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Bulletin for the service

Prayer of the Day
God of all peoples, your arms reach out to embrace all those who call upon you. Teach us as disciples of your Son to love the world with compassion and constancy, that your name may be known throughout the earth, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Scripture readings
Isaiah 56:1, 6-8
Psalm 67:1–7 
Romans 11:1-2a, Romans11:29-32
Matthew 15:10-28

Sermon 

The encounter between Jesus and the Canaanite takes us to an uncomfortable place, but it’s a place where we need to spend some time. Driven by her daughter’s suffering, this woman boldly transgresses societal norms and approaches a Jewish man, Jesus. But Jesus, understanding his mission to be to the lost sheep of Israel, calls her a dog and tries to send her away. A mother’s love will not be thwarted, however, and she declares in faith that she’ll settle for the crumbs, knowing that crumbs from God’s table are more than enough. Jesus sees in her response an illustration of what he has just taught: faith in the heart leads to faithful, holy living. By the end of the story we see that God is creating a new kingdom in which sheep and dogs and everyone else are welcome to sit at, not under, the table.

Hymns

 In our prayers we remember the ELCA Metropolitan Chicago Synod.