Welcome & Announcements

Prelude

Opening Litany:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world,
who destined us for adoption as God’s children through Jesus Christ, who has forgiven our sins according to the riches of God’s grace, and has made known to us the mystery of God’s will.

This is our God!
Let us worship the Lord together!

Confession & Forgiveness:
Blessed be the holy Trinity, + one God, the God of manna, the God of miracles, the God of mercy.
Amen.

Drawn to Christ and seeking God’s abundance, let us confess our sin.

Silence is kept for reflection.

God, our provider,
help us.  It is hard to believe there is enough to share.  We question your ways when they differ from the ways of the world in which we live.  We turn to our own understanding rather than trusting in you.  We take offense at your teachings and your ways.  Turn us again to you.  Where else can we turn?  Share with us the words of eternal life and feed us for life in the world.  Amen.

Beloved people of God: in Jesus, the manna from heaven, you are fed and nourished. By Jesus, the worker of miracles, there is always more than enough. Through Jesus, + the bread of life, you are shown God’s mercy: you are forgiven and loved into abundant life.
Amen.

Prayer of the Day:
Let us pray.
O God, from you come all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works. Give to us, your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be set to obey your commandments; and also that we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may live in peace and quietness, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.

First Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14
³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, ⁴just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. ⁵He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, ⁶to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. ⁷In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace ⁸that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight ⁹he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, ¹⁰as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. ¹¹In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, ¹²so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. ¹³In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; ¹⁴this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Gospel: Mark 6:14-29
This is the Holy Gospel according to Mark, the 6th chapter.
Glory to you, O Lord.

¹⁴King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some were saying, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.” ¹⁵But others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” ¹⁶But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.”

¹⁷For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod had married her. ¹⁸For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” ¹⁹And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, ²⁰for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him. ²¹But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. ²²When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.” ²³And he solemnly swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.” ²⁴She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the baptizer.” ²⁵Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” ²⁶The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. ²⁷Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, ²⁸brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. ²⁹ When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.

Children’s Sermon

Sermon

Musical Reflection

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.

Prayers of Intercession
Let us come before the triune God in prayer.

Prayers continue with each petition ending:

. . . Lord in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

We lift our prayers to you, O God, trusting in your abiding grace.
Amen.

Offering
https://tithe.ly/give_new/www/#/tithely/give-one-time/468062

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

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.

Blessing for Graduates:
Larissa and Owen, you have grown up here on the stories of God. We have told them to you, sung them to you, acted them out—hoping to teach them to you, and, in turn, with gratitude, listened to you tell them to us, sing them, act them out—teaching us in the process.

We have tried to live them—as best we could—confessing our failures—confessing too, our assurance that it is far better to have tried to live these stories and fallen short of their fullness, than to have given up on the possibilities within them and never tried to live them at all.

We have prayed for you more than you know—both in frequency and in urgency. Amidst our prayers, we give thanks for you continually. And today, we celebrate your achievement with pride in what you’ve done, and in who we see you becoming.

We will not put words in your mouths—words of profession, words of commitment—and we pray less that you claim any particular propositions of belief than that you believe in the stories you’ve grown up with and on—the possibilities of the world being turned upside down and inside out.

We pray these stories will sustain you, encourage you, inspire you, transform you, accompany you wherever you go, whatever you do—because these are the stories, we believe, so much richer than most any story of our culture—the stories of great inversion, of tremendous surprise, of profound wonder, of deep joy, of God’s truth and grace, God’s love, and the redeeming of all creation.

These are the stories we pray you remember, reread, rethink, and choose—choose to live toward—choose to live into.

We have no more important a gift to offer you. These are the stories we pray you come to deem worth your own selves.
This we pray today, and through the years to come.
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 710 “Let Streams of Living Justice”

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 Glen Van Dyke, Peg Swinehart, Delroy Caris,  Sonja Noll, Walt Bingaman, Courtney Price, Mason Peluso, Martha Ketchem, Mary Baker, Bob Keifer.

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.

Posted on re:Worship at https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2012/06/call-to-worship-ephesians-1-3-14.html

Posted on A Preacher Musing. http://preachermusings.wordpress.com/2010/06/14/litany-and-prayer-for-our-graduates/