Welcome
Pastor: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
All: And Also with you.
Confession and Forgiveness
Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God,
whose steadfast love is everlasting,
whose faithfulness endures from generation to generation.
Amen.
Trusting in the mercy of God, let us confess our sin.
Silence is kept for reflection.
Reconciling God,
we confess that we do not trust your abundance,
and we deny your presence in our lives.
We place our hope in ourselves
and rely on our own efforts.
We fail to believe that you provide enough for all.
We abuse your good creation for our own benefit.
We fear difference and do not welcome others
as you have welcomed us.
We sin in thought, word, and deed.
By your grace, forgive us;
through your love, renew us;
and in your Spirit, lead us;
so that we may live and serve you in newness of life. Amen.
Beloved of God,
by the radical abundance of divine mercy
we have peace with God through ☩ Christ Jesus,
through whom we have obtained grace upon grace.
Our sins are forgiven.
Let us live now in hope.
For hope does not disappoint,
because God’s love has been poured into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
SONG – Come All Ye People – ELW 819
1 Come, all you people, come and praise the Most High;
come, all you people, come and praise the Most High;
come, all you people, come and praise the Most High;
come now and worship the Lord.
2 Come, all you people, come and praise the Savior;
come, all you people, come and praise the Savior;
come, all you people, come and praise the Savior;
come now and worship the Lord.
3 Come, all you people, come and praise the Spirit;
come, all you people, come and praise the Spirit;
come, all you people, come and praise the Spirit;
come now and worship the Lord.
KIDS TIME – All God’s Critters
All God’s critters got a place in the choir
Some sing low and some sing higher,
Some sing out loud on a telephone wire,
Some just clap their hands, or paws, or anything they’ve got now
All God’s critters got a place in the choir
Some sing low and some sing higher,
Some sing out loud on a telephone wire,
Some just clap their hands, or paws, or anything they’ve got now
Prayer of the Day
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.
Amen.
First Reading: Isaiah 44:6-8
There are no other gods besides God: the word of the Lord does not fail to come to pass. We can trust in God, through whom Israel—and we—are redeemed.
6Thus 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. 7Who 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. 8Do 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.
Psalm: Psalm 86:11-17
11Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk | in your truth; give me an undivided heart to re- | vere your name.
12I will thank you, O Lord my God, with | all my heart, and glorify your name for- | evermore. R
13For great is your | love toward me; you have delivered me from the | pit of death.
14The arrogant rise up against me, O God, and a band of violent people | seeks my life; they have not set you be- | fore their eyes.
15But you, O Lord, are gracious and full | of compassion, slow to anger, and full of kind- | ness and truth.
16Turn to me and have mer- | cy on me; give your strength to your servant, and save the child | of your handmaid.
17Show me a sign of your favor, so that those who hate me may see it and be | put to shame; because you, Lord, have helped me and com- | forted me. R
Second Reading: Romans 8:12-25
12So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—13for 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. 14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15For 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!” 16it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and 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.
18I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. 19For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that 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. 22We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; 23and 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. 24For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Gospel: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
24[Jesus] put before [the crowds] another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field;25but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. 26So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. 27And 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?’ 28He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 30Let 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.’ ”
36Then 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.” 37He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 42and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!”
Song – Lord Be Glorified ELW 744
1 In my life, Lord, be glorified, be glorified;
in my life, Lord, be glorified today.
2 In our song, Lord, be glorified, be glorified;
in our song, Lord, be glorified today.
3 In your church, Lord, be glorified, be glorified;
in your church, Lord, be glorified today.
4 In your world, Lord, be glorified, be glorified.
In your world, Lord, be glorified today.
Text: Bob Kilpatrick, b. 1952 Text © 1978 Bob Kilpatrick Music, assigned 1998 to The Lorenz Corporation. All rights reserved. Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from One License with license # A-715139.
Apostles Creed
All: I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
All: I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
All: 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
Confident of your care and helped by the Holy Spirit, we pray for the church, the world, and all who are in need. A brief silence.
God of the harvest, you sow the good seed of the gospel of Jesus Christ into your field. Help your church throughout the world to be both diligent and patient, full of resolve and gentleness, that our witness may be faithful to your intentions. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
God of all space and time, your whole creation groans in labor pains, awaiting the gift of new birth. Renew the earth, sky, and sea, so that all your creation experiences freedom from the bondage of decay. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
God of the nations, teach us your ways, that we may walk in your truth. Mend the fabric of the human family, now torn apart by our fearful and warring ways (regions and nations in conflict may be named). Guide us by your mercy, grace, and steadfast love. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
God of hope, you accompany those who suffer and are near to the brokenhearted. Open our hearts to your children who are lonely and abandoned, who feel trapped by despair, and all who suffer in any way (especially). Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
God of the seasons, in the midst of summer, give us refreshment, renewal, and new opportunities. We pray for the safety of those who travel. We pray for those who cannot take the rest they need. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
God of life, those who have died in you shine like the sun in your endless kingdom. We remember with thanksgiving the saints of all times and places and saints close to us (especially). Gather us with them on the day of salvation. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
In the certain hope that nothing can separate us from your love, we offer these prayers to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Sharing the Peace of Christ
Pastor: The peace of Christ be with you always.
All: And also with you.
Offering Announcement
Offering Prayer
God of goodness and growth,
all creation is yours,
and your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.
Water and word, wine and bread:
these are signs of your abundant grace.
Nourish us through these gifts,
that we might proclaim your steadfast love
in our communities and in the world,
through Jesus Christ, our strength and our song.
Amen.
Lord’s Prayer
All: 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.
Blessing
Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers,
nor things present, nor things to come,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.
God, the creator, ☩ Jesus, the Christ,
and the Holy Spirit, the comforter,
bless you and keep you in eternal love.
Amen.
Song – Great is the Lord
Great is the Lord, He is holy and just
By His power we trust in His love
Great is the Lord, He is faithful and true
By His mercy He proves He is love
Great is the Lord and worthy of glory
Great is the Lord and worthy of praise
Great is the Lord, now lift up your voice
Now lift up your voice
Great is the Lord, Great is the Lord
Great is the Lord, He is holy and just
By His power we trust in His love
Great is the Lord, He is faithful and true
By His mercy He proves He is love
Great is the Lord and worthy of glory
Great is the Lord and worthy of praise
Great is the Lord, now lift up your voice
Now lift up your voice
Great is the Lord, Great is the Lord
Great are You Lord and worthy of glory
Great are You Lord and worthy of praise
Great are You Lord, I lift up my voice
I lift up my voice
Great are You Lord, Great are You Lord
CCLI Song # 1149 Deborah D. Smith | Michael W. Smith © 1982 Meadowgreen Music Company (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) For use solely with the SongSelect Terms of Use. All rights reserved. CCLI License # 617337
Dismissal
Go in peace. Christ is with you.
Thanks be to God.