Proper 13
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
August 3rd, 2025
You are welcome to print this liturgy at home and bring it with you on Sunday.
Prelude
Instrumental
Call to Worship
The Lord be with you.
and also with you.
+In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Opening Sentences
from the Northumbria Community
One thing I have asked of the Lord,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life;
to behold the beauty of the Lord
and to seek God in God’s temple.
Who is it that you seek?
We seek the Lord our God.
Do you seek God with all your heart?
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Do you seek God with all your soul?
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Do you seek God with all your mind?
Amen. Lord, have mercy.
Do you seek God with all your strength?
Amen. Christ, have mercy.
Song of Praise
For the Beauty of the Earth (Folliott Sandford Pierpoint)
For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth over and around us lies.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise.
For the beauty of each hour of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree, and flow’r, Sun and moon and stars of light
Lord of all, to Thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise.
For the joy of ear and eye, For the heart and mind's delight,
For the mystic harmony, Linking sense to sound and sight:
Christ, our God, to Thee we raise, This our Sacrifice of Praise.
For the joy of human love, brother, sister, parent, child.
Friends on earth and friends above, for all gentle thoughts and mild.
Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
Lord of all, to Thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise.
The Collect of the Day from Prayers for an Inclusive Church (2009)
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lord of abundance, you demand our life entire and whole: lead us out from prisons of greed to a place of riches uncontained and always new; through Jesus Christ, our wealth. Amen.
A Reading from the Old Testament Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-23
Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher,
vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. I applied my mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven; it is an unhappy business that God has given to humans to be busy with. I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun, and see, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
I hated all my toil in which I had toiled under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to my successor, and who knows whether he will be wise or foolish? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. So I turned and gave my heart up to despair concerning all the toil of my labors under the sun, because sometimes one who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave all to be enjoyed by another who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. What do mortals get from all the toil and strain with which they toil under the sun? For all their days are full of pain, and their work is a vexation; even at night their minds do not rest. This also is vanity.
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 107
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is *good,
for his steadfast love endures for*ever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say *so,
those he redeemed from *trouble
and gathered in from the *lands,
from the east and from the *west,
from the north and from the *south.
Some wandered in desert *wastes,
finding no way to an inhabited *town;
hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted with*in them.
Then they cried to the Lord in their *trouble,
and he delivered them from their dis*tress;
he led them by a straight *way,
until they reached an inhabited *town.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast *love,
for his wonderful works to human*kind.
For he satisfies the *thirsty,
and the hungry he fills with good *things.
Let those who are *wise
pay attention to these *things
and consider the steadfast love of the *Lord.
Glory Be to the Father, and to the *Son,
and to the Holy *Spirit.
As it was in the be*ginning,
is now, and ever shall be, world without end. A*men.
A Reading from the New Testament Colossians 3:1-11
So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.
Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life. But now you must get rid of all such things: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, enslaved and free, but Christ is all and in all!
This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The Gospel Reading Luke 12:13-21
+ This is the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Luke.
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
Homily Rev. Danny Bryant
A Creed from the United Church of Canada
We are not alone,
we live in God’s world.
We believe in God:
who has created and is creating,
who has come in Jesus,
the Word made flesh,
to reconcile and make new,
who works in us and others
by the Spirit.
We trust in God.
We are called to be the Church:
to celebrate God’s presence,
to live with respect in Creation,
to love and serve others,
to seek justice and resist evil,
to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
our judge and our hope.
In life, in death, in life beyond death,
God is with us.
We are not alone.
Thanks be to God.
The Prayers of the People
from the St. Francis Mission
With all our heart and with all our mind and with all our strength, let us pray to the living God:
Lord, hear our prayer.
For this good earth, this holy creation, and for the wisdom and will to cherish, understand, reverence, rightly use, and conserve it, we pray to the living God:
Lord, hear our prayer.
For all in danger, hunger, or sorrow, for the aged and infirm, the widowed and orphaned, the sick and suffering in body or mind, for prisoners and refugees, the poor and oppressed, the unemployed and destitute, the bereaved and alone, the war-torn and wounded, and for all who care for them, we pray to the living God:
Lord, hear our prayer.
For all who hold positions of trust in the worlds of religion, education, government, business, community, culture, and family, that they may promote the well-being of all creation, we pray to the living God:
Lord, hear our prayer.
For any who have caused us pain, for those we struggle to understand and strain to love, for all who do not love us or who consider themselves our enemies, that they may be truly blessed and that we may be fully reconciled, we pray to the living God:
Lord, hear our prayer.
Please add your own prayers, silently or aloud.
All these things, we pray to the living God:
Lord, hear our prayer.
