ORDER OF WORSHIP
8th Sunday after Pentecost
July 23, 2023
PRELUDE
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
-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.
CALL TO WORSHIP
We come. We wait.
We long. We hope.
We suffer. We pray.
We rejoice. We sing.
We know we are children of God.
We wait for Christ to set all things right.
*HYMN: #442 (Blue) ‘The Church’s One Foundation’
The church's one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord;
she is His new creation, by water and the word;
from heaven He came and sought her to be His holy bride;
with His own blood He bought her, and for her life He died.
Elect from every nation, yet one o'er all the earth,
her charter of salvation, one Lord, one faith, one birth;
one holy Name she blesses, partakes one holy food,
and to one hope she presses, with every grace endued.
Though with a scornful wonder this world sees her oppressed,
by schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed,
yet saints their watch are keeping, their cry goes up, "How long?"
And soon the night of weeping shall be the morn of song.
Mid toil and tribulation, and tumult of her war,
she waits the consummation of peace for evermore;
till with the vision glorious her longing eyes are blest,
and the great church victorious shall be the church at rest.
Yet she on earth has union with God the Three in One,
and mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won.
O happy ones and holy! Lord, give us grace that we,
like them, the meek and lowly, may live eternally.
CALL TO CONFESSION
There is goodness within us that grows like fresh wheat. There is also sin within us that chokes that wheat like weeds.
Let us bring all of who we are to God, who can separate out what is good, so that we are not overcome with evil.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION (in unison)
Ever-present God, there is no place where you are not with us. You see us at our worst and at our best. There is much we would hide from you—the ways we harm your creation, the ways we mistreat others, the ways we turn away when we should turn toward. Even as you know us, forgive us. Guide our thoughts, our words, our actions, that you may delight in us as we delight in you.
(silent reflection)
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
Beloved, hear the good news: God knows us and forgives us and leads us in the way of everlasting life.
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 OF 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.
SCRIPTURE READING
Genesis 28:10-19
10 Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. 11 He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. 12 And he dreamed that there was a stairway set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 And the Lord stood beside him and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring, 14 and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. 15 Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16 Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
18 So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. 19 He called that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first.
Psalm 139 (read responsively)
1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from far away.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
O Lord, you know it completely.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is so high that I cannot attain it.
7 Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning
and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and night wraps itself around me,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is as bright as the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For it was you who formed my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
In your book were written
all the days that were formed for me,
when none of them as yet existed.
17 How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 I try to count them—they are more than the sand;
I come to the end—I am still with you.
19 O that you would kill the wicked, O God,
and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me--
20 those who speak of you maliciously
and lift themselves up against you for evil!
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my thoughts.
24 See if there is any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
24 He put before them 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!
SERMON ‘The Stairway to Heaven’ Steve Van Buren, pulpit supply
*HYMN: #248 (Blue) ‘You are Before Me, Lord’
You are before me, Lord, You are behind,
and over me You have spread out Your hand;
such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too high to grasp, too great to understand.
Then from Your Spirit where, Lord, shall I go;
and from Your presence where, Lord, shall I fly?
If I ascend to heaven you are there,
and still are with me if in hell I lie.
If I should take my flight into the dawn,
if I should dwell on ocean’s farthest shore,
Your mighty hand will rest upon me still,
and Your right hand will guard me evermore.
If I should say, “Let darkness cover me.
And I shall hide within the veil of night,”
surely the darkness is not dark to You:
the night is as the day, the darkness light.
Search me, O God, search me and know my heart;
try me, O God, my mind and spirit try;
keep me from any path that give You pain,
and lead me in the everlasting way.
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH—APOSTLES’ CREED (in unison)
I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.
INVITATION TO OFFERING
All shall give as they are able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God that he has given you. (Deuteronomy 16:17)
*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 Salvation, we seek to be children of your heavenly kingdom. Yet, our self-deceiving ways cause us to believe that we will be more generous givers once we have satisfied our own personal, material desires. Change our thinking. Help us to be faithful disciples who recognize that everything we have in life is a gift from you. Inspire us to share our resources as a response to your unconditional love. Amen. (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 David S. Bell)
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: MK H, Roger & Marvis J, Bob & Jan J
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 #269 (Blue) ‘O God of Bethel, by Whose Hand’
O God of Bethel, by whose hand
thy people still are fed,
who through this weary pilgrimage
hast all Thy servants led.
Our vows, our prayers, we now present
before Thy throne of grace;
God of past ages, be the God
of each succeeding race.
Through each perplexing path of life
our wandering footsteps guide;
give us each day our daily bread,
and raiment fit provide.
O spread Thy covering wings around
till all our wanderings cease,
and at our God's beloved abode
our souls arrive in peace.
BENEDICTION
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!
(Isaiah 44:6-8a)
POSTLUDE
Sources: Call to Worship Lectionary Aids for 2022-2023 Year A Vo.56.1 PCUSA; Copyright © 2023 David S. Bell. Reprinted with permission from www.DavidSBell.org.
