Ninth Sunday after Pentecost -August 2, 2020

Today’s Theme for Worship: God is patient with the human race. His judgment will come, but not prematurely.

Opening Hymn: 221 Blessed Jesus, at Your Word

1 Blessed Jesus, at your Word We are gathered all to hear you.

Let our hearts and souls be stirred Now to seek and love and fear you,

By your teachings, sweet and holy, Drawn from earth to love you solely.

2 All our knowledge, sense, and sight Lie in deepest darkness shrouded

Till your Spirit breaks our night With the beams of truth unclouded.

You alone to God can win us; You must work all good within us.

3 Gracious Savior, good and kind, Light from Light, from God proceeding,

Open now our heart and mind; Help us by your Spirit’s pleading.

Hear the cry your people raises; Hear and bless our prayers and praises.

4 Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Praise to you and adoration!

Grant that we your Word may trust, Confident of our salvation,

While we here below must wander, Till we sing your praises yonder.

Text: Tobias Clausnitzer, 1619-84, st. 1-3; Geistreiches Gesang-Büchlein, Berlin, 1707, st. 4;

tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827-78, st. 1-3, alt.; unknown, st. 4, alt.

Order of Service: Service of Word and Sacrament

P: The grace of our Lord + Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you.

C: And also with you.

Confession of Sins

P: God invites us to come into his presence and worship him with humble and penitent hearts. Therefore, let us acknowledge our sinfulness and ask him to forgive us.

C: Holy and merciful Father, I confess that I am by nature sinful, and that I have disobeyed you in my thoughts, words, and actions. I have done what is evil and failed to do what is good. For this I deserve your punishment both now and in eternity. But I am truly sorry for my sins, and trusting in my Savior Jesus Christ, I pray: Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.

P: God, our heavenly Father, has been merciful to us and has given his only Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Therefore, as a called servant of Christ and by his authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen.

Lord, Have Mercy

P: For all that we need in life and for the wisdom to use all your gifts with gratitude and joy, hear our prayer, O Lord.

C: ♬ Lord, have mer-cy.

P: For the steadfast assurance that nothing can separate us from your love and for the courage to stand firm against the assaults of Satan and every evil, hear our prayer, O Christ.

C: ♬ Christ, have mer-cy.

P: For the well-being of your holy Church in all the world and for those who offer here their worship and praise, hear our prayer, O Lord.

C: ♬ Lord, have mer-cy.

P: Merciful God, maker and preserver of life, uphold us by your power and keep us in your tender care:

C: ♬ A-men.

P: The works of the Lord are great and glorious; his name is worthy of praise.

♬ O Lord, Our Lord

O Lord, our Lord, how glo-rious is your name in all the earth.

Al-might-y God, mer-ci-ful Father,

you crown our life with your love.

You take a-way our sin; you com-fort our spir-it;

you make us pure and ho-ly in your sight.

You did not spare your on-ly Son, but gave him up for us all.

O Lord, our Lord, how glo-rious is your name in all the earth.

O Son of God, e-ter-nal Word of the Fa-ther,

you came to live with us;

you made your Fa-ther known;

you washed us from our sins in your own blood.

You are the King of glo-ry; you are the Lord!

O Lord, our Lord, how glo-rious is your name in all the earth.

Prayer of the Day

P: Let us Pray.

Grant us, Lord, the spirit to think and do what is right that we, who cannot do anything that is good without you, may by your help be enabled to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: ♬ A-men.

First Lesson: Joel 3:12-16

Judgment Day will be like a final harvest in the grainfields and vineyards.

¹²Let the nations be roused;

Let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat,

for there I will sit

to judge all the nations on every side.

¹³Swing the sickle,

for the harvest is ripe.

Come, trample the grapes,

for the winepress is full and the vats overflow,

so great is their wickedness!

¹⁴Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!

For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.

¹⁵The sun and moon will be darkened,

and the stars no longer shine.

¹⁶The Lord will roar from Zion

and thunder from Jerusalem;

the earth and heaven will tremble.

But the Lord will be a refuge for his people,

a stronghold for the people of Israel.

Psalm 18

Refrain

The mighty Lord us with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and by deliverer;*

my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.

He reached down from on high and took hold of me;*

he rescued me from my powerful enemy.

He brought me out into a spacious place;*

he rescued me because he delighted in me.

Refrain

The mighty Lord us with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning;*

my God turns my darkness into light.

You save the humble*

but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.

You give me your shield of victory,*

and your right hand sustains me.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son*

and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning,*

is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Refrain

The mighty Lord us with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Refrain Tune: Dale Wood. From Seasonal Psalms. © 1978 Augsburg Publishing House. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Augsburg Fortress.

Second Lesson: 1 Peter 4:1-8

Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. ² As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. ³ For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. ⁴ They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. ⁵ But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. ⁶ For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.

⁷ The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. ⁸ Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

Hymn of the Day: 541 Lord Jesus Christ, with Us Abide vv 1,3,5,7

1 Lord Jesus Christ, with us abide, For round us falls the eventide,

Nor let your Word, that heav’nly light, For us be ever veiled in night.

3 In these last days of sore distress Grant us, dear Lord, true steadfastness

That pure we keep, till life is spent, Your holy Word and sacrament.

5 Oh, keep us in your Word, we pray; The guile and rage of Satan stay!

Oh, may your mercy never cease! Give concord, patience, courage, peace.

7 Oh, grant that in your holy Word We here may live and die, dear Lord,

And when our journey’s ending here, Receive us into glory there.

Text: Geistliche Psalmen, Nürnberg, 1611, st. 1, 3; Nikolaus Selnecker, 1532-92, st. 2, 4-7, abr., adapt.; tr. composite.

Sermon: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 – Wheat, Wait for the Weeding
²⁴Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. ²⁵But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. ²⁶When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. ²⁷The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ ²⁸ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ ²⁹‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. ³⁰Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: “First, collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then, gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.”’”

³⁶Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

³⁷He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. ³⁸The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, ³⁹and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the age, and the harvesters are angels. ⁴⁰As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. ⁴¹The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. ⁴²They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father.

Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and became fully human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures.

He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Offering Prayer

Electronic Giving! You can give your offerings from your smartphone with the GivePlusChurch app, which can be downloaded for free at Google Play or the App Store. You can also give at holytrinitylutheranwyoming.com by clicking the Offerings link at the top of the page or scan the QR code below. If you have any questions about any of these options, please contact Dave Conrad at dconrad765@gmail.com or 616-406-7172

Prayer of the Church

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.

The Sacrament

P: The Lord be with you.

C: ♬ And also with you.

P: Lift up your hearts.

C: ♬ We lift them up to the Lord.

P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

C: ♬ It is right to give him thanks and praise.

P: Praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In love he has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. He sends the Holy Spirit to testify that we are his children and to strengthen us when we are weak. Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ. To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and thanks and honor and glory for ever and ever.

♬ Holy, Holy, Holy

Ho-ly, ho-ly, ho-ly is the Lord of hosts.

The whole earth is full of your glo-ry.

You are my God, and I will ex-alt you.

I will give you thanks, for you have be-come my sal-va-tion.

Ho-ly, ho-ly, ho-ly is the Lord of hosts.

The whole earth is full of your glo-ry.

Words of Institution

P: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night he was betrayed, took bread; and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying “Take and eat; this is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

P: The peace of the Lord be with you always.

C: ♬ A-men.

♬ O Christ, Lamb Of God

O Christ, Lamb of God,

you take a-way the sin of the world;

have mer-cy on us.

O Christ, Lamb of God,

you take a-way the sin of the world;

have mer-cy on us.

O Christ, Lamb of God,

you take a-way the sin of the world;

grant us your peace.

A-men.

Distribution Hymn: 208 Great God, What Do I See and Hear

1 Great God, what do I see and hear? The end of things created;

The judge of mankind shall appear On clouds of glory seated.

The trumpet sounds; the graves restore The dead which they contained before:

Prepare, my soul, to meet him!

2 The dead in Christ shall first arise At that last trumpet’s sounding,

Caught up to meet him in the skies, With joy their Lord surrounding.

No gloomy fears their souls dismay; His presence sheds eternal day

On those prepared to meet him.

3 But sinners filled with guilty fears Behold his wrath prevailing,

For they shall rise and find their tears And sighs are unavailing;

The day of grace is past and gone; They trembling stand before his throne,

All unprepared to meet him.

4 O Christ, you died, and yet you live; To me account your merit,

My pardon seal, my sins forgive, And cleanse me by your Spirit.

Beneath your cross I view the day When heav’n and earth shall pass away,

And thus prepare to meet you.

Text: Psalms and Hymns, Sheffield, 1802, st. 1, alt.; William B. Collyer, 1782-1854,

st. 2-4, alt.

Thank the Lord

Thank the Lord and sing his praise.

Tell ev-'ry-one what he has done.

Let all who seek the Lord re-joice

And proud-ly bear his name.

He re-news his prom-is-es and leads his peo-ple forth

in joy with shouts of thanks-giv-ing.

Al-le-lu-ia! Al-le-lu-ia!

Prayer

P: Hear the prayer of your people, O Lord, that the lips which have praised you here may glorify you in the world, that the eyes which have seen the coming of your Son may long for his coming again, and that all who have received in his true body and blood the pledge of your forgiveness may be restored to live a new and holy life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: A-men.

Blessing

M: Brothers and sisters, go in peace. Live in harmony with one another. Serve the Lord with gladness.

The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.

The Lord look on you with favor and give you peace.

C: (sing) Amen. Amen. Amen.

Closing Hymn: 613 Come, You Thankful People, Come

1 Come, you thankful people, come; Raise the song of harvest-home.

All be safely gathered in Ere the winter storms begin.

God our maker shall provide For our wants to be supplied.

Come to God’s own temple, come; Raise the song of harvest-home.

2 All the world is God’s own field, Fruit unto his praise to yield;

Wheat and weeds together sown, Unto joy or sorrow grown.

First the blade and then the ear, Then the full corn shall appear.

Lord of harvest, grant that we Wholesome grain and pure may be.

3 For the Lord our God shall come And shall take his harvest home,

From his field shall in that day All offenses purge away,

Give his angels charge at last In the fire the weeds to cast,

But the fruitful ears to store In his garner evermore.

4 Even so, Lord, quickly come To your final harvest-home;

Gather all your people in, Free from sorrow, free from sin,

There, forever purified, In your garner to abide.

Come with all your angels, come; Raise the glorious harvest-home.

Text: Henry Alford, 1810-71, alt.