The Bulletin is at: 08-19-2018 – Bulletin

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THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

August 19, 2018

AS WE GATHER…We are an audiovisual culture.  Everywhere you turn, people use a wide variety of means to get your attention:  billboards along the highway, commercials on the radio, pop-up advertisements on social media, telephone surveys that interrupt your family dinner.  The list could go on and on.  Jesus, too, used a variety of means at His disposal in the first century to communicate His message of life and salvation.  He Himself is the greatest communication in any time and place—the very Word made flesh.  Christ gives words that are spirit and life.  He speaks.  We listen.  Christ also does the saving work of removing darkness by His death and resurrection.  He shines.  We see and live.  Talk about an audiovisual Savior!  Today, let us listen, touch, taste, and see.  As we respond to God’s grace in song, let us lift up thankful hearts to our Father in the name of Jesus.

WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS

CALLING ON GOD

P:  In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen. 

OPENING UP TO GOD…

P:  Let us come into the light and approach our Lord in prayer.

In a time of silence,

 we reflect on our great need for Jesus’ saving work.

P:  Together, we pray.

C: O God our Father, light-creator, Your perfect glory exposes the darkness of our ways.  As children who stray from their Father’s instruction, we have wandered in disobedience and stumbled in what we have thought, said, and done.  By the rescuing work of Your Son, the light of the world, shine on us the bright beams of forgiveness.  Wash us in the light of His resurrection victory so that we make melodies with our lips and honor You with our lives.  Amen. 

P:  In Christ, You who once were darkness are now light.  Walk as children of the light.  Be who you are!  As a called and ordained servant of the Word, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen. 

SONG OF CONFIDENCE: “In Christ Alone”

In Christ alone my hope is found,

His is my light, my strength, my song;

This Cornerstone, this solid Ground,

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

What heights of love, what depths of peace,

        When fears are still, when strivings cease!

My Comforter, my All in All,

        Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,

        Fullness of God in helpless babe!

This gift of love and righteousness,

        Scorned by the ones He came to save:

Till on the cross as Jesus died,

        The wrath of God was satisfied –

For every sin on Him was laid;

        Here in the death of Christ I live.

 

There in the ground His body lay,

        Light of the world by darkness slain:

Then bursting forth in glorious Day

        Up from the grave He rose again!

And as He stands in victory

        Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,

For I am His and He is mine –

        Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,

        This is the power of Christ in me’

From life’s first cry to final breath,

        Jesus commands my destiny.

No power of hell, no scheme of man,

        Can ever pluck me from His hand;

Till he returns or calls me home,

        Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand!

 

PRAYER OF THE DAY

P:  Let us Pray…O God, we thank you for your Son who chose the path of suffering for the sake of the world.  Humble us by his example, point us to the path of obedience, and give us strength to follow his commands; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

C: Amen. 

 

SCRIPTURE

FIRST LESSON:                                                    Proverbs 9:1-10

Wisdom is seen and heard.

Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn her seven pillars.
She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
She has sent out her young women to call
from the highest places in the town,
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks sense she says,
“Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
Leave your simple ways, and live,
and walk in the way of insight.”

Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,
and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

 

CHILDREN’S MESSAGE

 

GOSPEL:                                                                   John 6:51-69  

Jesus speaks words of spirit and life.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.

When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this?Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.)And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

 

HYMN: “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing”                    TOSB 33

Come, thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace;

Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.

While the hope of endless glory fills my heart with joy and love,

Teach me ever to adore Thee, may I still thy goodness prove.

Here I raise my Ebenezer, hither by thy help I’m come;

And I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God;

He, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be;

Let that grace now like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love;

Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.

 

SERMON   “Hard Teachings”

 

APOSTLES’ CREED

C: 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 Spirit,

           Born of the virgin Mary,

           Suffered under Pontius Pilate,

           Was crucified, died and was buried.

           He descended into hell.

           The third day He rose again from the dead.

