Today's Theme for
Worship: Definitions Uncovered: Blessings are
cursed; curses are blessed. Jesus’ kingdom is the
opposite of the world. That which the world considers a blessing can often be a
curse, and that which the world calls bad, God always uses for the good of
those he loves.
Hymn: 867 Afflicted Saint, to Christ Draw Near
1. Afflicted saint, to Christ
draw near,
Your Savior's gracious promise hear;
His faithful Word you can believe:
That as your days your strength shall be.
2. Your faith is weak, your
foes are strong,
And if the conflict should be long,
The Lord will make the tempter flee
That as your days your strength shall be.
Refrain: So, sing with joy,
afflicted one;
The battle's fierce, but the victory's won!
God shall supply all that you need;
Yes, as your days your strength shall be.
3. Should persecution rage
and flame,
Still trust in your Redeemer's name.
In fiery trials you shall see
That as your days your strength shall be.
Refrain: So, sing with joy,
afflicted one;
The battle's fierce, but the victory's won!
God shall supply all that you need;
Yes, as your days your strength shall be.
4. When called to bear your
weighty cross
Or sore affliction, pain, or loss,
Or deep distress or poverty,
Still as your days your strength shall be.
Refrain: So, sing with joy,
afflicted one;
The battle's fierce, but the victory's won!
God shall supply all that you need;
Yes, as your days your strength shall be.
Invocation
P: In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
Confession
P: If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
C: If we confess our sins,
God is faithful and just
and will forgive us our sins
and purify us from all unrighteousness.
P: Let us confess our sins to the Lord.
C: Holy God, gracious
Father,
I am sinful by nature
and have sinned against you in my thoughts, words, and actions.
I have not loved you with my whole heart;
I have not loved others as I should.
I deserve your punishment both now and forever.
But Jesus, my Savior, paid for my sins
with his innocent suffering and death.
Trusting in him, I pray: God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Silence for meditation and reflection
Absolution
Our gracious Father in heaven has been merciful to us. He sent his only Son, Jesus Christ, who gave his life as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. 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 T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
Lord, Have Mercy
P: In peace let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
P: For the peace from above and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
P: For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
P: For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
C: Amen.
Glory Be to God
Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
We praise you, we bless you, we worship you,
we glorify you, we give thanks to you, for your great glory,
O Lord God, heav’nly King, God the Father Almighty.
O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ;
O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.
You take away the sin of the world; receive our prayer.
You sit at the right hand of God the Father; have mercy on us.
For you only are holy; you only are the Lord.
You only, O Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
are most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Salutation
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
Prayer of the Day
Let us pray.
O God of power and might, you know that we live in the midst of many great dangers, and in our frailty we cannot stand upright. Give us strength and protection to support us in all peril, and carry us through all temptations; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Adult Choir I Am Singing
First Reading: Jeremiah 17:5–8
5 This is what the Lord says.
Cursed is anyone who trusts in
mankind,
who seeks his strength from
human flesh,
and who turns his heart away
from the Lord.
6 He will be like a juniper bush in the wasteland.
He will not see good things
when they come.
He lives in a dry place in the
wilderness,
in a salty land where no one
lives.
7 But blessed is anyone who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
8 He will be like a tree planted by water.
It sends out its roots to the
stream.
It does not fear the heat when
it comes.
Its leaves will remain green.
It is not concerned about a
time of drought.
It does not stop producing
fruit.
Psalm of the Day:
Special Music Psalm
1 The Way of the Wicked
Blessed is the man who does not walk with the wicked,
Or stand on the path of sinners,
Or sit in the seat of scoffers;
But whose delight is in the LORD’s law
And who meditates on it day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of living water,
That produces fruit in season,
And whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
Blessed is the man who does not walk with the wicked,
Or stand on the path of sinners,
Or sit in the seat of scoffers;
Not so the wicked,
Who are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked shall not stand in the judgement,
Nor sinners in the throng of the righteous.
For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the wicked shall perish.
Blessed is the man who does not walk with the wicked,
Or stand on the path of sinners,
Or sit in the seat of scoffers;
For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the wicked shall perish.
Branches Band - Andy Braun © 2017
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:7b–10
7 Therefore, to keep me from becoming
arrogant due to the extraordinary nature of these revelations, I was given a
thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me, so that I would not
become arrogant. 8 Three times I pleaded with the
Lord about this, that he would take it away from me. 9 And
he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, because my power is made
perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will be glad to
boast all the more in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may shelter
me.
