Yearly Archives: 2021

Call to Worship - Revelations 7: 9-12

9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 

10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 

11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 

12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

Sermon - Mark 7: 31-37

31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 

32 And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 

33 And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. 

34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 

35 And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 

36 And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Mark 7: 24-30

Call to Worship

Psalm 30: 1-2

1 I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me.

2 O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.

Sermon - Dirty and Clean

Mark 7: 1-23

1 Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, 

2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 

3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, 

4 and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) 

5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” 

6 And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

“‘This people honors me with their lips,

    but their heart is far from me;

7 in vain do they worship me,

    teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! 

10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 

11 But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)— 

12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, 13 thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

14 And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: 

15 There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”

17 And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 

18 And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 

20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 

21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 

22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 

23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Mark 6:45-52
45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.
46 And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.
47 And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land.
48 And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night[a] he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them,
49 but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out,
50 for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
51 And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded,
52 for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

Call to Worship - Zechariah 9:9

9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

 Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your king is coming to you;

    righteous and having salvation is he,

humble and mounted on a donkey,

    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Sermon - Mark 11:1-11

1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus[a] sent two of his disciples 

2 and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. 

3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” 

4 And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. 

5 And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 

6 And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. 

7 And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. 

8 And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. 

9 And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 

10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”

11 And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

Call to Worship - Isaiah 53:12b

(...)because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Sermon - Mark 6:30-44

30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 

31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.

32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 

33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 

34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. 

35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. 

36 Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii[a] worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” 

38 And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 

39 Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 

40 So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 

41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. 

42 And they all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 

44 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

Call to Worship - Hebrews 12:2-3

2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

Sermon - Mark 6:14-29

14 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus' name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 

15 But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 

16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” 

17 For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because he had married her. 

18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.” 

19 And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, 

20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.

21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 

22 For when Herodias's daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” 

23 And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” 

24 And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 

25 And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 

26 And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. 

27 And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison 

28 and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

Call to Worship - Isaiah 53:3-5

3 He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

and as one from whom men hide their faces[e]

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs

and carried our sorrows;

yet we esteemed him stricken,

smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with his wounds we are healed.

Sermon - Mark 6:6b-13

6b And he went about among the villages teaching.

7 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.

8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts—

9 but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.

10 And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there.

11 And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent.

13 And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.

Call to Worship:

Isaiah 55: 1, 6-7

1 “Come, everyone who thirsts,

    come to the waters;

and he who has no money,

    come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

    without money and without price.

6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found;

    call upon him while he is near;

7 let the wicked forsake his way,

    and the unrighteous man his thoughts;

let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,

    and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Sermon: Facing Rejection

Mark 6: 1-6

1 He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 

2 And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? 

3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 

4 And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” 

5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 

6 And he marveled because of their unbelief.