Second Sunday after Pentecost

COLOR: Green
SCRIPTURE READINGS: 1 Kings 19:1-15a; Psalm 42; Galatians 3:23-29; Luke 8:26-39

THEME IDEAS

The steadfast love of God is evident throughout the passages for this day. Elijah becomes the expression of resolute and determined faith, an example rewarded by God carrying him to safety. The psalmist reminds us that throughout times of distress and dark nights of the soul, God is ever present. The Epistle passage proclaims that we are justified by faith in Christ, who claims us all as children of God. The promise of belonging to Christ is echoed in the healing of the Gerasene demoniac who Jesus instructs to share how much God has done for him. 

INVITATION AND GATHERING

Call to Worship (1 Kings 19, Psalm 42, Galatians 3)

We often feel as if we are wandering through our lives,
searching for something we cannot name.
We come today to listen for hope, to pray for strength,
and to experience God’s love.
Speak to us of faith, hope, and love, O Lord.
As the deer longs for flowing water in the wilderness,
we long to drink deeply of God’s promise for us.
Knowing God is here, we join together on our journey.
Lead us to your still waters, O Lord.
Imprisoned by rules of our own making,
we come to remember and claim our faith.
Assured by the vision of Christ,
whose sacrifice leads us to heaven,
we come in fellowship with one another.
Clothe us in the love of Christ, O Lord.
With shouts of praise and songs of thanksgiving,
we come to celebrate the God of hope,
the Spirit of peace, and the Christ of redeeming love.
We come to pray.
We come to sing.
We come to worship and praise.

—OR—

Call to Worship (1 Kings 19, Psalm 42, Galatians 3, Luke 8)

As the deep calls to the deep
in thundering waves of faith and steadfast love,
so we stand on the mountain with Elijah,
feeling billowing waves of God’s power
flowing over and through us.
Set aside your enemies—
the people, thoughts, time, and challenges—
that separate you from knowing God’s love.
Clothe yourselves in Christ.
Shout praise in his name,
and declare how much God has done for you.

—OR—

Call to Worship 

Come, Lord God, and be with us in this hour.
Too often our cares and our worries keep us at a distance
from our God.
Come, Lord God, and speak a word of comfort
to your troubled people.
Help us hear you, Lord God, in the quietness
of these moments.

PROCLAMATION AND RESPONSE

Prayer of Confession (1 Kings 19, Psalm 42, Galatians 3)

Lord of the ages,
in our busy lives,
we do not always make time to love, to pray,
or to sing your praises.
We want to be strong,
yet we often feel out of control:
buffeted by the winds of change,
rocked by the earthquakes in our relationships,
burned by the fires of doubt.
Forgetting what we cannot see,
we ask, “Why have you forgotten me?”
Help us trust your presence,
even when we feel utterly alone,
trapped in our dark night of the soul.
With the promise of Christ as our hope,
lead us from our own wilderness wanderings
into the well-tended garden of your love.

Words of Assurance (Psalm 42, Galatians 3)

The steadfast love of God is with you—
yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Whether you turn away or doubt,
whether you follow timidly or joyfully,
you are loved and forgiven in Christ.

Passing the Peace of Christ

May you know the peace of Christ in the midst of suffering. May you feel the hope of the Holy Spirit in the midst of sorrow. And may you touch the love of God in the midst of pain. Feel God’s love blowing through your life, as you turn to one another and pass the peace of Christ.

Prayer of Preparation (Psalm 42, Galatians 3)

Holy One, prepare us to receive your word. As we listen in faith and hope, open our souls to your quenching waters. Free us from the confinement of our hearts, that we may hear the promise of your love.

Response to the Word (Psalm 42, Galatians 3, Luke 8)

Justified by faith,
we are clothed in Christ.
Sanctified by the Spirit,
we are one in God with one another.
We place our hope in God—
praising God’s help and love,
declaring how much God has done for us.

THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNION

Invitation to the Offering (1 Kings 19, Psalm 42, Galatians 3)

Be zealous in shouting your praises to the Lord. Remembering the strength of God’s love and the promise of Christ’s help, let us share who we are as the church in the world. With open arms, let us join with one another as we express our faith through our gifts of love.

SENDING FORTH

Benediction (1 Kings 19, Psalm 42, Galatians 3, Luke 8)

In the spirit of God’s unchanging love,
live the stories of faith we have heard this day.
In the melody of God’s song within us,
sing the faith we have received this day.
In the hope of God’s unfailing help,
share the grace we have touched this day.
Go and tell the world how much God has done for us!

CONTEMPORARY OPTIONS

Contemporary Gathering Words (1 Kings 19, Psalm 42)

Praise the God of Elijah,
who is steadfast and strong in the wilderness.
Our hope is in God!
Praise the God of the lost,
who is our rock and our help in times of need.
Our help is in God!
Praise the God of Jesus Christ,
who makes us children of the beloved.
Our life is in Christ! Amen!

Praise Sentences (Psalm 42, Galatians 3)

The steadfast love of the Lord lasts forever!
The unfailing hope of the Lord
is like prayer and song in the heart.
Clothed in Christ,
we are justified by faith.
Belonging to Christ, we are one in him,
promised as children of Abraham
to inherit God’s love.

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From The Abingdon Worship Annual edited by Mary J. Scifres and B.J. Beu, Copyright © Abingdon Press.