Proper 13B/Ordinary 18B/Pentecost 11

Proper 13B | Ordinary 18B | Pentecost 11 August 1, 2021 NEW: FOR POETRY PEW CLICK HERE! FOR A BEAD AND A PRAYER CLICK HERE A Liturgy For Worship and Meditation —Use all or any portion as you choose—
	Hymn—Break Thou the Bread of Life [1] [Click Here For Music] Break Thou the bread of life, dear Lord, to me, as once you broke the loaves beside the sea. Beyond the sacred page I seek you, Lord; my spirit waits for you, O living Word. Bless your own word of truth, dear Lord, to me, as when you blessed the bread by Galilee. Then shall all bondage cease, all fetters fall; and I shall find my peace, my All in all! You are the bread of life, dear Lord, to me, your holy word the truth that rescues me. Give me to eat and live with you above; teach me to love your truth, for you are love. O send your Spirit now, dear Lord, to me, that he may touch my eyes and make me see. Show me the truth made plain within your Word, for in your book revealed I see you, Lord. Centering In Preparation Bread of Heaven, come down. Give life to the world. Bread of Life, come down, that we might feed each other and be filled. —Slemmons, Timothy Matthew. When Heaven Stands Open: Liturgical Elements for Reformed Worship, Year B. Cascade Books. Opening Words We have come together as one. One people, gathered in the name of the one God. We will worship together as one. One community, giving praise and honor to the Righteous One. We are being empowered as one by One. One body and one Spirit, called to the hope of one calling, one God, one faith, one baptism, one God and Sovereign of all who is above all and through all and in all. Now, in the name of the Holy and Blessed Trinity, we act as one. One people, giving witness to the power of One. Collect For the Day O God, you are the one in whom we are one people, woven together is your love. We gather as your people, the body of Christ in the world. We are here because of the faithfulness of others down through the years. We thank you that no time has ever lacked voices to tell your story. And you continue to empower those who serve you today. Make us faithful witnesses. Help us to hear and to do your good will today as we gather and as we go. —Drescher, John. Invocations and Benedictions for the Revised Common Lectionary. Abingdon Press. (adapted) Prayer For the Day Living God of Justice and Truth, you have anointed us royally with your Spirit in the one baptism that unites us with Christ. You are quick to feed us richly with the bread of your Word. Therefore, make of us honest, humble, and gentle servants, united in love for the honor of your holy name. —Slemmons, Timothy Matthew. When Heaven Stands Open: Liturgical Elements for Reformed Worship, Year B. Cascade Books. Call To Confession We have not followed in the way of Jesus. We have not honored God our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. Let us confess our brokenness and need of healing before God and one another. Prayer Of Confession Most merciful and compassionate God, in the daily grind of life, we are so often taught to be in competition with others, focusing only on our own wants and needs. Our idols are glory, wealth, and power. We chase after these false gods that cannot ever sustain or satisfy us. Forgive our choices of heart, mind, and spirit. Forgive us when we believe that if we only could acquire and consume more, everything would be OK and we would be happy. Forgive us when we play the games of our culture seeking fame and notoriety, having reason to think more highly of ourselves than others. Forgive us when we chase the dream of having power enough to insist on our way, even when it brings harm to others. You alone, O God, are the bread of life that feeds us to overflowing. You alone, O God, are the water of life that flows in spend thrift love, an eternal stream. Bring us to wholeness and well being that we may know the peace and justice of your Kin-Dom. For we pray to you, O God, our Sovereign. Amen. Words Of Pardon and Assurance “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Blessed are you when you seek the right ways of God; blessed are you when you pursue justice; blessed are you when you seek peace. You are forgiven, loved and restored on this journey of faith. Go with full hearts, wise minds, and the spirit of God in you, to love and forgive and bring healing to our broken world. Amen. (with reference to Matthew 5. 6) Prayer For Illumination Holy God, may the reading of your Word be for us the bread you send from heaven that gives life to the world. Amen. —Long, Kim. Feasting on the Word Worship Companion: 2 . Presbyterian Publishing Corporation. II Samuel 11. 26-27; 12 .1-13a 26 When Bathsheba heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. 