July 5, 2020 Worship Service 5Th Sunday After Pentecost COMMUNION

July 5, 2020 Worship Service 5th Sunday after Pentecost COMMUNION

Welcome/Prayer Requests (MASKS ARE ENCOURAGED.)

GATHERING Confession and Forgiveness Blessed 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 mercy we have peace with God through ☩ Christ Jesus, through whom we have obtained grace upon grace. Our sins are forgiven. Let us live now in hope. For hope does not disappoint, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Gathering Song “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” ELW 742 (Spoken) 1. What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry ev'rything to God in prayer! Oh, what peace we often forfeit; oh, what needless pain we bear- all because we do not carry ev'rything to God in prayer!

2. Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged-take it to the Lord in prayer. Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our ev'ry weakness-take it to the Lord in prayer.

3. Are we weak and heavy-laden, cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our refuge--take it to the Lord in prayer. Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer. In his arms he'll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.

Text: Joseph Scriven, 1820-1886 Public Domain

Greeting 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.

Prayer of the Day The Lord be with you. And also with you. Let us pray…You are great, O God, and greatly to be praised. You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you. Grant that we may believe in you, call upon you, know you, and serve you, through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

WORD First Reading: Zechariah 9:9-12 9Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 1

WORD First Reading: Zechariah 9:9-12 (continued) 10He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war-horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. 11As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. 12Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Psalm: Psalm 145:8-14 (Read responsively) 8The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9LORD, you are good to all, and your compassion is over all your works. 10All your works shall praise you, O LORD, and your faithful ones shall bless you. 11They shall tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your power, 12that all people may know of your power and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. 13Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; your dominion endures throughout all ages. You, LORD, are faithful in all your words, and loving in all your works. 14The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up those who are bowed down.

Second Reading: Romans 7:15-25a 15I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. 17But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. 19For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. 20Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. 21So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. 22For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, 23but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25aThanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Gospel: Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 The holy gospel according to Matthew. Glory to you, O Lord. [Jesus spoke to the crowd saying:] 16“To what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, 17‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.’ 18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; 19the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” 25At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; 26yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon Grace and peace, beloved of God, from Jesus, who will give us rest. There is a wonderful legend about the quiet years of Jesus, the years before his public ministry. The legend claims that Jesus the carpenter was one of the master yoke-makers in the Nazareth area. People came from miles around for a yoke, hand carved and crafted by Jesus, son of Joseph. When customers arrived with their team of oxen, Jesus would spend time carefully measuring the team— their height, the width, the space between them, and the size of their shoulders. Within a week, the team would be brought back and he would carefully place the newly made yoke over their shoulders, watching for rough places, smoothing out the edges, fitting them perfectly to this particular team of oxen. That’s the yoke Jesus invites us to take. Don’t be misled by the word "easy"— in the original Greek, it means that the tailor-made yokes were "well-fitting." The yoke Jesus invites us to take, the yoke that brings rest to weary souls, is one that is made exactly to our lives and hearts. The yoke he invites us to wear fits us well, doesn’t rub us or cause us to develop sore spirits and is designed for two. His yokes were always designed for two. And our yoke- partner is none other than Christ himself. Now, when I think of a yoke, I usually think of the yoke I used to carry canoes in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota. Those yokes were made just for one person, and by the end of a portage, it felt good to put the canoe and yoke down. Those single yokes... left me weary. In our Gospel for today, Jesus sounds upset about the attitudes of people who are nit- picking things other people do, or complaining about what Jesus does or doesn’t do. But then– suddenly– Jesus shifts... and turns to talk to us directly. He says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden.” What is it that makes you weary? ...or leaves you weary? Maybe Jesus means those who are weary of being judgmental of others who don’t live up to their expectations. Or maybe he means those who are weary of being judged, of being picked apart for falling short. Maybe he means those who are weary of not being listened to, or maybe those who are weary of not knowing, or who just want to know one thing— just one thing, Jesus. Let one thing be sure. "I will give you rest." There’s the one thing, the one thing that is sure. It’s a promise. But that promised rest depends on something we don’t really like. It depends on a yoke. And a yoke isn’t popular in our culture, because a yoke is for burdens that are shared, things we aren’t responsible for just by ourselves, but burdens we share with one another. But, remember— it is Jesus who shares our burdens with us. It is Jesus who will help you carry whatever burdens you. What are your burdens? Close your eyes for just a moment... and think of whatever your burdens are this week... today... right now. And Jesus says to you, “Come to me, you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy... and my burden is light. Amen.

