Prayers of Intercession

The prayers are prepared locally for eachoccasion. The following examples may beadapted or used as appropriate.

Confident of your care and helped by theHoly Spirit, we pray for the church, theworld, and all who are in need.

A brief silence.

Merciful God, your reign is revealed tous in common things: a mustard shrub, awoman baking bread, a fishing net. Helpyour church witness to the surprising yetcommon ways you encounter us in dailylife. Lord, in your mercy,hear our prayer.

When your word is opened, it gives lightand understanding. Increase our un-derstanding and awe of your creation;guide the work of scientists and research-ers. Treasuring the earth, may we live asgrateful and healing caretakers of ourhome. Lord, in your mercy,hear our prayer.

As the birds of the air nest in branches oftrees, gather the nations of the world intothe welcoming shade of your mercifulreign. Direct leaders of nations to buildtrust with each other and walk in the wayof peace. (Here a particular world strugglemay be named.} Lord, in your mercy,hear our prayer.

Preparing for Next Week

Your Spirit helps us in our weakness andintercedes for the saints according toyour will. Help us when we do not knowhow to pray. Give comfort to the dying,refuge to the weary, justice to those whoare oppressed, and healing to the sick (es-pecially) . Lord, in your mercy,hear our prayer.

You show steadfast love and direct us toask of you what we need. Help this con-gregation ask boldly for what is mostneeded. Refresh us with new dreams ofbeing your people in this place and time.Lord, in your mercy,hear our prayer.

Here other intercessions may be offered.

In you our lives are never lost. Strengthenus by the inspiring witness of your peoplein all times and places. Embolden our wit-ness now and one day gather us with allyour saints in light (especially). Lord, inyour mercy,hear our prayer.

In the certain hope that nothing canseparate us from your love, we offer theseprayers to you; through Jesus Christ ourLord.Amen.

Monday Psalm 119:121-128. Tuesday (commemoration ofjohann Sebastian Bach, died 1750; HeinrichSchutz, died 1672; George Frederick Handel, died 1759; musicians) 1 Kings 4:29-34. Wednesday (Mary,Martha, and Lazarus of Bethany; Olaf, King of Norway, martyr, died 1030) Proverbs 1:1-7, 20-33. ThursdayPsalm 145:8-9,14-21. Friday Isaiah 51:17-23. Saturday Isaiah 44:1-5. Ninth Sunday after Pentecost Isaiah55:1-5; Psalm 145:8-9, 14-21; Romans 9:1-5; Matthew 14:13-21.

CELEBRATE July 26, 2020 (Lectionary 17) Volume 51, Numbers

CELEBRATE (ISSN 1083-3242, USPS 763-460) is published quarterly by Augsburg Fortress, 510 Marquette Ave, Suite 800, Minneapolis, MN, 55402.Periodicals postage paid in Twin Cities, MN and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Celebrate, Augsburg Fortress Publishers,P.O. Box 1553, Minneapolis, MN 55440-8730. Printed in U.S.A. Price per weekly part $4.90 per 100 copies; price in Canada subject to exchange rates.Minimum order 50 copies of each issue; all orders must be in multiples of 50. Copyright © 2020 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. May not be repro-duced. Revised Common Lectionary © 1992 Consultation on Common Texts. Readings from New Revised Standard Version Bible with Apocrypha © 1989Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Prayer of the day, psalm, and readings during tbe week fromEvangelical Lutheran Worship © 2006, admin. Augsburg Fortress. Refrain music by Daniel Kaliman. Refrain accompaniment is in Psalter for Worship, Year A{Augsburg Fortress, 2007). PleasevisitourWebsiteataugsburgfortress.org. Lectionary year A. 10 of 14CELEBRATE is protected through trademark registration in the U.S.A. and Canada. Tracks 1 and 2

CelebrateSunday, July 26, 2020

8th Sunday after Pentecost

As Solomon prays for wisdom, we seek to more deeply know the treasures of faith. In today's gospelJesus offers everyday images that reveal to us the reign of God: a tree that becomes a shelteringhome, yeast that penetrates and expands, a treasured pearl, a net that gains a great catch. Evenas we seek the riches of God's reign, the great surprise is that God's grace finds us first!

Prayer of the Day

Beloved and sovereign God, through the death and resurrection of your Son you bringus into your kingdom of justice and mercy. By your Spirit, give us your wisdom, that wemay treasure the life that comes from Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

First Reading 1 Kings 3:5-12

Because Solomon did not ask for long life, riches, or the defeat of his enemies, God gave him whathe asked for: wisdom to govern the people well.