27 After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to the palace, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But David’s actions displeased God Most High. 1 God sent Nathan to David. Nathan went to David, and said, “Let me present you with a case for your judgment: There were two people in a certain town; one was rich and the other was poor. 2 The rich person had very large herds of cattle and sheep, 3 but the poor person had only one recently-purchased little ewe lamb. The poor person raised it, and it grew with the family, adults and children alike. They shared their food with it; it drank from its own cup, and even slept with family. It was like another child to the family. 4 “Now a traveler came to the rich person, who went about giving hospitality to the traveler. But rather than taking one of his own livestock to prepare a meal for the traveler, the rich person took the little ewe lamb from the poor family to serve to the traveler.” 5 When David heard the story, he became livid, and burst out, “As God Most High lives, the rich person who did this must die! 6 The rich person must pay for the lamb four times over! To do such a thing is evil!” 7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are that corrupt person! This is what God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you ruler over Israel. And I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave you your palace, along with your many wives in your arms. I gave you the tribes of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have added other favors as well. 9 Why did you despise the word of God by doing what you did, which is evil in God’s eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife as your own. You murdered Uriah with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now, therefore, the sword will never be far from your house; for you showed contempt of me and took Bathsheba to be your own.’ 11 “This is what God Most High says, ‘I will stir up evil for you out of your own house. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to your neighbor; and your neighbor will lie with your wives in broad daylight. 12 You did it secretly, but I will do it in broad daylight before all Israel.’” 13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against God.” —Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward. Psalm 51. 1-12 1 O God, have mercy on me! Because of your love and your great compassion, wipe away my faults; 2 wash me clean of my guilt; purify me of my sin. 3 For I am aware of my faults, and have my sin constantly in mind. 4 I sinned against you alone, and did what is evil in your sight. You are just when you pass sentence on me, blameless when you give judgment. 5 I was born in sin, conceived in sin— 6 yet you want truth to live in my innermost being. Teach me your wisdom! 7 Purify me with hyssop until I am clean; wash me until I am purer than new-fallen snow. 8 Instill some joy and gladness into me; let the bones you have crushed rejoice again. 9 Turn your face from my sins, and wipe out all my guilt. 10 O God, create a clean heart in me, put into me a new and steadfast spirit; 11 do not banish me from your presence, do not deprive me of your holy Spirit! 12 Be my savior again, renew my joy, keep my spirit steady and willing. —Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward. Psalm Prayer O God in Trinity, your name is beyond understanding. Purify our hearts from sin and make them brighter than snow. Have mercy on us. Renew your Holy Spirit within us, that we may declare your praise. Strengthen us by your grace and receive us at last into the eternal dwellings in the heavenly Jerusalem. —Stratman, Paul. Psalm Prayers from Sarum. Ephesians 4. 1-16 1 I plead with you, then, in the name of our Redeemer, to lead a life worthy of your calling. 2 Treat one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience. 3 Do all you can to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the peace that binds you together. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called into one hope when you were called. 5 There is one Savior, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Creator of all, who is over all, who works through all and is within all. 7 Each of us has received God’s grace in the measure in which Christ has bestowed it. 8 Thus you find scripture saying, “You ascended on high, leading captives in your train, and giving gifts to people.” 9 “You ascended”—what does this mean but that Christ first descended into the lower regions of the earth? 10 The One who descended is the very One who ascended high above the heavens in order to fill the whole universe. 11 And to some, the gift they were given is that they should be apostles; to some, prophets; to some, evangelists; to some, pastors and teachers. 