Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
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.
Gathering Hymn: Give Me Jesus – ELW 770
Prayer of the Day
O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, you are the city that shelters us, the mother who comforts us. With your Spirit accompany us on our life’s journey, that we may spread your peace in all the world, through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
First Reading: Isaiah 66:10-14
10 Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her,
all you who love her;
rejoice with her in joy,
all you who mourn over her—
11 that you may nurse and be satisfied
from her consoling breast;
that you may drink deeply with delight
from her glorious bosom.
12 For thus says the Lord:
I will extend prosperity to her like a river,
and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream;
and you shall nurse and be carried on her arm,
and dandled on her knees.
13 As a mother comforts her child,
so I will comfort you;
you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
14 You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice;
your bodies shall flourish like the grass;
and it shall be known that the hand of the Lord is with his servants,
and his indignation is against his enemies.
Word of God. Word of Life.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm: 66:1-9
1 Be joyful in God, all you lands;
be joyful, all the earth.
2 Sing the glory of God’s name;
sing the glory of God’s praise.
3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
Because of your great strength your enemies cringe before you.
4 All the earth bows down before you,
sings to you, sings out your name.”
5 Come now and see the works of God,
how awesome are God’s deeds toward all people.
6 God turned the sea into dry land, so that they went through the water on foot,
and there we rejoiced in God.
7 Ruling forever in might, God keeps watch over the nations;
let no rebels exalt themselves.
8 Bless our God, you peoples;
let the sound of praise be heard.
9 Our God has kept us among the living and has not allowed our feet to slip.
Second Reading: Galatians 6:7-16
7 Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. 8 If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 9 So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. 10 So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.
11 See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand! 12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that try to compel you to be circumcised—only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh. 14 May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything! 16 As for those who will follow this rule—peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
Word of God. Word of Life.
Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, and let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. Alleluia. (Col. 3:15, 16)
The Holy Gospel according to Luke
Glory to you O Lord
Gospel: Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
1 After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. 2 He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ 6 And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; 9 cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’ ”
16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”
17 The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!” 18 He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. 19 See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you O Christ
Jesus said: “See…I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions…and over all the power of the enemy…and nothing will hurt you”
O boy!!!…I considered dumping a large sack of live snakes and scorpions on the floor this morning….
- So that as a test of our faith in Jesus we could all have a go at walking on them and see who gets bitten.
- As weird as that verse is…it is not the one that caught my attention this week.
- What got me was when Jesus said these two things:
- First: Whatever house you enter…first say… ‘Peace to this house!’
- And: If anyone is there who shares in peace…your peace will rest on that person…but if not…it will return to you.
- And second: Whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you…go out into its streets and say… ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet…we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this…the kingdom of God has come near. The Lord be with you.
To put this passage in the context…in the previous chapter Jesus called the 12 and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases.
- And when they were sent ahead to a village and the village rejected them…
- Those disciples were so totally full of themselves that they came back…
- And literally asked Jesus if in response to being rejected by those villages…
- They should just rain down fire and destroy them.
- Well…at what point did that become an option?
- Jesus must have given them a huge talking to about that.
But to be honest…I can relate to the disciples.
- Because I was once in a congregation where some people rained down a diatribe against me…
- So…I too wanted to say: hey Jesus…should I rain down a fire of counter comments and burn these nasty few?
- Since that kind of thing felt totally justified to me back then.
And O Boy…when I have a relationship that is broken…and I have tried to do what was mine to do…
- Apologize for my part…try and keep an open heart and they will not go for it.
- When I offer them my peace and they do not receive it…
- I do not tend to just peacefully walk away certain the kingdom of God has still come near to them.
Usually what I do with the hurt from that is alternate between wanting to rain down fire on them…
- And wanting to rain down fire on myself.
- I either become obsessed with all the ways they are wrong…
- Or all the ways I am wrong…neither of which feels too great.
- And when I have a conflicted relationship I tend to think about all of it WAY too much.
It’s kind of like I rent out free space in my head to them.
- Free rent for a hostile tenant.
- As though over thinking something can restore a relationship…
- Or make sense of myself or human behavior in general.
So…this week I started thinking about how in our Gospel reading…
- Jesus had some crazy things to say about all of that.
- That is…if someone does not share in peace…our peace actually returns to us.
- And how Jesus said…if we are rejected…we should just kick the dirt from our shoes…
- And know that the kingdom of God is still near to those who reject us…
- And that we have been given authority over the powers of the enemy and nothing shall harm us.
I started thinking about all that.
- I mean…how much do we allow other people to be the source of our peace?
- We have peace when things are going well with all the significant family members in our lives.
