Sunday after Pentecost
HOW WE WORSHIP
When we gather for worship, we rejoice in God’s grace through songs, prayers, scriptures, and the sacraments. The history of Christian worship is rich with traditions and rituals formed by generations which help to connect our lives with Christ.
By its very nature, Lutheran worship is participatory. The Holy Spirit joins our hearts and voices through songs and prayers that are both ancient and modern, biblical and relevant. Worship leaders guide us through the ser-vice and our responses are printed in bold type.
We are sent from this gathering into the world where we live on mission for Christ in our daily lives, loving and serving our neighbors and sharing the good news of Jesus with a world in need.
PRELUDE
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
RINGING OF THE BELL
Please stand as you are able.
THANKSGIVING FOR BAPTISM
Water! Water! We praise you, O God, for water—Canyon Lake, Guadalupe River, and the Edwards Aquifer, the rain that nourishes animals and plants, the water for drinking and bathing. We praise you, O God, for water.
We praise you, O God, for water.
We praise you O God for our water stories—a flood that cleaned the earth, the sea that drowned the enemy, a river that healed leprosy. We praise you, O God, for water.
We praise you, O God, for water.
We remember the waters of Jesus—baptized in the Jordan River, calming the sea of Galilee, drinking from Jacob’s Well, healing at the pool of Bethesida, washing the disciples’ feet. We praise you, O God, for water.
We praise you, O God, for water.
We praise you, O God, for this font, for through this water you have birthed us into the family of Christ, bathed us in forgiveness, and enlivened us in the Spirit. We praise you, O God, for baptism.
We praise you, O God, for baptism.
O God, you are the Ocean, sustaining this earth. O God, you are the River, saving us from death. O God, you are the Fountain, granting us health and well-being. We praise you, O God, today, tomorrow, forever. Amen, and amen.
Amen, and amen.
GATHERING HYMN “Because He Lives” Next page
GATHERING HYMN “Because He Lives”
Words and music by William J. and Gloria Gaither. © 1971 Hanna Street Music.
Used by permission. CCLI License #2561118
GREETING
The grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
And also with you.
HYMN OF PRAISE
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Let us pray. O God, our eternal redeemer, by the presence of your Spirit you renew and direct our hearts. Keep always in our mind the end of all things and the day of judgment. Inspire us for a holy life here, and bring us to the joy of the resurrection, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
Please be seated.
WORD
FIRST READING Job 19: 23-27a
Job suffers the loss of children, wealth, and health. Accused by his companions of wrongdoing, he knows himself to be innocent. Here, in the midst of his suffering, Job clings to the radical hope that his vindicator, his redeemer, lives; and that one day he himself will see God.
23 “O that my words were written down! O that they were inscribed in a book! 24 O that with an iron pen and with lead they were engraved on a rock forever! 25 For I know that my vindicator lives and that in the end he will stand upon the earth; 26 and after my skin has been destroyed, then in my flesh I shall see God, 27a whom I shall see on my side, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.”
Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.
PSALM Psalm 17: 1-9
Refrain:
1 Hear a just cause, O Lord; give heed to my cry; listen to my prayer,
which does not come from lying lips. 2 Let my vindication come forth from your presence; let your eyes
be fixed on justice.
Refrain:
3 Examine my heart, visit me by night, melt me down; you will find no
impurity in me. 4 I have not regarded what others do; at the word of your lips I have
avoided the ways of the violent.
Refrain:
5 My footsteps hold fast to your well-worn path; and my feet do not
slip. 6 I call upon you, O God, for you will answer me; incline your ear to
me and hear my words. 7 Show me your marvelous lovingkindness, O Savior of those who
take refuge at your right hand from those who rise against them.
Refrain:
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me under the shadow of your wings,
9 from the wicked who assault me, from my deadly enemies who surround me.
Refrain:
SECOND READING 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
This portion of the letter provides encouragement for the church at Thessalonica during a time of confusion and opposition, as some allowed their concern over Jesus’ imminent return to divert them from the central teachings of the gospel.
1 As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way, for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. 4 He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God. 5 Do you not remember that I told you these things when I was still with you? 13 But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters be-loved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14 For this purpose he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter.
16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, 17 comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.
Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.
CHILDREN’S SERMON Pastor Chris Steubing
Please stand as you are able.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Al - le - lu - ia. Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the
Words of e—ter— nal life. Al - le - lu - ia. Al - le - lu - ia.
GOSPEL READING Luke 20: 27-38
Some Sadducees, who do not believe in the resurrection of the dead, try to trap Jesus. They formulate the convoluted case of a serial widow who mar-ries a succession of seven brothers. Jesus responds by teaching about God to whom all are alive and in whom all relationships are fulfilled.
27 Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to [Jesus] 28 and asked him a question: “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. 29 Now there were seven broth-ers; the first married a woman and died childless; 30 then the second 31 and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. 32 Finally the woman also died. 33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.”
34 Jesus said to them, “Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage, 35 but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36 Indeed, they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. 37 And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38 Now he is God not of the dead but of the living, for to him all of them are alive.”
The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
Please be seated.
SERMON Rev. Chris Steubing
HYMN OF THE DAY “Christ, the Life of All the Living” Hymn # 339
Please stand as you are able.
THE APOSTLES’ CREED
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. Amen.
THE PRAYERS
. . .Hear us O, God, Your mercy is great.
THE PEACE
The peace of Christ be with you always.
And also with you.
Let us share the peace with one another.
OFFERING
OFFERING MUSIC “Great Are You Lord” Next page
Please stand as you are able as the offering is brought forward.
OFFERING PRAYER
Let us pray. God of healing and hope, you bless those who are hungry, promising to fill them with good things. Fulfill that promise through us and these your gifts. Nourish us with the abundance of your feast and unite us into the blessed body of Jesus Christ our Savior, now and forever. Amen.
OFFERING MUSIC “Great Are You Lord”
© 2012 Open Hands Music | So Essential Tunes | Integrity's Praise! Music | Little Way Creative Used by permission CCLI License # 2561118
The Lord’s Prayer (Sung)
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
BENEDICTION
The love of God the Sovereign strengthen you, God the Son save you, and God the Holy Spirit anoint you for the work ahead.
The holy Trinity bless you and grant you a faithful and courageous heart now and forever.
SENDING HYMN Hymn #619
“I Know that My Redeemer Lives” vs. 1-2, 4, 7-8
DISMISSAL
Go in peace. Share the harvest.
Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE
Our staf and worship leaders today:
Pastor—Rev. Chris Steubing
Visitation Pastor—Rev. Judi Miller
Our Reader—Dottie Gilbert
Our Liturgist—Don Gillett
Organist—Jimmy Cheung
Choir and Hand Bell Director—Wendy Kuenemann