12 These gifts were given to equip fully the holy ones for the work of service, and to build up the body of Christ— 13 until we all attain unity in our faith and in our knowledge of the Only Begotten of God, until we become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Let us then be children no longer, tossed here and there, carried about by every wind of doctrine, or by human trickery or crafty, deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, let us speak the truth in love, and grow to the full maturity of Christ, the head. 16 Through Christ, the whole body grows. With the proper functioning of each member, firmly joined together by each supporting ligament, the body builds itself up in love. —Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward. John 6. 25-34 25 When the people saw that neither Jesus nor the disciples were there, they got into those boats and crossed to Capernaum looking for Jesus. 25 When they found Jesus on the other side of the lake, they said, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “The truth of the matter is, you’re not looking for me because you’ve seen signs, but because you’ve eaten your fill of the bread. 27 You shouldn’t be working for perishable food, but for life-giving food that lasts for all eternity; this the Chosen One can give you, for the Chosen One bears the seal of Abba God.” 28 At this they said, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” 29 Jesus replied, “This is the work of God: to believe in the one whom God has sent.” 30 So they asked Jesus, “What sign are you going to give to show us that we should believe in you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors had manna to eat in the desert; as scripture says, ‘God gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus said to them, “The truth of the matter is, Moses hasn’t given you bread from heaven; yet my Abba gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 “Teacher,” they said, “give us this bread from now on.” 35 Jesus explained to them, “I am the bread of life. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry; no one who believes in me will be thirsty. —Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward. Gospel Prayer God has not only given us all that we need to live, but also the Spirit of life itself. Christ Jesus is the true bread of heaven, who gives life to the world. Whoever comes to Christ will never be hungry, and whoever believes in Christ will never thirst. Thanks be to God. —Slemmons, Timothy Matthew. When Heaven Stands Open: Liturgical Elements for Reformed Worship, Year B. Cascade Books. Credo My body. One body. Our body. God’s body. This is my home. These are my people. We fully give our gifts to help strengthen the body. My body. One body. Our body. God’s body. Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Only as one being strengthened and motivating those around us can we reign victorious. Holy Spirit, we implore your wisdom, guidance, and discipline. Make us whole. Strengthen our weakness. Keep deception and division far from us. Fill us forever with the true Bread of Life, Jesus Christ. May we not forget where our Eternal Life flows from. Unify us in you, Lord. Beyond race, culture, education, social, and economic status. Bind us to one another. Show us you in every face that looks back at us. My body. One body. Our body. God’s Body. —Kachael J, Africana Liturgical Resources, Pentecost Package 1, ed. Safiyah Fosua. Prayer of Intercession ╬ Loving God, you have blessed us with all we need to do the work to which we have been called. Bless those in our midst who are gifted to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Build up the body of Christ. R Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. ╬ Bless the hungry with good things, Generous God. Sustain our bodies and our souls. Show yourself to be the God who provides for the needy and cares for the poor. R Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. ╬ You are good to us, O God. We thank you for this planet. We thank you that you continue to cause new life to grow and thrive. R Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. ╬ Fill our communities with humility and gentleness. We pray, O God, that neighbors might live together in love and respect. Give us the grace to build peaceful neighborhoods, peaceful cities, peaceful nations, and a peaceful world. R Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. ╬ When we are frustrated and scared, when we are desperate and in need, you, Loving God, hear our prayers. Hear them again today. R Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. ╬ You are a God of mercy; you judge us according to your loving-kindness. Look at us through your eyes of mercy, now and in the hour of our death. R Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. —Williamson, Jeremiah