FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH
Tel: (519) 753-3833
Email: faithlutheran1@bellnet.ca
Website: https://faithlutheranbrantford.com
2. SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST – June 19, 2022
Gathering
Welcome and Land Acknowledgement VicarBethan
Welcome to worship at Faith Lutheran Church in Brantford which is located on what was designated in 1784 as the Haldimand Tract, traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples. We are committed to talking about and participating in truth and reconciliation. This week on the 21st is National Indigenous Peoples Day here in Canada. The prayers were written by Deacon Scott Knarr and Reverend Elaine Boone.
Additionally, today you will hear the words of someone you are familiar with in this congregation. Pastor Janaki, who was also once an intern in this congregation, wrote a reflection for the gospel for this week. So, the sermon this week is going to be a sort of amalgamation of her reflection as well as my own. Something I think is rather special for the people here at faith who have a relationship with her.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Confession and Forgiveness: p. 211
Blessed be the holy trinity, one God, who forgives all our sin, whose mercy endures forever.
Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open, all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hid:
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
That we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name,
through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.
Gracious God,
have mercy on us, we confess that we have turned from you
and given ourselves into the power of sin.
We are truly sorry and humbly repent.
In your compassion forgive us our sins, known and unknown,
things we have done, things we have failed to do.
Turn us again to you, and uphold us by your spirit,
so that we may live and serve you in newness of life.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
God, who is rich in mercy, loved us even when we were dead in sin
and made us alive together with Christ.
By grace you have been saved. In the name of Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven.
Almighty God strengthen you with power through the holy spirit,
that Christ may live in your hearts through faith.
Amen.
Gathering Hymn: 769 VS 1,2,3. If You But Trust in God to Guide You
Verse 1
If you but trust in God to guide you
with gentle hand through all your ways,
you’ll find that God is there beside you
when crosses come, in trying days.
Trust then in God’s unchanging love;
build on the rock that will not move.
Verse 2
What gain is there in anxious weeping
in helpless anger and distress?
If you are in your Savior’s keeping,
in sorrow will he love you less?
For Christ who took for you a cross
will bring you safe through every loss.
Verse 3
The Lord our restless hearts is holding,
in peace and quietness content.
We rest in God’s good will unfolding,
what wisdom from on high has sent.
God, who has chosen us by grace,
knows very well the fears we face.
Greeting: p. 213
Kyrie: p. 184
https://drive.google.com/drive/search?q=kyrie
Refrain: Kyrie Eleison, on our world and on our way,
Kyrie Eleison, every day.
Prayer of the Day: Assistant Minister – Jane Redin
Let us pray together the words of the prayer of the day:
O God of creation,
We pray you make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, we may sow love. Where there is injury, grant us the grace of pardon. Where there is despair, grant hope. We seek to console, to understand, and to love in your name.
Amen.
Word – Reader – Jane Weeden
First Reading: Isaiah 65:1-10
“I’ve made myself available
to those who haven’t bothered to ask.
I’m here, ready to be found
by those who haven’t bothered to look.
I kept saying ‘I’m here, I’m right here’
to a nation that ignored me.
I reached out day after day
to a people who turned their backs on me,
People who make wrong turns,
who insist on doing things their own way.
They spend the night in tombs
to get messages from the dead,
They say, ‘Keep your distance.
Don’t touch me. I’m holier than thou.’
“But just as one bad apple doesn’t ruin the whole bushel,
there are still plenty of good apples left.
I’ll bring out my true children from Jacob
and the heirs of my mountains from Judah.
My chosen will inherit the land,
my servants will move in.
The lush valley of Sharon in the west
will be a pasture for flocks,
And in the east, the valley of Achor,
a place for herds to graze.
These will be for the people
who bothered to reach out to me, who wanted me in their lives,
who actually bothered to look for me.
Reader: “Word of God, Word of Life”….Thanks be to God
Psalm: 42 (Read Responsively) Reader – Jane Weeden
A white-tailed deer drinks
from the creek;
I want to drink God,
deep drafts of God.
