June 29, 2025 11 A.M.
Welcome!
Introduction
We have no good apart from God. That makes Jesus’ call to follow him an invitation to freedom. This is freedom to revel in the Spirit’s fruit: love, joy, peace, and patience. This is freedom to not be imprisoned by anything that would keep us from the fullness of the life God has given us. This is the path of life.
(please stand for our opening song)
We Sing: “My Faith Looks Up to Thee” ELW 759
| My faith looks up to thee, thou Lamb of Calvary, Savior divine! Now hear me while I pray, take all my guilt away, Oh, let me from this day be wholly thine! | May thy rich grace impart strength to my fainting heart, my zeal inspire; as thou hast died for me, oh, may my love to thee pure, warm, and changeless be, a living fire! |
Confession and Forgiveness
In the name of the Father, and of the ☩ Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Baptized into Christ, let us confess our sin.
Silence is kept for reflection.
Merciful God,
you free us to love others, but we neglect our neighbors and follow our own way. You lead us by the Spirit of joy and peace, but we turn away from the abundant life you offer. You surround us with patience, kindness, and generosity, but we grow weary in doing what is right. In your mercy, forgive us. Do not give up on us. Heal us, break our bonds, and show us the path of life. Amen.
You belong to Christ Jesus and you are God’s children through faith. In the cross of ☩ Christ, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, your sins are forgiven. Clothed with Christ, you are a new creation.
Amen.
Prayer of the Day
Sovereign God, ruler of all hearts, you call us to obey you, and you favor us with true freedom. Keep us faithful to the ways of your Son, that, leaving behind all that hinders us, we may steadfastly follow your paths, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
(Please be seated for the readings)
First Reading: 1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21
In the story preceding today’s reading, the prophet Elijah flees for his life to the security of God’s mountain. There God reveals to Elijah that there are still other faithful people in Israel and commissions him to anoint new leaders, including his own successor, Elisha.
R: 15 Then the Lord said to [Elijah,] “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram. 16 Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place.”
19 So he set out from there, and found Elisha son of Shaphat, who was plowing. There were twelve yoke of oxen ahead of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle over him. 20 He left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, “Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.” Then Elijah said to him, “Go back again; for what have I done to you?” 21 He returned from following him, took the yoke of oxen, and slaughtered them; using the equipment from the oxen, he boiled their flesh, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out and followed Elijah, and became his servant.
…This is the Word of the Lord
C: Thanks be to God
Psalm: Psalm 16
I have set the Lord always before me. (Ps. 16:8)
1 Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you; I have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, my good above all other.”
2 All my delight is in the godly that are in the land, upon those who are noble among the people.
3 But those who run after other gods shall have their troubles multiplied.
4 I will not pour out drink offerings to such gods, never take their names upon my lips.
5 O Lord, you are my portion and my cup; it is you who uphold my lot.
6 My boundaries enclose a pleasant land; indeed, I have a rich inheritance.
7 I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel; my heart teaches me night after night.
8 I have set the Lord always before me; because God is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
9 My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices; my body also shall rest in hope.
10 For you will not abandon me to the grave, nor let your holy one see the pit.
11 You will show me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy, and in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Second Reading: Galatians 5:1, 13-25
For Paul, the freedom Christ gives is not permission to do whatever we want. It is the invitation to be what we could not be otherwise. The power and guidance of Christ’s Holy Spirit produce a different kind of life, one marked by the fruit of this Holy Spirit.
R: 1 For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. 14 For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.
16 Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.
…This is the Word of the Lord
C: Thanks be to God
(please stand)
Gospel: Luke 9:51-62
C: <sung>
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Jesus is unwavering in his commitment to his mission in Jerusalem and will not be swayed by pettiness. In a series of striking cases in point, he calls his disciples to a similar single-mindedness.
D: 51 When the days drew near for [Jesus] to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; 53 but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54 When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55 But he turned and rebuked them. 56 Then they went on to another village.
57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And 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.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60 But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
…This is the Gospel of the Lord
C: Praise to you, oh Christ
Wee Worship
We Sing: “Here I am, Lord” ELW 574
I the Lord of sea and sky, I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in deepest sin my hand will save.
