Eighth Sunday after Pentecost- Week of July 18, 2021 - Proper 12
Praying
Begin your devotion time by praying this prayer: Holy God, you send us out to share Christ’s love with the world. Help us focus our hearts and minds on your presence, so that we can rest and find you in our relationships with other people. Amen.
Reflect on the Way of Love together: This week’s practice on the Way of Love is GO. Sometimes we become busy when we go out and follow Jesus. It’s easy to forget about staying present with God and with other people. How might you take time to be present when your life becomes busy? How can you remember to stay in the moment with God and with other people?
Reflect on the Way of Love together: This week’s practice on the Way of Love is GO. Sometimes we become busy when we go out and follow Jesus. It’s easy to forget about staying present with God and with other people. How might you take time to be present when your life becomes busy? How can you remember to stay in the moment with God and with other people?
Reading
Mark 6:30-34, 53-56
6:30 The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught.
6:31 He said to them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.
6:32 And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves.
6:33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them.
6:34 As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
6:53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat.
6:54 When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him,
6:55 and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.
6:56 And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.
Psalm 23
23:1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
23:2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;
23:3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake.
23:4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff-- they comfort me.
23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life long.
Connecting with Scripture: Ephesians 2:11-22
Read the Scripture aloud the first time using the New Revised Standard Version or the Common English Bible.
Read the text a second time antiphonally, alternating verses between two readers or two groups of readers. Remember this is a personal letter so read it as if you are conveying a personal message.
6:30 The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught.
6:31 He said to them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.
6:32 And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves.
6:33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them.
6:34 As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
6:53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat.
6:54 When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him,
6:55 and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.
6:56 And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.
Psalm 23
23:1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
23:2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;
23:3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake.
23:4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff-- they comfort me.
23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life long.
Connecting with Scripture: Ephesians 2:11-22
Read the Scripture aloud the first time using the New Revised Standard Version or the Common English Bible.
Read the text a second time antiphonally, alternating verses between two readers or two groups of readers. Remember this is a personal letter so read it as if you are conveying a personal message.
Reflecting and Responding
Adult and Small Child
Reflect: Jesus liked to heal and feed people before he taught them about God’s big plan for making the world more loving. If you are sick, are you a good listener? Probably not. What about if you are hungry? I bet you find it easier to learn when you have a full tummy. Some people get angry or impatient when they are hungry or tired. That is why Jesus wanted his friends to rest and have a snack. There were so many people who wanted to be with Jesus that it was hard to be calm. So, his friends had some quiet time in one of their favorite places. They went into a lake on boat where it was quiet. They had a picnic and maybe a nap on the boat. All people need healing, food, and rest time with God. But it is not enough to feel better all by ourselves. God’s healing, feeding and refreshment is so big that we must get off the boat share it with other people. God’s love is for everyone.
Respond: How do you know when it is time to help other people or time to find a quiet place all by yourself? It might be quiet time if you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. It is harder to show God’s love when you feel these feelings. The word “halt” means to stop. The first letters of hungry, angry, lonely and tired spell H.A. L. T. Some people have a hard time slowing down. Some people have a hard time getting started. I wonder which kind of person you are? When quiet time is over, you are ready be show God’s love. Loving is your work. The world is waiting for you to rise and shine. You make the world more loving by knowing when to stop and when to go.
- Lea Colvill
Reflect: Jesus liked to heal and feed people before he taught them about God’s big plan for making the world more loving. If you are sick, are you a good listener? Probably not. What about if you are hungry? I bet you find it easier to learn when you have a full tummy. Some people get angry or impatient when they are hungry or tired. That is why Jesus wanted his friends to rest and have a snack. There were so many people who wanted to be with Jesus that it was hard to be calm. So, his friends had some quiet time in one of their favorite places. They went into a lake on boat where it was quiet. They had a picnic and maybe a nap on the boat. All people need healing, food, and rest time with God. But it is not enough to feel better all by ourselves. God’s healing, feeding and refreshment is so big that we must get off the boat share it with other people. God’s love is for everyone.
Respond: How do you know when it is time to help other people or time to find a quiet place all by yourself? It might be quiet time if you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. It is harder to show God’s love when you feel these feelings. The word “halt” means to stop. The first letters of hungry, angry, lonely and tired spell H.A. L. T. Some people have a hard time slowing down. Some people have a hard time getting started. I wonder which kind of person you are? When quiet time is over, you are ready be show God’s love. Loving is your work. The world is waiting for you to rise and shine. You make the world more loving by knowing when to stop and when to go.
- Lea Colvill
CLICK on picture for slides with art and scripture
Adult and Elementary
Reflect: Jesus and the apostles traveled to many new places teaching and talking about God. As they traveled, Jesus and the apostles cared for the sick and fed people who were hungry. They made friends with people who no one else wanted to talk to or spend time with and helped people learn how important it is to be kind and take care of ALL of God’s people, no matter where they come from or what they look like. Jesus also knew that sometimes this felt like hard work and it made the apostles tired. Jesus encouraged the apostles to travel by boat instead of walking so they could have time to relax. Jesus also made sure the apostles had time to eat and take care of their bodies. What are a few of the ways you help support your church or share God’s love with others? What are the ways you spend time with Jesus that help you recharge and feel relaxed and peaceful? How can you make sure you do some of both this week?
