The Thirteenth Sunday after the festival of the Holy Trinity
also known as the Fifteenth Sunday of the Pentecost Season
September 06, 2020
Do I Measure Up To God’s Standards?
My cousin Butch once operated a used tool business. He would drive all over the state of Michigan to buy overstocks from machine shops, attend auctions, and acquire his wares in other ways. Because he lives right across the street from my mother, I would always get a “private tour” of Butch’s business when I went back to visit family in Michigan. One of the items Butch used to specialize in was measuring devices. He had a large stock, quite different, and some were very expensive. He specialized in them, Butch once told me, because those types of tools had been“good movers” for him. But at one point, after his extensively stocking up on them, the measurement equipment market changed. My cousin ended up selling far fewer instruments than he had anticipated. Eventually he even closed his business. It seemed hardly anyone was interested in the measuring instruments and devices Butch sold.
Now Amos, the OT prophet, might not have been able to recognize the micrometers, digital scales, and measurement lasers that my cousin Butch sold, but from nearly 28 centuries in the past Amos wouldn’t have any problem telling us that the people of his day weren’t very interested in taking measurements……at least the kind of measurements that exactingly evaluate a person’s true spiritual condition. Just like our own culture, the northen ten tribes that made up Israel in Amos’ day (during the 8th century B.C.) were successful and powerful. They were living through a period historians have called “Israel’s Second Golden Age” (the first being when David and Solomon were kings nearly 250 years earlier). They thought they were very “spiritual” – even blessed by God because things seemed to be going so well for them. The fact is, however, is that they had stopped measuring their behavior and their spirituality against the specific standards the LORD had given them in Scripture. Instead, over the years they’d thoroughly corrupted the worship of the true God by adding elements of paganism, idolatry, injustice and self-indulgence so that the nation had not only forsaken God – He had also decided to forsake, and to punish, them. Through Amos the LORD announced to Israel its judgment and impending destruction (about 30 years later) at the hands of the Assyrians in 722 B.C.
As we consider the ministry of Amos to Israel in today’s Sermon, you and I would do well to ask ourselves this question: “How Well Do I measure up to God’s standards?” The Lord laid down His exacting standards for Israel (and us) in the Ten Commandments and gave us His perfect fulfillment of them in the sinless, righteous life Christ lived for us. In our Old Testament Lesson we’ll listen to the LORD urge Israel to remain faithful to Him in order to enjoy His blessings…..and we’ll also hear Him warn them of the consequences that would come from disobedience and rejection of His Word. In connection with this, in our Children’s Lesson we’ll talk about the right and the wrong standards for measuring our faithfulness to the Lord. In today’s Epistle Lesson Paul encourages the Corinthians to live faithfully before the Lord both with assurances of God’s blessings in Christ, and with painful examples from Israel’s past of God’s judgments against disobedience. Finally our Gospel Lesson is Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan. We want to look particularly at the expert in religious law whose question prompted this parable. He asked Jesus what good thing HE had to do to earn eternal life. He knew God’s Word “backward and forward.” Yet somehow he missed the truth that – sinners such as we are – we cannot do enough to earn eternal life for ourselves. We need Someone (Jesus) to earn it for us, and He did. So, using the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus intends to teach him (and us) about God’s mercy, about love for our fellow man, and about our love for God. Sadly, at least so it seems from what we learn about him in today’s reading, the expert in the law was ignorant of the Gospel. He just didn’t get “grace.” Through this parable, Jesus teaches that merely knowing God’s laws isn’t true faithfulness, and won’t guarantee anyone a place in heaven. Rather, the Lord is looking for true faith – which is founded in His redeeming work, which is found in every believer’s heart, and which is evidenced in fully faithful obedience and acceptance of God’s Word as an expression of our gratitude for God’s grace to us in Christ.
Pre-Service Prayer – O Heavenly Father, please guide me in wisdom and truth through Your Holy Spirit, as I spend this hour meditating on Your Word and rejoicing in Your limitless love for me. Assist me in being attentive in heart and mind to Your Word, as well as to the hymns of praise, the various petitions, and the prayers of thanksgiving my voice directs toward You. Use this worship service, O Lord, to deepen my love for You, to strengthen my trust in You, and to renew my commitment to You. All this I ask for the sake of and in the name of Your One and only Son, Jesus Christ, my Savior. Amen.
Scripture quotations in this worship flyer, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the EVANGELICAL HERITAGE VERSION of the Bible. Copyright 2019 by the Warburg Project. All rights reserved.
Prayer upon entering the sanctuary
Pre-service Music
We Praise Our God
The Introduction and Invitation to Worship
The Opening Hymn “The Morning Sun Is Dawning”
To the tune of “The Morning Light Is Breaking”
The morning sun is dawning, And I thank God once more
Beneath Whose care awaking I find the night is o’er:
I thank Him that He’s called me To be His child and heir;
I know, whatever happens I’m safely in His care.
O Lord of all creation, Watch over me this day;
In all I do be near me, For others too I pray –
To You I do commend them: Our church, our youth, our land;
Direct them and defend them, When dangers are at hand.
