Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
Prelude
Gathering
Confession and Forgiveness
Please stand as you are able. The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P: In the name of the Father, and of the ☩ Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
P: Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
P: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Please kneel or sit as you are able. Silence is kept for reflection.
P: Most merciful God,
C: we confess that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name. Amen.
P: In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the Church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the ☩ Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
Please stand as you are able.
Entrance Hymn #362 (green hymnal)
“We Plow the Fields and Scatter”
1 We plow the fields and scatter
the good seed on the land,
but it is fed and watered
by God’s almighty hand.
He sends the snow in winter,
the warmth to swell the grain,
the breezes and the sunshine,
and soft refreshing rain.
Refrain
All good gifts around us
are sent from heav’n above.
Then thank the Lord, oh, thank the Lord
for all his love.
2 He only is the maker
of all things near and far;
he paints the wayside flower,
he lights the evening star.
The winds and waves obey him;
by him the birds are fed.
Much more to us, his children,
he gives our daily bread. Refrain
3 We thank you, our creator,
for all things bright and good,
the seedtime and the harvest,
our life, our health, our food.
No gifts have we to offer
for all your love imparts,
but what you most would treasure–
our humble, thankful hearts. Refrain
Greeting
P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C: And also with you.
Kyrie
♫ WOV Setting 5
(blue hymnal, p. 28)
L: Lord, have mercy:
C: Lord, have mercy.
L: Christ, have mercy:
C: Christ, have mercy.
L: Lord, have mercy:
C: Lord, have mercy.
Hymn of Praise
♫ WOV Setting 5
(blue hymnal, p. 29)
Glory to God, glory to God, glory to God in the highest;
glory to God, glory to God, and peace to God’s people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly king, almighty God and Father:
We worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.
Glory to God, glory to God, glory to God in the highest;
glory to God, glory to God, and peace to God’s people on earth.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us.
You are seated at the right hand of the Father; receive our prayer.
Glory to God, glory to God, glory to God in the highest;
glory to God, glory to God, and peace to God’s people on earth.
For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Glory to God, glory to God, glory to God in the highest;
glory to God, glory to God, and peace to God’s people on earth,
and peace to God’s people on earth.
Prayer of the Day
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Let us pray.
Faithful God, most merciful judge, you care for your children with firmness and compassion. By your Spirit nurture us who live in your kingdom, that we may be rooted in the way of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
C: Amen.
The Word
Blessing of the Lector
P: Let us pray.
Gracious God, we do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from you. Bless Linda, who will read to us the scriptures. Make us hunger for the Word of life, Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
Please be seated.
First Lesson: Isaiah 44:6-8
6 Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel,
and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts:
I am the first and I am the last;
besides me there is no god.
7 Who is like me? Let them proclaim it,
let them declare and set it forth before me.
Who has announced from of old the things to come?
Let them tell us what is yet to be.
8 Do not fear, or be afraid;
have I not told you from of old and declared it?
You are my witnesses!
Is there any god besides me?
There is no other rock; I know not one.
The word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Psalmody: Hymn #290 (green hymnal)
“There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy”
1 There’s a wideness in God’s mercy,
like the wideness of the sea;
there’s a kindness in his justice
which is more than liberty.
There is no place where earth’s sorrows
are more felt than up in heav’n.
There is no place where earth’s failings
have such kindly judgment giv’n.
2 There is welcome for the sinner,
and a promised grace made good;
there is mercy with the Savior;
there is healing in his blood.
There is grace enough for thousands
of new worlds as great as this;
there is room for fresh creations
in that upper home of bliss.
3 For the love of God is broader
than the measures of our mind;
and the heart of the eternal
is most wonderfully kind.
There is plentiful redemption
in the blood that has been shed;
there is joy for all the members
in the sorrows of the head.
4 ’Tis not all we owe to Jesus;
it is something more than all:
greater good because of evil,
larger mercy through the fall.
If our love were but more simple,
we should take him at his word;
and our lives would be all sunshine
in the sweetness of our Lord.
Second Lesson: Romans 8:12-25
12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—13 for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; 23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
The word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Please stand as you are able.
Gospel Acclamation
♫ WOV Setting 5
(blue hymnal, p. 31)
Alleluia. Lord, to whom shall we go?
Alleluia. You have the words of eternal life.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
P: The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the 13th chapter.
C: Glory to you, O Lord.
24 Jesus put before the crowds another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field;25 but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. 27 And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ 28 He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 30 Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’ ”
36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38 the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 42 and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!”
P: The Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to you, O Christ.
Please be seated.
Children’s Sermon
Sermon
Silence for reflection and meditation.
Hymn of the Day #407 (green hymnal)
“Come, You Thankful People, Come”
1 Come, you thankful people, come;
raise the song of harvest home.
All is safely gathered in
ere the winter storms begin.
God, our maker, does provide
for our wants to be supplied.
Come to God’s own temple, come,
raise the song of harvest home.
2 All the world is God’s own field,
fruit unto his praise to yield.
Wheat and tares together sown,
unto joy or sorrow grown.
First the blade, and then the ear,
then the full corn shall appear.
Lord of harvest, grant that we
wholesome grain and pure may be.
3 For the Lord our God shall come
and shall take his harvest home.
From his field shall in that day
all offenses purge away,
give his angels charge at last
in the fire the tares to cast,
but the fruitful ears to store
in his garner evermore.
4 Even so, Lord, quickly come
to your final harvest home.
Gather all your people in,
free from sorrow, free from sin,
there, forever purified,
in your garner to abide.
Come, with all your angels, come,
raise the glorious harvest home!
Please stand as you are able.
The Apostles’ Creed
A: Let us confess our common faith with all Christians throughout time and place, using the words of the Apostles’ Creed.
