ORDER OF WORSHIP
7th Sunday after Pentecost
July 16, 2023
PRELUDE ‘The Heavens Declare the Glory of God’
WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS
-COFFEE FELLOWSHIP Please join us after worship today.
-TUESDAY MORNING COFFEE GROUP meets at First Lutheran Mission Coffee House at 9:30ish.
-THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY meets at 9:30 AM at the church.
-SISTERHOOD will meet at First Lutheran Mission Coffee House on Thursday, July 20 at 11:30 AM.
-MEN’S BROTHERHOOD will meet at the church lounge on Thursday, July 20 at 5:30 PM.
CALL TO WORSHIP
Let us offer our praise to God, for we come to learn God’s ways:
O God, your word is a lamp to our feet, a light to our path;
we lift our hearts to you as we seek to worship, adore, and follow you.
Glory be to God!
*HYMN #264 (Red) ‘At the Name of Jesus’
At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow,
every tongue confess him King of glory now;
'tis the Father's pleasure we should call him Lord,
who from the beginning was the mighty Word.
Humbled for a season to receive a name
from the lips of sinners unto whom he came,
faithfully he bore it spotless to the last,
brought it back victorious, when from death he passed;
Bore it up triumphant, with its human light,
through all ranks of creatures, to the central height,
to the throne of Godhead, to the Father's breast,
filled it with the glory of that perfect rest.
Christians, this Lord Jesus shall return again,
with his Father's glory, o’er the earth to reign;
for all wreaths of empire meet upon his brow,
and our hearts confess him King of glory now.
CALL TO CONFESSION
As much as we try not to stray: we do.
As much as we try to follow God’s word: we don’t.
As we continue on this journey, let us seek God’s forgiveness.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
O God, we are quick to say, “We didn’t know.” “We didn’t mean to.” “We didn’t expect that to happen.” But we have not tended the soil of our lives. We let it stay shallow and rocky by not learning from the experience of others. We let it be riddled with thorns by succumbing to our own prejudices. Life-giving God, Help us to tend our soil. Open us to being challenged, enable us to learn, so that your word will take root and bear good fruit in our lives.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
There is no condemnation for us:
God has forgiven us that we might live according to the Spirit.
The Spirit of God dwells within us.
Thanks be to God!
*GLORIA PATRI
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
And to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, Amen.
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Holy, Holy, Holy One, guide us by the Spirit of truth to hear the Word of life you speak, and to give all glory, honor, and praise to your threefold name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
BEFORE THE READINGS
The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. Listen to the word of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 6:4
SCRIPTURE READINGS
Isaiah 55:10–13
10 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there until they have watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose
and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
12 For you shall go out in joy
and be led back in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall burst into song,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle,
and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial,
for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
Psalm 65:1–13 (read responsively
1 Praise is due to you,
O God, in Zion,
and to you shall vows be performed,
2 O you who answer prayer!
To you all flesh shall come.
3 When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us,
you forgive our transgressions.
4 Happy are those whom you choose and bring near
to live in your courts.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
your holy temple.
5 By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance,
O God of our salvation;
you are the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas.
6 By your strength you established the mountains;
you are girded with might.
7 You silence the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
the tumult of the peoples.
8 Those who live at earth’s farthest bounds are awed by your signs;
you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.
9 You visit the earth and water it;
you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
you provide the people with grain,
for so you have prepared it.
10 You water its furrows abundantly,
settling its ridges,
softening it with showers,
and blessing its growth.
11 You crown the year with your bounty;
your wagon tracks overflow with richness.
12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow;
the hills gird themselves with joy;
13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks;
the valleys deck themselves with grain;
they shout and sing together for joy.
Romans 8:1–11
1Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed, it cannot, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.9 But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, then the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23
1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell on a path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. 6 But when the sun rose, they were scorched, and since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 If you have ears, hear!”18 “Hear, then, the parable of the sower. 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet such a person has no root but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. 23 But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
AFTER THE READINGS:
Keep these words in your heart. The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
Thanks be to God. Deuteronomy 6:6
SERMON – ‘Living a Spiritual Life’ Elizabeth Fox, CRE
ASCRIPTION OF PRAISE
To the Lord our God, Alpha and Omega, be all glory and honor forever. Amen.
Revelation 21:6
*HYMN #451 (Red) ‘Open My Eyes That I May See’
Open my eyes, that I may see glimpses of truth thou hast for me.
Place in my hands the wonderful key that shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for thee, ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my eyes; illumine me, Spirit divine!
Open my ears, that I may hear voices of truth thou sendest clear.
And while the wave notes fall on my ear, everything false will disappear.
Silently now I wait for thee, ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my ears; illumine me, Spirit divine!.
Open my mouth, and let me bear gladly the warm truth everywhere.
Open my heart, and let me prepare love with thy children thus to share.
Silently now I wait for thee, ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my heart; illumine me, Spirit divine!
