Planning. 6th Sunday after Pentecost 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time Proper 8 (13) Canada Day

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1 Planning SAT 7 FRI 6 THUR 5 WED 4 TUES 3 MON 2 SUN 1 6th Sunday after Pentecost 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time Proper 8 (13) Canada Day Feast of the Visitation (some churches observe this on May 31) St. Thomas the Apostle (Some churches observe this on December 21) Independence Day (USA) Things to keep in mind this week Planning ahead July 2018 S M T W T F S June 2018 S M T W T F S Sunday, July 1 Saturday, July August 2018 S M T W T F S Revised Common Lectionary (Year B) 2 Samuel 1:1, Psalm Corinthians 8:7 15 Seasons of the Spirit is based on semicontinuous readings of the Revised Common Lectionary. Liturgical colour: green If you have Internet access, visit to access Spirit Sightings for connections between current events and the focus passage. Ecumenical Prayer Calendar Bolivia, Chile, Peru As listed in In God s Hands: Common Prayer for the World, ed. By Hugh McCullum and Terry MacArthur (Geneva: World Council of Churches, 2006). Copyright Wood Lake Publishing Inc Seasons of the Spirit SeasonsFUSION Pentecost

2 Pentecost Focus scripture Additional scriptures 2 Samuel 1:1, Psalm Corinthians 8:7 15 Seasons of the Spirit is based on the semi-continuous readings of the Revised Common Lectionary. Biblical Background July 1, 2018 For the sake of others and the sake of ourselves: we approach you, God. Whether we come boldly or tentatively, we are looking for your accepting grace. We seek a touch that brings healing. We seek the strength to do good. We seek a meaningful life. We seek you. Hear us. Touch us. Heal us. Be with us as we live. Amen. Brushing Up against Grace God is with us in all the circumstances of our lives. Sometimes we know it instantly; at other times it is only with hindsight that we notice it. Today we see God s grace impact the lives of people who have experienced loss, and a community wrestling with what a Christ-centred life looks like. Focus Scripture: The placement of today s reading within the gospel of Mark is interesting. It comes after Jesus has stilled the storm on the Lake of Galilee and healed a man from demons, so when the gospel adds the healing of the hemorrhaging woman and the restoration of Jairus daughter to life into the mix, it s like the writer is really trying to do our heads in. It s as if Mark wants us to be bothered by and to brood over the question: who is this Jesus? Jesus is human, yet a word from him calms a storm and raises the dead. Mark heightens our awareness of mystery, a deep something within Jesus that connects him with the forces of creation, and yet it is not a remote something; while it can calm a storm, it is so intimate it can also feel the brush of a woman s hand on the edge of a coat. The women themselves are important. Jairus daughter, twelve years old and on the threshold of adulthood, is born into privilege. Her father is a leader in the synagogue. She has a powerful advocate who uses all the influence he has to save his daughter. The other woman has no advocate. Whereas Jairus comes with a crowd to support him, the woman comes alone and acts boldly on her own behalf. It is only after this woman is fully restored to her place as a daughter of Abraham that Jairus daughter is restored to life. Is this deliberate? Curiously, Jesus strictly ordered them that no one should know about the girl, but publicly praised the woman for her faith? 2 Samuel 1:1, is David s heartfelt lament on hearing of the deaths of Saul and Jonathan. We might expect the great outpouring of grief David feels for Jonathan: he loved him deeply, and Jonathan loved David as his own soul (1 Samuel 18:1, 3). But David also gives full voice to his lament for Saul, even though Saul had been David s enemy and had consistently plotted to kill David. Saul was the anointed King of Israel and David does not dismiss or belittle his reign and legacy. Paul is in tricky territory as he writes to the Corinthians about money (2 Corinthians 8:7 15). There s a sense in which he would like to make generous giving compulsory as an indication of a Christ-centred life, a sign of compassion and justice. The passage reads like a finely held back criticism as if he is hoping his reticence to condemn will nudge the community to find their own way into generosity. The writer of Psalm 130 calls out to God from a place of deep suffering, he is demanding to be heard, and at the same time certain of being heard by God whose love is steadfast and mercy is sure. The emotion in today s readings gives an opportunity to explore how we respond to God s grace in our lives. we will live out all the seasons of life loss, sickness, wealth, anger, joy, foolishness the list goes on. The woman who suffered from hemorrhages was convinced that if she but touched Jesus clothes she would be well. It was a bold act, as was that of Jairus, who went against all the rules and the ridicule of his friends in order to save his daughter. Do we reach out to brush up against God s grace, or do we restrict God according to our approach? 