Sixth Sunday after Pentecost July 17, 2022

Today’s Theme of Worship: Focused worship seeks service from Jesus more than service for Jesus. We call worship a "service.” Which raises the question: who is serving whom? The Lutheran Confessions say: “God wants to be worshipped through faith so that we receive from him those things he promises and offers.”

Hymn: 919 Blessed Jesus, at Your Word

1 Blessèd 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 Church now 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 (sts. 1–3): tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–1878, alt.; (sts. 1–3): Tobias Clausnitzer, 1619–1684; (st. 4): tr. unknown, alt.; (st. 4): Geistreiches Gesang-Büchlein, Berlin, 1707
Text: Public domain

P: In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen.

Confession

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just
and will forgive us our sins
and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Let us confess our sins to the Lord.

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.

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.

Amen.

Lord, Have Mercy

In peace let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

For the peace from above and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

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.

Lord, have mercy.

For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.

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.

The Word

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Prayer of the Day:

Let us pray.

Almighty God, we thank you for planting in us the seed of your Word. By your Holy Spirit, help us to receive it with joy and bring forth fruits in faith, hope, and love; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

First Reading: Genesis 18:1–14

The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he was sitting by the door to his tent during the heat of the day. ²Abraham looked up, and he saw three men standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and he bowed down to the ground. ³He said, “My lord, if I have now found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by. ⁴Now let me get a little water so that all of you can wash your feet and rest under the tree. ⁵Let me get some bread so that you can refresh yourselves. After that you may go your way. That is why you have come to your servant.”

They said, “Yes, do as you have said.”

⁶Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly prepare twenty quarts of fine flour, knead it, and make some loaves of bread.” ⁷Abraham ran to the herd, brought a good, tender calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to prepare it. ⁸He took cheese curds, milk, and the calf that he had prepared and set it before them. He stood beside them under the tree while they ate.

⁹They asked him, “Where is Sarah, your wife?”

He said, “She is over there in the tent.”

¹⁰One of the men said, “I will certainly return to you when this season comes around next year. Then Sarah your wife will have a son.”

Sarah was listening to this from the tent door, which was behind him. ¹¹Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well into old age. Sarah was past the age for childbearing. ¹²Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, will I have pleasure, since my lord is also old?”

¹³The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really give birth to a child though I am old?’ ¹⁴Is anything impossible for the Lord? At the set time next year I will return to you, and Sarah will have a son.”

Psalm of the Day: 119B Teach Me, O LORD

Refrain

Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes.

Teach me, Lord, the way of / your decrees,
that I may follow it / to the end.
Give me understanding, so that I may / keep your law
and obey it with / all my heart.
Direct me in the path of / your commands,
for there I / find delight. Refrain

Turn my eyes away from / worthless things;
preserve my life according / to your word.
Fulfill your promise to your / servant,
so that you / may be feared.
How I long for your / precepts!
In your righteousness pre- / serve my life.
Glory be to the Father and / to the Son
and to the Holy / Spirit,
as it was in the be- / ginning,
is now, and will be forever. / Amen. Refrain

Text: Public domain

Second Reading: Colossians 1:1–14

1  Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

²To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

³We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, ⁴because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints ⁵because of the hope that is stored up for you in heaven. You have already heard about this in the word of truth, the gospel ⁶that is present with you now. The gospel is bearing fruit and growing in the entire world, just as it also has been doing among you from the day you heard it and came to know the grace of God in truth. ⁷You learned this from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf. ⁸He is the one who told us about your love in the Spirit.

⁹For this reason, from the day we heard about your love, we also have not stopped praying for you. We keep asking that you would be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, ¹⁰so that you might live in a way that is worthy of the Lord. Our goal is that you please him by bearing fruit in every kind of good work and by growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹as you are being strengthened with all power because of his glorious might working in you. Then you will have complete endurance and patience, joyfully ¹²giving thanks to the Father, who qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

¹³The Father rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, ¹⁴in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Verse of the Day Isaiah 55:11

P: Alleluia. My word will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Alleluia

Gospel: Luke 10:38–42

³⁸As they went on their way, Jesus came into a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. ³⁹She had a sister named Mary, who was sitting at the Lord’s feet and was listening to his word. ⁴⁰But Martha was distracted with all her serving. She came over and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me.”

⁴¹The Lord answered and told her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴²but one thing is needed. In fact, Mary has chosen that better part, which will not be taken away from her.”

P: The Gospel of the Lord
C: Praise be to you, O Christ

Hymn of the Day: 645 One Thing’s Needful

1 One thing’s needful; Lord, this treasure
teach me highly to regard.
All else, though it first give pleasure,
is a yoke that presses hard.
Beneath it the heart is still fretting and striving,
no true, lasting happiness ever deriving.
This one thing is needful; all others are vain—
I count all but loss that I Christ may obtain.

