Prayer of the Day
O God, you have taught us to keep all your commandments by loving you and our neighbor: Grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit, that we may be devoted to you with our whole heart, and united to one another with pure affection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Isaiah 66:10–14
Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her,
all you who love her;
rejoice with her in joy,
all you who mourn over her —
that you may nurse and be satisfied
from her consoling breast;
that you may drink deeply with delight
from her glorious bosom.
For thus says the LORD:
I will extend prosperity to her like a river,
and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream;
and you shall nurse and be carried on her arm,
and dandled on her knees.
As a mother comforts her child,
so I will comfort you;
you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice;
your bodies shall flourish like the grass;
and it shall be known that the hand of the LORD is with his servants,
and his indignation is against his enemies.
Galatians 6: [1–6] 7–16
My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves. All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor's work, will become a cause for pride. For all must carry their own loads.
Those who are taught the word must share in all good things with their teacher.
Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.
See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand! It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that try to compel you to be circumcised — only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh. May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything! As for those who will follow this rule — peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
Luke 10:1–11, 16–20
After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house!' And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 'Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.' Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.
The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!" He said to them, "I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
Reflection
"The precise style of the mission of the seventy-two is probably not the same as mission in most of our twenty-first-century congregations. Generally most congregations do not send out itinerant preachers/healers in pairs who go from town to town, staying in one particular house for a short period of time before moving to another town. Nevertheless, this text does provide some important mission insights for us today. First, this text reminds us that it is the Lord's mission first, last, and always. Because we are called by the Lord to participate in his mission, a key question we should be asking is not really, "What is our mission?" but, "What is the Lord's mission, and how is the Lord empowering and sending us to participate in that larger mission?" Second, this is a mission call for faithfulness that does not necessarily guarantee success. What we see here and throughout Luke—Acts is that God's mission in Jesus Christ brings forth both positive and negative responses. We should not judge the importance and value of our mission endeavors on quantifiable rates of success/failure but on faithfulness to Jesus and his saving mission. Third, this is a mission of dependence not of independence. It is the Lord's mission, and he (not we) remains in charge. We do not always know where that will take us. We go not by ourselves but in community (here exemplified in the two by two of v. 2). We do not always provide for ourselves but are somewhat dependent on the kindness of strangers who turn out to be children of peace (vv. 5-6). The goal of mission is not the elevation of power or status of those sent by Jesus but the joy that comes in participating in Jesus' mission of life now and life eternal both for us and for those who receive the fruits of our mission labors" (Dr. Richard P. Carlson, Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg).
Bulletin Announcements for July 4, 2010
This year's Summer Sunday Book Series continues today at 10:45 for both Incarnate Word and 3rd Presbyterian members in the Auditorium by the stage area.
This Week: The church office is closed tomorrow (July 5th); Friday –
Wellness Center at 10 a.m.
The Prayer Chain is available to pray for those who need and want it. Call
Helen Coleman (544-4450) with your request.
The youth of Incarnate Word will be leaving next week on their mission trip to Luther Place in Washington, D.C. – You are invited to be a part of their trip by donating granola bars, bars of soap, and
especially men’s white socks to hand out to the homeless in Washington, D.C. Look for specially marked boxes at the entrances and in the auditorium. If you would like to donate money, please make checks out to Incarnate Word and
put ‘LYO Homeless Donations’ on the memo line. We will be collecting these items through next Sunday, July 11th. Thanks for your support!
Please donate your old eyeglasses and empty pill bottles – Joanne Peterson
can use them in the Dominican Republic Health Care Project. We plan to give them to her when she's here in July. Any donation is greatly appreciated.
You are invited to be a part of Incarnate Word’s summer musical, Joseph and
the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Both kids and adults of all ages are invited to perform, help with scenery and costumes. We will rehearse throughout the summer following worship on Sundays, and will present the
musical on September 12, Rally Day. Please see Michael Unger or Pastor Joanne if you would like to be a part of this exciting project (there is no rehearsal today).
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