86 Seasons of the Spirit SeasonsFUSION Pentecost Copyright Wood Lake Publishing Inc. 2017

3 Reflection and Focus July 1, 2018 Reflecting on the Word Pentecost Adapt and use for youth and adult studies, sermon seeds, lay worship teams. Connecting with life Have there been times when you have felt isolated from the community, and alone? To whom did you turn to try and find a way back? Was this possible? What healing or restoration occurred (or not)? Did you see God in any of this? Scripture What do you think motivated the hemorrhaging woman to push into the crowd and seek out Jesus? Why do you think the woman comes to Jesus in fear and trembling after she had been healed? What does Jairus risk by this intimate involvement with Jesus? Why do you think these stories are paired? What do they, as paired stories, teach us about Jesus and God? Would they say the same things if they weren t paired together? 2 Samuel 1:1, The story here is David s lament of two who, unlike the women in Mark who find their lives transformed, were killed in battle. What might be the importance of David grieving both Saul and Jonathan? What significance comes from David ordering his lament be taught to all of Judah? Psalm 130 Why do you think the psalmist chooses to be so bold in their language? What is the importance of waiting in the psalm? Connecting scripture and life In what ways does the church encourage people to reach out to God? What things about the church get in the way of people reaching out to God? Where do you see healing or restoration is needed for yourself, for others, in the world? Sometimes the healing and restoration we seek does not happen. Where is God in these times? Focus for Worship, Learning, and Serving There is a rich assortment of emotion bubbling through today s readings grief, anxiety, mockery, anger, and resentments. Often, we look for worship to be dignified and contained, but today we might be excused to take a leaf out of the book of an infirm woman and despairing father and be emboldened to push into messier territory. We are invited to be bold in our faith, but when things don t work out this gets tricky. The psalmist doesn t pull punches when raging against God; words fly, not out of a sense of despair that God disappoints, but rather that God can take it because God is steadfast and unceasingly loving. Not even a verbal shellacking from the psalmist will change that. While there is no need to let emotions fly around untamed in worship, the journey we take as we participate in worship is an emotional one; leads us from brokenness to wholeness. Acknowledging that will enrich our practice and may well embolden us as we live out our faith. Copyright Wood Lake Publishing Inc Seasons of the Spirit SeasonsFUSION Pentecost

4 Brushing Up against Grace Prepare Music Suggestions Worship Outline July 1, 2018 NOTE: All of these suggestions are mere starting points; adapt, delete, and add according to your local needs. Recruit volunteers needed for worship: two for the call to worship (optional). Choose an option for hearing. For the Bible story, arrange for two storytellers to present the monologues The Hemorrhaging Woman and Jairus on p. 92. For the liturgical action and reflection, use the piece of fabric provided for each person in the prayer of confession. For younger children, you might choose to have a storyteller present A Little Girl Is Healed (on the children s activity leaflet at the end of this week s materials). Bring items for setting the worship space. Arrange for each person to have a piece of fabric around the size of a bandana, scarf, large handkerchief. If fabric not possible, then you might choose large facial tissues or paper table napkins. This will be used throughout the worship time. Think of current situations within the community and the world to name as intercessions in the prayers of the people. For moving into the focus scripture, prepare to project an image of a crowd. Alternatively, reproduce in the bulletin. Option for after the focus scripture: have two people present the drama Theodicy on p. 91. Prepare to project the slides. Bring song such as Children of the Spirit (Seasons Songbook, vol. 7, #4 on Seasons Music CD, vol. 7. Printed Call to worship The call to worship might be delivered by two voices Every day we brush up against God. We brush against God in long-term friendships and relationship, and also in instances of closeness with folk we lock eyes with in a crowd. We brush against God in moments of great joy and places so painful they appear unbearable, in outrageous laughter, in times of deep calm, in rich learning and situations of foolhardy lack of caution. Gather music and recording is also available at Seasons MP3 Downloads, Set stations as described on pp Children of the Spirit Monica O Brien, Gina Ogilvie; Seasons Songbook, vol. 7 Come Build a Church Ken Medema; Seasons Songbook, vol. 7 Don t Be Afraid John Bell; Seasons Songbook, vol. 7 God s Family Patricia Shelly; Seasons Songbook, vol. 7 May You Find Peace Stephen Fischbacher; Seasons Songbook, vol. 7 Love Canon Public domain; Seasons Songbook, vol. 1 Lord Jesus Christ, Lover of All Iona Community Spirit, Open My Heart Ruth Duck When Human Voices Cannot Sing Shirley Erena Murray A chart that shows the licence holder(s) for each song in each of the 9 Seasons of the Spirit Music Volumes can be found at Click on Library; Seasons Music Information. Please contact a licence holder for permission to duplicate. We brush against God on mountaintops, in raging rivers, in bustling city streets and twittering forests. In the work of our hands and the beauty of a poem, in the stillness of prayer and the deafening noise of a rock concert. And God brushes against us, always inviting us into beauty and grace. Come, let us worship God. Opening prayer Brush up against us in this holy space, God of grace. Heighten our awareness of your presence in our lives. 88 Seasons of the Spirit SeasonsFUSION Pentecost Copyright Wood Lake Publishing Inc. 2017

5 Worship Outline July 1, 2018 Enliven our senses to your touch. Open our eyes and enable us to see richness and beauty in everything we encounter. Whisper your promise of hope into our ears, and embolden us to reach out to you in all the circumstances of our lives that we bring with us this day. Amen. Prayer of confession Give each person a piece of fabric (bandana, scarf, or large handkerchief size) or large facial tissue or paper table napkin. Invite them to open up the fabric/tissue/table napkin on their lap and, in their imagination, list and lay out all the concerns and cares they carry today while offering the following prayer: In the quiet, take courage and name the ways in which you harm yourself, others, and the world. Hold silence. Opening the word 2 Samuel 1:1,17 27 The composer and songwriter Marty Haugen, has spoken about how, after the World Trade Center was struck by terrorists September 11, 2001, the church had no songs of lament to sing in this traumatic time. Why was this? Are we as able as the psalmist, and other poets, to lament life s trials? What can lament teach us about how to be the church? Moving into the focus scripture Project an image of a crowd. Alternatively, reproduce in the bulletin. Invite the people to picture themselves within the crowd. Where are they in the midst, on the edges? What does it feel like? What does it sound like? Some people like being part of a crowd, others don t. The jostling, the noise, the smell, some find all this energizing; for others it s anxiety provoking. Choose from the following for hearing the focus story. Bible story Have two storytellers present the monologues The Hemorrhaging Woman and Jairus on page 92. For younger children, you might choose to have a storyteller present A Little Girl Is Healed (on the children s activity leaflet at the end of this week s materials). Liturgical action and reflection Imagine that you have surreptitiously pushed your way into a crowd that has gathered around Jesus and now you are within touching distance of him. Instinctively, you know that by just touching the hem of his robe your life will be restored, Engage These are the concerns and cares with which we come before you, God. We bring them with a sense of trepidation and trembling, Yet with hope in your steadfast compassion, we present to you the whole truth of things. Amen. Words of affirmation Invite people to pick up the fabric and brush away all they have symbolically placed onto it. We brush up against the life-giving grace of God as