2 How were Mary’s thoughts devoted
her eternal joy to find
as intent each word she noted,
at her Savior’s feet reclined!
How kindled her heart, how devout was its feeling,
while hearing the lessons that Christ was revealing!
All earthly concerns she forgot for her Lord
and found her contentment in hearing his Word.

3 Wisdom’s highest, noblest treasure,
Jesus, is revealed in you.
Let me find in you my pleasure;
make my will and actions true,
humility there and simplicity reigning,
in paths of true wisdom my steps ever training.
If I learn from Jesus this knowledge divine,
the blessing of heavenly wisdom is mine.

Text: tr. Frances E. Cox, 1812–1897, alt.; Johann H. Schröder, 1667–1699, abr., adapt.
Text: Public domain

Sermon: Philippians 1:18-24 "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."

⁸ But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, ¹⁹ for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. ²⁰ I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. ²¹ For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. ²² If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! ²³ I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; ²⁴ but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.

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 truly 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.

Prayer of the Church

Offering

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The Sacrament

Preface

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them up to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give him thanks and praise.

It is truly good and right that we should at all times and in all places give you thanks, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who promised that wherever two or three come together in his name, there he is with them to shepherd his flock until he comes again in glory. Therefore, with all the saints on earth and hosts of heaven, we praise your holy name and join their glorious song:

Holy, Holy, Holy

Holy, holy, holy Lord God of heavenly hosts: heav’n and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he, blessed is he, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

We give thanks to you, O God, through your dear Son, Jesus Christ, whom you sent to be our Savior, our Redeemer, and the messenger of your grace. Through him you made all things; in him you are well pleased. He is the incarnate Word, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. To fulfill your promises, he stretched out his hands on the cross and released from eternal death all who believe in you.

As we remember Jesus’ death and resurrection, we thank you that you have gathered us together to receive your Son’s body and blood. Send us your Spirit, unite us as one, and strengthen our faith so that we may praise you in your Son, Jesus Christ. Through him, we glorify and honor you, O God our Father, with the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

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.

Words of Institution

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 T 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 T 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.”

The peace of the Lord be with you always.

Amen.

O Christ, Lamb of God

O Christ, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.

O Christ, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.

O Christ, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; grant us your peace. Amen.

Distribution

Distribution Hymn: 630 Thy Strong Word

1 Thy strong word did cleave the darkness;
at thy speaking it was done.
For created light we thank thee
while thine ordered seasons run.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Praise to thee who light dost send!
Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia without end!

2 Lo, on those who dwelt in darkness,
dark as night and deep as death,
broke the light of thy salvation,
breathed thine own life-giving breath.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Praise to thee who light dost send!
Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia without end!

3 Thy strong Word bespeaks us righteous;
bright with thine own holiness,
glorious now, we press toward glory,
and our lives our hopes confess.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Praise to thee who light dost send!
Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia without end!

4 From the cross thy wisdom shining
breaketh forth in conqu’ring might;
from the cross forever beameth
all thy bright redeeming light.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Praise to thee who light dost send!
Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia without end!

5 Give us lips to sing thy glory,
tongues thy mercy to proclaim,
throats to shout the hope that fills us,
mouths to speak thy holy name.
Alleluia, alleluia!
May the light which thou dost send
fill our songs with alleluias,
alleluias without end!

6 God the Father, light-creator,
to thee laud and honor be.
To thee, Light from Light begotten,
praise be sung eternally.
Holy Spirit, light-revealer,
glory, glory be to thee.
Mortals, angels, now and ever
praise the holy Trinity!

Text: Martin H. Franzmann, 1907–1976
Text: © 1969 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: OneLicense no. 703297

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

his mercy endures forever.

Whenever we eat this bread and drink this cup,

we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

We give thanks, almighty God, that you have refreshed us with this saving gift. We pray that through it you will strengthen our faith in you and increase our love for one another. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, 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.

Amen.

Hymn: 925 On What Has Now Been Sown

1 On what has now been sown
your blessing, Lord, bestow;
the pow’r is yours alone
to make it spring and grow.
O Lord, in grace the harvest raise
and you alone shall have the praise!

2 To you our wants are known;
from you are all our pow’rs.
Accept what is your own
and pardon what is ours.
Our praises, Lord, and prayers receive
and to your Word a blessing give.

3 O grant that each of us
now met before you here
may meet together thus
when you and yours appear
and follow you to heav’n, our home.
E’en so, Amen! Lord Jesus, come!

Text: John Newton, 1725–1807, adapt., alt.
Text: Public domain