Preparation for Worship. For today’s worship, you will need 2 candles. We are in the season after Pentecost which will last until Advent comes. Green is the color of this season to symbolize growth for our Christian faith. We invite you to adorn your worship space with green. If you want to celebrate communion, have some food and drink to share. The type of food and drink does not matter for they are merely symbols which help us celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
Invitation. Jesus saw the world with eyes of compassion. As those who have committed ourselves to live the Way of Jesus, there is no other way for us to look at the world. We are to see the world with compassion AND embody compassion through what we say and how we live. May the Lord teach us today.
The Worship of God
Light two candles in recognition of Christ’s presence. In our practice, one candle represents Jesus’ divinity and the other Jesus’ humanity.
Gathering for Worship
Passing the Peace
Say to one another, “May the Peace of Christ be with you.”
Respond by saying, “And also with you.”
Choral Call to Worship
Jubilate
Jubilate Deo omnis terra [Praise the Lord, all the earth]
O be joyful, all ye nations, O be joyful in the Lord;
Serve the Lord with gladness; come before his presence with a song.
Enter now his gates with thanksgiving, go into his courts with praise.
O be thankful; call upon the Name of the Lord.
Call to Worship
We will sing glad songs
to you, Commissioning God,
as we enter your heart
with thanksgiving on our lips,
for you are
that love which never ends;
that joy which overflows;
that faith which is always full.
We will proclaim our praise
to you, Voice of compassion,
as you would send us
into the world in which we live,
for you are
the Word we can speak to power;
the healing we can offer to the broken;
the justice which can replace oppression.
We will offer our hands and hearts
to you, Imaginative Spirit,
as you teach us new steps
in this dance we call life,
for you are
the cleanser of our messy hearts,
the breath of hope for shallow lungs,
the password for access to grace.
With our hearts, voices, bodies, souls,
we offer joyful noise to you.
Opening Prayer. We come to worship you, O God, as the one in whom we have placed our hope. We share the desire of your people of old to tell of the blessings you have effected in our lives. When we think about the greatest blessing of all—the gift of yourself in human flesh—Jesus Christ—we joyfully acknowledge that our hope in you is not misplaced. We choose to serve you because you chose to touch our lives so graciously in Christ. May our faithful witness and the service of our lives reveal the depth of our love and gratitude as we worship you, O God, and as we praise and adore you in Jesus’ name and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Song of Praise
Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee
Joyful, joyful, we adore You,
God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flow’rs before You,
Op’ning to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
Drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day!
All Your works with joy surround You,
Earth and heav’n reflect Your rays,
Stars and angels sing around You,
Center of unbroken praise;
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flow’ry meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain
Praising You eternally!
Always giving and forgiving,
Ever blessing, ever blest,
Well-spring of the joy of living,
Ocean-depth of happy rest!
Loving Father, Christ our Brother,
Let Your light upon us shine;
Teach us how to love each other,
Lift us to the joy divine.
Mortals, join the mighty chorus,
Which the morning stars began;
God’s own love is reigning o’er us,
Joining people hand in hand.
Ever singing, march we onward,
Victors in the midst of strife;
Joyful music leads us sunward
In the triumph song of life.
Songs and Psalms of Praise and Prayer
A Reading from the Psalms
Psalm 100
Shout triumphantly to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Serve the Lord with celebration!
Come before him with shouts of joy!
3 Know that the Lord is God—
he made us; we belong to him.
We are his people,
the sheep of his own pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanks;
enter his courtyards with praise!
Thank him! Bless his name!
5 Because the Lord is good,
his loyal love lasts forever;
his faithfulness lasts generation after generation.
Prayers for Others.
(Pause after each line to give voice to prayers as prompted.)
Merciful God, who shelters us and guides us,
we give you thanks for…
God who comforts, receive those who are fearful and lonely…
God whose love is steadfast,
be refuge for the ill, the dying, and those who care about them…
God of righteousness,
we ask for your wisdom and ways of justice to prevail
in our community, this nation, your world…
God who seeks our trust,
grow us and guide us in your ways that are life-giving in your world…
Amen.
Choral Prayer
Prayer of Julian of Norwich
God, of your goodness, give yourself to me.
For you are enough for me: Only in you do I have everything. Amen.
Celebrating Communion
Communion. (Bread and wine were common foods during Jesus’ day. As we celebrate communion at home, use common food and drinks you have. The type of food and drink is not what matters, but it matters that you remember Christ as you share, eat, and drink.)
A Reading from the Gospels, Mark 14:22-24. While [the disciples and Jesus] were eating, [Jesus] took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.”
Share what you have to eat. Before everyone eats, have someone say,
“This food represents the body of Christ. As we eat, we remember Jesus.”
