Luke 9:51-62
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: Wait for the Lord – ELW 262
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.
First Reading: 1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21
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.
Word of God. Word of Life.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm: 16
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
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.
Word of God. Word of Life.
Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia. Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia. (John 6:68)
The Holy Gospel according to Luke
Glory to you O Lord
Gospel: Luke 9:51-62
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.”
The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you O Christ
Today’s gospel is a difficult one.
- It is confrontational and it does not leave much…if any…wiggle room.
- No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.
- We are either looking toward the kingdom or we are not.
- We are either responding to the call of life or we are not.
- We are either open to the coming future or we are not.
Jesus is calling us into question and that is never easy…fun…or comfortable.
- He is calling into question the direction of our life…the values we claim to hold…and how we are living and embodying those values.
- He is asking us to look at ourselves…
- Rather than the Samaritan on whom we would like to call down fire from heaven.
- The Lord be with you.
By Samaritan…I mean those who look…act…and believe differently from us.
- Those who do not hold our religious or political beliefs.
- Those who are not from these parts.
- Those to whom we are opposed and in conflict with…for whatever reasons.
- And if we are not sure who our Samaritans are…
- Well…then we need to look at our social media feed and who posts the articles…YouTube videos and comments that push our buttons…
- Turn on the news channel you refuse to watch…
- Picture the face of one we crush and defeat in the arguments that go on in our heads.
Today’s gospel will not let us turn away from the people and situations that are right in front of us…
- Or the future that is coming to us.
- Jesus recognizes and holds before us the tension in which we live.
- On the one hand we say to him: I will follow you wherever you go.
- On the other hand…we say to him: But first let me go and…
- You probably know what that’s like.
- I know I do.
When have we experienced that tension?
- When has it felt like we were being pulled in two directions…
- The way of Jesus and some other way?
- In what ways have we said: “But first let me go and…?
It is easy and simple to follow Jesus…in principle.
- Love your neighbor as yourself…
- Love your enemy…welcome the stranger…visit the sick and imprisoned…feed the hungry…clothe the naked…give the thirsty something to drink…
- Turn the other cheek…forgive not just seven times but seventy times seven.
- These are values Jesus holds.
- That is the direction in which Jesus has set his face.
- The road to Jerusalem.
- Most of us probably agree with those values.
- It is the road we…too…have chosen to travel…in principle.
But it is so much harder and messier to follow Jesus in life than in principle.
- We are all in favor of love…hospitality…forgiveness…and nonviolence…
- Until we meet the unlovable…the stranger who scares us…the unforgivable act…
- The one who throws the first punch…or the Samaritan in our life.
- Then it’s a different story and that story usually begins with: But first…
But Jesus puts no qualifications…limitations…or exceptions on where he is going…
- Who is included…or what he is offering.
- He does not seem to care who we are…where we are from…or what we have done or left undone.
- Republican or Democrat…citizen or foreigner…Christian or Muslim…black or white…good or bad…
- Believer or nonbeliever just do not seem to matter to Jesus.
- For him there is no why…no conditions…attached to love…hospitality…forgiveness…or giving.
- He does not allow for a…but first…in his life or the lives of his followers.
But first…is the way we put conditions on the unconditional.
- Yes…I will love the other but first let me go and see who the other is…
- Whether she or he is deserving of love.
- Whether I like him or her.
- Whether he or she agrees with me.
Yes…I will open my door and welcome the stranger but first let me go and see who’s knocking…
- How different he or she is from me.
- What she or he wants…what I am risking.
Yes…I will forgive another but first let me go and see if she or he has acknowledged her or his wrongdoing…
- Is sorry for what they did…and has promised to change.
- Yes…I will give to and care for another but first let me go and see why I should…
- What it will cost me…and what’s in it for me.
- But first…
It is as if we are backing our way into the kingdom while keeping an eye on the door.
- It is as if we are walking backwards into our future…not wanting to see or deal with what is before us.
- It is as if we have put our hand to the plow and looked back.
- And we already know what Jesus thinks about that.
Well…Jesus wants us to turn and lead with our hearts.
- That deep heart that loves the unlovable…forgives the unforgivable…
- Welcomes the stranger…and gives without seeking a payback or a thank you.
I was not kidding when I said that this is a difficult gospel.
- I wish I could resolve this in some neat and simple way…
- As much for myself as for you.
- But I cannot.
- It is not about resolving the gospel.
- It is about resolving ourselves…resolving our heart.
- That resolution is not a simple or one-time decision.
- It is a way of being in this world.
- A way of relating to others.
- It is a choice we make every day.
- It is the road to Jerusalem.
- It is looking at the ways in which we are backing through life.
As I look at the world…read the news…and listen to the lives and stories of others…
- The world is already risky…scary…and crazy.
- So…today Jesus asks us to take a better risk…
- To face a better fear…
- To live a kinder craziness.
- To lead with our hearts and not…
- But first…
Hymn of the Day: Awake, O Sleeper, Rise from Death – ELW 452
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: 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. 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.
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.
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.
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: He Came Down – ELW 253
Dismissal
Go in peace. Live by the Spirit.
Thanks be to God.