SEVENTH SUNDAY after PENTECOST
July 16, 2023
The Rev. Joshua Heimbuck, Pastor
+ SEVENTH SUNDAY after PENTECOST +
Sower, Seed, Soil Sunday
WELCOME
A warm welcome to all who worship here this morning. Today, we gather around Word and Sacrament through which God equips, directs, and support his people in the mission and ministry of his kingdom. Guests and visitors, please introduce yourself, be welcome, and come again. If you have not already done so, please honor us by signing our Guest Book in the entrance hall of the church as you leave. If you have no church home of your own in the area, we invite you to make Grace Lutheran the center of your worship, learning, fellowship, and service. Coffee is served during Fellowship Hour following this morning worship. Join us for a cup of coffee after this morning’s worship and let us become better acquainted with you as you get to know us better. Come to worship with us again and often!
AS WE GATHER The Seed—The Word
God said, “My word that goes out from my mouth will accomplish what I desire, and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). Jesus reveals the purpose for which God sent his Word—that it would bring forth much fruit. The power of God’s Word is frustrated when we allow it to be choked off by “the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth.” Today we pray that the powerful Word of God will flourish in our midst, that we may hear the Word and understand it, and bring forth a bountiful harvest of the fruits of the Spirit for the glory of God.
PRAYER BEFORE WORSHIP
Lord, overtake our weakness with your power so that we may proclaim the saving Gospel to all nations. Remove from us all fear and doubt, and move us toward those who have not heard the story of your love; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
+ THE ORDER of CELEBRATING +
Jazz Mass
WELCOME
INVOCATION & CONFESSION
In the Name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
From the Word which God has sown, a harvest shall be gathered in.
But hardened ground and rocks and thorns all struggle to suppress God’s word.
“My word shall not return to me empty,” says the Lord. “It shall accomplish the thing for which I sent it.”
If we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
So let the seed be sown.
+ A Brief Silence for Reflection +
Lord of the living harvest, we confess that we have sinned. In our thinking, speaking, doing—proper fruit has not been born. Your final harvest fills our hearts with fear. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and let your light shine upon us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy Name.
Like a grain of wheat buried in the ground, Jesus Christ was given into death for you. For his sake your sins are forgiven in the Name of the Father, and of the ☩ Son, and of the Holy Spirit. By him we are redeemed and set at liberty.
Thanks be to God!
Forgiven and reconciled by God, let us be reconciled with one another and share the peace of our Lord as we greet one another.
PASSING of PEACE
[The congregation is encouraged to share the peace of Christ and greet one another with the words, “The Lord’s peace be with you.” The response, “And also with you.”]
APOSTOLIC GREETING
The love of God the Father, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, and the life of the Spirit be with you all.
And also, with you.
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, living according to it, and grow in faith and hope and love; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. Amen
FIRST LESSON Isaiah 44:6-8
[Using a dramatic courtroom scene in which God is at once prosecuting attorney, witness, and judge, this prophet of exile introduces a radical monotheism: The Lord is not one among many gods; the Lord is the only God.]
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 other god. Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any.”
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
SECOND LESSON Romans 8:12-25
[Paul encourages us to experience life as more than just moral existence, which he calls “life in the flesh.” Those who are led by God’s Spirit discover a hope that sustains them even in their suffering.]
So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if you live by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 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!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we care children of God, 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.
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from it bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We- know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; 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. For in hope, we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
GOSPEL Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
The gospel according to Matthew, the 13th chapter.
ALLELUIA VERSE
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Give the glory and the honor to the Lord!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Give the glory and the honor to the Lord!
[Jesus has just told his disciples the famous parable of the Sower, which compares different responses to the word to different kinds of soil in which a seed is planted. Now he tells a second- parable about sowing to illustrate the coexistence of good and evil in the world. God’s judgment will remove all evildoers and causes of sin, but not until the end of human history.]
[Jesus] put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So, when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So, the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 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.’”
The 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.” He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them in the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!”
The Gospel of our Lord. Praise to You, O Christ.
SERMON WEEDS, WEEDS, and MORE WEEDS! Text: The Gospel Lesson Pr. Josh
APOSTOLIC CREED
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His 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 into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life ☩ everlasting. Amen.
PRAYERS of THE CHURCH
OFFERINGS are brought forward
OFFERTORY PRAYER
Holy God, you provide us with every gift of creation, and you quench our thirst with living water. Receive these tokens of your goodness to us. May our lives be bread for the hungry and streams in the wilderness, signs of the abundance of your grace in Jesus Christ. Amen
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
The Lord be with you.
And also, with you
Lift up your hearts
We will lift them up to Him
Let us give thanks always to the Lord our God.
It is right, it is just, it is well
Father, it is our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ
Holy, holy, holy, Lord
For our sake He opened His arms on the cross,
He put an end to death and revealed the resurrection
Holy, holy, holy, Lord
In this He fulfilled your will and won for you a holy people. And so, we join the angels and the saints in proclaiming your glory:
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest!
WORDS of INSTITUTION
AGNUS DEI
DISTRIBUTION of THE LORD’S SUPPER
PRAYER of THANKSGIVING
Cultivate and nourish us, O God, that we may be good soil. Let the presence of Christ in word and sacrament, planted in us now, bring forth rich and beautiful fruit for the life of the world; through Jesus Christ, your Son our Lord. Amen
BLESSING
+ The Worship is Over. Let the Service Begin! +
Grace Notes
THE PRESENCE of CHRIST is celebrated in The Lord’s Supper. He comes to us in a real and present way with his life-giving body and blood in the bread and wine of The Sacrament to assure us of our forgiveness and to strengthen us in faith and service. All who trust and believe the words “given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins” are welcome. Come, receive Christ’s presence in the meal prepared for you. Enjoy his presence. Children are encouraged to come forward with their parents and/or grandparents and receive a blessing.
WEEKEND OF FELLOWSHIP - Zion Lutheran Church, LCMS has invited us for a weekend of fellowship and worship at their annual camping trip to Lakeview, Oregon, September 1st through the 4th of 2023. If interested, contact Zion Lutheran Church at (541) 884-6793.
THIS WEEK AT GRACE
JULY 17th – JULY 23rd
Monday, July 17th @ 5:00 PM |
SOU Campus Ministries/Engage Summer Project Training (Fireside Room)
Sunday, July 16th @
10:00 AM
11:00 AM
Worship
Coffee Hour