With the Prayer God in Your Great Compassion You Are Invited to Respond

(Congregation may be invited to be seated for prayer.)

With the prayer “God in your great compassion” you are invited to respond…

HEAR OUR PRAYER.

1. Rejoicing in the good news of God who has chosen to come near, let us pray for the church, those in need, and all of God’s Creation.

A brief moment of silence and reflection

1. O God, your grace has set us free. Give to your church the true freedom to follow you no matter the cost. Guide us by your Spirit, that even in days of disappointment,we would choose to serve you and our community.

God, in your great compassion

HEAR OUR PRAYER.

1. We pray for this congregation, our pastor, and all our members who seek to live lives of faithful service. At this time, we pray also for our partner Anglican Church of Canada—its pastors, its leaders and its gospel mission. And we pray for the congregations in the BC Synod: in particular we pray for Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and King of Life Lutheran Church in Coquitlam, and their pastors, Eric Krushel and Kathy Martin. Keep your church faithful to the Gospel.

God, in your great compassion

HEAR OUR PRAYER

1. Your care extends toevery nation. In the many places where there isendless violence, sufferingand despair may your Spirit raise up in our time new leaders and new servants who would give hope to those who suffer. And on this eve of our own Canada Day, we pray that the Spirit of your love would indeed rule the leaders and the people of this land from sea to sea to sea. In the words of the psalmist, may this nation hear and respond to the cries of the poor, the weak and the oppressed.

God, in your great compassion

HEAR OUR PRAYER

1. You are our shelter and our refuge. Bless and protect those in this land who risk their lives to provide us with security. Bless and protect our loved ones and all who travel in these summer months.

God, in your great compassion

HEAR OUR PRAYER

1. Your compassionknows no bounds. Wherethere is lonelinessordespair; where there are cries for healing or forgiveness, we pray that you would show your merciful face. We pray in particular at this time for those we name aloud or quietly in our heart....

Lead and empower us in this coming week to be agents of your healing presence.

God, in your great compassion

HEAR OUR PRAYER

7. God, the giver of all good things

- we thank you for giving us in this land the freedom to worship and serve you without fear;

- we thank you for the compassion you have shown for those who do not worship or serve you;

- and we thank you for those who have known the gift of another birthday, another anniversary, or the gift of new life …

-Finally, we thank you for those special blessings we name at this time….

God, in your great compassion

HEAR OUR PRAYER.

1. You are the joy of all the saints. May we also be faithful in our daily life and faithful unto death so that we would share in the joy that will have no end.

God, in your great compassion:

HEAR OUR PRAYER

1. Into your hands, O God of compassion, we commend all for whom we pray trusting in your great mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. AMEN.

Galatians 5:1, 13-25

51For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

13For 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. 14For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ 15If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

The Works of the Flesh

19Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, 20idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, 21envy,* drunkenness, carousing, and things like these.

The Fruit of the Spirit

22By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. 24And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.

Luke 9:51-62

A Samaritan Village Refuses toReceiveJesus

51When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; 53but they did not receive him, because his face was set towards Jerusalem. 54When 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?’*55But he turned and rebuked them. 56Then* they went on to another village.

Would-Be Followers of Jesus

57As they were going along the road, someone said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ 58And 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.’ 59To another he said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ 60But Jesus* said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ 61Another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.’ 62Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’

Some Women Accompany Jesus