10 That is why I delight in weaknesses, in
insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties, for the sake of
Christ. For whenever I am weak, then am I strong.
Gospel
Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus is the light of the world;
in him we have the light of life.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Luke 6:17–26
17 He went down with them and stood on a
level place with a large crowd of his disciples and a large
number of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, as well as from the
coastal area of Tyre and Sidon. These people came to
listen to him and to be healed of their diseases. 18 Those
who were troubled by unclean spirits were also cured. 19 The
whole crowd kept trying to touch him, because power was going out from him and
healing them all.
20 He lifted up his eyes to his disciples and
said:
Blessed are you who are poor,
because yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
because you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
because you will laugh.
22 Blessed are you whenever people hate you,
and whenever they exclude and insult you
and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man.
23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy
because of this: Your reward is great in heaven! The fact is,
their fathers constantly did the same things to the prophets.”
24 But woe to you who are rich,
because you are receiving your comfort now.
25 Woe to you who are well fed now,
because you will be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
because you will be mourning and weeping.
26 Woe to you when all people speak well of you,
because that is how their fathers constantly treated
the
false prophets.
P: The Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise be to you, O Christ!
Hymn of the Day: 803 Day by Day
1 Day by day, your mercies, Lord, attend me,
bringing comfort to my anxious soul.
Day by day, the blessings, Lord, you send me
draw me nearer to my heav’nly goal.
Love divine, beyond all mortal measure,
brings to naught the burdens of my
quest;
Savior, lead me to the home I treasure,
where at last I’ll find eternal rest.
2 Day by day, I know you will provide me
strength to serve and wisdom to obey;
I will seek your loving will to guide me
o’er the paths I struggle day by day.
I will fear no evil of the morrow,
I will trust in your enduring grace.
Savior, help me bear life’s pain and sorrow
till in glory I behold your face.
3 Oh, what joy to know that you are near me
when my burdens grow too great to
bear;
oh, what joy to know that you will hear me
when I come, O Lord, to you in
prayer.
Day by day, no matter what betide me,
you will hold me ever in your hand.
Savior, with your presence here to guide me,
I will reach at last the promised
land.
Text: tr. Robert Leaf, 1936–2005; Carolina Sandell Berg, 1832–1903
Text: © 1992 Augsburg Fortress. Used by permission: OneLicense no. 703297
Sermon
Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the
Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
I believe 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 is seated at the right hand of God
the Father Almighty.
From there 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.
Prayer of the Church
Offering
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Offering Prayer
Hymn: 706 Come unto Me, Ye Weary
1 “Come unto me, ye weary,
and I will give you rest.”
O blessèd voice of Jesus,
which comes to hearts oppressed!
It tells of benediction,
of pardon, grace, and peace,
of joy that has no ending,
of love that cannot cease.
2 “Come unto me, ye wand’rers,
and I will give you light.”
O loving voice of Jesus,
which comes to cheer the night!
Our hearts were filled with sadness,
and we had lost our way,
but thou hast brought us gladness
and songs at break of day.
3 “Come unto me, ye fainting,
and I will give you
life.”
O cheering voice of Jesus,
which comes to aid our strife!
The foe is stern and eager,
the fight is fierce and long,
but thou hast made us mighty
and stronger than the strong.
4 “And whosoever cometh,
I will not cast him out.”
O patient love of Jesus,
which drives away our doubt,
which, though we be unworthy
of love so great and free,
invites us very sinners
to come, dear Lord, to thee!
Text: William C. Dix, 1837–1898, alt.
Text: Public domain
Prayer
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and forever. Amen.
Blessing
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 T give you peace.
C: Amen.
Hymn: 800 How Firm a Foundation
1 How firm a foundation, you saints of the
Lord,
is laid for your faith in his excellent Word!
What more can he say than to you he has said,
to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
2 “Fear not, I am with you, O be not
dismayed,
for I am your God and will still give you aid;
I’ll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand,
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
3 “When through the deep waters I call you to
go,
the rivers of sorrow shall not overflow,
for I will be with you, your troubles to bless,
and sanctify to you your deepest distress.
4 “When through fiery trials your pathway
shall lie,
my grace all-sufficient shall be your supply;
the flames will not hurt you; I only design
your dross to consume and your gold to refine.
5 “The soul that on Jesus has leaned for
repose
I will not, I will not, desert to its foes;
that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!”
Text: A Selection of Hymns, London, 1787, ed. John Rippon, alt.
Text: Public domain
Acknowledgments
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©
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