I’m thirsty for God-alive.
I wonder, “Will I ever make it—
arrive and drink in God’s presence?”
I’m on a diet of tears—
tears for breakfast, tears for supper.
All day long
people knock at my door, Pestering,
“Where is this God of yours?”
These are the things I go over and over,
emptying out the pockets of my life.
I was always at the head of the worshiping crowd,
right out in front,
Leading them all,
eager to arrive and worship,
Shouting praises, singing thanksgiving—
celebrating, all of us, God’s feast!
Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?
Why are you crying the blues?
Fix my eyes on God—
soon I’ll be praising again.
He puts a smile on my face: my God.
Reader: “Please rise as you are able for the Gospel acclamation found on page 188”
Gospel Acclamation: p.188
Alleluia. Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia. Alleluia, alleluia. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Luke 16:19-31 Vicar Bethan
“Now there was a certain rich man who was habitually dressed in expensive purple and fine linen, and celebrated and lived joyously in splendor every day. And a poor man named Lazarus, was laid at his gate, covered with sores. He [eagerly] longed to eat the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. Now it happened that the poor man died and his spirit was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom (paradise); and the rich man also died and was buried. In Hades (the realm of the dead), being in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom (paradise). And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in severe agony in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things [all the comforts and delights], and Lazarus likewise bad things [all the discomforts and distresses]; but now he is comforted here [in paradise], while you are in severe agony. And besides all this, between us and you [people] a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to come over from here to you will not be able, and none may cross over from there to us.’ So the rich man said, ‘Then, father [Abraham], I beg you to send Lazarus to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—in order that he may solemnly warn them and witness to them, so that they too will not come to this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have [the Scriptures given by] Moses and the [writings of the] Prophets; let them listen to them.’ He replied, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent [they will change their old way of thinking and seek God and His righteousness].’ And he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to [the messages of] Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon: Vicar Bethan
Hymn of the Day: 611 I Heard The Voice of Jesus Say
1 I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Come unto me and rest;
lay down, O weary one, lay down
your head upon my breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was,
so weary, worn, and sad;
I found him in a resting-place,
and he has made me glad.
2 I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Behold, I freely give
the living water, thirsty one;
stoop down and drink and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank
of that life-giving stream;
my thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
and now I live in him.
3 I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“I am this dark world’s light;
look unto me, your morn shall rise,
and all your day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found
in him my star, my sun;
and in that light of life I’ll walk
till trav’ling days are done.
Apostle’s Creed: Vicar Bethan
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: Assistant Minister – Jane Redin
Gathered into one, we pray for creation, the community of believers and the whole world.
Creator God, we come to you in gratitude for the beauty of this land and all our relatives who call it home. Guide us to be better stewards of the earth. Help us to learn how best to care for lakes, waterways and the rich bounty of trees, fields, berries and all creatures who live among us. We thank you for the First Peoples who cared for this territory and welcomed newcomers to the land.
In faith-filled expectation,
Receive our prayer
Creator God, we come to you with heavy hearts for those whose laughter has been silenced, for those whose voices have been silenced, for those who will no longer dance or play. We pray for those whose dreams have been taken or dismissed. We confess that we have often looked away and not seen or heard the cries of our Indigenous neighbours. We thank you for the resilience and strength of those who have endured great hardship.
In faith-filled expectation,
Receive our prayer.
Creator God, we come to you in grief for those whose bodies lie in water, forest or field far from home. We pray for those who find themselves displaced from their community. We pray in solidarity with those who have been left behind to stitch together the fabric of their lives. We pray for those who have chosen suicide as a way to stop the pain. We pray for those families who do not know where to find their loved ones.
In faith-filled expectation,
Receive our prayer.
Creator God, we come to you asking for a sense of your presence in the lives of those whose hearts ache with loneliness and loss. We pray for those who are suffering in mind, body or spirit. We pray especially for Jennifer, Patty, Maya, Stephen, Bill, Grace, Eberhard, John, Miranda, Marlene and Ruby, Norman Kirsti, Gladys and Inge.