8th Sunday after Pentecost
July 23, 2023
PRELUDE
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
-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.
CALL TO WORSHIP
We come. We wait.
We long. We hope.
We suffer. We pray.
We rejoice. We sing.
We know we are children of God.
We wait for Christ to set all things right.
*HYMN: #442 (Blue) ‘The Church’s One Foundation’
The church's one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord;
she is His new creation, by water and the word;
from heaven He came and sought her to be His holy bride;
with His own blood He bought her, and for her life He died.
Elect from every nation, yet one o'er all the earth,
her charter of salvation, one Lord, one faith, one birth;
one holy Name she blesses, partakes one holy food,
and to one hope she presses, with every grace endued.
Though with a scornful wonder this world sees her oppressed,
by schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed,
yet saints their watch are keeping, their cry goes up, "How long?"
And soon the night of weeping shall be the morn of song.
Mid toil and tribulation, and tumult of her war,
she waits the consummation of peace for evermore;
till with the vision glorious her longing eyes are blest,
and the great church victorious shall be the church at rest.
Yet she on earth has union with God the Three in One,
and mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won.
O happy ones and holy! Lord, give us grace that we,
like them, the meek and lowly, may live eternally.
CALL TO CONFESSION
There is goodness within us that grows like fresh wheat. There is also sin within us that chokes that wheat like weeds.
Let us bring all of who we are to God, who can separate out what is good, so that we are not overcome with evil.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION (in unison)
Ever-present God, there is no place where you are not with us. You see us at our worst and at our best. There is much we would hide from you—the ways we harm your creation, the ways we mistreat others, the ways we turn away when we should turn toward. Even as you know us, forgive us. Guide our thoughts, our words, our actions, that you may delight in us as we delight in you.
(silent reflection)
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
Beloved, hear the good news: God knows us and forgives us and leads us in the way of everlasting life.
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 OF 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.
SCRIPTURE READING
Genesis 28:10-19
10 Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. 11 He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. 12 And he dreamed that there was a stairway set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 And the Lord stood beside him and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring, 14 and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. 15 Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16 Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
18 So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. 19 He called that place Bethel, but the name of the city was Luz at the first.
Psalm 139 (read responsively)
1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from far away.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
O Lord, you know it completely.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is so high that I cannot attain it.
7 Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning
and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and night wraps itself around me,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is as bright as the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For it was you who formed my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
In your book were written
all the days that were formed for me,
when none of them as yet existed.
17 How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 I try to count them—they are more than the sand;
I come to the end—I am still with you.
19 O that you would kill the wicked, O God,
and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me--
20 those who speak of you maliciously
and lift themselves up against you for evil!
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my thoughts.
24 See if there is any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
24 He put before them 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!
SERMON ‘The Stairway to Heaven’ Steve Van Buren, pulpit supply
*HYMN: #248 (Blue) ‘You are Before Me, Lord’
You are before me, Lord, You are behind,
and over me You have spread out Your hand;
such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too high to grasp, too great to understand.
Then from Your Spirit where, Lord, shall I go;
and from Your presence where, Lord, shall I fly?
If I ascend to heaven you are there,
and still are with me if in hell I lie.
If I should take my flight into the dawn,
if I should dwell on ocean’s farthest shore,
Your mighty hand will rest upon me still,
and Your right hand will guard me evermore.
If I should say, “Let darkness cover me.
And I shall hide within the veil of night,”
surely the darkness is not dark to You:
the night is as the day, the darkness light.
Search me, O God, search me and know my heart;
try me, O God, my mind and spirit try;
keep me from any path that give You pain,
and lead me in the everlasting way.
AFFIRMATION OF FAITH—APOSTLES’ CREED (in unison)
I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.
INVITATION TO OFFERING
All shall give as they are able, according to the blessing of the LORD your God that he has given you. (Deuteronomy 16:17)
*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 Salvation, we seek to be children of your heavenly kingdom. Yet, our self-deceiving ways cause us to believe that we will be more generous givers once we have satisfied our own personal, material desires. Change our thinking. Help us to be faithful disciples who recognize that everything we have in life is a gift from you. Inspire us to share our resources as a response to your unconditional love. Amen. (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 David S. Bell)
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: MK H, Roger & Marvis J, Bob & Jan J
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 #269 (Blue) ‘O God of Bethel, by Whose Hand’
O God of Bethel, by whose hand
thy people still are fed,
who through this weary pilgrimage
hast all Thy servants led.
Our vows, our prayers, we now present
before Thy throne of grace;
God of past ages, be the God
of each succeeding race.
Through each perplexing path of life
our wandering footsteps guide;
give us each day our daily bread,
and raiment fit provide.
O spread Thy covering wings around
till all our wanderings cease,
and at our God's beloved abode
our souls arrive in peace.
BENEDICTION
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!
(Isaiah 44:6-8a)
POSTLUDE
Sources: Call to Worship Lectionary Aids for 2022-2023 Year A Vo.56.1 PCUSA; Copyright © 2023 David S. Bell. Reprinted with permission from www.DavidSBell.org.