Welcome to worship at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church!
PRELUDE “Open Your Ears, O Faithful People” arr. Valerie Shields
CONFESSION
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.
Merciful God,
you
free us to love others,
but
we neglect our neighbors and follow our own way.
You
lead us by the Spirit of joy and peace,
but
we turn away from the abundant life you offer.
You
surround us with patience, kindness,
and
generosity,
but
we grow weary in doing what is right.
In
your mercy, forgive us.
Do
not give up on us.
Heal
us, break our bonds,
and
show us the path of life.
Amen.
You belong to Christ Jesus
and
you are God’s children through faith.
In
the cross of ☩ Christ,
and
through the power of the Holy Spirit,
your
sins are forgiven.
Clothed
with Christ, you are a new creation.
Amen.
HYMN When Morning Gilds the Skies #853
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.
HYMN OF PRAISE
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Children's message
First Reading: Genesis 18:1-10a
1 The Lord appeared to Abraham by the
oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the
day. 2 He looked up
and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent
entrance to meet them and bowed down to the ground. 3 He said, “My lord, if I
find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. 4 Let a little water be
brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 Let me bring a little
bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since
you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” 6 And Abraham hastened
into the tent to Sarah and said, “Make ready quickly three measures of choice
flour, knead it, and make cakes.” 7 Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender
and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. 8 Then he took curds and
milk and the calf that he had prepared and set it before them, and he stood by
them under the tree while they ate. 9 They said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?”
And he said, “There, in the tent.” 10a Then one said, “I will surely return to
you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son.”
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God
Psalm: 15
1 Lord,
who may dwell in your | tabernacle? Who may abide upon your | holy hill?
2 Those who lead a
blameless life and do | what is right,
who speak the truth | from their heart;
3 they do not slander with
the tongue, they do no evil | to their friends;
they do not cast discredit up- | on a neighbor.
4 In their sight the
wicked are rejected, but they honor those who | fear
the Lord. They have sworn upon their health
and do not take | back
their word.
5 They do not give their
money in hope of gain, nor do they take bribes against
the innocent. Those who
do these things shall never be | overthrown.
Second Reading: Colossians 1:15-28
15 [Christ
Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation,16 for in him all things in
heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones
or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and
for him. 17 He himself
is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the
body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he
might come to have first place in everything. 19 For in him all the
fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to
reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace
through the blood of his cross. 21 And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing
evil deeds, 22 he has now
reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and
blameless and irreproachable before him, 23 provided that you
continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from
the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to
every creature under heaven. I, Paul, became a minister of this gospel. 24 I am now rejoicing in my
sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in
Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. 25 I became its
minister according to God’s commission
that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery that has
been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to
his saints. 27 To them God
chose to make known how great among the gentiles are the riches of the glory of
this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 It is he whom we
proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may
present everyone mature in Christ.
Word of the
Lord. Thanks be to God
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Gospel: Luke 10:38-42
The Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke the 10th
chapter. Glory to you O Lord.
38 Now
as [Jesus and his disciples] went on their way, he entered a certain
village where a woman named Martha welcomed him. 39 She had a sister named
Mary, who sat at Jesus’s feet and listened to what he was saying. 40 But Martha was
distracted by her many tasks, so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not
care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her, then,
to help me.” 41 But the
Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many
things, 42 but few
things are needed—indeed only one. Mary has chosen the better part, which will
not be taken away from her.”
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O
Christ.
SERMON
HYMN Jesus, the Very Thought of You #770
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
THANKSGIVING FOR THE WORD
For your Word of life,
O God,
we give you thanks and
praise.
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
BLESSING
HYMN Congregations Choice
DISMISSAL
POSTLUDE Postlude on “Israeli Tunes” arr. David Lasky
Liturgy and hymns printed and streamed with permission through
OneLicense. A-710659