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
The life, death, resurrection, and promised coming of Jesus Christ has set the pattern for the church’s mission. His human life involves the church in the common life of all people. His service to men and women commits the church to work for every form of human well-being. His suffering makes the church sensitive to all human suffering so that it sees the face of Christ in the faces of persons in every kind of need. His crucifixion discloses to the church God’s judgment on the inhumanity that marks human relations, and the awful consequences of the church’s own complicity in injustice. In the power of the risen Christ and the hope of his coming, the church sees the promise of God’s renewal of human life in society and of God’s victory over all wrong. The church follows this pattern in the form of its life and in the method of its action. So to live and serve is to confess Christ as Lord.
Adapted from the Confession of 1967, 9.32–33
INVITATION TO OFFERING
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to present yourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. Let us offer our lives to the Lord. Romans 12:1
SPECIAL MUSIC ‘Pastorale’ MK Hugghins, organist
*DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen
.PRAYER OF DEDICATION
God of unending gifts, we praise you for your abundant goodness.
As you are generous, we want to be generous too.
May the gifts we bring extend your generosity into the world,
so that all people may be made whole by your goodness and grace. Amen.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
-Richard C
-Marvis J
-Lee P
-Andrew N (friend of Ella)
-Barb (Bob O’s sister)
-Anthony B (Teri’s son)
-Dale E (Lee’s brother)
-USS South Dakota, captain and crew
-Jim, Dianne L’s husband
-Paige F
-Nelda H
-Betty G
-Bob J and Jan as caregiver
-Bob O and Nancy as caregiver
-Darwin L and Jeanne as caregiver
-Andrew & Beth L
-Gwen B (Lee P’s friend)
-Patty (friend of Michele and Brookings)
-Harry (Bonnie S’s father)
Our homebound or in care members: Bob J, Delores K, Rose P, Cliff R, Dee W (Please reach out and call)
This week’s prayer families: Dean & Sharon H, Nelda H, Dennis H & Carolyn C
Those who mourn: We pray for the Riedesel, Eich, Ohnstad, VanderWaal, Broksieck, Canaday, Barnett, Fee, Goodale, McCann, and Webster families and all who have lost loved ones.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
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 debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever, Amen.
*HYMN #598 (Red) ‘Amen, We Praise Your Name’ (sing 2 times)
Amen, we praise your name, O God!
Amen, we praise your name, O God!
Amen, amen. Amen, amen.
Amen, we praise your name, O God!
BLESSING AND CHARGE
May the blessing of the Trinity--
holy, holy, holy Lord--
be with you now and always. Alleluia!
Isaiah 6:3
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here I am; send me!” Amen.
Isaiah 6:8
POSTLUDE ‘Lift High the Cross’
7th Sunday after Pentecost
July 16, 2023
PRELUDE ‘The Heavens Declare the Glory of God’
WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS
-COFFEE FELLOWSHIP Please join us after worship today.
-TUESDAY MORNING COFFEE GROUP meets at First Lutheran Mission Coffee House at 9:30ish.
-THURSDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY meets at 9:30 AM at the church.
-SISTERHOOD will meet at First Lutheran Mission Coffee House on Thursday, July 20 at 11:30 AM.
-MEN’S BROTHERHOOD will meet at the church lounge on Thursday, July 20 at 5:30 PM.
CALL TO WORSHIP
Let us offer our praise to God, for we come to learn God’s ways:
O God, your word is a lamp to our feet, a light to our path;
we lift our hearts to you as we seek to worship, adore, and follow you.
Glory be to God!
*HYMN #264 (Red) ‘At the Name of Jesus’
At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow,
every tongue confess him King of glory now;
'tis the Father's pleasure we should call him Lord,
who from the beginning was the mighty Word.
Humbled for a season to receive a name
from the lips of sinners unto whom he came,
faithfully he bore it spotless to the last,
brought it back victorious, when from death he passed;
Bore it up triumphant, with its human light,
through all ranks of creatures, to the central height,
to the throne of Godhead, to the Father's breast,
filled it with the glory of that perfect rest.
Christians, this Lord Jesus shall return again,
with his Father's glory, o’er the earth to reign;
for all wreaths of empire meet upon his brow,
and our hearts confess him King of glory now.
CALL TO CONFESSION
As much as we try not to stray: we do.
As much as we try to follow God’s word: we don’t.
As we continue on this journey, let us seek God’s forgiveness.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
O God, we are quick to say, “We didn’t know.” “We didn’t mean to.” “We didn’t expect that to happen.” But we have not tended the soil of our lives. We let it stay shallow and rocky by not learning from the experience of others. We let it be riddled with thorns by succumbing to our own prejudices. Life-giving God, Help us to tend our soil. Open us to being challenged, enable us to learn, so that your word will take root and bear good fruit in our lives.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
There is no condemnation for us:
God has forgiven us that we might live according to the Spirit.
The Spirit of God dwells within us.
Thanks be to God!
*GLORIA PATRI
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
And to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, Amen.
