7th Sunday After Pentecost | Order of Service

St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
PENTECOST 7                     Coronavirus                                                                                                                                                                                               07-19-2020     10:00AM Worship

(Welcome / Greeting by the Pastors)

THE OPENING RITE:

L   People of God, we have survived another week! Now let us prepare for a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit by being honest before God and one another about the reality of sin in our own lives. It is so tempting to observe, judge, and condemn what we perceive as sin in others… but it is humbling to see and confess our own sin. Maybe today we are willing to be honest about ourselves.

C    O Lord, I confess that I too am a sinner with no excuses.

I don’t always think, speak, or act in a way that accepts and responds to your love.

Even when I want to do what is right, I find myself doing the opposite. 

Every day is an opportunity, every day is a challenge, and sometimes I am losing the battle.

I pray for your mercy, I seek your grace. 

I know of no other solution to try, and no other savior to turn to, than Jesus Christ. Amen.

L   My fellow children of God, do not panic, do not fear, for our God is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and full of kindness and truth. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, and God raised him up from death that we might walk in the newness of life. Let Jesus make it right in you! He knows your inner conflict. He knows your burdens and addictions, your weaknesses and selfish desires. He offers you (+) grace, forgiveness, and another chance. Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.  Amen now, Amen always!

PRAYER OF THE DAY:

       Let us pray. Sower of the Field, continue to be gracious and patient with us, that we might ripen into the children of God’s Kingdom and be part of your beautiful garden of love, justice, and mercy.

       And, dear Lord – because we are not God – help us to not be so eager to judge and destroy others that we believe to be beyond your mercy and love.  Amen.

SONG SELECTION

FIRST READING:  ISAIAH 44:6-8   [There is only ONE GOD solid enough to worship and serve in your life!]

44:6 Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.

44:7 Who is like me? Let them proclaim it, let them declare and set it forth before me. Who has announced from of old the things to come? Let them tell us what is yet to be.

44:8 Do not fear, or be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? You are my witnesses! Is there any god besides me? There is no other rock; I know not one.

SONG SELECTION     

SECOND READING:  ROMANS 8:12-25   [God hasn’t finished with me yet – choosing “the Spirit” over “my flesh” and suffering my way into hope.]

8:12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh —

8:13 for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

8:14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

8:15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!”

8:16 it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

8:17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ–if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

8:18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.

8:19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God;

8:20 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope

8:21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

8:22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now;

8:23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

8:24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen?

8:25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

GOSPEL VERSE:
“More about Jesus would I know, more of His grace to others show,               

  More of His saving fullness see, more of his love who died for me.

     MORE, MORE ABOUT JESUS… MORE, MORE ABOUT JESUS…

     MORE OF HIS SAVING FULLNESS SEE, MORE OF HIS LOVE WHO DIED FOR ME.

  More about Jesus let me learn, more of his holy will discern;

  Spirit of God, my Teacher be, showing the things of Christ to me.”

HOLY GOSPEL:   MATTHEW 13:24-30, 36-43   [Wheat and weeds growing together – NOBODY is too good or too bad for God’s mercy and grace!]

13:24 He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field;

13:25 but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away.

13:26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well.

13:27 And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’

13:28 He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’

13:29 But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them.

13:30 Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'”

13:36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.”

13:37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man;

13:38 the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one,

13:39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.

13:40 Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age.

13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers,

13:42 and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

13:43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!

THE SERMON:        Pastor GWEN

SONG SELECTION

OFFERING PRAYER:

     Lord God, thank you for making a way out of no way in my life! During this summer may I dedicate my leisure and my work, my rest and my travel, my service and my spending, my health and my wealth, 

     my worship and my witness – all that I am and have and seek – to glorify You and to extend your Kingdom to others. Someone somewhere is in need of your Good News.  Amen.

MUSIC SELECTION     Dennis Fortune

THE PRAYERS

THE LORD’S PRAYER

SONG SELECTION

THE BENEDICTION:

Brothers, sisters, God sends us out into the world to be good seed and to help make a good crop for the Master.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

May you stay patient, persistent, and productive in your own faithfulness.

And may you trust that God’s true justice is already at work in this world as you experience trials and turmoil.

Almighty God – Loving Parent, (+) Redeeming Son, and Sustaining Spirit – bless and empower you now and always.

Amen.