NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 2021

Joyful, joyful, we adore you,

God of glory, Lord of love;

hearts unfold like flow’rs before you,

op’ning to the sun above.

Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;

drive the dark of doubt away;

giver of immortal gladness,

fill us with the light of day!

#544 MBW

Almighty God, mother of mercy, father of grace, you have called us to one table, but we have
pursued our own course. You have promised us the abundance of all creation, but in our
greed, and in our envy, the world goes without. You have promised us the bread of life itself,
but in our pride, and in our arrogance, the world goes hungry. You have promised us the
waters of peace and justice, but in our violence, and in our discord, the world goes thirsty. And
now, we too are famished. Lord, have mercy and forgive us, again. Transform us at this table
and for this table, and send us from this table as servants of your righteousness, by the power
of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

In all our world, wherever God may place us,

at home, abroad, in farthest parts of earth,

our highest joy must be to serve our Savior,

and all we are must speak his pow’r and worth.

4 In all our world – in fact’ry, shop or schoolroom,

in kitchen, boardroom, market, office, mill,

we each must make our witness known with boldness –

God’s Spirit works through mortal mind and will.

#629 3,4 MBW

To God be the glory: great things God has done! Knowing that through Christ all things
are made new, we receive God’s forgiveness, and prepare ourselves for the communion
table. There we can be recreated through the fellowship of partaking in the bread and cup
and renewed in our faith and commitment.

Healing God, we come before you broken, yet seeking wholeness, isolated, yet seeking
community, overwhelmed, yet seeking simplicity, shamed, yet seeking grace.

God, we yearn for the healing you promise.

God of Justice, we come before you selfish, yet seeking a generous heart, arrogant, yet seeking
forgiveness.

God, we yearn for the justice you promise.

God of Peace, we come before you afraid, yet seeking assurance, agitated, yet seeking serenity,
angry, yet seeking a forgiving heart.

God, we yearn for the peace you promise.

Knowing that through Christ all things are made new, we come to this communion table to be
recreated through the bread and cup, and to be renewed in our faith and commitment.
God, we submit ourselves to renewal through you.

This we pray through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen

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Watchword for the Week

I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters, in the midst of the congregation I will
praise you. Hebrews 2:12

Watchword for Today

The Lord said, “You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work and which you did
not cause to grow, which come up overnight and perished overnight. Should I not have
compassion on Nineveh, the great city? Jonah 4:10-11

Doctrinal Text

The Lord is compassionate and merciful. James 5:11

Prayer for Today

Lord, though we are the recipients of your “compassion and mercy,” our opinions about
Ninevites/others often disregard your view of them. Stir us and teach us to see your heart of
compassion and mercy. AMEN

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