Looking into the lectionary - New week, new worship resources

June 30, 2024 Sixth Sunday after Pentecost  Mark 5:21-43 The concentric stories of the bleeding woman and the dying girl in Mark 5 have long been favorites of mine. Along with featuring two women who receive Jesus’ healing, it’s a brilliant example of Mark’s ability to tell compelling, emotional stories with just a few words. When I was a little girl sitting in the pews, so many Bible stories seemed aimed at someone else—men, adults, saints, figments of history. But when Mark 5 came around, the Bible was for me. I was the woman creeping through the crowd. I was the girl lying on the bed, and my heart soared when Jesus spoke, as if directly to me: Talitha koum! (Little girl, get up!) By a first-century reckoning, it is astonishing that Jesus bestows this healing – perhaps even this resurrection – on a little girl whose life is largely viewed as unimportant. Child mortality in the ancient world was staggeringly high, and even if she made it to adulthood, this young woman would then likely face similarly staggeringly high rates of maternal mortality. If you are going to save someone, save a king, a soldier, a priest, an heir — not a little girl. Yet when her distraught father comes to Jesus to beg on her behalf, Jesus goes. The little girl’s worthiness to be saved is not in her wealth, rank or societal usefulness. She is worthy because she is loved, by her father on earth and her Father in heaven. Since this gospel story tells us young women are invaluable by heaven’s reckoning, I thought I should hear a young woman’s perspective on this Scripture. So, I reached out to a friend of mine, Evie, who has just turned 12 herself. Evie is part of a multi-congregation youth group that my own church takes part in, and I have been delighted by her interest in Scripture and her ear for liturgy. If you take a look at this week’s published liturgy, you’ll find that the call to worship and prayers of confession, illumination, and dedication are purely hers. ... Read the rest of the commentary on the website. Thanks to this week's writer Carol Holbrook Prickett. Order of worship for June 30, 2024 by Carol Holbrook Prickett and Evie Hughes God at work in and around us — Christian ed at home by Joelle Brummit-Yale Fearless witness, fiery testimony (June 30, 2024) by Shea Watts A prayer before a presidential debate by Erin Weber-Johnson and Mieke Vandersall Want the worship resources for June 23, 2024? You can find them here. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... Bridging the gap: Engaging young adults in faith and social justice The Young Adult Advocacy Conference, hosted in Charlotte this fall, aims to show young people the connection between faith and justice work, both historically and today. — Adrian White Southern Baptists don’t get votes to add ‘only men’ pastors language to constitution Yet, the convention decided to disfellowship a Virginia church that has a woman serving as pastor for children and women. — Adelle M. Banks Heaven at a softball tailgate To Maggie Alsup, the kingdom of God looks like a tailgate of rivals in Oklahoma City — everyone pulling up a chair and grabbing a plate of food. The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church Sarah McCammon is a compassionate companion as well as a reliable teacher for pastors, therapists and friends wondering how to better understand and support exvangelicals on the journey. — Amy Pagliarella GA asked to back removal of ‘punishment clause’ from U.S. Constitution 13th Amendment still allows slavery and involuntary servitude as punishment for people who are incarcerated. — John A. Bolt Flexibility sought for small congregations Blake Brinegar updates on new General Assembly proposals impacting small congregations.