Apostles’ 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 Called into unity with one another and the whole creation, let us pray for our shared world.

We pray for the church. Sustain us as we share your word. Embrace us as we struggle to find our common ground. Lift up leaders with powerful and prophetic voices. Free us from stagnant faith. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

We pray for the well-being of creation. Protect the air, water, and land from abuse and pollution. Free us from apathy in our care of creation and direct us toward sustainable living. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

We pray for the nations. Guide leaders working toward justice and guiding difficult conversations. Free us to build new relationships. Lead us to expansive love for our neighbor. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

We pray for all in need. For all who are tired, feeling despair, sick, or oppressed, especially, the family of Janice Simone, Renee, Joe, Isaiah, Gerald, Cindy, Jason, Dusty, Forrest, Hilton & Patti, Janice & Phil, and Kay and all those we name before you out loud or in our hearts. (pause) Take their yoke upon you and ease their burdens. Console us and free us from all that keeps us bound. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

We pray for our congregations. Bless pastors, deacons, parish leaders and congregation leaders. Energize volunteers, church staff, and those who maintain our buildings. Shine in this place that we might notice the ways your love transforms our lives. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

We pray for Northwoods STaR Ministries. Help us every day to love others as you have loved us, that we might shine your light for all to find your love. 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.

MEAL Offering (In place of passing the offering collection around the congregation, the offering plates will be placed near the sanctuary entrances. Please place your offerings in those containers as you exit the worship service today. Thank you.)

Offering prayer Let us pray…God of goodness and growth, all creation is yours, and your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens. Water and word, wine and bread: these are signs of your abundant grace. Nourish us through these gifts, that we might proclaim your steadfast love in our communities and in the world, through Jesus Christ, our strength and our song. Amen.

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.

Blessed are you, Lord of life, creator of heaven and earth. Through his death on the cross, your Son Jesus Christ has broken the power of evil, and by his resurrection has opened for us the gate to eternal life. Through him you seek the lost, restoring those whose lives have been shattered and torn apart. In the fullness of time, he will gather all things to himself, enfolding us and all who have died in war in his undying love.

Thanksgiving at the Table— Words of Institution 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.

The Lord’s Prayer Lord, remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray. 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.

Invitation to Communion L: Friends of Jesus, come to the table. Receive nourishment for your journey.

COMMUNION

Post-Communion Blessing

Prayer after Communion L: God of the welcome table, in this meal we have feasted on your goodness and have been united by your presence among us. Empower us to go forth sustained by these gifts so that we may share your neighborly love with all, through Jesus Christ, the giver of abundant life. Amen.

SENDING Announcements

Blessing Neither 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 Hymn– “Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory” ELW 890 1. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord; he is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; he has loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword: his truth is marching on.

Refrain Glory, glory! Hallelujah! Glory, glory! Hallelujah! Glory, glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.

2. He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat; he is sifting out the hearts of men before his judgment seat. Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer him; be jubilant, my feet! Our God is marching on. Refrain

3. In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea, with a glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me. As he died to make men holy, let us live to make men free, while God is marching on. Refrain

Text: Julia Ward Howe, 1819-1910

Mission Statements Public Domain Northwoods STaR Ministries “United in Christ, Sharing God’s Love” Zion Brantwood “We are disciples of Christ: Growing in faith, sharing our faith stories, serving others.” First Prentice “We are Jesus’ disciples: Welcoming every sinner, sharing Jesus’ love and teachings, encouraging all to live Christ-centered lives.” First Ogema “We are called and gathered to share Christ as we minister to all, bringing an unchanging God to a changing world.” First Westboro “Feeding bodies, minds and spirits through Christ.”

Dismissal Go in peace. Christ is with you. Thanks be to God.