CREATED, SAVED AND GIFTED BY GOD, WE SEEK, SERVE AND SHARE JESUS CHRIST.
Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
August 23, 2020
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
901 East Stroop Road
Kettering, OH 45429-4688
(937) 298-0136
Introduction
In Isaiah the people are bid to look to their spiritual ancestors as the rock from which they were hewn. Jesus declares that the church will be built on the rock of Peter’s bold confession of faith. God’s word of reconciliation and mercy are keys to the church’s mission. Paul urges us to not be conformed to this world, but to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, using our individual gifts to build up the body of Christ. From the table we go forth to offer our spiritual worship through word and deed.
Who Is Jesus?
“Who do you say that I am?” (Matt. 16:15). When Jesus asks us this question, how do we reply? Do we respond with Peter, proclaiming that Jesus is “the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16)? We may respond in that way when we feel we have more faith than doubt. However, we don’t always feel so bold. Sometimes we might not have a clear answer when our Lord asks, “Who do you say that I am?”
Our worship here today is one of the ways we learn about what Jesus does so that we might proclaim who Jesus is.
Jesus . . .
. . . meets us in the assembly gathered for worship and calls us to be united in his love.
. . . meets us in baptismal waters, drowning our sin and making us new.
. . . invites us to tell the truth about the ways we have sinned against God and each other.
. . . responds to our confession with full and immediate pardon.
. . . is the saving, calling, redeeming Word, coming to us in scripture reading, preaching, and song.
. . . invites us to share what God has given us, calling us to offer our resources of money and time so that the church’s mission of genuine love may be extended.
. . . feeds us with his own body. As we take Jesus into our bodies in the form of bread and wine, we become what we receive: the body of Christ.
. . . blesses us, gives us his peace, and grants us courage to answer his question: “Who do you say that I am?”
Having experienced Jesus in our worship, may we be so bold as to reply: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!”
GATHERING
The Holy Spirit calls us together as the people of God.
WELCOME
ANNOUNCEMENTS
THANKSGIVING FOR BAPTISM
All may make the sign of the cross, the sign that is marked at baptism, as the presiding minister begins.
Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God, the fountain of living water, the rock who gave us birth, our light and our salvation.
Amen.
Silence is kept for reflection.
Joined to Christ in the waters of baptism, we are clothed with God’s mercy and forgiveness. Let us give thanks for the gift of baptism.
We give you thanks, O God, for in the beginning your Spirit moved over the waters and by your Word you created the world, calling forth life in which you took delight. Through the waters of the flood you delivered Noah and his family. Through the sea you led your people Israel from slavery into freedom. At the river your Son was baptized by John and anointed with the Holy Spirit. By water and your Word you claim us as daughters and sons, making us heirs of your promise and servants of all. We praise you for the gift of water that sustains life, and above all we praise you for the gift of new life in Jesus Christ. Shower us with your Spirit, and renew our lives with your forgiveness, grace, and love. To you be given honor and praise through Jesus Christ our Lord in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and forever.
Amen.
SPECIAL MUSIC
GREETING
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And also with you.
KYRIE
Have mercy on us, Lord, and hear our solemn prayer.
We come to hear your living word; is saves us from despair.
Have mercy on us, Christ, and wash away our sin.
Pour out your grace and make us whole that new life may begin.
Have mercy on us, Lord, make sin and shame depart.
renew us with your saving pow’r; create in us new hearts!
CANTICLE OF PRAISE
Glory be to God in heaven; peace, goodwill to all the earth.
Mighty God of all creation, Father of surpassing worth:
we exalt you, we adore you, we lift high our thanks and praise.
Saints and angels bow before you; here on earth our songs we raise.
Glory be to Christ forever, Lamb of God and Lord of love.
Son of God and gracious Savior, you have come from heav’n above;
on the cross you died to save us; now you reign at God’s right hand.
Hear our prayer; restore, forgive us; in your promise firm we stand.
Holy One we now acclaim you; Lord alone, to you we call;
Holy One in faith we name you, God most high, yet near to all:
Jesus Christ, with God the Spirit, in the Father’s splendor bright.
For the peace that we inherit, glory be to God on high!
PRAYER OF THE DAY
O God, with all your faithful followers of every age, we praise you, the rock of our life. Be our strong foundation and form us into the body of your Son, that we may gladly minister to all the world, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
WORD
God speaks to us in scripture reading, preaching, and song.
FIRST READING Isaiah 51:1-6
Just as God had called Abraham and Sarah and given them many descendants, so now God offers comfort to Zion. God’s deliverance will come soon and will never end.
A reading from the book of Isaiah.