I, who made the stars of night, I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them? Whom shall I send?
Here I am Lord. Is it I Lord? I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart.
I, the Lord of wind and flame, I will tend the poor and lame.
I will set a feast for them. My hand will save.
Finest bread I will provide till their hearts be satisfied.
I will give my life to them. Whom shall I send?
Here I am Lord. Is it I Lord? I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart.
Sermon
With Alex Freer
(please stand)
Apostles’ Creed
C: I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, his 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 into hell. On the third day, he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen
(please be seated for prayer)
Prayers of Intercession
Drawn into the embrace of the holy Trinity, we lift our prayers for the wholeness of the church, the world, and all creation.
A brief silence.
Guide your church, O God. Anoint us for service and make us messengers of your peace. Emboldened by the witness of Christians throughout history, send us to proclaim your reign, come near. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Protect this world, O God. Watch over fields and fruit trees, foxes and birds, the pleasant land beneath us and the sun and moon above. Keep us mindful of the rich inheritance you have given us in the natural world. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Counsel our leaders, O God. Make them steadfast in seeking justice and unable to be shaken as they pursue peace. Lead them by your Spirit to listen and respond to the people they govern. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Uphold all who suffer, O God. Give refuge to those of us who know rejection, and shelter to those of us who have nowhere to lay our heads. Bring any who are sick into your healing presence (especially). Give all your fullness of joy. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Set free this assembly, O God. Grow your Spirit’s fruits within us and within our congregation’s ministries. Set our faces always on you, that we might live in the freedom to which you have called us. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Embrace all your saints, O God. We thank you for the faithful departed. Let us rejoice that you do not abandon us to the grave but lead us on the path of life. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Gather all our prayers in your mercy, O God, through Jesus Christ, our Savior.
Amen.
The Sharing of the Peace:
P: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C: And also, with you.
P: We greet one another with the Peace of Christ
We Sing: “In This Feast of Love” ACS 962
| In this feast of love, in this feast of love, Lord, you share your blood and your body, Jesus, Lamb of God. | In this bread and wine, in this bread and wine, you have promised, Lord, to be with us, Lamb of God divine. |
Offering Prayer
P: Creator God, in your wisdom you bring forth all that is good and the harvest is plentiful. Strengthen us at your table with these gifts of the earth and our labor, that we may work for the good of all; through Jesus Christ, our Savior.
C: Amen.
Communion
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Rejoice before your Lord.
C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to our God.
C: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
P: It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God. You reveal your glory as the glory of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: equal in majesty, undivided in splendor, one Lord, one God, ever to be adored in your eternal glory. And so, with all the choirs of angels, with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
P: In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.
P: Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.
P: For as often as we eat of this bread and drink from this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
C: Christ has died: Christ is risen: Christ will come again.
P: O God of resurrection and new life: Pour out your Holy Spirit on us and on these gifts of bread and wine. Bless this feast. Grace our table with your presence.
C: Come, Holy Spirit.
P: We pray as Jesus taught us:
C: 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.
Invitation to Communion
The kingdom of God is set before you. Eat and rejoice.
(sit)
PowerPoint Video & Distribution
Prayer after Communion
Mothering God, you gathered us to your table and we drank deeply of your grace. Send us out by your Spirit to love our neighbors as ourselves and proclaim your love in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
Blessing
The love of God abound in you; the grace of our Savior Jesus Christ fill your hearts; and the life of the Spirit ☩ bless you and give you peace.
Amen.
| Birthdays July 1 – Sadie Bebko 2 – Cheryl Hackett & Chris Mohr Anniversary | Weekly Calendar Wednesday – 10 am – Bible study at Immanuel 6 pm – Prayer Gathering Thursday – 9 am – Quilting |
We Sing: “O Master, Let Me Walk with You” ELW 818
| O Master, let me walk with thee in lowly paths of service free; tell me thy secret; help me bear the strain of toil, the fret of care. | Help me the slow of heart to move by some clear winning word of love; teach me the wayward feet to stay, and guide them in the homeward way. |
Dismissal
Go in peace. Live by the Spirit.
Thanks be to God.