2021

Greetings!

Here are your worship resources for this week. May the beautiful rains that we have been enjoying remind you of all the blessings that God keeps showering upon you. At the bottom of the page is the calendar for this week. God bless and keep you safe.

Pr Tom

Welcome

GATHERING SONGS MORE LOVE MORE POWER

Chorus More love, more power, More of You in my life
More love, more power, More of You in my life

Verse 1 And I will worship You, With all of my heart
And I will worship You, With all of my mind
And I will worship You, With all of my strength

For You are my Lord, You are my Lord Chorus

Verse 2 And I will seek Your face, With all of my heart
And I will seek Your face, With all of my mind
And I will seek Your face, With all of my strength
For You are my Lord, You are my Lord Chorus

Verse 1

CCLI Song # 60661

PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING ELW #689

1 Praise and thanksgiving, God, we would offer

for all things living, you have made good:

harvest of sown fields, fruits of the orchard,

hay from the mown fields, blossom and wood.

2 God, bless the labor we bring to serve you,

that with our neighbor we may be fed.

Sowing or tilling, we would work with you,

harvesting, milling for daily bread.

3 Father, providing food for your children,

by Wisdom’s guiding teach us to share

one with another, so that, rejoicing

with us, all others may know your care.

4 Then will your blessing reach ev’ry people,

freely confessing your gracious hand.

Where you are reigning, no one will hunger;

your love sustaining showers the land.

Text: Albert F. Bayly, 1901-1984, alt.

COME, NOW IS THE TIME TO WORSHIP

Verse Come, now is the time to worship;

Come, now is the time to give your heart;

Come, just as you are to worship;

Come, just as you are before your God. Come

Chorus One day every tongue will confess You are God;

One day every knee will bow;

Still the greatest treasure remains;

For those who gladly choose You now

Repeat verse and chorus

Come, now is the time, Come, now is the time, Come.

THE CALL TO WORSHIP

Leader: All who wait upon the Lord shall be fed and cared for!

People: But the crops are small and the rivers are almost dry.

Leader: Let your eyes see the truth: we do not live by bread alone.

People: Then what will sustain us and keep us from surely perishing?

Leader: The Living Bread given to us through the cross and the love of Christ.

People: Blessed be the name of the Lord!

WELCOME TO WORSHIP

Equip

PRAYER OF CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

Leader: Gracious God,

People: how often in our blindness we have failed to see Your love. How many times we have looked past the wonders You have made and seen only problems and faults around us. How often we have missed the very blessings You meant for us to receive so that our lives in turn might also be blessings. Forgive us, Lord. In Christ we pray. Amen.

(Silence for reflection and personal confession)

Leader:With a love that surpasses knowledge, Christ comes to us saying, “Trust in me. Do not be afraid.” Though we have nothing to offer but our broken selves, he brings forth an abundance of mercy beyond our imagining. Sisters and Brothers, your sins are forgiven; be at peace.

People: Thanks be to God!

SONG OF PRAISE PASS IT ON

1) It only takes a spark To get a fire going
And soon all those around Can warm up in its glowing
That’s how it is with God’s love Once you’ve experienced it
You spread His love to ev’ryone You want to pass it on.

2) What a wondrous time is spring,

When all the trees are budding.
The birds begin to sing The flowers start their blooming
That’s how it is with God’s love Once you’ve experienced it
You want to sing, it’s fresh like spring,

You want to pass it on.

3) I wish for you my friend This happiness that I’ve found
You can depend on Him It matters not where you’re bound
I’ll shout it from the mountain top;

I want my world to know.
The Lord of love has come to me I want to pass it on.

TODAY’S BIBLE READING

Ephesians 3:14-21

We have been rooted and grounded in the love of Christ, which surpasses all human knowledge. Because Christ dwells in our hearts, our lives are continuously strengthened and empowered by the ongoing presence of the Spirit.

¹⁴For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. ¹⁶I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, ¹⁷and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. ¹⁸I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
²⁰Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, ²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION THY WORD

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path

And a light unto my path; you’re the light unto my path

John 6:1-21

In John’s gospel, the miracles of Jesus are called “signs,” because they reveal the true character of God. As such, they remain within the mystery of God and cannot be brought under human control.

¹Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. ²A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. ³Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. ⁴Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. ⁵When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” ⁶He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. ⁷Philip answered him, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” ⁸One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, ⁹“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” ¹⁰Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. ¹¹Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. ¹²When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” ¹³So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. ¹⁴When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.”
¹⁵When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
¹⁶When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, ¹⁷got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. ¹⁸The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. ¹⁹When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. ²⁰But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” ²¹Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.