Listen to me, you that pursue righteousness, you that seek the LORD. Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him, but I blessed him and made him many. For the LORD will comfort Zion; he will comfort all her waste places, and will make her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song. Listen to me, my people, and give heed to me, my nation; for a teaching will go out from me, and my justice for a light to the peoples. I will bring near my deliverance swiftly, my salvation has gone out and my arms will rule the peoples; the coastlands wait for me, and for my arm they hope. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and those who live on it will die like gnats; but my salvation will be forever, and my deliverance will never be ended.
Word of God, word of life.
Thanks be to God.
SECOND READING Romans 12:1-8
In response to God’s merciful activity, we are to worship by living holistic, God-pleasing lives. Our values and viewpoints are not molded by this age, but are transformed by the Spirit’s re- newing work. God’s grace empowers different forms of service among Christians, but all forms of ministry function to build up the body of Christ.
A reading from the book of Romans.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.
Word of God, word of life.
Thanks be to God.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Alleluia! Lord and Savior: open now your saving word.
Let it burn like fire within us; speak until our hearts are stirred.
Alleluia! Lord, we sing for the good news that you bring.
GOSPEL Matthew 16:13-20
At a climactic point in Jesus’ ministry, God reveals to Peter that Jesus is “the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” and Jesus responds with the promise of a church that will overcome the very gates of Hades.
The holy gospel according to Matthew.
Glory to you, O Lord.
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
The gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
MESSAGE
PECIAL MUSIC
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 power of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended into hell.
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 INTERCESSION
With the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, let us pray for the church, those in need, and all of God’s creation.
A brief silence.
Each intercession concludes: Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
Into your hands, gracious God, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.
MEAL
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right and good that we should everywhere and always offer thanks and praise to you, holy God, mighty and immortal, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who on this day broke the bonds of death, opening to us the way of everlasting life and giving us a foretaste of the feast to come.
And so with the Church on earth and hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna, hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna, hosanna in the highest!
In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.
Amen, amen, amen.
LORD’S PRAYER
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.
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.
INVITATION TO COMMUNION
Friends of Jesus, come to the table. Receive nourishment for your journey. Amen.
LAMB OF GOD
Lamb of God, you bear the sin of all the world away;
you suffered death our lives to save:
have mercy now, we pray.
O Lamb of God, you bear the sin of all the world away;
you set us free from guilt and grave:
have mercy now, we pray.
O Lamb of God, you bear the sin of all the world away;
eternal peace with God you made:
give us your peace, we pray.
HOLY COMMUNION
TABLE BLESSING
The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bless you and always keep you in God’s grace.
Amen.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
God of the welcome table, in this meal we have feasted on your goodness and have been united by your presence among us. mpower us to go forth sustained by these gifts so that we may share your neighborly love with all, through Jesus Christ, the giver of abundant life. Amen.
BLESSING
Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. God, the creator, Jesus, the Christ, and the Holy Spirit, the comforter, bless you and keep you in eternal love. Amen.
SPECIAL MUSIC
Make a commitment to not only worship each week but also try to find a way to serve in the congregation and seek out a way to serve our community.
YOU ARE NOW ENTERING THE MISSION FIELD
UPCOMING COMMEMORATIONS
Bartholomew, Apostle
Monday, August 24, 2020
Mentioned as one of Jesus’ disciples in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Bartholomew’s name is replaced in John’s gospel by Nathanael, leading many to believe that the two are different names for the same
person. Little is known about his work, though some traditions place him later in India or Armenia.
Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, died 430
Friday, August 28, 2020
Augustine was one of the greatest theologians of the Western church. A native of North Africa, he recovered from a debauched young adulthood through the influence of his mother, Monica, and Bishop Ambrose of Milan. Besides writing influential theological books, he served as bishop of Hippo,
in present-day Algeria.
Moses the Black, monk, martyr, died around 400
Friday, August 28, 2020
Converted from life as a thief and a robber to Christianity, Moses was an Ethiopian who became a desert monk at Skete. The change in his heart and life had a profound impact on his native country.
He was murdered when Berber bandits attacked his monastery.
“Lord, Listen to Your Children” CCLI Song # 22829 Ken Medema
© 1973 Hope Publishing Company
CCLI License # 2273011
“Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ”
Text: Fred Kaan
Music: LINSTEAD, Jamaican folk tune; adapt. Doreen Porter
© 1975 Hope Publishing Company
Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License # SAS002920
“Lift Every Voice and Sing” Text: James W. Johnson Music: J. Rosamond Johnson
“I Love To Tell the Story”
Text: Katherine Hankey
Music: HANKEY by William F. Fischer
© 2000 Integrity’s Praise! Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing (Integrity Music [DC Cook])) For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com
CCLI License # 2273011
Kyrie, Canticle of Praise, and Gospel Acclamation from “Do This In Memory of Me” by David Haas
Setting Copyright © 2003, GIA Publications, Inc.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-723735. All rights reserved.
Prayers from SundaysandSeasons.com
Copyright 2015, 2020 Augsburg Fortress. Al rights reserved.
Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License # SAS002920