D. Praying the Scriptures: Litanies for Sunday Worship. Church Publishing Inc. Prayer For Others Eternal God, we are of all people extremely blessed. We are blessed because you have rescued us from despair and made us people of hope. You have numbered us with the saints of Ephesus and all other cities where your people have gathered and you have made us your own. You have claimed us to receive your grace, mercy and peace. You have destined us to see the world in a new way and to go forth into it with courage and confidence. You have forgiven us our sins, wiped the slate clean, and given us a new resolve and a new joy. You have given us an inheritance in an enduring and everlasting hope which you will fulfill for us in the fullness of time. We thank you, O God, for such a rich inheritance. Help us on our journey to be renewed as we move along the road of life. May we not succumb to the temptations of cynicism or defeat. May we not limit our expectations for life because they are difficult. Instead, may we see problems as possibilities for new growth and achievement. May we stare difficulty in the face and approach it with hope and optimism. Fortify our wills. Call forth our best thinking and creativity. And use us in your enterprise of changing and redeeming the people of your world. We ask your care for all who are suffering in any way. Be with those who are living in dangerous places and who know the anxiety and destructiveness of war. Be with those in harms way. Be with the innocent people who are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Provide comfort and safety for the living and hope for the dying. Help us to build a world where the causes of war are eliminated. Cure our warring madness, O God, and grant us peace. Amen. —The Rev. Dr. Richard Einerson. (http://www.richardeinerson.com) Prayer of Thanksgiving Gracious God, you have given us many, many gifts, all for the work of ministry and for building up the body of Christ. We thank you, God, and as we lift up to you that which you have given us, raise us up into the full stature of Christ. Lead us in a life worthy of our calling, for we have each received grace according to the measure of what Christ has given us. —Slemmons, Timothy Matthew. When Heaven Stands Open: Liturgical Elements for Reformed Worship, Year B. Cascade Books. The Prayer of Jesus (adapted) O God, whom to us is like a parent—Mother and Father. You name is most sacred. Your reign of peace with peace be ours here and now, as it is in heaven. Provide each of us today the portion that we need and may we share anything that would be more with those who have less. Forgive us our brokenness with healing and restoring, as we seek the wellness of all, even those who have wronged us. Be with us in the challenges of each day that we may be faithful. And, free us from all or any evil. For yours is the Kin-Dom, the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. Sending Forth We go forth with the conviction that we do not live by bread alone, but by every word from the mouth of God. May we worship and serve God in all we do. Amen. Blessing Go into the world with all humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another in love, in the unity of the Spirit, the bond of peace, following in the way of Jesus, who is the Bread of Life. Amen. _________________________ [1] I am very intentional of using inclusive language as one of the prime components of worship being inclusive. The term "Lord" is of course a word representing one who is male in gender and goes against the grain of my intent and purpose. There are occasions, nevertheless, when a hymn is such a wonderful expression of the text for the week that is begs to be used here. By pproviding the music for the hymn when such music includes the singing of the lyrics therein, altering the wording here would only lead to confusion. Thus, I hope that the rare useage of references to God that are gender specific does not offend or exclude.
	POETRY PEW I Am the Bread of Life —Malcolm Guite © Parable and Paradox: Sonnets On the Sayings Of Jesus and Other Poems The Canterbury Press. UK. 2018 Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. —John 6. 35 Where to get bread? An ever-pressing question That trembles on the lips of anxious mothers, Bread for their families, bread for all these others; A whole world on the margin of exhaustion. And where that hunger has been satisfied Where to get bread? The question still returns In our abundance something starves and yearns We crave fulfillment, crave and are denied. And then comes One who speaks into our needs Who opens out the secret hopes we cherish Whose presence calls our hidden hearts to flourish Whose words unfold in us like living seeds Come to me, broken, hungry, incomplete, I Am the Bread of Life, break Me and eat.
