The Bulletin is at: 07-30-2017 – Bulletin
The Service in PDF format is at: 07-30-2017 – Service
or the service is as follows:
EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
July 30, 2017
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC
AS WE GATHER: “God never gives you more than you can handle.” These words are often used to try to comfort someone who is suffering. These words are often spoken as if this is what the Scriptures teach about suffering. However, these words are not found in the Scriptures. Nor is the idea that you never face more than you can handle. This not-so-helpful idea is loosely based on today’s Epistle, “all things work together for good,” and I Corinthians 10:13, that God “will not let you be tempted beyond your ability.” While it’s a well-intended comment, “God never gives you more than you can handle.” is simply not true. Life does sometimes give us more than we can handle. If we could handle these things and more, then why would we even need God? Instead of protecting us from more than we can handle, God handles what we can’t handle. Joseph couldn’t handle it when his brothers sold him into slavery. But God handled it as He guided toward leadership in Egypt. What amazing news it is that no matter what might happen to you in this life, even when you can’t handle it at all and you feel like your life is crumbling to pieces, God can handle it!
P: In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
OPENING SENTENCES
P: Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
C: We should never be discouraged. Let’s take it to the Lord in prayer.
P: Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share?
C: Jesus knows our every weakness. Let’s take it to the Lord in prayer.
OPENING UP TO GOD AND ONE ANOTHER
P: In a time of confession, let us take our sins to the Lord in prayer, trusting that our Father hears us for the sake of His Son, Jesus.
Silent Reflection
P: With humble hearts, we join together in prayer:
C: Heavenly Father, we have sinned against You in thought, word and deed. We have done this when we have lived as though we are separated from Your love. We have done this when our loneliness has caused us to question Your abiding love. We have done this when we have let others around us live in loneliness when all they need is a listening ear. Forgive our sins, those of which we are aware and those we do unwittingly. Have mercy on us. Seek us, for You alone can find us and restore us.
P: Your Father in heaven hears your prayer and, in His great mercy, has given His Son to die on the cross and rise again for you. The blessing of His cross and resurrection is yours today. I announce God’s grace, as a called and ordained servant of Christ, your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
PRAISE SONG – “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” LBW 439
What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Ev’rything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit;
Oh, what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you?
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
In his arms he’ll take and shield you;
You will find a solace there.
P: Let us Pray. You treasure us, O Lord, and You steadfastly love Your chosen people. In the midst of even the worst things that can happen to us, we are more than conquerors through the love of Jesus. Help us to know the peace that Your presence brings in the midst of our troubles and guide us toward the kingdom You promised. We pray these things through Jesus, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
SCRIPTURE LESSONS
Old Testament: Deuteronomy 7:6-9
Chosen to be a treasured possession
“For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,
Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Jesus.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can beagainst us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that 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 our Lord.
Parables describing the kingdom of God
(Jesus said: )“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
“Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.” And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
SERMON HYMN – “Standin’ in the Need of Prayer”
Not my brother, nor my sister, but it’s me, Oh Lord,
Standin’ in the need of prayer;
Not my brother, nor my sister, but it’s me, Oh Lord,
Standin’ in the need of prayer.
Chorus:
It’s me, (It’s me,) it’s me, Oh Lord,
Standin’ in the need of prayer.
It’s me, (It’s me,) it’s me, Oh Lord,
Standin’ in the need of prayer.
Not my preacher, nor the deacon, but it’s me, Oh Lord,
Standin’ in the need of prayer;
Not the preacher, nor the deacon, but it’s me, Oh Lord,
Standin’ in the need of prayer. Chorus
Not my father, nor my mother, but it’s me, Oh Lord,
Standin’ in the need of prayer;
Not my father, nor my mother, but it’s me, Oh Lord,
Standin’ in the need of prayer. Chorus
C: 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 Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
OFFERING
We offer our thanksgiving for what God has first given us – ourselves, our time, our possessions.
OFFERTORY
P: As the Lord’s treasured possession, a people loved and redeemed through our Savior Jesus, let us bring acclamation of praise, cries for justice, pleas for mercy, and requests for peace for all those in need in our lonely and broken world and for ourselves.
P: Lord, Your steadfast love sustains the Church throughout the world. Strengthen the Church wherever two or three are gathered in Your name. Guide the Church into all truth. Empower our proclamation of the Gospel, so that the world may know the joy of Your kingdom. Bless the work of missionaries and church leaders. Enable all congregations to be sources of God’s love and redemption to the people in the communities in which they live. God of steadfast love,
C: hear our prayer.
P: You promise that nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Guide the rulers of our nation and of all the nations of the world toward justice, wisdom, mercy, and peace. Watch over our military personnel and make Your comforting presence known to their families. Protect innocent people in war-torn nations. Preserve us from acts of terrorism. Reconcile us with our enemies. God of steadfast love,
C: hear our prayer.
P: You work all things together for good for those who love You. Let Your love sustain and encourage those who are facing health troubles, (including…). Bless those who are in danger, those who are feeling lonely or depressed, and those who feel separated from You. Help them to see that even in the midst of suffering, You are there, and that nothing in all creation can separate them from Your love for us Christ Jesus. God of steadfast love,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that Your hand is leading us and Your love supporting us. God of steadfast love,
C: hear our prayer.
P: We trust, O Lord, in Your great mercy to hear and answer us. We pray these things through Jesus, our Lord.
C: Amen.
P: Welcome to the celebration! God who supplies our every need has given us this meal to share.
C: Lord, we thank You for the bread of eternal life.
P: We come to the table, acknowledging our shortcomings and our need to experience Your presence in bread and wine.
C: Lord, we thank You for the bread of eternal life.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
LORD’S PRAYER
DISTRIBUTION
“The Solid Rock” TOSB 222
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness seem to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil. (Refrain)
His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay. (Refrain)
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne. (Refrain)
“Just A Closer Walk with Thee” TOSB 227
Refrain; Just a closer walk with Thee
Grant it Jesus, if you please;
Daily walking close to Thee
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
I am weak but Thou art strong
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, dear Lord, close to Thee. (Refrain)
Thru this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee. (Refrain)
When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more;
On that bright eternal shore
I will walk, dear Lord, close to Thee. (Refrain)
“I’ve Got Peace Like a River” TOSB 108
I’ve got peace like a river,
I’ve got peace like a river,
I’ve got peace like a river in my soul.
I’ve got peace like a river,
I’ve got peace like a river,
I’ve got peace like a river in my soul.
I’ve got love like an ocean,
I’ve got love like an ocean,
I’ve got love like an ocean in my soul.
I’ve got love like an ocean,
I’ve got love like an ocean,
I’ve got love like an ocean in my soul.
I’ve got joy like a fountain,
I’ve got joy like a fountain,
I’ve got joy like a fountain in my soul.
I’ve got joy like a fountain,
I’ve got joy like a fountain,
I’ve got joy like a fountain in my soul.
P: Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
C: We should never be discouraged. We take it to the Lord in prayer.
P: Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share?
C: Because Jesus knows our every weakness, we take all things to the Lord in prayer.
P: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and + give you peace.
C: Amen.
CLOSING HYMN – “To God Be the Glory” TOSB 241
To God be the glory, great things He has done,
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son.
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in.
Refrain Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father,
Thro’ Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory,
great things He has done.
O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To ev’ry believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives. Refrain
Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done,
And great our rejoicing thro’ Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see. Refrain
P: Go in Peace. Serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.