Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
COLLECT
Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that
through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your
justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
OLD TESTAMENT:
1 Samuel 15:34-16:13
Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul.
Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved
over Saul. And the LORD was sorry that he had made Saul king over Israel.
The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul? I have
rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I
will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king
among his sons.” Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill
me.” And the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to
sacrifice to the LORD.’ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what
you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.”
Samuel did what the LORD commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of
the city came to meet him trembling, and said, “Do you come peaceably?” He
said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD; sanctify yourselves and
come with me to the sacrifice.” And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited
them to the sacrifice.
When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed
is now before the LORD.” But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his
appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for
the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but
the LORD looks on the heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass
before Samuel. He said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” Then Jesse
made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.”
Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse,
“The LORD has not chosen any of these.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your
sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping
the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit
down until he comes here.” He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy,
and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The LORD said, “Rise and anoint
him; for this is the one.” Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in
the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon
David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.
Reader: The Word of the Lord People: Thanks be to God
PSALM: Psalm 20
Exaudiat te Dominus
1 May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble, *
the Name of the God of Jacob defend you;
2 Send you help from his holy place *
and strengthen you out of Zion;
3 Remember all your offerings *
and accept your burnt sacrifice;
4 Grant you your heart’s desire *
and prosper all your plans.
5 We will shout for joy at your victory and triumph in the Name of our God*
may the LORD grant all your requests.
6 Now I know that the LORD gives victory to his anointed; *
he will answer him out of his holy heaven, with the victorious
strength of his right hand.
7 Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses, *
but we will call upon the Name of the LORD our God.
8 They collapse and fall down, *
but we will arise and stand upright.
9 O LORD, give victory to the king *
and answer us when we call.
THE EPISTLE
A Reading from: 2 Corinthians 5:6-10, [11-13], 14-17
We are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in
the body we are away from the Lord– for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes,
we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at
home with the Lord. So, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim
to please him. For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so
that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether
good or evil. [Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade
others; but we ourselves are well known to God, and I hope that we are also
well known to your consciences. We are not commending ourselves to you
again, but giving you an opportunity to boast about us, so that you may be able
to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart. For if
we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.]
For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died
for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live
might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for
them. From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view;
even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him
no longer in that way. So, if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation:
everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!
Reader: The Word of the Lord People: Thanks be to God
GOSPEL HYMN: Come Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove
- Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly dove with all thy quickening powers;
kindle a flame of sacred love in these cold hearts of ours. - See how we trifle here below, fond of the earthly toys:
our souls how heavenly they go, to reach eternal joys. - In vain we tune our formal songs, in vain we strive to rise:
hosannas languish on our tongues, and our devotion dies. - Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly Dove, with all thy quickening powers;
come shed abroad a Savior’s love, and that shall kindle ours.
The Holy GOSPEL of our Lord Jesus Christ according to:
Mark 4:26-34
Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the
ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and
grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then
the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he
goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.”
He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable
will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the
ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up
and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the
birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear
it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in
private to his disciples
Reader: The Gospel of the Lord People: Praise to you, Lord Christ