	A BEAD AND A PRAYER
	CROSS Bread of Heaven, come down. Give life to the world. Bread of Life, come down, that we might feed each other and be filled. —Slemmons, Timothy Matthew. When Heaven Stands Open: Liturgical Elements for Reformed Worship, Year B. Cascade Books. INVITATORY We have come together as one. One people, gathered in the name of the one God. We will worship together as one. ne community, giving praise and honor to the Righteous One. We are being empowered as one by One. One body and one Spirit, called to the hope of one calling, one God, one faith, one baptism, one God and Sovereign of all who is above all and through all and in all. Now, in the name of the Holy and Blessed Trinity, we act as one. One people, giving witness to the power of One. CRUCIFORM O God, you are the one in whom we are one people, woven together is your love. We gather as your people, the body of Christ in the world. We are here because of the faithfulness of others down through the years. We thank you that no time has ever lacked voices to tell your story. And you continue to empower those who serve you today. Make us faithful witnesses. Help us to hear and to do your good will today as we gather and as we go. —Drescher, John. Invocations and Benedictions for the Revised Common Lectionary. Abingdon Press.(adapted) WEEK 1 II Samuel 11. 26-27; 12 .1-13a ♦ When Bathsheba heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to the palace, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But David’s actions displeased God Most High. God sent Nathan to David. Nathan went to David, and said, “Let me present you with a case for your judgment: There were two people in a certain town; one was rich and the other was poor. ♦ The rich person had very large herds of cattle and sheep, but the poor person had only one recently-purchased little ewe lamb. The poor person raised it, and it grew with the family, adults and children alike. They shared their food with it; it drank from its own cup, and even slept with family. It was like another child to the family. ♦ “Now a traveler came to the rich person, who went about giving hospitality to the traveler. But rather than taking one of his own livestock to prepare a meal for the traveler, the rich person took the little ewe lamb from the poor family to serve to the traveler.” ♦ When David heard the story, he became livid, and burst out, “As God Most High lives, the rich person who did this must die! The rich person must pay for the lamb four times over! To do such a thing is evil!” ♦ Then Nathan said to David, “You are that corrupt person! This is what God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you ruler over Israel. And I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave you your palace, along with your many wives in your arms. I gave you the tribes of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have added other favors as well. ♦ Why did you despise the word of God by doing what you did, which is evil in God’s eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife as your own. You murdered Uriah with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never be far from your house; for you showed contempt of me and took Bathsheba to be your own.’ ♦ “This is what God Most High says, ‘I will stir up evil for you out of your own house. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to your neighbor; and your neighbor will lie with your wives in broad daylight. You did it secretly, but I will do it in broad daylight before all Israel.’” Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against God.” —Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward. CRUCIFORM Most merciful and compassionate God, in the daily grind of life, we are so often taught to be in competition with others, focusing only on our own wants and needs. Our idols are glory, wealth, and power. We chase after these false gods that cannot ever sustain or satisfy us. Forgive our choices of heart, mind, and spirit. Forgive us when we believe that if we only could acquire and consume more, everything would be OK and we would be happy. Forgive us when we play the games of our culture seeking fame and notoriety, having reason to think more highly of ourselves than others. Forgive us when we chase the dream of having power enough to insist on our way, even when it brings harm to others. You alone, O God, are the bread of life that feeds us to overflowing. You alone, O God, are the water of life that flows in spend thrift love, an eternal stream. Bring us to wholeness and well being that we may know the peace and justice of your Kin-Dom. For we pray to you, O God, our Sovereign. Amen. WEEK 2 Psalm 51. 1-12 ♦ O God, have mercy on me! Because of your love and your great compassion, wipe away my faults; wash me clean of my guilt; purify me of my sin. ♦ For I am aware of my faults, and have my sin constantly in mind. I sinned against you alone, and did what is evil in your sight. You are just when you pass sentence on me, blameless when you give judgment. ♦ I was born in sin, conceived in sin— yet you want truth to live in my innermost being. Teach me your wisdom! ♦ Purify me with hyssop until I am clean; wash me until I am purer than new-fallen snow. ♦ Instill some joy and gladness into me; let the bones you have crushed rejoice again. Turn your face from my sins, and wipe out all my guilt. ♦ O God, create a clean heart in me, put into me a new and steadfast spirit; do not banish me from your presence, do not deprive me of your holy Spirit! ♦ Be my savior again, renew my joy, keep my spirit steady and willing. —Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward. CRUCIFORM O God in Trinity, your name is beyond understanding. Purify our hearts from sin and make them brighter than snow. Have mercy on us. Renew your Holy Spirit within us, that we may declare your praise. Strengthen us by your grace and receive us at last into the eternal dwellings in the heavenly Jerusalem. —Stratman, Paul. Psalm Prayers from Sarum. WEEK 3 Ephesians 4. 