BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//https://www.messiahofthemountains.org///NONSGML kigkonsult.se iCalcreator 2.10.15// METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT UID:20260419T124508UTC-9123odmJS3@https://www.messiahofthemountains.org/ DTSTAMP:20260419T124508Z DESCRIPTION: \nWe gather each Sunday at 11:00 am for worship by singing hym ns\, hearing readings from the bible\, praying together and a celebration of Holy Communion. Communion is the spiritual bread our bodies need to liv e. All are invited to join us at the Lord's table to be fed by his heavenl y food\, There are no strangers in God’s house\, and if you choose to wors hip with us\, we would be honored by your presence.\nIntroduction\nThough Jesus was a devout Jew who practiced his faith\, he was criticized for eat ing with tax collectors and sinners—the religiously nonobservant. Jesus cr iticizes the self-righteous and reminds us that mercy is to be at the hear t of our religious practices. God continues to be made known in those on t he margins of society\, like Matthew the tax collector and the hemorrhagin g woman. As we gather each Lord’s day we receive the healing that makes us well and sends us forth to be signs of God’s mercy for the world.\nPrayer of the Day\nO God\, you are the source of life and the ground of our bein g. By the power of your Spirit bring healing to this wounded world\, and r aise us to the new life of your Son\, Jesus Christ\, our Savior and Lord. \nAmen.\nFirst Reading: \nHosea 5:15—6:6 Because the people have trusted i n military powers and not God\, God decides to withdraw from the scene unt il Israel acknowledges its guilt and seeks God’s face. The response of the people does not acknowledge this guilt and is as fickle as fog or dew bur ned away quickly by the sun. God desires loyalty rather than words or mean ingless deeds.\nPsalm: 50:7-15\nCall upon me in the day of trouble\, says your God. (Ps. 50:15)\nSecond Reading:  \nRomans 4:13-25 Paul presents Abr aham as a living model of right relationships. For Abraham and for us\, a right relationship with God involves trusting that God’s promises will be fulfilled because God makes the dead alive and calls into existence what o therwise does not exist.\nGospel:  Matthew 9:9-13\, 18-26\nJesus demonstra tes God’s mercy and power\, accepting the unacceptable and curing the incu rable. Even the dead receive new life.\n9  As Jesus was walking along\, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax-collection station\, and he s aid to him\, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him.  \n10  And as he sat at dinner in the house\, many tax collectors and sinners came and wer e sitting with Jesus and his disciples.\n11  When the Pharisees saw this\, they said to his disciples\, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collecto rs and sinners?”\n12  But when he heard this\, he said\, “Those who are we ll have no need of a physician\, but those who are sick.\n13  Go and learn what this means\, ‘I desire mercy\, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come t o call the righteous but sinners.”\n \nAfter the Sermon\, Holy Communion w ill be offered. Come as you are\, the gift of the Table of the Lord has be en prepared as Jesus has requested and now we are invited to the meal. Com e to the table like Peter\, with m ore enthusiasm than resolve and like Ja mes and John\, disappointed and the priorities of God’s reign. Come to the table like Martha\, hosting and leading with confidence like Mary\, full of love and grief. Come to the table like Judas\, disillusioned and rebell ious and like Mary Magdalene\, faithful till the end. Come to the table\, because it is God who invites us and it’s God’s will that those who want t o should meet God here.\nBlessing for the day (Our blessing is an adaptati on of a Franciscan Prayer)\nMay God bless us with discomfort at a Easy ans wers\, half truths and superficial leaderships so that we may live out God ’s will deep in our heartland in our world.\nMay god bless with anger at i njustice\, oppression and exploration and the environments that we may wor k for justice\, freedom and peace.\nMay God bless us with tears to shed fo r those who suffer from pain\, rejection\, hunger and war so that we may r each out with hands and hearts to help them\, walk with them and turn thei r pain into hope and joy.\nAnd may God bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can make a difference in this world\, so that we can do w hat others claim cannot be done. To bring justice\, peace\, hope and love to all children\, the poor and all others in any need.\nGod be your comfor t\, your strength\;\nGod be your hope and support\;\nGod be your light and your way\; and the blessing of God Creator\, Redeemer and Giver of Life\, remain with you now and forever. https://www.messiahofthemountains.org/ev ents/event/653-2nd-sunday-after-pentecost-year-a-worship-service-12-00-pm- service-pastor-naomi-carriker DTSTART:20260607T150000Z DTEND:20260607T160000Z LOCATION:Messiah Of The Mountains Lutheran Church (3690 US-19E\, Burnsville \, NC 28714\, USA) SUMMARY:2nd Sunday after Pentecost -- Year A - Worship Service - 12:00 PM S ervice -- Pastor Naomi Carriker URL:https://www.messiahofthemountains.org/events/event/653-2nd-sunday-after -pentecost-year-a-worship-service-12-00-pm-service-pastor-naomi-carriker END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR