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Sunday after Pentecost
10:00 AM Service September 1, 2024
Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
Ringing of the Bell
Confession and Forgiveness
Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God, who forgives all our sin, whose mercy endures forever.
Amen.
Let us confess our sin and come to God for healing. Silence is kept for reflection.
Gracious God,
have mercy on us. We confess that we have honored you with our lips, but have harmed our neighbors with our tongues. The cravings at war within us cause conflicts and disputes. In our desire to be first we make distinctions among ourselves. We place the needs of the poor and the suffering last. In your great mercy, forgive us our sins. Draw near to us with grace in time of need, and turn us to follow in the way of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
God promises to forgive our iniquity and to remember our sin no more. By grace you have been saved. In the name of Jesus Christ, the source of eternal healing, your sins are forgiven.
Amen.
Hymn #879 “For The Beauty of The Earth”
Greeting:
L: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C: And also with you.
L: Liturgist P: Pastor C: Congregation
Hymn of Praise
Glory In The Highest
Refrain:
Verse 1 Shaper of the Universe, Thanks and praise we sing. Loving Father, Caring Mother hold us in your hands. Refrain Verse 2 Jesus Christ the Lamb of God, You wash our sins away.
At your table all are welcome. Hear us as we pray. Refrain
Verse 3 Holy Spirit source of life, burning wild and free You are God the three-in-one such a mystery. Refrain Jonathan Rundman CCLI Song #5819016 © 2006 Rundman, Jonathan For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use.
All rights reserved. www.ccli.com Used with permission CCLI License #2561118
L: Let us pray.
C: O God our strength, without you we are weak and wayward creatures. Protect us from all dangers that attack us from the outside, and cleanse us from all evil that arises from within ourselves, that we may be preserved through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
WORD
First Reading Deuteronomy 4: 1—2, 6—9
A reading from Deuteronomy.
The Israelites believed the law was a divine gift that provided guidelines for living out the covenant. Moses commands the people to obey the law and to neither add to nor subtract from it. The Israelites are also to teach the law to their children and their children’s children.
1So now, Israel, give heed to the statutes and ordinances that I am teach-ing you to observe, so that you may live to enter and occupy the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. 2You must neither add anything to what I command you nor take away anything from it, but keep the commandments of the Lord your God with which I am charging you. 6You must observe them diligently, for this will show your wisdom and dis-cernment to the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!” 7For what other great nation has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is whenever we call to him? 8And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this entire law that I am setting before you today? 9But take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children’s children.
R: The Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God.
Psalm: Psalm 15 Pg. 853
Refrain:
PS 15:1 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?
PS 15:2 He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who
speaks the truth from his heart
Refrain:
PS 15:3 and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong
and casts no slur on his fellowman,
PS 15:4 who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD, who
keeps his oath even when it hurts,
Refrain:
PS 15:5 who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe
against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.
Refrain:
Second Reading: James 1: 17—27
A reading from James.
The letter of James was intended to provide first-century Christians with instruction in godly behavior. Here Christians are encouraged to listen carefully and to act on what they hear, especially by caring for those least able to care for themselves.
17Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, com-ing down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shad-ow due to change. 18In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures. 19You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20for your anger does not produce God’s right-eousness. 21Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. 22But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. 23For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; 24for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. 25But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing.
26If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. 27Religion that is pure and un-defiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world
The word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God.
Children’s Sermon Pastor Chris Steubing
Please Stand
Gospel Acclamation
The Gospel according to Mark
(After the Gospel is announced, we say)
Glory to you, O Lord.
Gospel Mark 7: 1—8, 14—15, 21—23
Mark’s gospel depicts Jesus as challenging traditional ways in which religious people determine what is pure or impure. For Jesus, the observance of religious practices cannot become a substitute for godly words or deeds that spring from a faithful heart.
1Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around [Jesus], 2they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. 3(For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; 4and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other tra-ditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) 5So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” 6He said to them, “Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; 7in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.’ 8You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.” 14Then he called the crowd again and said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand: 15there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile. 21“For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, 22adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentious-ness, envy, slander, pride, folly. 23All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
The gospel of the Lord.
(After the reading of the Gospel, we say)
C: Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon Pastor Chris Steubing
Remain seated
Hymn ACS #1043 “Spirit, Open My Heart” (Insert)
L: Together with the whole church, we confess our faith:
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
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.
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.
The Prayers
L:. . . .Merciful God,
C: Receive our prayer.
The Peace
L: The peace of Christ be with you always.
C: And also with you.
L: You may share the peace with one another.
Offering
Offering Hymn #512 “Lord, Let My Heart be Good Soil”
Let’s pray,
All: Holy God, gracious and merciful, you bring forth food from the earth and nourish your whole creation. Turn our hearts toward those who hunger in any way, that all may know your care; and prepare us now to feast on the bread of life, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
MEAL
P: The Lord be with you. C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts. C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
P: It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise. . . We praise our name and join their unending:
In the night in which he was betrayed,
our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks;
broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take and eat; this is my body, given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks,
and gave it for all to drink, saying:
This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
P: Remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray…
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.
Invitation to Communion
P: Christ has set the table with more than enough for all. Come!
Communion Distribution---All are welcome at the Lord’s table. The cups contain wine (red) or grape juice (white). Those who do not normally receive communion, are free to come forward for a blessing.
Communion Hymns
Hymn #801 “Change My Heart, O God”
Hymn WOV #783 “Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God”
(Insert)
Blessing
P: The body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ, strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
Amen.
Prayer after Communion
P: Let us pray. O God, we give you thanks that you have set before us this feast, the body and blood of your Son. By your Spirit strengthen us to serve all in need and to give ourselves away as bread for the hungry, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Farewell Litany for Brenda and Sparky Oliphant
Benediction
P: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord’s face shine on you with grace and mercy. The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
Hymn #583 “Take My Life, That I May Be”
L: Go in peace. Share the Good News.
Thanks be to God.
Postlude
Our thanks to those who serve as our worship leaders::
Our Reader—Kamryn Prater
Our Liturgist—Don Gillett
Organist—Angela Lau
Choir and Hand Bell Director—Wendy Kuenemann
Pastor—Rev. Chris Steubing