1-16 ♦ I plead with you, then, in the name of our Redeemer, to lead a life worthy of your calling. Treat one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience. ♦ Do all you can to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the peace that binds you together. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called into one hope when you were called. ♦ There is one Savior, one faith, one baptism, one God and Creator of all, who is over all, who works through all and is within all. Each of us has received God’s grace in the measure in which Christ has bestowed it. ♦ Thus you find scripture saying, “You ascended on high, leading captives in your train, and giving gifts to people.” “You ascended”—what does this mean but that Christ first descended into the lower regions of the earth? ♦ The One who descended is the very One who ascended high above the heavens in order to fill the whole universe. And to some, the gift they were given is that they should be apostles; to some, prophets; to some, evangelists; to some, pastors and teachers. ♦ These gifts were given to equip fully the holy ones for the work of service, and to build up the body of Christ— until we all attain unity in our faith and in our knowledge of the Only Begotten of God, until we become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. ♦ Let us then be children no longer, tossed here and there, carried about by every wind of doctrine, or by human trickery or crafty, deceitful schemes. Rather, let us speak the truth in love, and grow to the full maturity of Christ, the head. Through Christ, the whole body grows. With the proper functioning of each member, firmly joined together by each supporting ligament, the body builds itself up in love. —Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward. CRUCIFORM Living God of Justice and Truth, you have anointed us royally with your Spirit in the one baptism that unites us with Christ. You are quick to feed us richly with the bread of your Word. Therefore, make of us honest, humble, and gentle servants, united in love for the honor of your holy name. —Slemmons, Timothy Matthew. When Heaven Stands Open: Liturgical Elements for Reformed Worship, Year B. Cascade Books. WEEK 4 John 6. 25-34 ♦ When the people saw that neither Jesus nor the disciples were there, they got into those boats and crossed to Capernaum looking for Jesus. 25 When they found Jesus on the other side of the lake, they said, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” ♦ Jesus answered them, “The truth of the matter is, you’re not looking for me because you’ve seen signs, but because you’ve eaten your fill of the bread. ♦ You shouldn’t be working for perishable food, but for life-giving food that lasts for all eternity; this the Chosen One can give you, for the Chosen One bears the seal of Abba God.” ♦ At this they said, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” Jesus replied, “This is the work of God: to believe in the one whom God has sent.” ♦ So they asked Jesus, “What sign are you going to give to show us that we should believe in you? What will you do? Our ancestors had manna to eat in the desert; as scripture says, ‘God gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” ♦ Jesus said to them, “The truth of the matter is, Moses hasn’t given you bread from heaven; yet my Abba gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” ♦ “Teacher,” they said, “give us this bread from now on.” Jesus explained to them, “I am the bread of life. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry; no one who believes in me will be thirsty. —Priests for Equality. The Inclusive Bible. Sheed & Ward. CRUCIFORM God has not only given us all that we need to live, but also the Spirit of life itself. Christ Jesus is the true bread of heaven, who gives life to the world. Whoever comes to Christ will never be hungry, and whoever believes in Christ will never thirst. Thanks be to God. —Slemmons, Timothy Matthew. When Heaven Stands Open: Liturgical Elements for Reformed Worship, Year B. Cascade Books. INVITATORY The Prayer of Jesus (adapted) O God, whom to us is like a parent—Mother and Father. You name is most sacred. Your reign of peace with peace be ours here and now, as it is in heaven. Provide each of us today the portion that we need and may we share anything that would be more with those who have less. Forgive us our brokenness with healing and restoring, as we seek the wellness of all, even those who have wronged us. Be with us in the challenges of each day that we may be faithful. And, free us from all or any evil. For yours is the Kin-Dom, the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. CROSS Go into the world with all humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another in love, in the unity of the Spirit, the bond of peace, following in the way of Jesus, who is the Bread of Life. Amen.