At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solo-mon in a dream by night; and Godsaid, "Ask what I should give you." 6AndSolomon said, "You have shown greatand steadfast love to your servant myfather David, because he walked beforeyou in faithfulness, in righteousness,and in uprightness of heart toward you;and you have kept for him this great andsteadfast love, and have given him a sonto sit on his throne today. 'And now, OLORD my God, you have made your ser-vant king in place of my father David,although I am only a little child; I do notknow how to go out or come in. 8Andyour servant is in the midst of the peoplewhom you have chosen, a great people,

so numerous they cannot be numberedor counted. 9Give your servant thereforean understanding mind to govern yourpeople, able to discern between goodand evil; for who can govern this yourgreat people?"

10It pleased the Lord that Solomonhad asked this. "God said to him,"Because you have asked this, and havenot asked for yourself long life or riches,or for the life of your enemies, but haveasked for yourself understanding to dis-cern what is right, 12I now do accordingto your word. Indeed I give you a wiseand discerning mind; no one like youhas been before you and no one like youshall arise after you."

Psalm Psalm 119:129-136; refrain, Ps. 119:130 Second Reading Romans 8:26-39

When your word is pened, it gives

light and un der stand - ing.

Your de-' crees are wonderful;therefore I obey them with ' all my heart.

130 When your word is opened ' it gives light;it gives understanding ' to the simple.

1311 open my ' mouth and pantbecause I long for ' your commandments.

132Turn to me and be gra-' cious to me,as you always do to those who ' love your name. R

133 Order my footsteps ' in your word;let no iniquity have dominion ' over me.

134Rescue me from those ' who oppress me,and I will keep ' your commandments.

135Let your face shine up-' on your servantand teach ' me your statutes.

136My eyes shed ' streams of tears,because people do not' keep your teaching. R

These words celebrate the depth of God's actions for us. Through Christ's death for us and theactivity of the Spirit praying for us, we are fused to God's love poured out in Jesus Christ. Nothing,not even death itself, is able to separate us from such incredible divine love.

The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for wedo not know how to pray as we ought, butthat very Spirit intercedes with sighs toodeep for words. 27And God, who searchesthe heart, knows what is the mind of theSpirit, because the Spirit intercedes forthe saints according to the will of God.

28We know that all things work togeth-er for good for those who love God, whoare called according to his purpose. 29Forthose whom he foreknew he also predes-tined to be conformed to the image of hisSon, in order that he might be the first-born within a large family. 30And thosewhom he predestined he also called; andthose whom he called he also justified; andthose whom he justified he also glorified.

31What then are we to say about thesethings? If God is for us, who is againstus? 32He who did not withhold his ownSon, but gave him up for all of us, will henot with him also give us everything else?

Gospel

33Who will bring any charge against God'select? It is God who justifies. 34Who is tocondemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes,who was raised, who is at the right hand ofGod, who indeed intercedes for us. 35Whowill separate us from the love of Christ?Will hardship, or distress, or persecution,or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?36As it is written,

"For your sake we are being killed allday long;

we are accounted as sheep to beslaughtered."

37No, in all these things we are more thanconquerors through him who loved us.38 For I am convinced that neither death,nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor thingspresent, nor things to come, nor powers,39nor height, nor depth, nor anything elsein all creation, will be able to separate usfrom the love of God in Christ Jesus ourLord.

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

Throughout Matthew's gospel, Jesus and his disciples proclaim the good news that "the kingdomof heaven is near!" Here, Jesus offers several brief parables that explore the implications of thisannouncement for people's lives.

[Jesus] put before [the crowds] anotherparable: "The kingdom of heaven is likea mustard seed that someone took andsowed in his field; 32it is the smallest of allthe seeds, but when it has grown it is thegreatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, sothat the birds of the air come and makenests in its branches."

33He told them another parable: "Thekingdom of heaven is like yeast that awoman took and mixed in with threemeasures of flour until all of it was leav-ened."

44"The kingdom of heaven is like trea-sure hidden in a field, which someonefound and hid; then in his joy he goes andsells all that he has and buys that field.

45"Again, the kingdom of heaven is likea merchant in search of fine pearls; 46on

finding one pearl of great value, he wentand sold all that he had and bought it.

47"Again, the kingdom of heaven is likea net that was thrown into the sea andcaught fish of every kind; 48when it wasfull, they drew it ashore, sat down, and putthe good into baskets but threw out thebad. 49So it will be at the end of the age.The angels will come out and separate theevil from the righteous 50and throw theminto the furnace of fire, where there willbe weeping and gnashing of teeth.

51"Have you understood all this?" Theyanswered, "Yes." 52And he said to them,"Therefore every scribe who has beentrained for the kingdom of heaven is likethe master of a household who brings outof his treasure what is new and what isold."