Share what you have to drink. Before everyone drinks, have someone say,
“This drink represents the covenant Christ made with us that our sins will be forgiven. As we drink, we remember Jesus.”
Prayer of Thanksgiving. Dear God, thank you for your abounding compassionate love. Thank you for guiding and leading us through these difficult times. Thank you for always being with us. Amen.
Song. End communion by singing a hymn. You may want to sing Amazing Grace.
Amazing grace how sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now I am found,
was blind but now I see.
The Gospel Lesson
Listen to the New Testament lesson and/or read below.
A Reading from Matthew 9:35-38
35 Jesus traveled among all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, announcing the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. 36 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were troubled and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The size of the harvest is bigger than you can imagine, but there are few workers. 38 Therefore, plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out workers for his harvest.”
Reflection “Compassion” from Tonya
Listen to Tonya’s reflection and/or read below.
The words to the song of prayer today were written by an anonymous woman whom people called Julian. There is no record of her original name. She was called Julian because she lived in an anchor-hold built against the side of St. Julian’s Church in Norwich, England.
Julian was born in the 14th century, around 1342. This was a time of great social, political, and religious change. Life in the 14th century was filled with great suffering and pain. There was the 100 Years War which began in 1337, a never-ceasing series of conflicts between English and French kings. But worse than any war was the plague, a catchall word for the epidemic diseases that “plagued” Europe.
Between 1348 and ’49, the bubonic plague ravaged Europe killing up to one-fourth of the population. This plague caused very painful, swollen lymph nodes accompanied by a fever that made one feel miserable. It was an awful death and back then no one knew what caused it.
The first outbreak of the bubonic plague reached the city of Norwich at the beginning of the year 1349 when Julian was just seven years old. The city was hit hard. At that time, the population of Norwich was estimated to be a booming 25,000. By the end of the year only 6,000 people had survived. Three-fourths of the population were gone.
We know today that the 14th century plague was caused the bacterium, Yersinia pestis. It was probably transmitted to humans by fleas that lived on rats. Back then people lived really close to animals and by no fault of their own, in not so clean conditions. So it was easy for rat fleas to find a human host. However, back then people had no idea what caused the disease. Bacteria would not be discovered until 300 years later. So without sufficient knowledge and understanding, the plague was blamed on a variety of things. Some blamed the plague on moral corruption. Others said it was a result of too much exercise. Still others speculated that taking hot baths caused the disease. And there were some who believed that there were poisons in the air.
Religious people have always felt the need to explain in religious terms why bad things happen. The same was true when the plague hit Europe. Many explained the plague by turning to their shallow and wrong-headed idea that God was angry with the people. The plague was a clear sign that God was put out with humanity and had to punish people for all their meanness and corruption. The plague was their punishment.
This way of thinking grew out of the medieval Christian doctrine called “substitutionary atonement.” Substitutionary atonement is a way of explaining why Christ’s died on the cross. Simply put, Jesus became a substitute for us when it came to punishment. Jesus by dying on the cross took the full punishment which we deserved for the wrongs we committed and will commit against God. Because of our many, many sins, we owe God something to make up for all our mistakes. But that is a debt we can never repay. Our sins are so great and our lives are too short to make up for all our sinning. So, Jesus becomes the substitute offering himself to pay off our debt.
Unfortunately, this line of thinking paints a picture of God that is just not right. This way of thinking implies that God is angry with us to the point that someone must die to appease God’s anger. This idea of substitution creates a vengeful God who needs pacifying. It teaches that Jesus became a sacrifice to satisfy the ire of God. When you view God like this, it is easy to convince yourself that the horrible painful plague must be a punishment from God.
Julian didn’t see the plague as a punishment from God because Julian didn’t see God as angry. Even though she was surrounded by horrible death, extreme pain and suffering, she insisted that such things were not punishments from God. She saw that God is goodness. Therefore, blame and anger cannot be in God because blame and anger are not goodness. Anger exists, yes, but not in God. Though we sin grievously every day and yes, we deserve blame for our sins, instead God forgives. God makes all things well.
If you take just a brief look at religious artwork from the 14th century, you will quickly see that the go to response to the plague was one of God’s judgement and punishment. Julian refused to see God this way. She leaned heavily into the compassion and kindness of God. She leaned into the image of Jesus which the scripture reading highlights for us today.
When Jesus looks at the people around him, he sees how harassed they are. He sees how they have been cast aside, thrown away. Look at the scripture passage with me. The Common English Bible says they were troubled and helpless. The New Testament was written in the Greek language, so translators have to choose one English word to explain what the gospel writer is saying. To give you an idea of the meaning of “troubled,” the Greek word literally means “skinned alive” or “mangled.” This idea really emphases the vulnerability of the people and just how truly helpless they were. They had been cast aside, overlooked, thrown away as if they were of no use.
How did Jesus respond to their needs? Matthew’s gospel says Jesus “had compassion for them.” Did Jesus pity the people because God was angry with them? No. Jesus pitied them because the people lacked someone to guide them and care for them. They were wandering and lost, like sheep without a shepherd. God sent Jesus into the world to be our Shepherd, not to be a peace offering between us and God. God sent Jesus into the world to show us how to care for one another, not to take the heat for us.
In Ezekiel chapter 34 God calls out the shepherds who are not taking care of the sheep. They are abusing their relationship with those for whom they are entrusted to care. Ezekiel says, they drink the milk, wear the wool, and eat the meat, instead of caring for the flock. In Ezekiel, God is talking about the religious leaders who are supposed to be taking care of God’s people. Their relationship is not about compassion; it is about using someone else to make their own life better.
Our relationships with one another should be about these things instead.
- Strengthening those who are weak
- Taking care of those who are sick
- Bandaging those whose lives are broken into pieces
- Making a way of return for those who have been banished and driven away
- Seeking out those who have been given up as lost, who have been utterly destroyed
These call outs from verse 4 gives us a good idea of what the compassion of God should look like. The verse ends with God clearly saying there is no room for violence and force.
If we continue to see God as punitive, angry, bitter, and blaming, then our lives will become these things as well. Our worldview through the eyes of God will be off. Our relationships with one another will be less than what God would have. God shows us clearly how to look at life and how to look at one another, with compassion. And while living among us, Jesus embodied for us that compassion which has always, always been the nature of God. May the Spirit heal our perceptions which have been clouded by suffering and sin. May the sweet touch of grace teach us to rise above the baseness of vengeance, bitterness, and the hunger to blame. May our lives be lived out of compassion so that God might be glorified in all things. May God make all things well.
Questions for Reflection
How do angry, bitter, and judgmental people act? Is this how God acts? How does God act? How should we act?
June is Pride Month. This year marks the 50th anniversary of annual LGBTQ+ Pride traditions (https://www.loc.gov/lgbt-pride-month/about/). Around the world our sisters and brothers in the LGBTQ+ community have been and continue to be “harassed and troubled” by others. How can we show compassion to our sisters and brothers who have been banished, driven away, and cast off from the community of faith?
Through the prophet Ezekiel, God suggests to us five ways we can show compassion. Choose one and discuss ways to carry it out.
Prayer of Thanksgiving. Offer a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s love and ask God to help our church family grow deeper and deeper in love.
Song of Commitment
Reamo Leboga (We Give our Thanks to God)
Reamo leboga, (x3)
modimo warona.
We give our thanks to God (x 4)
We give our hands to you, (x 3),
because you reached for us.
We give our eyes to you, (x3)
because you looked for us.
We give our feet to you, (x3)
because you walk with us.
We give our hearts to you, (x3)
because you first loved us.
Sending Out
As Jesus sent the disciples out into the communities,
so we are sent out in our communities to bear witness to God’s compassion.
Be eager to share God’s love,
without expecting a reward.
Be eager to share God’s love,
without expecting praise.
Be eager to share God’s love,
without expecting to be loved in return.
Go out with the compassion of Christ as your guide.
Amen.
Closing Song. In our tradition, we close worship by singing the first verse of Blest Be the Tie. Mindy starts us each week, and so she does today as well.
Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love.
The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above. Amen.
Credits: Jubilate! was composed by Michael Bedford, played by Tracy, and sung by the Whee Social Distant Choir. The Call to Worship was written by Rev. Thom Shuman. The Opening Prayer was written by Rev. Moira Laidlaw. The text of Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee was written by Henry Van Dyke (1907) and set to ODE TO JOY, a tune composed by Ludwig van Beethoven (1824). Psalm 100 was read by Kendall. Prayer of Julian of Norwich was composed by Carson Cooman, played by guest artist Alex, and sung by the amazing Whee Social Distant Choir. Amazing Grace was written by John Newton (1807) and played by Aidan on the piano. The gospel was written by Matthew and read by Pam. Reamo Leboga is a Botswanan traditional song. Ally plays piano, Kendall the djembe, and Mindy sings. Blest Be the Tie was written by John Fawcett (1782) and set to the tune DENNIS which was attributed to Johann G. Nageli (1836). Permission to podcast / stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with license #A-724755. All rights reserved. All writings have been used by permission from the posting sites or authors.
Cullowhee Baptist Church 
Beautiful service. Thanks everyone!
Thank you, Debbie.