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Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Prelude

Gathering

Confession and Forgiveness

Please stand as you are able. All may make the sign of the cross, the sign that is marked at baptism, as the presiding minister begins.

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:  Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.

Please kneel or sit as you are able. Silence is kept for reflection.

P:  Most merciful God,

C:  we confess that we are captive 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 #248 (green hymnal)

“Dearest Jesus, at Your Word” vv. 1-3

1  Dearest Jesus, at your word
we have come again to hear you;
let our thoughts and hearts be stirred
and in glowing faith be near you
as the promises here given
draw us wholly up to heaven.

2  All our knowledge, sense, and sight
lie in deepest darkness shrouded
till your Spirit breaks the night,
filling us with light unclouded.
All good thoughts and all good living
come but by your gracious giving.

3  Radiance of God’s glory bright,
Light of light from God proceeding,
Jesus, send your blessed light;
help our hearing, speaking, heeding,
that our prayers and songs may please you,
as with grateful hearts we praise you.

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

♫ ELW Setting 8

Refrain
Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way,
Kyrie eleison, ev’ry day.

  For peace in the world, for the health of the church, for the unity of all;
for this holy house, for all who worship and praise,
let us pray to the Lord, let us pray to the Lord  Refrain

  That we may live out your impassioned response to the hungry and the poor;
that we may live out truth and justice and grace,
let us pray to the Lord, let us pray to the Lord  Refrain

  For peace in our hearts, for peace in our homes, for friends and family;
for life and for love, for our work and our play,
let us pray to the Lord, let us pray to the Lord  Refrain

  For your Spirit to guide; that you center our lives in the water and the Word;
that you nourish our souls with your body and blood,
let us pray to the Lord, let us pray to the Lord  Refrain

Canticle of Praise

♫ ELW Setting 8

This is the feast of vict’ry for our God,
for the Lamb who was slain has begun his reign. Alleluia.
Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain,
whose blood set us free to be people of God.
Power, riches, wisdom, and strength,
and honor, blessing, and glory are his.
This is the feast of vict’ry for our God,
for the Lamb who was slain has begun his reign. Alleluia.
Sing with all the people of God,
and join in the hymn of all creation:
Blessing, honor, glory and might
be to God and the Lamb forever. Amen.
This is the feast of vict’ry for our God,
for the Lamb who was slain has begun his reign. Alleluia.

Prayer of the Day

P:  The Lord be with you.

C:  And also with you.

P:  Let us pray.
Beloved God, from you come all things that are good. Lead us by the inspiration of your Spirit to know those things that are right, and by your merciful guidance, help us to do them, through 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 Chet, 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 5:1-7

¹ Let me sing for my beloved
 my love-song concerning his vineyard:
My beloved had a vineyard
 on a very fertile hill.
² He dug it and cleared it of stones,
 and planted it with choice vines;
he built a watchtower in the midst of it,
 and hewed out a wine vat in it;
he expected it to yield grapes,
 but it yielded wild grapes.

³ And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem
 and people of Judah,
judge between me
 and my vineyard.
⁴ What more was there to do for my vineyard
 that I have not done in it?
When I expected it to yield grapes,
 why did it yield wild grapes?

⁵ And now I will tell you
 what I will do to my vineyard.
I will remove its hedge,
 and it shall be devoured;
I will break down its wall,
 and it shall be trampled down.
⁶ I will make it a waste;
 it shall not be pruned or hoed,
 and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns;
I will also command the clouds
 that they rain no rain upon it.

⁷ For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts
 is the house of Israel,
and the people of Judah
 are his pleasant planting;
he expected justice,
 but saw bloodshed;
righteousness,
 but heard a cry!

  The word of the Lord.

C:  Thanks be to God.

Psalmody

“Hear Us, Lord” (Psalm 80)

1  Hear us, Lord.
We have fed upon the bread of tears.
Hear us, Lord.
We have lost all that was dear.
Restore us, O God!
Hear us, Lord.
Are we not the vine You tended?
Hear us, Lord.
Is this branch now to be ended?
Lord, shine Your face on us again!

2  Hear us, Lord.
In Your care, Your people once filled the land.
Hear us, Lord.
We were planted by Your hand.
Restore us, O God!
Hear us, Lord.
Was this son of man not raised by You?
Hear us, Lord.
Hear our promise to be true to You.
Lord, shine Your face on us again!
Be with us, Lord!

