THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

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June 26, 2022

God Restores Us with a Whisper

When you feel all alone, remember this: you are not alone. First, you are not alone in feeling that way. In today’s Old Testament Reading, you will see how even Elijah, the mighty prophet of God, felt all alone. “I, even I only, am left!” he exclaimed (1 Kings 19:10). That was his honest feeling; however, it wasn’t true. The Lord revealed to Elijah that He had not abandoned His prophet, even reassuring Elijah of this by providing Elisha as his helper in proclaiming the Word of the Lord. God’s presence and provision in Elijah’s life reassured him of his divine purpose, and the same is true for you! Even when you may think or feel that you are alone, you are not! God’s presence and provision, which you will receive yet again today, reassure you of this! Jesus is with you! He loves you! And He sends His Spirit into your life to give you His purpose and direction, reminding you that you belong to Him!

+ Preparation +

OPENING HYMN: #819 – Sing Praise to God, the Highest Good

INVOCATION

Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

People: Amen.

CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION Galatians 5:1

Pastor: For freedom Christ has set us free;

People: stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

A moment of silence for personal prayers of confession.

Pastor: Lord God, our gracious Father,

People: we confess that we have not walked by Your Spirit. Instead of using our freedom to love our neighbors as ourselves, we have served our own selfish interests. We have chosen to live as our sinful flesh desires instead of as Your perfect law requires. Forgive us, heavenly Father, by the mercy You show us in the death and resurrection of Your Son. Fill us with the fruit of Your Spirit so that we who belong to Christ Jesus may walk in the way of love and worship. In His name we pray. Amen.

Pastor: The Spirit of God anointed Jesus to walk in perfect obedience to the Father’s commands. His death upon the cross and resurrection from the grave prove that His grace alone gives His presence, provision, and purpose to all who belong to Him by faith. Therefore, in the stead and by the command of our Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

People: Amen.

+ WORD +

INTROIT Psalm 85:8–10, 13; antiphon: v. 7

Pastor: Show us Your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us Your salvation.

People: Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,

Pastor: for He will speak peace to His people, to His saints; but let them not turn back to folly.

People: Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land.

Pastor: Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;

People: righteousness and peace kiss each other.

Pastor: Righteousness will go before Him and make His footsteps a way.

People: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Pastor: Show us Your steadfast love, O Lord,

People: and grant us Your salvation.

KYRIE

Pastor: In peace, let us pray to the Lord.

People: Lord, have mercy.

Pastor: For the gifts of forgiveness, grace, and the heavenly inheritance that awaits us, let us pray to the Lord.

People: Lord, have mercy.

Pastor: For this nation, for our cities and communities, and for wisdom for all who lead, let us pray to the Lord.

People: Lord, have mercy.

Pastor: For God’s chosen people, gathered here and scattered throughout the earth, and for the proclamation of God’s unconditional love for all and the calling of all to faith, let us pray to the Lord.

People: Lord, have mercy.

Pastor: Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.

People: Amen.

SALUTATION and PRAYER OF THE DAY

Pastor: The Lord be with you.

People: And also with you.

Pastor: Let us pray.
Lord of all power and might, author and giver of all good things, instill in us the love of Your name and fill us with the promises of Your Word; being assured of Christ’s victory over death and the grave, we are free to love and serve our neighbors in the work He has given us to do; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

People: Amen.

OLD TESTAMENT READING 1 Kings 19:9b–21

(Elijah listens to God’s Word and receives His provision.)

Behold, the word of the Lord came to [Elijah], and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” ¹⁰He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” ¹¹And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹²And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. ¹³And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” ¹⁴He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” ¹⁵And the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. ¹⁶And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. ¹⁷And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. ¹⁸Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

¹⁹So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen in front of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and cast his cloak upon him. ²⁰And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” ²¹And he returned from following him and took the yoke of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the yokes of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah and assisted him.

Lector: This is the Word of the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.

GRADUAL Romans 10:15b, 18b; Isaiah 52:7b, alt.

How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news,

who publish peace and bring good news of salvation.

Their voice has gone out to all the earth,

and their words to the ends of the world.

EPISTLE Galatians 5:1, 13–25

(The fruit of the Spirit is present in those who belong to Christ Jesus.)

¹For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. . . .

¹³For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ¹⁴For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

¹⁶But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. ¹⁸But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. ¹⁹Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, ²¹envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

²⁵If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Lector: This is the Word of the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.

ALLELUIA and VERSE Luke 9:51

Pastor: Alleluia. When the days drew near for Him to be taken up,

People: He set His face to go to Jerusalem. Alleluia.

HOLY GOSPEL Luke 9:51–62

(Jesus sets His face toward Jerusalem and calls His followers to purposefully proclaim the kingdom of God.)

Pastor: The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the ninth chapter.

People: Glory to You, O Lord.

⁵¹When the days drew near for [Jesus] to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. ⁵²And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. ⁵³But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. ⁵⁴And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” ⁵⁵But he turned and rebuked them. ⁵⁶And they went on to another village.

⁵⁷As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” ⁵⁸And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” ⁵⁹To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” ⁶⁰And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” ⁶¹Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” ⁶²Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Pastor: This is the Gospel of the Lord.

People: Praise to You, O Christ.

HYMN OF THE DAY: #688 – ‘Come, Follow Me,’ the Savior Spake

SERMON: God Restores Us with a Whisper

NICENE CREED

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty,
      maker of heaven and earth
            and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
      the only-begotten Son of God,
      begotten of His Father before all worlds,
      God of God, Light of Light,
      very God of very God,
      begotten, not made,
      being of one substance with the Father,
      by whom all things were made;
      who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
      and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
      and was made man;
      and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
      He suffered and was buried.
      And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
            and ascended into heaven
      and sits at the right hand of the Father.
      And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
      the Lord and giver of life,
      who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
      who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
      who spoke by the prophets.
      And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
      I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
      and I look for the resurrection of the dead
      and the life + of the world to come. Amen.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

After each petition:

Pastor: … Lord, in Your mercy:

People: hear our prayer.

At conclusion:

Pastor: … through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

People: Amen.

LORD’S PRAYER Matthew 6:9–13

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.

CLOSING PRAYER

Pastor: Let us pray.
Lord of all power and might, author and giver of all good things, graft into our hearts the love of Your name and nourish us with all goodness that we may love and serve our neighbor; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

People: Amen.

CLOSING SENTENCES Galatians 5:1, 25

Pastor: For freedom Christ has set us free;

People: stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Pastor: If we live by the Spirit,

People: let us also walk by the Spirit.

BENEDICTION Numbers 6:24–26

Pastor: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and + give you peace.

People: Amen.

DISMISSAL

Pastor: Go in peace as you serve the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST – Online Church at Home Bulletin