Eighth Sunday After Pentecost Worship Bulletin
St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
PENTECOST 8
07-31-2022 10:00AM Hybrid Worship
+ We Seek and Rejoice in the Spirit +
OPENING SONG: “To God Be the Glory” Tan #157
THE OPENING RITE AND PRAYER OF THE DAY:
L The world calls out in a tempting voice: “Eat, drink, and be merry; relax, chill, kick back your feet, take your ease, and enjoy what you have accumulated.”
R But God calls: “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth; know the glory of Christ, who is our Life, who gives each of us a new and better self.”
L It’s so easy, my sisters and brothers, to fall for the fading treasures and fleeting pleasures of this world, to become anxious workers striving for empty things, to become greedy consumers instead of generous givers.
R It’s not that hard at any economic level to become rich in things but poor in soul, so full of self but empty of genuine relationships.
L Sexual immorality, indecency, lust, evil passions, and greed are all the old ways of the old self; they are a life that is focused on destructive desires that are right here on earth.
R Anger, jealousy, hate, insults, lies, and curses directed at others are not of Christ or in Christ; they are a sinful division between “us” and “them” that is unworthy of our baptism and Christ’s kingdom.
L Life is short, my sisters and brothers. A lifetime, even when it seems to drag along, ends unexpectedly.
Respond, then, to God’s generous love while you have a chance. Let us pray:
R Gracious God, you are the source, the guide, and the goal of our lives.
Teach us to love what is worth loving, to reject what is offensive to you, and to treasure what is precious in your sight,Help us to be grateful and generous rather than greedy, and faithful rather than foolish. Amen.
+ We Rejoice in God’s Saving Word +
FIRST LESSON: ECCLESIASTES 1:2,12-14; 2:18-23 [WARNING: Chasing after wealth is an empty life’s journey. But many chase.]
1:2 Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
1:12 I, the Teacher, when king over Israel in Jerusalem,
1:13 applied my mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven; it is an unhappy business that God has given to human beings to be busy with.
1:14 I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun; and see, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
2:18 I hated all my toil in which I had toiled under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to those who come after me
2:19 –and who knows whether they will be wise or foolish? Yet they will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity.
2:20 So I turned and gave my heart up to despair concerning all the toil of my labors under the sun,
2:21 because sometimes one who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave all to be enjoyed by another who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.
2:22 What do mortals get from all the toil and strain with which they toil under the sun?
2:23 For all their days are full of pain, and their work is a vexation; even at night their minds do not rest. This also is vanity.
SECOND LESSON: COLOSSIANS 3:1-11 [WARNING: Because you are different, then you need to live different – right now! Your ways, your values, and your relationships should all reflect Christ.]
3:1 So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
3:2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth,
3:3 for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
3:4 When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.
3:5 Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry).
3:6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient.
3:7 These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life.
3:8 But now you must get rid of all such things–anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth.
3:9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices
3:10 and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator.
3:11 In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!
TESTIMONIES OF FAITH BY OUR CONFIRMANDS… Our Youth speak of their own personal faith in Jesus Christ:
- My challenges of following Christ in the past? (2) My serving Christ in the future? (3) Who is Jesus to me in the present?
GOSPEL VERSE:
“Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Break me… melt me… mold me… fill me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.”
THE HOLY GOSPEL: LUKE 12:13-21 [WARNING: A large barn makes a poor God. And heaven doesn’t have any personal storage vaults. Don’t become rich in things but poor in soul.]
12:13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.”
12:14 But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?”
12:15 And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”
12:16 Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly.
12:17 And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’
12:18 Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
12:19 And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’
12:20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’
12:21 So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”
THE SERMON: Pastor Gwen
SONG SELECTION St. Peter’s Choir
+ We Rejoice in Our Baptized Faith +
THE RITE OF CONFIRMATION page 198, front of Green Hymnal
[This morning Jaimee Ayana Tillison, Tyler Anthony McCann, Kyle Emanuel Washington Williams, Riana Timyk Mathis, and Kaela Monet Johnson publicly confirm that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior. Today they are confirmed by the Holy Spirit as followers of Christ. This Rite includes rejection of the devil and of all evil, affirmation of faith, the acceptance of the responsibility of discipleship, the laying on of hands, and a prayer of blessing. In the eyes of the Church, this is a “rite of passage” into Christian adulthood. MAY THE LORD LEAD AND GUIDE EACH OF THEM THROUGH AN ENTIRE LIFE’S JOURNEY OF MATURING FAITH AND FAITHFUL SERVANTHOOD!]
THE PRAYERS… We pray for NEW LIFE in the Spirit and for the MISSION of the Church to the world!
+ We Rejoice in God’s Nourishing Meal +
OFFERING OF TITHES (10% giving) AND GIFTS… Brothers and sisters, we have been raised with Christ to new life, seeing Christ’s light beyond the glitz and glamour of this world, freed from every fear, and granted every grace to live faithfully and to love fervently. May gratitude continue to overcome greed, may giving triumph over grabbing, may we be worthy of Christ’s call.
SONG SELECTION St. Peter’s Choir
OFFERING SONG:
“Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.
THIS IS MY STORY, THIS IS MY SONG,
PRAISING MY SAVIOR ALL THE DAY LONG! [sing the chorus 2 times]
We are God’s people, we are Christ’s Church, called by God’s Spirit into the world.
We have God’s power from heaven above, we’ll share God’s justice, mercy and love!”
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 to glorify You and to extend your Kingdom to others. Someone somewhere is in need of your Good News. Amen.
THE PREFACE AND THE EUCHARISTIC WORDS:
L The Lord be with you. C And also with you.
L Lift up your hearts! C We lift them up in love for God!
L Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. C It is right to give God our thanks and praise.
L Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful… C … and set us on fire with your love! Alleluia!
THE EUCHARISTIC WORDS by the Celebrant, who recalls and re-enacts Jesus’ Holy Meal.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
COMMUNION AND BLESSINGS… All believers in Jesus Christ are welcome at the Lord’s Table! We will have “continuous distribution” with wafers and wine or grape juice. Praise the Lord for this community meal that renews our spirits, powers our faith, and reminds us of the future heavenly banquet that awaits us!
COMMUNION SONGS: Tan #230 Tan #345
THE COMMUNION BLESSING by the Celebrant after all have communed.
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER by the Communion Assistant.
+ We Rejoice in Our Mission +
THE BENEDICTION by the Pastor… We are sent forth to be and become the BODY OF CHRIST for the world!
CLOSING SONG: “I’ve Decided to Make Jesus My Choice” Brown #236
- Some folk would rather have houses and land.
Some folk choose silver and gold.
These things they treasure and forget about their souls;
I’ve decided to make Jesus my choice.
The road is rough, the going gets tough, and the hills are hard to climb.
I’ve started out a long time ago, there’s no doubt in my mind –
I’ve decided to make Jesus my choice.
- These clothes may be ragged that I’m wearing.
Heavy is the load that I’m bearing.
These old burdens that I’m carrying,
I’ve decided to make Jesus my choice.