Prelude
Greeting and Welcome
Lighting of the Candles
Hymn of Invocation – Earth and All Stars (LSB 817)
Earth and all stars! Loud rushing planets!
Sing to the Lord a new song!
Oh, victory! Loud shouting army!
Sing to the Lord a new song! Refrain
Refrain: He has done marvelous things.
I too will praise Him with a new song!
Hail, wind, and rain! Loud blowing snowstorm!
Sing to the Lord a new song!
Flowers and trees! Loud rustling dry leaves!
Sing to the Lord a new song! Refrain
Classrooms and labs! Loud boiling test tubes!
Sing to the Lord a new song!
Athlete and band! Loud cheering people!
Sing to the Lord a new song! Refrain
Children of God, dying and rising,
Sing to the Lord a new song!
Heaven and earth, hosts everlasting,
Sing to the Lord a new song! Refrain
+ Preparation +
Invocation
P: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
Confession and Absolution – Psalm 32:1–2, 5–7,10
P: Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
C: Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
P: As Moses speaks to the people through God, we confess those times we do not listen to Your words and close our hearts to You.
C: Forgive us, Lord.
P: As Paul warns, we confess those times when our freedom in Christ causes one who is weak in faith to stumble.
C: Forgive us, Lord.
P: As Jesus, the long-awaited Prophet and Savior, taught with and showed His authority and power, we confess those times when we allow the forces of evil to make us forget the deliverance and love of God we have in Christ.
C: Forgive us, Lord.
P: With David the psalmist, we humbly come before the Lord.
Silence for reflection
P: I acknowledged my sin to You, and I did not cover my iniquity;
C: I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P: Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to You at a time when You may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him.
C: You are a hiding place for me; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with shouts of deliverance.
P: Almighty God, our heavenly Father, has had mercy upon us and given His only Son to die for us and for His sake forgives us all our sins. As a servant of Christ and by His authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. To those who believe in His name He gives the power to become the children of God and has promised them His Holy Spirit. May the Lord, who has begun this good work in us, bring it to completion in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
C: Amen.
P: Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
C: but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
+ Word +
First Reading – Deuteronomy 18:15–20
“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ And the Lord said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.
But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.”
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Epistle – 1 Corinthians 8:1–13
Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.
Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”—yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Holy Gospel – Mark 6:1-12
P: The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the sixth chapter.
C: Glory to You, O Lord.
[Jesus] went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him.
And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief.
And he went about among the villages teaching.
And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts—but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.
P: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to You, O Christ.
Children’s Hymn – Brothers and Sisters in Christ (AGPS 78)
Sing Alleluia! Amen!
Let your prayers and your praises ascend.
Lift up your voices and sing
To our Lord God, our Savior and King!
Here brought together by grace,
We are gathered as friends in this place.
And assembled as one, in the name of the Son,
Lifting hearts, lifting hands, celebrating as friends
And proclaiming the Lord, all our praises afford.
We are brothers and sisters in Christ.
Children’s Sermon
Hymn of the Day – Just A Closer Walk with Thee
I am weak but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee. Refrain
Refrain: Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee. Refrain
Sermon
Nicene Creed
C: I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried. And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church, I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life + of the world to come. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
+ Celebrating birthdays this week: 31 – Mary Bush; 1 – Kylie Boyles, Pat Richter; 3 – David Reed, Ella Schloeman; 6 – Adam Lee, Spencer Moore, Curt Skouby
+ Wedding anniversaries: 2 – Sherman & Cyndi Moore; 4 – Josh & Nickie Boehme
Special Celebrations and Needs:
+ Church family members: Gwen Peiper, in the hospital recovering from a fall; Charlotte Moret, recovering from Covid; Judy Lubben, upon the death of her mother
+ Friends of our congregation: Jameson, son of CCLS-Glendale teacher Kelsey, who is being tested for hip issues and starting physical therapy; Gary Brugere, for healing from hip surgery; Donna, friend of the Brugere family, experiencing vascular health issues
+ Those who are homebound or in nursing facilities: Mary Guion, Corinne Gutzler, Anne Hammann, Bettie Welch, Joan Winkler, Ruth Wussler
Offertory