SPECIAL MUSIC

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE

ADULT MESSAGE 9 PENTECOST—7.25.21—JOHN 6:1-21

There is an old story about a man who was waiting for a bus to Pasadena. In the bus station, he spotted a machine advertising: Your height, your weight, your fortune only $1.00. Who is going to pass up a deal like that? So, he popped in a dollar and stepped on the scale. Out popped a card that read: “You are 5’10” tall. You weight 160 lbs. You are waiting for the bus to Pasadena.”

The man was amazed! How could a machine know that much about him? So, he got the bright idea to fool the machine. He went to the men’s restroom and changed his appearance. He turned his cap around backwards, put on some sunglasses, turned his shirt inside out, pulled a jacket out of his duffel bag. Finally, he stuffed his jacket with rolls of toilet tissue so he’d look heavier. Then he went back out and stepped on the scale again. Another card popped out. It read, “You are 5’ 10” tall. You weigh 160 lbs. And while you were wasting time in the men’s room, you missed the bus to Pasadena.”

Jesus’ disciples needed some rest. They wanted Jesus to send the crowd away. Instead, Jesus asked Philip how they were going to feed this crowd of thousands of men, women, and children. For he knew that though we cannot live by bread alone, we cannot live without bread either. Philip was probably flabbergasted that Jesus even asked such a question about something that was so clearly impossible. He answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

Fortunately, another disciple named Andrew came to the rescue. “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish,” he said, “but what are they among so many?” Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.”

The feeding of the five thousand is a marvelous story of God’s provision for human need. The focus is on bread, but the lesson is about all of life. Let’s begin here.

We experience the blessings of God, first of all, when we take time to sit down. Does that sound too simple? Most of us say we are too busy to read the Bible or attend fellowship groups of any kind. We pray in our cars as we rush to and from work or class or running our families around town. The idea that we should stop all our activities and make time with Jesus a priority really annoys us. We have forgotten that the purpose of our life is to know and to glorify God. We have forgotten that we have a God who is just waiting to provide for all our needs.

How many of us are so busy messing around with lesser priorities that we spend our whole life disconnected from God? Time with God is not a burden. It’s what we were made for. We find our identity, our purpose, our strength and wisdom in spending time with God.

A rector in the Episcopal Church said that each time a new vicar was assigned to his area, he would sit down with him and tell him to focus on his two most important duties. He was not talking about visiting the sick or serving in the community or preparing sermons. The two most important duties every vicar had were to nurture his relationship with Jesus and his relationship with his family. Ministry, and life, become empty and meaningless if we do not spend time with Jesus and with the people closest to us.

It may be that the reason many of us live such barren lives is that we rarely set aside time to communicate with God. We are so busy doing, so caught up in the rat race, so pressed for time, that we have cut out that which gives us the strength, the courage and the wisdom we need to strive successfully.

We need to stop for a moment and sit down in the presence of Jesus.

Then we need to receive what Christ has to offer us, just as the crowd received the loaves and fish.

When we shut God out of our lives, we shut out the very One who can meet our deepest needs. For you see, His greatest wish is to provide us with the good things of life. Do you understand how wonderful that truth is? God did not have to create each of us. God did not have to reveal Himself to us in Jesus Christ. But that is God’s character. His very nature is to give. He is love. Love is always giving. Indeed, God gives extravagantly. If we are not receiving from Him, the problem may be on our end, for He is a giving God.

Famous dancer and choreographer Bob Fosse was known for being abundantly generous. When he went out with friends or colleagues, he always grabbed the check and paid for others. And when he died, Fosse set aside $25,000 in his will with instructions for 66 of his closest friends to use the money to go out to dinner together one more time. Even toward the end of his life, he was still thinking of ways to show his appreciation for his friends.

In the same way, God never stops thinking about His children. As a loving Father, God awaits the opportunity to meet our needs, but we are not accustomed to receiving from His loving hand. Nor does it occur to us to pray. So, we wander blindly from problem to problem.

“Make the people sit down,” Jesus commanded his disciples. Then he took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed these loaves and these fish to all who were seated, as much as they wanted. So, also, do we receive God’s blessings when we sit and wait and when we receive what He has to offer.

Notice, finally, how John concludes this story: “When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, ‘Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.’ So, they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.” Why so much food left over? Because that, too, is God’s nature.

When we receive what God has to offer us, we discover that God is a wondrous provider for our needs.

One of the lessons Jesus tried to teach us was the extravagance of God. He is the God who provides in abundance, who sets before us a table in the midst of our enemies, who fills our cup to overflowing. Who when wine is needed for the wedding feast tells us to fill the water pots, and fill them to the brim—who when the Prodigal returns home kills the fatted calf and throws a big party.

We have become so cynical and fearful. We do not really trust God’s goodness. We do not trust that God knows our needs. And so we are stingy toward God, stingy toward others. We live with a constant sense of anxiety and weariness. Most of the worries that beset us would disappear in a moment if we could lean back and rest ourselves on the extravagance of God’s provisions for His children’s needs.

A group of children was asked to describe what abundance means to them. Alison, age 7, said, “Abundance is an extra bowl of ice cream and getting to stay up late and laughing a lot.” Emily, age 9, said, “Abundance means I have as many books as I want to read and lots of warm clothes for the wintertime. And it means there’s always lots of love.” Brian, age 10, said, “Abundance means we have everything we need even though we don’t have everything we want yet. It makes me feel safe.”

Think about Brian’s answer: “Abundance means we have everything we need even though we don’t have everything we want yet. It makes me feel safe.” Every miracle Jesus ever performed, including this one, was meant to show us the priorities or the nature of the God. The healings, turning water into wine, feeding the multitudes, calming the storms. All the miracles in the New Testament emphasize the priorities and nature of God. So, what is the reason for God’s extravagance? He wants to prepare us for the greater extravagance of Heaven.

God has so many blessings to pour out on all of us. He asks us to sit down and receive what He has to give. What He has to give, He gives with extravagance. As St. Paul once wrote, “Eye hath not seen nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him.”

In Rome, next door to the Vatican, is a beautiful 19^th century palace, the Palazzo Migliore that was recently available for sale. Its size and beauty and location right off St. Peter’s Square made it worth a small fortune. And someone could have made a lot of money turning it into an exclusive hotel. Instead, the family who owned it chose to donate this gorgeous palace to the Catholic Church.

And Pope Francis made a decision that must have made God smile. He turned it into a homeless shelter. The palace, which has 16 bedrooms, houses about 50 homeless men and women. Volunteers provide them with hot meals. Residents report that the palace feels more homelike than the usual crowded shelters that are available.

Sharon Christner, a researcher working on a project involving homelessness commented, “. . .what is special about this place is that it’s not about maximizing dollar signs, but giving people a really beautiful place to be, with the idea that beauty heals.”

I believe that the Palazzo Migliore is a vision of the abundant blessings God has prepared for those who love Him. Homeless people in need of food and shelter are welcomed into a luxurious mansion and fed hot meals. Curious crowds of people following Jesus are invited to sit for a surprise meal, and they all eat their fill. And there are still plenty of leftovers! This is a vision of the priorities and nature of a loving, generous God who desires to provide for the needs of His children. If you do not know this God, then I invite you to pray and trust in Jesus as your Savior today. If you do know this God, then I encourage you to grow closer to Him in love and trust, to sit down and receive the blessings He has stored up for you. AMEN.

SERMON SONG JESUS LOVES ME! ELW #595

1. Jesus loves me! this I know, for the Bible tells me so;

little ones to him belong, they are weak, but he is strong.

Refrain Yes, Jesus loves me, yes, Jesus loves me,

yes, Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so.

2. Jesus loves me! he who died

heaven’s gates to open wide;

he will wash away my sin, let his little child come in. Refrain

3. Jesus loves me! he will stay

close beside me all the way;

when at last I come to die, he will take me home on high. Refrain

Text: Anna B. Warner, 1820-1915, alt.

AFFIRMING OUR FAITH Apostles’ Creed

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

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s 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 to the dead. On the third day he rose again; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father, and He will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Respond

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH

P: Trusting in our loving and almighty God who abundantly provides the bread of life to all who hunger, let us pray for the church, the world, and all who are in need.

A brief silence.

P: Loving God, we pray for all those who gather to celebrate the holy feast of Christ’s body and blood. Strengthen every member of your church in love, faith, and service. Lord, in your mercy,

C: hear our prayer.

P: Almighty God, you hear the cries of the hungry, the sick, and the downcast. Send food, healing, and comfort to all who are in need (especially). Satisfy the desire of every living thing. Lord, in your mercy,

C: hear our prayer.

Here other intercessions may be offered.

P: Almighty and loving God, we look to you in hope and trust, knowing that you will do far more than we can ask or imagine, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

C: Amen.

WE WORSHIP GOD THROUGH OUR GIVING

PRAYER OF BLESSING During the service we will have offering plates available next to the communion stations to drop your offering in instead of passing them in the pew. You may also give by automatic withdrawal, electronically on the website, by text to 833-755-0207 (phone number is on the website), by mail, or drop it through the mail slot on the office door. We thank you all for your continued support and partnership in the Gospel. Let us pray:

P: Gracious God, we thank you for blessing us with the riches of your glory -to know the breadth and length, the height and depth of your love for us so clearly revealed in Jesus. We respond with these gifts and pray that you will bless them and all our efforts to enrich the lives of others through our witness, our love and our generosity. In Jesus’ name, we pray.

C: Amen.

WORDS OF INSTITUTION

THE LORD’S PRAYER

HOLY COMMUNION Holy Communion will be served to those present at this time and then distributed here in the sanctuary from 12 to 12:30 for those worshipping online.

COMMUNION SONG SING ALLELUIA

1. Sing alleluia to the Lord, sing alleluia to the Lord

Sing alleluia, sing alleluia, sing alleluia to the Lord

2. Jesus is risen from the dead

3. Jesus is Lord of heaven and earth

4. He’s coming back to take us home

5. We give thanks to God our King

6. He died for us, we’ll live for Him

CCLI-License# 1366369

Send

BENEDICTION SONG AS YOU GO ON YOUR WAY

As you go on your way may Christ go with you.

May he go before you to show you the way;

May he go behind you to encourage you;

Beside you to befriend you;

Above you to watch over;

Within you to give you peace.

In the name of the Father, Son and Spirit. Amen.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

STREAMS THEME SONG

See the streams of living waters,

springing from eternal love,

well supply your sons and daughters,

and all fear of want remove.

Who can faint while such a river

ever will their thirst assuage?

Grace which, like the Lord, the giver,

never fails from age to age.

SENDING BLESSING

Pastor: Greet your worshiping neighbor. Go in peace and be Devoted to Generosity!

People: Thanks be to God!!!

Sunday, July 25

10:45 – 11:30am Livestream Worship in-person

11:50am – 12:20pm Building & Grounds

12 – 12:30pm Communion in Sanctuary

3 – 4:30pm Zoom Bible Study

Tuesday, July 27

9 – 11am Streams Food Pantry

9:30 – 11:30am Dorcas Circle

10:30am – 12pm Bible Study

Wednesday, July 28

8:30 – 11:30am Workday

12 – 1pm Via de Cristo Grouping

Thursday, July 29

3 – 5pm VdC grouping

Saturday, July 31

8am – 3pm VdC Team, Streams Lg Hall & Rm A

Sunday, August 1

10:45 – 11:30am Livestream Worship in-person

12 – 12:30pm Communion in Sanctuary

12:20 – 1:20pm Worship & Music

3 – 4:30pm Zoom Bible Study

4 – 6pm VdC Ultreya Sierra Lutheran Church, 101 N Lenzner Ave, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635, USA

SPIRITUAL COMMUNION

The Book of Common Prayer reminds us that if one is unable to actually consume the consecrated bread and wine due to extreme sickness or disability, the desire is enough for God to grant all the benefits of communion (BCP, p. 457). When being present at a celebration of the Eucharist is absolutely impossible, this act of prayer and meditation can provide the means by which you can associate yourself with the Eucharistic Action and open yourself to God’s grace and blessing.

Blessed be God, + Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.

Let the power of the Holy Spirit come upon me, O Lord, to mercifully cleanse my heart and defend me from all adversities; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle: Revelation 3:20

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door I will come in to you and eat with you and you with me.

The Psalm: Psalm 23:5-6

You prepare a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; you have anointed my head with oil, and my cup is running over. Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

The Gospel: John 15:5

I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me, you can do nothing.

If time and circumstances permit, confess your faith with the words of the Apostles’ Creed.

In your own words, pray for your own needs, for those on your heart, for the peace of the world, and for the Church.

After offering these intercessions, continue with the

Act of Contrition

O God, I am very sorry that I have sinned against you and for all the wrongs I have done and the good I have not done. Especially I confess….Forgive me for Jesus’ sake, and grant me strength and wisdom to amend my life. Amen.

Act of Reception

In union, blessed Jesus, with the faithful gathered at every altar of your Church where your blessed Body and Blood are offered this day, (and remembering particularly my own parish and those worshiping there) I long to offer you praise and thanksgiving, for creation and all the blessings of this life, for the redemption won for us by your life, death, and resurrection, for the means of grace and the hope of glory.

And particularly for the blessings given me…. I believe that you are truly present in the Holy Sacrament, and, since I cannot at this time receive communion, I pray you to come into my heart. I unite myself with you and embrace you with all my heart, my soul, and my mind. Let nothing separate me from you; let me serve you in this life until, by your grace, I come to your glorious kingdom and unending peace. Amen.

Our Father…

Come Lord Jesus, and dwell in my heart in the fullness of your strength; be my wisdom and guide me in right pathways; conform my life and actions to the image of your holiness; and, in the power of your gracious might, rule over every hostile power that threatens or disturbs the growth of your kingdom, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

And may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep my heart and mind in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ my Lord; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, + the Son and the Holy Spirit, be with me now and always. Amen.

Spiritual Communion is excerpted from Saint Augustine’s Prayer Book.

Permission is given to reproduce this text for use in local worshiping communities.

Streams in the Desert Lutheran Church