Fifth Sunday after Pentecost June 27, 2021

Today’s Theme for Worship: God’s almighty power governs all things in this world. We may not understand his ways, but we can know and trust that in all things he works for the good of those who love him.

Opening Hymn: 736 All Christians Who Have Been Baptized

1 All Christians who have been baptized,

Who know the God of heaven,

And in whose daily life is prized

The name of Christ once given:

Consider now what God has done,

The gifts he gives to ev’ryone

Baptized into Christ Jesus!

2 You were before your day of birth,

Indeed, from your conception,

Condemned and lost with all the earth,

None good, without exception.

For like your parents’ flesh and blood,

Turned inward from the highest good,

You constantly denied him.

3 But all of that was washed away-

Immersed and drowned forever.

The water of your baptism day

Restored again whatever

Old Adam and his sin destroyed

And all our sinful selves employed

According to our nature.

4 In Baptism we now put on Christ-

Our shame is fully covered

With all that he once sacrificed

And freely for us suffered.

For here the flood of his own blood

Now makes us holy, right, and good

Before our heav’nly Father.

5 O Christian, firmly hold this gift

And give God thanks forever!

It gives the power to uplift

In all that you endeavor.

When nothing else revives your soul,

Your baptism stands and makes you whole

And then in death completes you.

6 So use it well! You are made new-

In Christ a new creation!

As faithful Christians live and do

Within your own vocation,

Until that day when you possess

His glorious robe of righteousness

Bestowed on you forever!

This hymn calls to mind the gifts of Holy Baptism-new life, forgiveness, and the divine inspiration to offer our lives in service to God and others.

P: The grace of our Lord + Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you.

C: And also with you.

Confession of Sins

P: We have come into the presence of God, who created us to love and serve him as his dear children. But we have disobeyed him and deserve only his wrath and punishment. Therefore, let us confess our sins to him and plead for his mercy.

C: Merciful Father in heaven, I am altogether sinful from birth. In countless ways I have sinned against you and do not deserve to be called your child. But trusting in Jesus, my Savior, I pray: have mercy on me according to your unfailing love. Cleanse me from my sin, and take away my guilt.

P: God, our heavenly Father, has forgiven all your sins. By the perfect life and innocent death of our Lord Jesus Christ, he has removed your guilt forever. You are his own dear child. May God give you strength to live according to his will.

C: Amen.

P: In the peace of forgiveness, let us praise the Lord.

♬ Oh Taste And See

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.

Bless-ed are they who take re-fuge in him.

Your Word, O Lord, is e-ter-nal;

it stands firm in the heav-ens.

Your faith-ful-ness con-tin-ues for-ev-er.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.

Bless-ed are they who take re-fuge in him.

Prayer of the Day

P: Let us Pray.

O Lord, our God, govern the nations on earth and direct the affairs of this world that your Church may worship you in peace and joy; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: ♬ Amen.

First Lesson: Job 38:1-11

God humbles Job by asking him to compare God’s eternity with Job’s short life, God’s omniscience with his own ignorance, and God’s strength with his own weakness.

Then the Lord responded to Job out of a violent storm. He said:

²Who is this who spreads darkness over my plans with his ignorant words?

³Get ready for action like a man!

Then I will ask you questions,

and you will inform me.

⁴Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?

Tell me, if you understand anything about it.

⁵Who determined its dimensions?

I am sure you know.

Who stretched out the surveying line over it?

⁶What supports its foundation?

Who set its cornerstone in place,

⁷when the morning stars sang loud songs together,

and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

⁸Who locked up the sea behind doors

when it burst out of the womb?

⁹When I clothed the sea with clouds,

when I wrapped it with thick darkness as its swaddling cloths,

¹⁰when I broke its power with my decree,

when I locked it up behind barred, double doors,

¹¹I said, “You may come this far, but no farther.

Here is the barrier for your proud waves.”

Psalm of the Day: Psalm 46

Refrain

The mighty Lord is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

God is our refuge and strength,*

an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way*

and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam*

and the mountains quake with their surging.

Refrain

The mighty Lord is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,*

the holy place where the Most High dwells.

God is within her, she will not fall;*

God will help her at break of day.

“Be still, and know that I am God;*

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.”

Glory be to the Father and to the Son*

and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning,*

is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Refrain

The mighty Lord is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Second Lesson: 2 Corinthians 5:14-21
Paul’s ministry was to proclaim the love of Christ, who died for all that all might live for him.

¹⁴For the love of Christ compels us, because we came to this conclusion: One died for all; therefore, all died. ¹⁵And he died for all, so that those who live would no longer live for themselves but for him, who died in their place and was raised again.

¹⁶As a result, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we knew Christ according to the flesh, we no longer know him that way. ¹⁷So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. The new has come! ¹⁸And all these things are from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. ¹⁹That is, God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them. And he has entrusted to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, inasmuch as God is making an appeal through us. We urge you, on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. ²¹God made him, who did not know sin, to become sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

Verse:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

These words are written that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Gospel: Mark 4:35-41
Jesus calms the storm on the Sea of Galilee.

³⁵On that day, when evening came, Jesus said to them, “Let’s go over to the other side.” ³⁶After leaving the crowd behind, the disciples took him along in the boat, just as he was. Other small boats also followed him. ³⁷A great windstorm arose, and the waves were splashing into the boat, so that the boat was quickly filling up. ³⁸Jesus himself was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. They woke him and said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are about to drown?”

³⁹Then he got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind stopped, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still lack faith?”

⁴¹They were filled with awe and said to one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”

C: ♬ Praise be to you, O Christ!

Hymn of the Day: 379 Amazing Grace – How Sweet the Sound

1 Amazing grace-how sweet the sound-That saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost but now am found, Was blind but now I see.

2 The Lord has promised good to me; His Word my hope secures.

He will my shield and portion be As long as life endures.

3 Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come;

’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.

4 When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun,

We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise Than when we’d first begun.

Text: John Newton, 1725-1807, st. 1-3, abr.; John P. Rees, 19th century, st. 4.

Sermon

Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

I believe 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. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there 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.

Offering Prayer

Electronic Giving! You can give your offerings from your smartphone with the GivePlusChurch app, which can be downloaded for free at Google Play or the App Store. You can also give at holytrinitylutheranwyoming.com by clicking the Offerings link at the top of the page or scan the QR code below. If you have any questions about any of these options, please contact Dave Conrad at dconrad765@gmail.com or 616-406-7172

Prayer of the Church

Lord’s Prayer

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.

Hymn: 353 Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness

1 Praise the one who breaks the darkness With a liberating light;

Praise the one who frees the pris’ners, Turning blindness into sight.

Praise the one who preached the gospel, Healing ev’ry dread disease,

Calming storms and feeding thousands With the Father’s word of peace.

2 Praise the one who blessed the children With a strong, yet gentle, word;

Praise the one who drove out demons With the piercing, two-edged sword.

Praise the one who brings cool water To the desert’s burning sand;

From this well comes living water, Quenching thirst in ev’ry land.

3 Let us praise the Word incarnate, Christ, who suffered in our place;

Jesus died and rose victorious That we may know God by grace.

Let us sing for joy and gladness, Seeing what our God has done;

Let us praise the true Redeemer, Praise the one who makes us one.

Prayer and Blessing

P: O Lord God, our heavenly Father, pour out the Holy Spirit on your faithful people. Keep us strong in your grace and truth, protect and comfort us in all temptation, and bestow on us your saving peace, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

P: Almighty God, we thank you for teaching us the things you want us to believe and do. Help us by your Holy Spirit to keep your Word in pure hearts that we may be strengthened in faith, guided in holiness, and comforted in life and in death, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: ♬ A-men.

P: Brothers and sisters, go in peace. Live in harmony with one another. Serve the Lord with gladness.

The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.

The Lord look on you with favor and + give you peace.

C: ♬ A-men, A-men, A-men

Closing Hymn: 349 Jesus, Priceless Treasure

1 Jesus, priceless treasure, Fount of purest pleasure, Truest friend to me.

Ah, how long in anguish Shall my spirit languish, Yearning, Lord, for thee?

Thou art mine, O Lamb divine!

I will suffer naught to hide thee, Naught I ask beside thee.

2 In thine arms I rest me; Foes who would molest me Cannot reach me here.

Though the earth be shaking, Ev’ry heart be quaking, Jesus calms my fear.

Lightnings flash And thunders crash;

Yet, tho’ sin and hell assail me, Jesus will not fail me.

3 Satan, I defy thee; Death, I now decry thee; Fear, I bid thee cease.

World, thou shalt not harm me Nor thy threats alarm me While I sing of peace.

God’s great pow’r Guards ev’ry hour;

Earth and all its depths adore him, Silent bow before him.

4 Hence, all earthly treasure! Jesus is my pleasure; Jesus is my choice.

Hence, all empty glory! Naught to me thy story Told with tempting voice.

Pain or loss Or shame or cross

Shall not from my Savior move me Since he deigns to love me.

5 Hence, all fear and sadness! For the Lord of gladness, Jesus, enters in.

Those who love the Father, Though the storms may gather, Still have peace within.

Yea, whate’er I here must bear, Thou art still my purest pleasure,

Jesus, priceless treasure!

Text: Johann Franck, 1618-77, abr.; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827-78, st. 1-2, 4-5, alt.;

The Lutheran Hymnal, St. Louis, 1941, st. 3.