We meet Jesus as he speaks in parables, always about common, everyday things. Today he talks about seeds.
Join us in our beautiful sanctuary, or right here online. Worship is live-streamed; videos are available here or on Youtube following the service.
11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
“Seeds”
Psalm 92:1-4, 12-15; Mark 4:26-34
Union Presbyterian Church
June 16, 2024
Sharing the Light of Christ, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Liturgist: Joan Kellam Preacher: Rev. Pat Raube
Welcome Rev. Pat Raube
Announcements Joan Kellam
Prelude Angel and Colin DeLap
“Give Thanks,” Phillip Keveren.
© 2005, Integrity’s Hosanna! Music.
Used by permission, CCLI License #CSPL068847
* Call to Worship
How shall we talk about the kingdom of God?
Or is it kin-dom, a space where all are related, all are one?
How shall we watch for what God is doing, right here, right now?
How do we know when rain is coming?
The clouds come and the skies grow dark, and soon the downpour.
How do we know when God is near? Are we looking for mystical signs?
God is in the ordinary days, in the seeds and the mail and the car keys.
Teach us, God, to hear your voice, in the most ordinary days.
Teach us, God, to know you are near, in every breath we take.
Teach us to know you are near.
* Hymn #40 W & R
“For the Beauty of the Earth”
(Public Domain)
For the beauty of the earth,
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.
For the wonder of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale and tree and flower,
Sun and moon and stars of light,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.
For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth and friends above;
For all gentle thoughts and mild,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.
For the church that evermore
Lifteth holy hands above,
Offering up on every shore
Her pure sacrifice of love,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.
For thyself, best gift divine,
To the race so freely given;
For that great, great love of thine,
Peace on earth and joy in heaven.
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.
* Call to New Life
* Prayer for Wholeness and Peace
God, your love for us is unfathomable—your love is greater than the ocean, or the star-filled sky. But we struggle to love you; we struggle to know you. We do not know how to love you with our whole heart and soul, mind and strength. We don’t even know how to love ourselves, let alone love our neighbors. But in you is all healing, and all hope. We surrender our hard hearts into your care, knowing that you alone can teach us what is the breadth and length, the heights and depths of love. Teach us, Lord, and heal us. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
* Words of Assurance
The love of God is ordinary (to God).
God IS love, so love comes naturally to God.
But to us, the love of God is overwhelming, hard to comprehend.
Yet, know this good news:
God loves, forgives, and heals us of our sin and brokenness.
This is cause for celebration!
Thanks be to God! Amen!
* Sharing of the Peace
May the peace of God be with you.
And also with you.
Let us offer one another a sign of God’s peace.
Scripture Psalm 92:1-4, 12-15 Joan Kellam
It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to herald your love in the morning
and your faithfulness at night;
on the psaltery and on the lyre,
and to the melody of the harp.
For you have made me glad by your acts, O Lord;
and I shout for joy because of the works of your hands.
The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree
and shall spread abroad like a cedar of Lebanon.
Those who are planted in the house of the Lord
shall flourish in the courts of our God;
they shall still bear fruit in old age;
they shall be green and succulent;
that they may show how upright the Lord is,
my rock, in whom there is no injustice.
Time for Young Disciples
Music: “Shine, Jesus, Shine,” Graham Kendrick.
© 1987, Make Way Music.
Used by permission, CCLI License #CSPL068847
Anthem Angel and Colin DeLap
“Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” Joel Raney
© 2013, Hope Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
Scripture Mark 4:26-34
He also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle because the harvest has come.”
He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 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.”
With many such parables he spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.
Response Holy Wisdom, Holy Word:
Thanks be to God!
Sermon “Seeds”
* Statement of Faith Excerpt from “A Brief Statement of Faith,” PC(USA)
We trust in God, whom Jesus called Abba, Father.
In sovereign love God created the world good
and makes everyone equally in God’s image,
male and female, of every race and people, to live as one community.
But we rebel against God; we hide from our Creator.
Ignoring God’s commandments,
we violate the image of God in others and ourselves,
accept lies as truth, exploit neighbor and nature,
and threaten death to the planet entrusted to our care.
We deserve God’s condemnation.
Yet God acts with justice and mercy to redeem creation.
In everlasting love,
the God of Abraham and Sarah
chose a covenant people to bless all families of the earth.
Hearing their cry,
God delivered the children of Israel from the house of bondage.
Loving us still, God makes us heirs with Christ of the covenant.
Like a mother who will not forsake her nursing child,
like a father who runs to welcome the prodigal home,
God is faithful still.
* Hymn #723 W & R
“For the Fruit of All Creation,” Fred Pratt Green
©1970, Hope Publishing Company, All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
For the fruit of all creation, thanks be to God.
For the gifts to every nation, thanks be to God.
For the plowing, sowing, reaping,
Silent growth while we are sleeping,
Future needs in earth's safekeeping, thanks be to God.
In the just reward of labor, God's will be done.
In the help we give our neighbor, God's will be done.
In our worldwide task of caring
For the hungry and despairing,
In the harvests we are sharing, God's will is done.
For the harvests of the Spirit, thanks be to God.
For the good we all inherit, thanks be to God.
For the wonders that astound us,
For the truths that still confound us,
Most of all, that love has found us, thanks be to God.
Prayers of the People
The Lord’s Prayer
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 debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
Prayer Response #489 W & R
“Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying” Ken Medema
©1973, Hope Publishing Company, All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
Lord, listen to your children praying,
Lord, send your Spirit in this place;
Lord, listen to your children praying,
Send us love, send us power, send us grace.
Call for Offering
* Doxology
“Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow,” Brian Wren
©1989, Hope Publishing Company, All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures high and low.
Praise God, in Jesus fully known:
Creator, Word, and Spirit one.
* Prayer of Dedication
* Hymn #595 W & R
“They’ll Know We Are Christians,” Peter Scholtes
©1991, Lorenz Publishing Company, All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE.
License #A-728112. All rights reserved.
We are one in the Spirit; we are one in the Lord.
We are one in the Spirit; we are one in the Lord.
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored.
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love.
Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.
We will walk with each other; we will walk hand in hand.
We will walk with each other; we will walk hand in hand.
And together we’ll spread the news that God is in our land.
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love.
Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.
We will work with each other; we will work side by side.
We will work with each other; we will work side by side.
And we’ll guard each one’s dignity and save each one’s pride.
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love.
Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.
All praise to the Father, from whom all things come.
And all praise to Christ Jesus, his only Son.
And all praise to the Spirit, who makes us one.
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love.
Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.
* Benediction
Postlude Angel and Colin DeLap
“In Christ Alone,” Phillip Keveren.
© 2002, Thankyou Music.
Used by permission, CCLI License #CSPL068847