Second Lesson: Philippians 3:4b-14

Paul writes: ^4b If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: ⁵ circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; ⁶ as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.
 ⁷ Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. ⁸ More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. ¹⁰ I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
 ¹² Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. ¹³ Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

  The word of the Lord.

C:  Thanks be to God.

Please stand as you are able.

Gospel Acclamation

♫ ELW Setting 8

Alleluia. Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia.
Alleluia, alleluia. Alleluia.
Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Matthew 21:33-46

P:  The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the 21st chapter.

C:  Glory to you, O Lord.

Jesus said to the people: ³³ “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. ³⁴ When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. ³⁵ But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. ³⁶ Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. ³⁷ Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ ³⁸ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.’ ³⁹ So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. ⁴⁰ Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” ⁴¹ They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.”
 ⁴² Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures:
 ‘The stone that the builders rejected
  has become the cornerstone;
 this was the Lord’s doing,
  and it is amazing in our eyes’?
⁴³ Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. ⁴⁴ The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”
 ⁴⁵ When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. ⁴⁶ They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.

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

“Christ Is Our Cornerstone”

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 Christ be with you always.

C:  And also with you.

The people may greet one another with a sign of Christ’s peace, and may say, “Peace be with you,” or similar words.

Please be seated.

Temple Talk: Nelson Langefeld

Please stand as you are able.

Offertory: Hymn #362 (green hymnal)

“We Plow the Fields and Scatter” v. 1

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.
All good gifts around us
are sent from heav’n above.
Then thank the Lord, oh, thank the Lord
for all his love.

Offering Prayer

A:  Let us pray.

C:  Holy God, gracious and merciful, you bring forth food from the earth and nourish your whole creation. Turn our hearts toward those who hunger in any way, that all may know your care; and prepare us now to feast on the bread of life, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

The Meal

Dialogue

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 our thanks and praise.

P:  It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God, through our Savior Jesus Christ; 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 all the choirs of angels, with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

Sanctus

♫ ELW Setting 8

Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of pow’r and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory, full of your glory.
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna, hosanna, 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: Jesus invites you to this table. Come, eat and live.

Please be seated.

Agnus Dei

♫ ELW Setting 8

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, Lamb of God.

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 #801 (blue hymnal)

“Thine the Amen”

Communion Hymn #226 (green hymnal)

“Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord”

1  Draw near and take the body of the Lord
and drink the holy blood for you outpoured.

2  Saved by that body, hallowed by that blood,
whereby refreshed, we render thanks to God.

3  Salvation’s giver, Christ, the only Son,
by his dear cross and blood the vict’ry won.

4  Offered was he for greatest and for least,
himself the victim and himself the priest.

5  Come forward then with faithful hearts sincere,
and take the pledges of salvation here.

6  He who his saints in this world rules and shields,
to all believers life eternal yields,

7  With heav’nly bread makes those who hunger whole,
gives living waters to the thirsty soul.

8  The judge eternal, unto whom shall bow
all nations at the last, is with us now.

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: Hymn #624 (blue hymnal)

“Now, Lord” (Detroit Folk Mass)

Now, Lord, you let your servant go in peace:
your word has been fulfilled.
My own eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared in the sight of all people:
a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be forever. Amen.

Post-Communion Prayer

A:  Let us pray.
We give you thanks, almighty God, that you have refreshed us through the healing power of this gift of life. In your mercy, strengthen us through this gift, in faith toward you and in fervent love toward one another; for the sake of 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 #259 (green hymnal)

“Lord, Dismiss Us with Your Blessing”

Dismissal

A:  Go in peace. Serve the Lord.

C:  Thanks be to God.

Postlude

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Worship Leaders

The Rev. Emily Beckering, Pastor
Kris Keith, Music Director
Kate Wollenburg, Organist
Carroll Mayhugh, Assisting Minister
Chet Laine, Reader

Upcoming Events

Copyright Notices

Hear Us, Lord: Text and music by Stephen J. Pearson © 1998 Psalmistry Music.

Thine the Amen: Text by Herbert F. Brokering and music by Carl F. Schalk © 1983 Augsburg Publishing House, admin. Augsburg Fortress.

Now, Lord (Detroit Folk Mass): Music by Tillis Butler and James Harris © 1986 Fortress Press, admin. Augsburg Fortress.

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.