Welcome to worship at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church!
PRELUDE “In Thee is Greatness” arr. Walter Pelz
CONFESSION AND FORGIVNESS
Blessed be the holy Trinity,+ one God,
whose compassion endures forever.
Amen.
Let us confess our sin to God.
Silence is kept for reflection.
Compassionate God,
we confess to you all our sins.
Our burden is heavy, and we cannot free
ourselves.
In your mercy, call us back to you.
Your yoke is easy and your burden is light.
Restore us to dwell in your peace.
In Christ’s name we pray,
Amen.
Jesus says, “Come to me,
all you who are weary
and are carrying heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest.”
In the name of God,
Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit,
your sins are forgiven.
Rest in God’s love.
Amen.
HYMN God of Grace, God of Glory #705
GREETING
The grace of our Lord, Jesus
Christ, the love of God, and communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also
with you.
KYRIE
HYMN OF PRAISE
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Children's message
First Reading: 1 Kings 3:5-12
5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask
what I should give you.” 6 And Solomon said, “You have shown great and
steadfast love to your servant my father David because he walked before you in
faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you, and you
have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit
on his throne today. 7 And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my
father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or
come in. 8 And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have
chosen, a great people so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. 9 Give your servant,
therefore, an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between
good and evil, for who can govern this great people of yours?”
10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11 God said to him,
“Because you have asked this and have not asked for yourself long life or
riches or for the life of your enemies but have asked for yourself
understanding to discern what is right, 12 I now do according to
your word. Indeed, I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has
been before you, and no one like you shall arise after you.”
Psalm: Psalm
119:129-136
129 Your de- | crees are
wonderful;
therefore I obey them with | all my heart.
130 When your word is opened | it gives light;
it gives understanding | to
the simple.
131 I open my | mouth and pant
because I long for | your commandments.
132 Turn to me and be gra- | cious to me,
as you always do to those who | love your name. R
133 Order my footsteps | in your word;
let no iniquity have dominion | over me.
134 Rescue me from those | who oppress me,
and I will keep | your
commandments.
135 Let your face shine up- | on your servant
and teach | me your statutes.
136 My eyes shed | streams
of tears,
because people do not | keep
your teaching. R
Second Reading: Romans
8:26-39
26 The Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do
not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with
groanings too deep for words. 27 And God, who searches hearts, knows what is the
mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to
the will of God.
28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love
God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he
foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order
that he might be the firstborn within a large family. 30 And those whom he
predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and
those whom he justified he also glorified.
31 What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who
is against us? 32 He who did not withhold his own Son but gave him
up for all of us, how will he not with him also give us everything else? 33 Who will bring any
charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? It is
Christ who died, or rather, who was raised, who is also at the right hand of
God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us
from the love of Christ? Will affliction or distress or persecution or famine
or nakedness or peril or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all day long;
we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than victorious through him
who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of
God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Gospel: Matthew
13:31-33, 44-52
31 [Jesus] put before [the crowds] another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and
sowed in his field;32 it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it
has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of
the air come and make nests in its branches.”
33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in
with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a
man found and reburied; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and
buys that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine
pearls; 46 on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he
had and bought it.
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into
the sea and caught fish of every kind; 48 when it was full, they
drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. 49 So it will be at the end
of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the
furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51 “Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” 52 And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple
in the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of
his treasure what is new and what is old.”
SERMON
HYMN Be Thou My Vision #793
APOSTLES CREED
I believe in God, the
Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God's 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 to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE, PEACE,
OFFERING
COMMUNION PRAYER
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
POST COMMUNION PROCLAMATION AND PRAYER
BLESSING
HYMN Congregation’s Choice
DISMISSAL
POSTLUDE “Whatever God Ordains Is Right” David Cherwein
Liturgy and hymns printed and streamed with permission through OneLicense. A-710659