we make amends, ask forgiveness, and seek restoration. Invite the people to once again lay the fabric on their laps then fold it into a small package, imagining as they fold that they are being enfolded by the restorative grace of God. In this act of faith may you find peace and be restored to life. changed forever. For what are you longing? From what would you choose to be restored? To what would you choose to be restored? Hold on to these thoughts as the gospel is read. After the focus scripture Invite the people to look again at the image of the crowd, and their response to being in the crowd. Invite them to consider the following. The nature of a crowd, the things that can be so off putting, may have been the very things that enabled the hemorrhaging woman to brush up against Jesus of Nazareth. The consideration that she would go unnoticed may have emboldened her to act. Imagine her negotiating the crowd unobserved and then reaching out. The instant her hand stroked Jesus clothes, a miracle happened, experienced solely by her or so she thought. How startling it must have been when Jesus reacted. How terrifying to have to declare herself, to own up to her deed. How confusing and exhilarating was it when she was not chastised but blessed? Unusual circumstances emboldened both her and Jairus to act outside of the rules of convention. When life presents us with exceptional circumstances, would the desire to be restored by the saving grace of God embolden us to do the same? Would we dare it? What would life be like afterward? Alternatively: have two people present the drama Theodicy on p. 91. and prepare to project the slides. Invite children, young people, and all who wish to move to the stations. Others will remain seated for proclaiming the word. Copyright Wood Lake Publishing Inc Seasons of the Spirit SeasonsFUSION Pentecost

6 Respond Worship Outline July 1, 2018 After proclaiming the word, you might invite those who have not already done so to move to and around the stations, taking ten minutes or so with a chosen practice. Sing or listen to a song such as Children of the Spirit as people gather again (Seasons Songbook, vol. 7, #4 on Seasons Music CD, vol. 7. Printed music and recording is also available at Seasons MP3 Downloads, Prayers of the people When we are restored to God and our neighbour, we are able to be a restorative force in the world, to advocate for those who need, and to support and care for those searching for justice. With these words invite people to think of situations in the world local, personal, or global that require restoration. With these in mind quietly unwrap the fabric that was folded during the time of affirmation. While doing so, imagine the grace that they have stored within the fabric being released into each situation. People may like to name these situations We have brushed up against the grace of God and once again have been restored to wholeness. Equipped, we step out into our lives ready to live out that grace. Amen. Special Days Commentary Bless out loud so all the community can pray for them, or the worship leader might name situations. Prayer of dedication Invite people to think of the gifts they have kindness, hospitality, being good with numbers and money, creativity with words or fabric or wood give suggestions that cover the scope of gifts you, as worship leader, have seen in the people gathered. Invite the people to once again place their fabric onto their laps and to imagine they are placing their gifts into it. Once all gifts are placed in the cloth, symbolically wrap them up. Invite the people to put the fabric in a pocket or bag so that they can take it away into the world with them as a reminder of all they have to give. As worship leader, you might name the gifts you see in the people of your community and offer a prayer. The gifts we hold are God s gift to the world, as we live out our lives may all those who brush against us feel they have encountered the living grace of God. July 2 Feast of the Visitation Observed by some churches on May 31, this day recalls the visit of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth as recorded in Luke 2: July 3 St. Thomas the Apostle Thomas is most commonly remembered as the disciple who doubted the stories of Jesus resurrection, until he saw Christ himself. Tradition claims that Thomas took the gospel to India. Also, the apocryphal gospel of Thomas is used by many scholars to enrich their study of the life of Jesus. 90 Seasons of the Spirit SeasonsFUSION Pentecost Copyright Wood Lake Publishing Inc. 2017