the Lord, and all people are invited to his table. Those who do not wish to receive communion are invited to receive a blessing.
The body of Christ, given for you.
The communicant may say: Amen
The blood of Christ, shed for you.
The communicant may say: Amen
Music will accompany the distribution of communion. The presider invites everyone to rise in body or spirit after all have returned to their places.
Table Blessing:
The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
Amen.
Post-Communion Prayer:
Let us pray.
Wellspring of joy, through this meal you have put gladness in our hearts. Satisfy the hunger still around us, and send us as joyful witnesses, that your love may bring joy to the hearts of all people, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Benediction:
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord’s face shine on you and be gracious to you.
May the Lord look upon you with favor and + give you peace.
Amen.
Sending Hymn: ELW 547 “Sent Forth by God’s Blessing”
Sharing of the Peace & Dismissal:
May the peace of the Lord be with you always.
And also with you.
Go in peace. Share the good news.
Thanks be to God!
Prayer Requests:
Family and friends of Gladys Guffey, Walt Bingaman, family and friends of Betty Fawcett, Courtney Price, Angela Chaundy, family and friends of Brady Hall, Greg Fawcett, Mason Peluso, family and friends of Bill Criswell, Kay Hilkert, Kay Keister, Bryce Warren, Ken Noll Jr., Martha Ketchem, Brooke Houpt, Mary Baker, family and friends of Helen Barsh, Jim, Cole Felker, Marilyn Gresh, family and friends of Mary Kay Harper, Annette Baker, Larry Erb, family and friends of Judy Connolly, Glen Van Dyke, Tom Burns, Megan Brodsky, Bob Keifer, Peg Swinehart.
Portions reprinted from Evangelical Lutheran Worship, copyright 2006. Used by permission of Augsburg Fortress, license #SBL09796L. Music reprinted from the ELW, by permission of OneLicense, license #A712349. Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission.