Oh Freedom: 07/02/06, Epworth Worship Celebration

4th Sunday after Pentecost (Year B)

Welcome. We continue in our celebration of the season after Pentecost, the time when the Holy Spirit works in each of us in a special way. This weekend we celebrate the appointments of Rev. Jack Abel, our Senior Pastor and Rev. Pat Loughlin, as well as the Baptism of Heather Cross. Our worship this morning includes Holy Communion. The elements we use are wheat bread and unfermented grape juice. All are welcome at the table of the Lord. Consider the gift of Freedom in your life as a Christian, and the need to share that gift with others. How does the spirit of Christian Freedom inspire you to love others in God's world?

Congregational Introit
America (verses 1 & 4)

My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing;
land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride,
from every mountainside let freedom ring!

Our fathers' God, to thee, author of liberty, to thee we sing;
long may our land be bright with freedom's holy light;
protect us by thy might, great God, our King.

Greeting
Psalm 130

From the depths I call to you, Yahweh, Lord, listen to my cry for help!
§       Listen compassionately to my pleadings!
If you never overlooked our sins, Yahweh, Lord, could anyone survive?
§       But you do forgive us: and for that we revere you
I wait for Yahweh, my soul waits, I rely on the promise,
§       My soul relies on the Lord more than a watchman on the coming of dawn,
§       for it is with Yahweh that mercy is to be found.

Gospel Lesson
Mark 5: 21-43

A Dead Girl and a Sick Woman

³⁵

²¹When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. ²²Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet ²³and pleaded earnestly with him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live." ²⁴So Jesus went with him.

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. ²⁵And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. ²⁶She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. ²⁷When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, ²⁸because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." ²⁹Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

³⁰At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"

³¹"You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?' "

³²But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. ³³Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. ³⁴He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

³⁵While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?"

³⁶Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe."

³⁷He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. ³⁸When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. ³⁹He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep." ⁴⁰But they laughed at him.

§       After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. ⁴¹He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!" ). ⁴²Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. ⁴³He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat. (via)

Sermon - O FREEDOM Rev. Pat Loughlin
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