Today’s Readings and Hymns: (Click on each blue arrow to expand/collapse each section.)
10
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return there until they have watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
12
For you shall go out in joy,
and be led back in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial,
for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
1
You are to be praised, O God, in Zion;
to you shall vows be fulfilled.
2
To you, the one who answers prayer,
to you all flesh shall come.
3
Our sins are stronger than we are,
but you blot out our transgressions.
4
Happy are they whom you choose and draw to your courts to dwell there!
They will be satisfied by the beauty of your house, by the holiness of your temple.
5
Awesome things will you show us in your righteousness, O God of our salvation,
O hope of all the ends of the earth and of the oceans far away.
6
You make firm the mountains by your power;
you are girded about with might.
7
You still the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves, and the clamor of the peoples.
8
Those who dwell at the ends of the earth will tremble at your marvelous signs;
you make the dawn and the dusk to sing for joy.
9
You visit the earth and water it abundantly; you make it very plenteous; the river of God is full of water.
You prepare the grain, for so you provide for the earth.
10
You drench the furrows and smooth out the ridges;
with heavy rain you soften the ground and bless its increase.
11
You crown the year with your goodness,
and your paths overflow with plenty.
12
May the fields of the wilderness be rich for grazing,
and the hills be clothed with joy.
13
May the meadows cover themselves with flocks, and the valleys cloak themselves with grain;
let them shout for joy and sing.
1There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed it cannot, 8and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. 6But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. 7Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9Let anyone with ears listen!”
18“Hear then the parable of the sower. 19When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. 20As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. 22As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. 23But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
Word of God, come down on earth, living rain from heav’n descending; touch our hearts and bring to birth faith and hope and love unending. Word almighty, we revere you; Word made flesh, we long to hear you.
Word eternal, throned on high, Word that brought to life creation, Word that came from heav’n to die, crucified for our salvation, saving Word, the world restoring, speak to us, your love outpouring.
Word that speaks God’s tender love, one with God beyond all telling, Word that sends us from above God the Spirit, with us dwelling, Word of truth, to all truth lead us; Word of life, with one bread feed us.
For the fruit of all creation, thanks be to God. For these gifts to ev’ry 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 is done. In the help we give our neighbor, God’s will is 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.
Sent forth by God’s blessing, our true faith confessing, the people of God from this dwelling take leave. The supper is ended. Oh, now be extended the fruits of this service in all who believe. The seed of Christ’s teaching, receptive souls reaching, shall blossom in action for God and for all. Your grace shall incite us, your love shall unite us to work for your kingdom and answer your call.
With praise and thanksgiving to God ever-living, the tasks of our ev’ryday life we will face— our faith ever sharing, in love ever caring, embracing God’s children, the whole human race. With your feast you feed us, with your light now lead us; unite us as one in this life that we share. Then may all the living with praise and thanksgiving give honor to Christ and his name that we bear.
Worship Leaders: Pastor Colleen Cox, Gary Smith
Music: Carol Aulenbach, Joan Kulp, Karen Nein, Donnasue Thompson (handbells), Deb Jenks (organ and piano)
Additional Resources:
View and print the pre-reader’s version of this Sunday’s children’s bulletin: Pre-reader’s Version View and print the reader’s version of this Sunday’s children’s bulletin: Reader’s Version
The radio program Sing for Joy follows the weekly Sunday lectionary through music and reflection. To listen, click here: Sing for Joy. Program host Pastor Bruce Benson ties the biblical readings of the day with musical selections from a number of sources brought together by Dr. John Ferguson, retired professor of organ and church music. The program is produced by St. Olaf College.
Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE #A-730287 and CCLI licenses #21502973 and #21502966. All rights reserved.