           He ascended into heaven

           And sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

From thence He will come to judge the living and the

dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

           The holy Christian Church,

                  The communion of saints,

           The forgiveness of sins,

           The resurrection of the body,

           And the life + everlasting.  Amen. 

 

OFFERING

OFFERTORY

 

BLESSING OF THE TREE

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH 

P:  In peace, let us pray to the Lord:

C:  Lord, have mercy.

P:  For a true faith, that we would honor God not just with our lips,

but serve Him faithfully with all of our heart, mind and strength, let us pray to the Lord:

C:  Lord, have mercy.

P:  For all Christians, that we not reject God’s commandments for the doctrine of men, but rather that we be given grace to keep God’s commandments in thought, word and deed, honoring God in all that we do, let us pray to the Lord:

C:  Lord, have mercy.

P:  For children of all ages, that they would honor their mother and father, so that they would not despise or anger their parents, but honor them, serve and obey them, and love and cherish them, let us pray to the Lord:

C:  Lord, have mercy.

P:  For those who are physically, emotionally and spiritually suffering on account of illness, [including…] that God would encourage them with His Word and grace, and that He would bless all medical professionals with the skills necessary to alleviate such suffering and pain where it is possible, let us pray to the Lord:

C: Lord, have mercy.

P:  Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

C:  Amen.

 

WORDS OF INSTITUTION

 

DISTRIBUTION

DISTRIBUTION HYMNS

“Glorify Thy Name”

Father, we love Thee, we praise Thee, we adore Thee.

Glorify Thy name in all the earth.

Glorify Thy name, glorify Thy name.

Glorify Thy name in all the earth.

 

Jesus, we love Thee, we praise Thee, we adore Thee.

Glorify Thy name in all the earth,

Glorify Thy name, glorify Thy name.

Glorify Thy name in all the earth.

 

Spirit, we love Thee, we praise Thee, we adore Thee.

Glorify Thy name in all the earth,

Glorify Thy name, glorify Thy name.

Glorify Thy name in all the earth.

 

 

“Freely, Freely”

God forgave my sin in Jesus’ name,

I’ve been born again in Jesus’ name;

And in Jesus’ name I come to you

To share His love as He told me to.

He said, “Freely, freely you have received:

Freely, freely give.

Go in my name, and because you believe,

Others will know that I live.”

 

All pow’r is giv’n in Jesus’ name,

In earth and heav’n in Jesus’ name

And in Jesus’ name I come to you

To share His pow’r as He told me to.

He said, “Freely, freely you have received:

Freely, freely give.

Go in my name, and because you believe,

Others will know that I live.”

 

“Jesus, Name Above All Names”

Jesus, name above all names,

Beautiful Savior, glorious Lord,

Emmanuel, God is With us,

Blessed Redeemer, living Word.

 

Jesus, love shepherd

Vine of the branches, Son of God

Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counselor

Lord of the universe, Light of the World.

 

Jesus, Way of salvation,

King of Kings, Lord of Lords,

The way the truth, and the Life,

Mighty creator, my Savior and friend.

 

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 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

 

CLOSING SONG: “All Creatures of Our God and King”

  1. Lift up your voice with us and Sing:  

   Alleluia! Alleluia!

   O burning sun with golden beam

   And silver moon with softer gleam;

           Oh, praise him! Oh, praise him!

           Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

 

  1. O rushing wind and breezes soft,

   O clouds that ride the winds aloft:

   Oh, praise him! Alleluia!

   O rising morn, in praise rejoice,

   O lights of evening find a voice.

           Oh, praise him! Oh, praise him!

           Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

 

  1. Let all things their Creator bless

   And worship God in humbleness.

   Oh, praise him! Alleluia!

   Oh, praise the Father, praise the Son,

   And praise the Spirit, Three in One,

           Oh, praise him! Oh, praise him!

           Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

 

BENEDICTION

DISMISSAL