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Prayers of Intercession
A: Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, and for all people according to their needs.
After each petition:
A: Lord, in your mercy,
C: Hear our prayer.
After the last petition:
A: Into your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
The Peace
P: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C: And also with you.
The ministers and congregation may greet one another with a gesture of peace.
Invitation to Offering
A: Let us give our offering so that we might participate in God’s work of growing faith in the world.
Offertory
♫ WOV Setting 5
(blue hymnal, p. 34)
Let the vineyards be fruitful, Lord,
and fill to the brim our cup of blessing.
Gather a harvest from the seeds that were sown,
that we may be fed with the bread of life.
Gather the hopes and dreams of all;
unite them with the prayers we offer now.
Grace our table with your presence, Lord,
and give us a foretaste of the feast to come.
Offertory Prayer
A: Let us pray.
C: Blessed are you, O Lord our God, maker of all things. Through your goodness you have blessed us with these gifts. With them we offer ourselves to your service and dedicate our lives to the care and redemption of all that you have made, for the sake of him who gave himself for us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Meal
The Great Thanksgiving
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give him thanks and praise.
P: It is indeed right and salutary that we should at all times and in all places offer thanks and praise to you, O Lord, holy Father, through Christ our Lord; who on this day overcame death and the grave, and by his glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life. And so, with the Church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
Sanctus
♫ WOV Setting 5
(blue hymnal, p. 36)
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the highest.
P: In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.
Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.
The Lord’s Prayer
P: Lord, remember us in your kingdom, and teach us to pray:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen.
Invitation to Communion
P: All people are called to Christ’s table. Come, eat what is good.
Please be seated.
Agnus Dei
♫ WOV Setting 5
(blue hymnal, p. 39)
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
grant us peace, grant us peace.
Communion
P: The Body of Christ, broken for you.
The Blood of Christ, shed for you.
Those who wish to commune at the altar rail may either bring forward their individual Communion kit, or receive the wafer and wine/grape juice by intinction (dipping) from the Communion Ministers, when they are directed forward by the usher. Those who wish to commune in their seat with their individual Communion kit may remain seated.
Communion Hymn #711 (blue hymnal)
“You Satisfy the Hungry Heart”
Refrain
You satisfy the hungry heart
with gift of finest wheat.
Come give to us, O saving Lord,
the bread of life to eat.
1 As when the shepherd calls his sheep,
they know and heed his voice;
so when you call your fam’ly, Lord,
we follow and rejoice. Refrain
2 With joyful lips we sing to you
our praise and gratitude
that you should count us worthy, Lord,
to share this heav’nly food. Refrain
3 Is not the cup we bless and share
the blood of Christ outpoured?
Do not one cup, one loaf, declare
our oneness in the Lord? Refrain
4 The myst’ry of your presence, Lord,
no mortal tongue can tell:
whom all the world cannot contain
comes in our hearts to dwell. Refrain
5 You give yourself to us, O Lord;
then selfless let us be,
to serve each other in your name
in truth and charity. Refrain
Table Blessing
P: The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
C: Amen.
Post-Communion Canticle
♫ WOV Setting 5
(blue hymnal, p. 40)
Thankful hearts and voices raise; tell ev’ryone what God has done.
Let all who seek the Lord rejoice and bear Christ’s holy name.
Send us with your promises, O God, and lead us forth in joy
with shouts of thanksgiving. Alleluia.
Post-Communion Prayer
A: Let us pray.
Pour out upon us the spirit of your love, O Lord, and unite the wills of those whom you have fed with one heavenly food; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
Sending
Announcements for God’s Mission in the World
Please stand as you are able.
Blessing
P: Almighty God, Father, ☩ Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever.
C: Amen.
Closing Hymn #760 (blue hymnal)
“For the Fruit of All Creation”
1 For the fruit of all creation,
thanks be to God.
For these gifts to ev’ry nation,
thanks be to God.
For the plowing, sowing, reaping,
silent growth while we are sleeping,
future needs in earth’s safekeeping,
thanks be to God.
2 In the just reward of labor,
God’s will is done.
In the help we give our neighbor,
God’s will is done.
In our worldwide task of caring
for the hungry and despairing,
in the harvests we are sharing,
God’s will is done.
3 For the harvests of the Spirit,
thanks be to God.
For the good we all inherit,
thanks be to God.
For the wonders that astound us,
for the truths that still confound us,
most of all, that love has found us,
thanks be to God.
Dismissal
A: Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Postlude
Worship Leaders
The Rev. Emily Beckering, Pastor
Kris Keith, Music Director
Kate Wollenburg, Organist
Cindy Mayhugh, Assisting Minister
Linda Miller, Reader
Upcoming Events
Sunday, July 23: 8 Pentecost
10:30 am Worship Service
After worship: Annual Church Picnic
Monday, July 24
**Epistle items due**
Wednesday, July 26
2:30 pm Bible study
Thursday, July 27
6 pm Scouts BSA
Sunday, July 30: 9 Pentecost
10:30 am Worship Service
After worship: Quarterly Congregational Meeting
Wednesday, August 2
2:30 pm Bible study
6 pm Christian Education Committee
Copyright Notices
There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy: Arr. © 1969 Concordia Publishing House.
You Satisfy the Hungry Heart: Text by Omer Westendorf and music by Robert E. Kreutz © 1977 Archdiocese of Philadelphia, admin. International Liturgy Publications.
For the Fruit of All Creation: Text by Fred Pratt Green © 1970 Hope Publishing Company, Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Hymns/anthems: Music reprinted and streamed by permission under ONE LICENSE #A‐726103 and CCLI Licenses #21045423 and #21045416. All rights reserved.
Liturgical texts and service music: From SundaysandSeasons.com. Copyright © 2023 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #SAS010308.