Respond: On the Way of Love, we may think of “go” as physically traveling, like the apostles did as they moved from place to place. If we remember that to “go” can also mean doing something we have not done before or being with new people, we can practice “go” anywhere. Try looking up the Lord’s Prayer or a favorite church song in another language and read or listen to it together. Find a recording of a worship service from wherever your chosen language is spoken on YouTube. Worship with a culture or community different than your own, just as Jesus and the apostles did. Then, find a quiet spot and pray or sing a favorite song together in your own language. You can spend time with Jesus doing both, just as the apostles did.
- Carla Christopher Wilson
Connecting
Connecting through story
Five Minute’s Peace, by Jill Murphy, tells a parallel story to Jesus and his disciple’s wish for a few minutes of peace. This mother tries to leave her 3 children to play quietly so she can enjoy a bath in peace. The 3 children are as persistent as the crowds following Jesus. Though the family in the pictures are all elephants, the story is so familiar that everyone can provide their own mental pictures. It reads aloud in just under 4 minutes – with lots of knowing smiles and giggles all through the sanctuary. When you compare this story with the gospel, you are set to point out that “five minutes of peace” is something few of us – not even Jesus – often get and that God is with us in the middle of all the minutes and hours when the needs around us simply will not go away. That is just the way the world is. (Thanks to Storypath for this suggestion.)
Five Minute’s Peace, by Jill Murphy, tells a parallel story to Jesus and his disciple’s wish for a few minutes of peace. This mother tries to leave her 3 children to play quietly so she can enjoy a bath in peace. The 3 children are as persistent as the crowds following Jesus. Though the family in the pictures are all elephants, the story is so familiar that everyone can provide their own mental pictures. It reads aloud in just under 4 minutes – with lots of knowing smiles and giggles all through the sanctuary. When you compare this story with the gospel, you are set to point out that “five minutes of peace” is something few of us – not even Jesus – often get and that God is with us in the middle of all the minutes and hours when the needs around us simply will not go away. That is just the way the world is. (Thanks to Storypath for this suggestion.)
four minutes Sidewalk Flowers
More connecting
Connecting through story Watch this episode of Steve Hartman’s “On the Road.”
- What was the barrier that divided the community and Sam?
- Why did the people of that community learn sign language?
- How did it affect their understanding of Sam?
- What did Sam learn?
Three Minutes to watch
Connecting with our lives Engage in dialogue:
- What does it mean to be an alien?
- What makes someone a stranger or an outsider?
- What does the world teach us about aliens, strangers and outsiders — basically, people who are different than we are?
- What does it feel like to be a stranger or outsider?
- How do we tend to view people who are different than us?
- Why do we tend to use language that divides people into “them” and “us?”
- What is the problem with using words like “them” and “us”?
- The Scripture uses the image of “dividing walls.” In what ways does that image resonate with an “us” and “them” view of the world and people?
- What are some of the walls that we have in our lives and in our society that divide us?
- What does today’s text say is the answer to breaking down the walls that divide us?
- How is Christ our common ground?
- How does Christ unite us?
- How does belonging to Christ’s household, or being a part of Christ’s family, erase the “them” and “us”?
- If you took today’s text seriously, how might it change the way you relate to others?
Praying
Close your time together by praying for one another, your neighbor, community and the world.
REBECCA DAVIS is the associate professor of Christian education at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina. A teaching elder and certified educator, she served congregations for over 20 years before moving into academic teaching. In addition to teaching and mentoring students, her passion is child advocacy and ministry.
REBECCA DAVIS is the associate professor of Christian education at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina. A teaching elder and certified educator, she served congregations for over 20 years before moving into academic teaching. In addition to teaching and mentoring students, her passion is child advocacy and ministry.
PRAYground is Open Sundays in Worship
PRAYground recently
PRAYground recently
Our Prayground moves inside this Sunday and for this Summer
Q&A on what a Prayground is and discussion surrounding it
Q&A on what a Prayground is and discussion surrounding it
The Nursery will open again inside on Sundays
Children of all ages are always welcome outside to roam around the PRAYground during the 9:00 and 11:00 services.
Meet Janae and Lindsey who will be caring for our cherished children.
Message from Lindsey Gabler:
"I’m a second-year student at University of Georgia and I've worked in Palma Ceia’s Nursery for the last five years. In my free time I like to spend time with my friends or play lacrosse. I also enjoy reading and watching movies with my family. Working with kids is so much fun as they’re always energetic and creative. I enjoy playing with them and being silly. Children make me laugh! When the children are tired, I like to read books to them. Working in the nursery exposes me to many different kids and I feel as though I learn something new every day! I’m looking forward to being back with the children of Palma Ceia this Summer!" |
Message from Janae Gipson:
"I have always loved working and being around children. I volunteered for four years at St. Paul’s Catholic Church nursery every Sunday. I volunteer weekly at Gigi’s Playhouse, a Downs Syndrome Achievement Center and at Tampa Bay Boulevard Elementary. I really enjoy children and believe that they make the world so much better. Although I have the most experience with nannying and babysitting with children of all ages, I prefer to work with infants and babies under two years. I’ve just graduated from Brooks-Debartolo Collegiate High School in Tampa and am entering Hillsborough Community College in the fall in Child Development. I am CPR and first aid certified. I’m looking forward to spending time with the children at Palma Ceia." |