15 th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Michael and Mary Whitehead. July 11, Announcements. Opening Song Parable #696. Opening Prayer

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1 15 th Sunday in Ordinary Time Michael and Mary Whitehead July 11, 2014 Announcements Opening Song Parable #696 Opening Prayer Almighty and everlasting God, you created the world as a bountiful garden, bringing life to every creature. We thank you for the vitality, beauty and fruit of your creation. We pray that our roots would grow deep in the rich soil of your Word. Water us daily with the subterranean river of life. From seed to sapling, may we grow to be sturdy oaks of loving-kindness, radiating light in dark places. With time, may the girth of our trunk be hearty and sap thick in protection against those who destroy. May our branches reach out to the high heavens and our falling leaves drift to lands far and wide for the healing of the nations. Amen. (excerpted from Prayers for the New Social Awakening,edited by Christian Iosso & Elizabeth Hinson-Hasty) First Reading Isa. 55:10-11 Thus says the LORD: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; my word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.

2 Responsorial Out of the ordinariness of the bare earth, you brought the extra ordinariness of human life Your spirit lives within us, O God. In the ordinariness of the bare earth we plant grain from last year's harvest Your spirit lives within us, O God. Out of the ordinariness of water comes the life of the seed Your spirit lives within the water, O God. In human life and in the life of the seed lies the life of this community Your spirit lives within this community, O God. From the life of God comes creation and recreation Your spirit lives within creation, O God. Out of the heart of God comes peace and hope Your spirit lives within us, O God. (Gentle Rain on Parched Earth by Pam Wyley) Second Reading Once upon a time a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came along and devoured them. So he put his seed pouch down and spent the next hour or so stringing aluminum foil all around his field. He put up a fake owl he ordered from a garden catalog and, as an afterthought, he hung a couple of traps for the Japanese beetles. Then he returned to his sowing, but he noticed some of the seeds were falling on rocky ground, so he put his seed pouch down again and went to fetch his wheelbarrow and shovel. A couple of hours later he had dug up the rocks and was trying to think of something useful he could do with them when he remembered his sowing and got back to it, but as soon as he did he ran right into a briar patch that was sure to strangle his little seedlings. So he put his pouch down again and looked

3 everywhere for the weed poison but finally decided to pull the thorns up by hand, which meant that he had to go back inside and look everywhere for his gloves. Now by the time he had the briars cleared it was getting dark, so the sower picked up his pouch and his tools and decided to call it a day. That night he fell asleep in his chair reading a seed catalog, and when he woke the next morning he walked out into his field and found a big crow sitting on his fake owl. He found rocks he had not found the day before and he found new little leaves on the roots of the briars that had broken off in his hands. The sower considered all of this, pushing his cap back on his head, and then he did a strange thing: He began to laugh, just a chuckle at first and then a full-fledged guffaw that turned into a wheeze at the end when his wind ran out. Still laughing and wheezing he went after his seed pouch and began flinging seeds everywhere: into the roots of trees, onto the roof of his house, across all his fences and into his neighbors fields. He shook seeds at his cows and offered a handful to the dog; he even tossed a fistful into the creek, thinking they might take root downstream somewhere. The more he sowed, the more he seemed to have. None of it made any sense to him, but for once that did not seem to matter, and he had to admit that he had never been happier in all his life. Barbara Brown Taylor, Seeds of Heaven Gospel Acclamation Gospel Reading Matt 13: 1-9 (From The Message) God be with you. And also with you. A reading from the holy gospel according to Matthew. Glory to you,o God. Jesus left the house and sat on the beach. In no time at all a crowd gathered along the shoreline, forcing him to get into a boat. Using the boat as a pulpit, he addressed his congregation, telling stories. What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn t put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up it was strangled by the weeds. Some fell on good earth and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams. Are you listening to this? Really listening?

4 Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church. Glory and praise! Silent reflection and Dialogue Celebration of our Faith In response to the word on which we have reflected tonight, Let us share together a celebration of our faith. God is with us. This we celebrate, for we have seen the signs of grace in every grace, in every generation. The beauty of the creation, in all its pristine wonder, is not the only dwelling place of the Creator. Our God is born again in cities as well as in country stables, is found in holy places and in the supermarket; sits with us in business offices and in coffee shops, and stands by the one who sings a song on the streets this day. The spirit dances on concrete, and holds in comfort those who walk with briefcase or with shopping bag or with a battered cart. The God who is more than we can ever name or know is beside us in every workplace and every hidden home of our body, mind and soul. (adapted from a creed by DMcRae-McMahon) Intercessions O God, our Creator, whose good earth is entrusted to our care and delight and tenderness, we bring prayers for all your people. For all in captivity to debt, whose lives are cramped by fear from which there is no turning, except through abundant harvest, we pray: (sing) O God, hear our prayer. For all who depend on the earth for their daily food and fuel, whose land is destroyed for the profits of a few, we pray: O God, hear our prayer. For all who labor in poverty, who are oppressed by unjust laws, who are banned for speaking the truth, who long to harvest the fruits of justice, we pray: O God, hear our prayer.

5 For all who are in captivity to greed and waste and boredom and whose joy is choked by things they do not need, we pray: O God, hear our prayer. For all our joys and concerns that we bring, either silently or aloud, we pray: O God, hear our prayer. O God, make us aware of the abundance you give us; restore our vision and our hearing; fill our hearts with understanding as we meditate on your words. Amen. Gathering at the Table The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks to God our Creator. It is right to give God thanks and praise. And so we gather at the table. We come from many places, differing in age, differing in ethnicity, differing in orientation, politics and even religious tradition. As we come together around the table, we discover that our differences are not something we tolerate, but that our differences are indeed a blessing; the more difference we bring, the more fully we experience the presence of the sacred in our midst. So come, children of God, just as you are. Wherever you are in this journey of life, you are welcome here in this place, in this community, here at this table. Come, children of God, come and remember with us. We remember the stories that Jesus friends tell, stories of bread broken and shared, feeding a multitude, stories of being gathered together, enemy and friend around tables, stories of unlikely guests revealing the face of the sacred. They say that it was a night of both celebration and betrayal that Jesus took the bread leftover on the table, blessed it and broke it; reminding them it is in the breaking that we become whole, in losing our lives that we find them, in serving that we are served. As the grain scattered by the sower becomes one in the loaf, when we eat this bread, we become one with one another.

6 They say that he took the cup, also leftover on the table, poured out and sharing, remembering with them, the life- giving breath, even now pounding a rhythm through our veins, the breath of life from whence we come, the breath that precedes and follows all that we can see. As the grapes find life in the vine, when we drink this cup, we become at one with the Source of life itself. And so we pray: Come, Holy Spirit, come; bless this bread and wine. Bless all of us in our eating and drinking that our eyes might be open, that we might recognize the risen Christ in our midst, indeed in one another. ( Table Prayer for a Progressive Christian Community) Let us pray as Jesus taught us: Loving Creator, we honor you, and we honor all that you have made. Renew the whole world in the image of your love. Give us what we need for today, and a hunger to see the whole world fed. Strengthen us for what lies ahead; heal us from the hurts of the past; give us courage to follow your call in this moment. For your love is the only power, the only home, the only honor we need, in this world. Amen Let us share the gifts of God for the people of God. Sharing the Bread and Cup # 618 For the Beauty of the Earth Silent Reflection Closing Prayer The God we worship is never confined to one holy place. So go and travel with the God who is found in ordinary and surprising places. Worship need not cease. It can echo in our lives, in our words, in our deeds, in our moods, and in our dreams. Carry worship with you, wherever you may go. Be a blessing in your going out and your coming in. Amen Blessing Go in peace and faith. If you are tired, may you find rest. If you are anxious, may you find peace. If you are lonely, may you find friends. May you always remember that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus,

7 and that in life and in death, we belong to God. Closing Song Song of the Body of Christ #324 Sharing the Sign of Peace Happy Birthday, Veronica!