Prayer of Confession
Gracious God, we have hurt others, and we have been hurt. We have presumed upon others, and we have been presumed upon. We have taken others for granted, and we have been taken for granted. We have dishonored others, and we have been dishonored. As we receive your forgiveness for our wrongs, we extend forgiveness to others who have wronged us. Have mercy upon us all. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
Be reminded my friends: as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. So, let us heed his admonitions that we need not be afraid and that he has not come to condemn the world but to redeem it! Amen.
The Peace
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
Song of Preparation
Beautiful Things (Lisa Gungor, Michael Gungor)
All this pain
I wonder if I’ll ever find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at all
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at all?
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us
All a-round
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us
You make me new, You are making me new
You make me new, You are making me new
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us
Presentation Hymn
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise him all creatures here below
Praise him above, ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
Amen
About Communion
On the night Jesus washed his disciples feet and promised to overcome the troubles of this world, he gave his friends a meal to remember their belonging to him and to one another. Friends of Jesus have continued to celebrate this communion meal since that night, and this table is open to all who desire the belonging and peace of Christ.
Gluten free wafers and grape juice are available if you have those health needs. An usher will invite you to approach the kneelers to receive the meal. If for any reason you’re not prepared to join us, you’re welcome to remain in your seat. If coming to the front is physically difficult for you, please let an usher know and the elements will be brought to you. If you’d like to come up and simply receive a blessing, you can put your arms across your chest and a prayer of peace will be prayed over you.
The Great Thanksgiving
from the Children’s Sabbaths Celebration — Children’s Defense Fund (adapted)
The Lord be with you
and also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
We give you thanks and praise, amazing God, who made heaven and earth and sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever, who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry; You watch over the strangers, uphold the children and most vulnerable caregivers, and have triumphed over sin and evil. And so we join the saints and angels in proclaiming your glory, as we say,
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
+ Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
We praise you, O God, for sending your beloved child Jesus born as a baby nurtured by his family, and protected by strangers, who grew as a child who was taught in his temple, surrounded by his community, and guided by his parents, who became an adult who loved and blessed the children, who cared for those who were sick, poor, and left out, who taught that God loves us like a parent, and who called us his friends. This one who was born a baby needing us died our Savior whom we all need, triumphant even over death, freeing us to live as your beloved children.
On the night before he died for us, Jesus was at the table with his friends. He took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them, and said: “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. As you do this, remember me.”As supper was ending, Jesus took the cup of wine. Again, he gave thanks, gave it to them, and said: “Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is poured out for you and for all for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, remember me.”
Around your table, as your children, O God, we remember Jesus Christ, who came in love, lived in love, and died in love, who was and is and is to come. We offer to you our gifts of bread and wine, And we offer to you our lives.
Pour out your Spirit upon these gifts that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ, that they strengthen us to welcome the children, to show your love, to work for your justice, to bring your peace. Through Christ and with Christ and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, to you be honor, glory, and praise, for ever and ever. Amen.
As Christ teaches us, we pray:
The Lord’s Prayer
You are welcome to pray in any language.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Padre nuestro que estás en el cielo, santificado sea tu Nombre, venga tu reino, hágase tu voluntad, en la tierra como en el cielo. Danos hoy nuestro pan de cada día. Perdona nuestras ofensas, como también nosotros perdonamos a los que nos ofenden. No nos dejes caer en tentación y líbranos del mal. Porque tuyo es el reino, tuyo es el poder, y tuya es la gloria, ahora y por siempre. Amén.
The Invitation
Come, friends of Jesus:
Let us remember and receive. Amen.
Communion Music
Have Mercy (Sandra McCracken)
Have mercy on us
Have mercy on us, O Lord
Have mercy, O Lord
Have mercy
Oh help my unbelief
Oh help my unbelief, O Lord
Have mercy, O Lord
Have mercy
I Boast No More (Sandra McCracken, Isaac Watts)
No more my God, I boast no more
Of all the duties I have done
I quit the hopes I held before,
To trust the merits of Thy Son
No more my God
No more my God
No more my God
I boast no more
Now, for the loss I bear his name,
What was my gain I count my loss
My former pride I call my shame
And nail my glory to His cross
No more my God
No more my God
No more my God
I boast no more
Yes, and I must, I will esteem
All things but loss for Jesus' sake
O may my soul be found in Him
And of His righteousness partake
Amen, amen
The best obedience of my hands
Dares not appear before Thy throne
But faith can answer Thy demands
By pleading what my Lord has done
No more my God
No more my God
No more my God
I boast no more
The Great Silence
When all have received communion, ministers and people keep silence for reflection.
Prayer After Communion
Let us pray.
Spirit who meets us in bread and wine, we give thanks for the nourishment we receive in this meal. Now let us share this abundance with the world. May we live our gratitude by doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with the One who calls us friends. Amen.
The Blessing
Closing Song
Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing (Robert Robinson, John Wyeth)
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
Mount of God's unchanging love.
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Hither by Thy help I'm come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let that grace now like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.
Here's my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.
The Dismissal
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.