- We have peace when our boss gives us enough praise.
- We have peace when we are sure that none of our friends are unhappy with us.
- We have peace when our young adult child is making all the right decisions.
- We have peace when we completely isolate ourselves from others…that way they can never hurt us.
So…it is not helpful to make other people the source of our peace when…
- As our text says…not everyone shares in peace.
- Not everyone is up for this:
- Maybe not our boss or our friends or our parents…
- And if we extend peace to them and they do not take it…
- That peace is not wasted…Jesus says it returns to us…
- And do you know why?
- Because they were not really the source of our peace to begin with.
If they reject us…do not rent out free space in your head to them…kick off the dust.
- They are no longer your business.
- They are God’s business.
- But…just to be clear…that does not mean we get to take some kind of spiritual high ground in the matter either.
- Why? Because if Jesus said kick off the dust and say to them:
- The Kingdom of God has come near you.
- That means they get the same promise from the same God that we get…
- Even if we are a person of peace and they are not.
- That is grace…and no…it is not fair.
But it also means that when we are the ones rejecting others…
- And not receiving their peace…that the kingdom of God is still near to us.
- That is…it is finally grace and not retribution…
- Grace and not being right…
- Grace and not trash talking others…
- Grace…that will redeem you and me and this whole beautiful broken mess of a world.
- You see…Jesus ushered in a different kind of kingdom than I would usher in.
- And in Jesus’ kingdom…there is a source of peace that is not other people.
Peace is that place where everything is generous and open…
- Where the virtues of the gospel…mercy and forgiveness and love and justice…
- Are the core and guide for living life.
- And if this peace is offered and not accepted…it is never a waste.
- For this peace returns to us because it is a gift…it is a grace.
- And it is something that God desires and longs to give to us.
God and God alone is our real source.
- We came from the very breath of God.
- There is that within us…the imago dei…the very image of God…that cannot be hurt by rejection.
- Which means that when Jesus says he has given us authority over the powers of evil…
- And nothing will harm us…
- It does not mean that the rejection that happens in our lives will not hurt.
- It means it cannot hurt what matters.
Genesis tells us that God breathed into dust to create humanity.
- So…it is not our boss…our lover…our friend…our parents or the United States Supreme Court…
- But the animating breath of God that is the source of our life and our peace.
- So go in peace…Because Christ is with us and within us.
Hymn of the Day: How Clear is Our Vocation Lord – ELW 580
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.
You send your church into the world with a message of peace. Center the whole church in this peace, and strengthen our faith by the example of all those who creatively and faithfully proclaim your good news. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
All the earth sings out your name. Inspire your people to drink deeply from the beauty of all your creation. When ecosystems are wounded, bring your healing. When our actions endanger the survival of other species, curb our greed and waste. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
You call us to work for the good of all. Give resolve to those who lead, that they do not grow weary in doing what is right. Guide them to seek peace between nations and freedom for all people. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
As a mother comforts her child, so you comfort us. Bring this comfort to those in any pain especially: John & Lisa Mountain, Terry Vernon, David & Carol Beazley, Margaret Miller, Bill Treichler, Shirley Treichler, Hope Garrett, Julia Busby-Morgan, Lisa (Bob & Doris’s daughter. Chad Rudzik, June Gust, Vicki Salzgeber, Jason Salzgeber, David Wilfong, Stacey Bryant, Pam Hendry, Erin Shayota, Michael Bender, Don Bevers, Rick Lauber, Keith Waldron, Holly Lapinski, John Shaffer, Jan Johnson, Chis Poe. Carry your people when grief is heavy, and lift burdens of shame and self-doubt. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Your harvest is plentiful, O God. Make us laborers and companions with one another in this assembly. Send your peace to rest upon us, heal divisions among us, and open our hearts to receive one another as gifts from you. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Awaken new life in this place. Open our hearts to ways you are calling us to be at work in the world and our community. We pray for neighboring congregations and ministry sites especially: Church of God – SDA – Bay Point Christian – St. Barts – Blessed Trinity…St. Matthew…DayStar Life Center…Canguros Day School. Give us courage to boldly share your love for all people beyond our walls. God of grace, hear our prayer.
You have written our names in heaven, O God, and we rejoice. We thank you for those who have lived and died in your love. Accompany us on our life’s journey and draw us at last to life forever in you. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Gather all our prayers in your mercy, O God, through Jesus Christ, our Savior.
Amen.
Pray with me:
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,
for ever and ever.
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.
Sending Hymn: Hallelujah! We Sing Your Praises – ELW 535
Dismissal
Go in peace. Live by the Spirit.
Thanks be to God.