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Holy, Holy, Holy One, guide us by the Spirit of truth to hear the Word of life you speak, and to give all glory, honor, and praise to your threefold name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
BEFORE THE READINGS
The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. Listen to the word of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 6:4
SCRIPTURE READINGS
Isaiah 55:10–13
10 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there until they have watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose
and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
12 For you shall go out in joy
and be led back in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall burst into song,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle,
and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial,
for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
Psalm 65:1–13 (read responsively
1 Praise is due to you,
O God, in Zion,
and to you shall vows be performed,
2 O you who answer prayer!
To you all flesh shall come.
3 When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us,
you forgive our transgressions.
4 Happy are those whom you choose and bring near
to live in your courts.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
your holy temple.
5 By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance,
O God of our salvation;
you are the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas.
6 By your strength you established the mountains;
you are girded with might.
7 You silence the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
the tumult of the peoples.
8 Those who live at earth’s farthest bounds are awed by your signs;
you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.
9 You visit the earth and water it;
you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
you provide the people with grain,
for so you have prepared it.
10 You water its furrows abundantly,
settling its ridges,
softening it with showers,
and blessing its growth.
11 You crown the year with your bounty;
your wagon tracks overflow with richness.
12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow;
the hills gird themselves with joy;
13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks;
the valleys deck themselves with grain;
they shout and sing together for joy.
Romans 8:1–11
1Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed, it cannot, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.9 But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, then the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23
1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell on a path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. 6 But when the sun rose, they were scorched, and since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 If you have ears, hear!”18 “Hear, then, the parable of the sower. 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet such a person has no root but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. 23 But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
AFTER THE READINGS:
Keep these words in your heart. The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
Thanks be to God. Deuteronomy 6:6
SERMON – ‘Living a Spiritual Life’ Elizabeth Fox, CRE
ASCRIPTION OF PRAISE
To the Lord our God, Alpha and Omega, be all glory and honor forever. Amen.
Revelation 21:6
*HYMN #451 (Red) ‘Open My Eyes That I May See’
Open my eyes, that I may see glimpses of truth thou hast for me.
Place in my hands the wonderful key that shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for thee, ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my eyes; illumine me, Spirit divine!
Open my ears, that I may hear voices of truth thou sendest clear.
And while the wave notes fall on my ear, everything false will disappear.
Silently now I wait for thee, ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my ears; illumine me, Spirit divine!.
Open my mouth, and let me bear gladly the warm truth everywhere.
Open my heart, and let me prepare love with thy children thus to share.
Silently now I wait for thee, ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my heart; illumine me, Spirit divine!
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH
The life, death, resurrection, and promised coming of Jesus Christ has set the pattern for the church’s mission. His human life involves the church in the common life of all people. His service to men and women commits the church to work for every form of human well-being. His suffering makes the church sensitive to all human suffering so that it sees the face of Christ in the faces of persons in every kind of need. His crucifixion discloses to the church God’s judgment on the inhumanity that marks human relations, and the awful consequences of the church’s own complicity in injustice. In the power of the risen Christ and the hope of his coming, the church sees the promise of God’s renewal of human life in society and of God’s victory over all wrong. The church follows this pattern in the form of its life and in the method of its action. So to live and serve is to confess Christ as Lord.
Adapted from the Confession of 1967, 9.32–33
INVITATION TO OFFERING
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to present yourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. Let us offer our lives to the Lord. Romans 12:1
SPECIAL MUSIC ‘Pastorale’ MK Hugghins, organist
*DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen
.PRAYER OF DEDICATION
God of unending gifts, we praise you for your abundant goodness.
As you are generous, we want to be generous too.
May the gifts we bring extend your generosity into the world,
so that all people may be made whole by your goodness and grace. Amen.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
-Richard C
-Marvis J
-Lee P
-Andrew N (friend of Ella)
-Barb (Bob O’s sister)
-Anthony B (Teri’s son)
-Dale E (Lee’s brother)
-USS South Dakota, captain and crew
-Jim, Dianne L’s husband
-Paige F
-Nelda H
-Betty G
-Bob J and Jan as caregiver
-Bob O and Nancy as caregiver
-Darwin L and Jeanne as caregiver
-Andrew & Beth L
-Gwen B (Lee P’s friend)
-Patty (friend of Michele and Brookings)
-Harry (Bonnie S’s father)
Our homebound or in care members: Bob J, Delores K, Rose P, Cliff R, Dee W (Please reach out and call)
This week’s prayer families: Dean & Sharon H, Nelda H, Dennis H & Carolyn C
Those who mourn: We pray for the Riedesel, Eich, Ohnstad, VanderWaal, Broksieck, Canaday, Barnett, Fee, Goodale, McCann, and Webster families and all who have lost loved ones.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
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 debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever, Amen.
*HYMN #598 (Red) ‘Amen, We Praise Your Name’ (sing 2 times)
Amen, we praise your name, O God!
Amen, we praise your name, O God!
Amen, amen. Amen, amen.
Amen, we praise your name, O God!
BLESSING AND CHARGE
May the blessing of the Trinity--
holy, holy, holy Lord--
be with you now and always. Alleluia!
Isaiah 6:3
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here I am; send me!” Amen.
Isaiah 6:8
POSTLUDE ‘Lift High the Cross’