In faith-filled expectation
Receive our prayer.
Creator God, we come to you with thanksgiving for the reclaiming of lost languages, stories and traditions. We have joyful hearts when First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities are willing to share their history, teachings and cultural identity with us. We ask for your help to listen carefully and attentively to what our neighbours are saying. We are stronger and wiser for these gifts. We pray in hope for a future that is built on respect, peace and friendship.
In faith-filled expectation
Receive our prayer
Creator God, you know our needs before we ask. Move us to action, send us your healing presence and give us strength for the week ahead.
AMEN
Lord’s Prayer: Assistant Minister – Jane Redin
We will now prayer together as Jesus has taught us, today we use the words of the Maori indigenous peoples of New Zealand’s Lord’s Prayer:
C: Eternal Spirit,
Earth-maker, Pain Bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that is and that shall be,
Father and Mother of us all,
Loving God in Whom is heaven:
The hallowing of Your Name echo through the universe;
The way of Your justice be followed by the peoples of the world;
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings;
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
Sustain our hope and come on earth.
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trial too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that us evil, free us.
for You reign in the glory of the power that is love,
now and forever. Amen.
Thanksgiving for the Word
Canticle of Thanksgiving: p.219
Thanksgiving for the Word: Vicar Bethan
Almighty God,
we thank you for the gift of your holy word.
May it be a lantern to our feet,
a light upon our paths,
and a strength to our lives.
Take us and use us
to love and serve all people
The Word of life which was from the beginning
we proclaim to you.
The darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining;
the Word of life which was from the beginning.
That which we heard, which we saw with our eyes,and touched with our hands,
we proclaim to you.
For our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Word of life, which was from the beginning,
we proclaim to you.
Amen
Sending
Benediction Vicar Bethan
P May God bless you and keep you,
May God’s face shine upon you and be gracious to you.
May God look upon you with favour and give you peace. Amen
Sending Hymn: #843 Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness
1 Praise the One who breaks the darkness
with a liberating light;
praise the One who frees the pris’ners,
turning blindness into sight.
Praise the One who preached the gospel,
healing ev’ry dread disease,
calming storms and feeding thousands
with the very bread of peace.
2 Praise the One who blessed the children
with a strong yet gentle word;
praise the One who drove out demons
with a piercing, two-edged sword.
Praise the One who brings cool water
to the desert’s burning sand;
from this well comes living water
quenching thirst in ev’ry land.
3 Praise the one true love incarnate:
Christ, who suffered in our place;
Jesus died and rose for many
that we may know God by grace.
Let us sing for joy and gladness,
seeing what our God has done.
Praise the one redeeming glory;
praise the One who makes us one.
Dismissal: Assistant Minister – Jane Redin
A: The spirit is with you always, Go in Peace, share the Good News!
Thanks be to God, Alleluia.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
SUMMER HOLY COMMUNION: Sunday July 3, 2022 at 10 am
Sunday July 31, 2022 at 10 am
ETERNITY FOR TODAY devotional booklets are now available at the sideentrance.
SUMMER WORSHIP SERVICES
- Sunday July 3 through Sunday September 4
- Worship in the basement (Luther Hall) at 10 am as in previous years
- Air conditioning and Air Purifier in use
- Masking will become optional
- Self-distancing will be up to individuals
- Social hour following the service
We would appreciate help with the Social Hours. There will be a sign-up sheet or you can speak to the Church Office or to Gertrude Shearim.
TODAY WE ARE PRAYING FOR:
Jennifer Cherewka Patty Davis
Maya James Stephen Kovacs
Bill Leonhardt Grace Mueller
Art Oswald Eberhard Poelzl
John Porr Miranda
Marlene Sams and Granddaughter Ruby
Norman Schein Kirsti Sipila
Gladys Souliere Inge Storjohann
TIME CHANGE FOR SUNDAY SERVICES: Beginning on Sunday September 11, 2022, our Service will begin at 10:30 am as voted on at the recent Congregational meeting.
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