Sunday's worship was a hymn sing, so here's a little sermonette on why we sing and have hymns in our worship.

Grief hurts.

"O God, Why Are You Silent?" ELW #703

Assigned Gospel: Luke 10:38-42. Touched on last week's (Luke 10:25-37), and spent most of the time on next week's (Luke 11:1-13, v.1-4).

Who is the Church? The answer sounds simple, but is complex and more than we are.

CW: rape (in Gen. 19).

Practice radical hospitality.

First in a four-part series on grief and loss. Guiding clinical model is William Worden's 4 tasks of mourning. Task 1: to accept the reality of the loss.

If you find yourself needing to talk or otherwise having difficulties, talk to Pr. Kate or a licensed therapist.

Hymn of the day: ACS #1054 "God Weeps with Us Who Weep and Mourn": https://youtu.be/1gzIzRA43mE and https://youtu.be/cXRPvVG9pMI

Prayer intercession: God who knows our losses, our griefs. Sit with us like Job’s friends. Weep with us. In time, help us to accept the reality of our losses as we trust always in you. God of grace, hear our prayer.

Gospel lesson read Luke 8:26-39

Hymn recommendation: "Lift Every Voice and Sing" https://youtu.be/xit09LrjJUU (see ELW 841 for lyrics)

Also the first in a summer series on mission and discernment.

HOD: "Come, Join the Dance of Trinity" (ELW #412) by Richard Leach; music: English folk tune https://youtu.be/__cSgHK9yhw

Acts lesson read and added: 2:1-21

Acts lesson (16:16-34) read and added in.

School shootings are bad. Mass shootings anywhere are bad. Killing people is bad. Remember your baptism and renounce evil forces which turn you from God. Remember your baptism and proclaim Christ in word and deed, forsaking violence always for peace and justice.