You are the Vine, O Savior, May we, Your branches be,
Connected to You firmly, And for eternity.
Your Spirit place within us, And let His gifts of grace
Empower us to serve You – throughout our earthly race.
So grant us, Lord, Your blessing That we may do Your will,
No more Your ways transgressing, Our calling to fulfill;
To go and tell the Good News: Christ died for all, that we –
through faith in Him, forgiven — Have heaven eternally.
After which the Congregation will rise for
The Invocation
Pastor We begin this service in the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.”
The Confessional Order of Service
Pastor “O LORD, Open my lips.”
Congregation – (Sung) And my mouth shall show forth Thy praise
Pastor “Hasten, O God, to deliver me.”
Congregation – (sung) Make haste to help me, O Lord.
Pastor “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.”
Congregation – (sung) A broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou will not despise.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.
We Make Confession Of Our Sins To God
Pastor – “I now ask you before God, who searches your heart, do you confess that you have sinned against
God and deserve His wrath and punishment? Then declare so by saying, “I do confess.”
Congregation – “I do confess.”
Pastor – “Truly you should confess, for the Holy Scriptures say, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
Second, do you, with all your heart, repent of all your sins, committed in thought, word, and deed? Then declare so by saying, “I do repent.”
Congregation – “I do repent.”
Pastor – “Truly, you should repent, as other penitent sinners have done: King David, who prayed for a contrite heart; Peter, who wept bitterly; the sinful woman, the prodigal son, and others.
Third, do you sincerely believe that God, by grace, for Jesus’ sake, will forgive you all your sins? Then
declare so by saying, “I do believe.”
Congregation – “I do believe.”
Pastor – “Truly you should so believe, for the Holy Scriptures say, “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
Fourth, do you promise that with the help of the Holy Ghost, you will, from this time forward, reform
your sinful life? Then declare it by saying, “I do promise.”
Congregation – “I do promise.”
Pastor – “Truly, you should so promise, for Christ, the Lord says: “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
Finally, do you believe that through me, a called servant of God, you will receive from God the forgiveness of all your sins? Then declare it by saying, “I do believe.
Congregation – “I do believe.”
Pastor – “Upon this, your confession, I, because of my office as a called and ordained servant of God’s Word, announce the grace of God to all of you. And, in the place, and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Peace be with you. Amen.”
After which the Congregation will be seated
The Prayer For This Day
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, who + when troubled by our sins of the past _+ and distressed by our failings of the present + weaken in our faith, courage, and hope. + In Your grace uphold us so that + sustained with the confidence of faith + that you are merciful and forgiving, + we might faithfully keep Your commandments, + rejoice in Your blessings, + trust in Your grace for time and eternity, + and be sure of everlasting life in heaven. + Grant that, whatever we might encounter in this life, + we will always remember that we are in Your capable, caring hands, + so that — in our darkest days — + we will have the strength of faith to patiently endure + and move forward as Your children + unto the very end. + This we pray in the name of Jesus Christ, + Your Son, our Lord and Savior. + Amen.
after which the Congregation will be seated
We Hear God’s Word
The Old Testament Lesson Deuteronomy 4:1-31
So now, Israel, listen to the statutes and the ordinances that I am teaching you, and carry them out so that you may live and so that you may enter the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving to you and take possession of it. 2 Do not add to the word that I am commanding you, and do not subtract from it, so that you keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you. 3 With your own eyes you have been observing what the Lord did at Baal Peor. Indeed, the Lord your God destroyed from among you every man who followed the Baal of Peor.
4 But all of you, who are clinging to the Lord your God, are still alive today. 5 Note well now, I have taught you statutes and ordinances, as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may carry them out also in the land that you are entering to take as a possession. 6 Keep them and put them into practice, because in this way your wisdom and your understanding will be recognized by all the people who hear about all these statutes; and they will say, “This great nation is certainly a wise and understanding people,” 7 because what other great nation is there that has a god as close to it as the Lord our God is to us whenever we call on him? 8 What other great nation is there that has statutes and ordinances as righteous as this entire law that I am presenting to you today?
9 But guard yourselves and guard your whole being diligently, so that you do not forget the things that your eyes have seen and so that those things do not disappear from your heart all the rest of the days of your life. Make them known to your children and to your children’s children. 10 Tell about the day that you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb when the Lord said to me, “Bring the people near to me and I will make sure that they hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they are living in the land, and so that they may teach their children.” 11 So you drew near and you stood under the mountain while the mountain was burning with fire up to the very heavens. There was darkness, a thick cloud, and gloom. 12 Then the Lord your God spoke to you from the middle of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but you did not see a form. You only heard the sound. 13 He declared to you his covenant that he commanded you to carry out, namely, the Ten Commandments. Then he wrote them on two tablets of stone. 14 At that time the Lord commanded me to teach you the statutes and ordinances for you to carry out in the land that you are entering in order to occupy it.
15 So guard your hearts very carefully, because you did not see any form on the day that the Lord your God spoke to you at Horeb from the middle of the fire. 16 Do this so that you do not act corruptly and make for yourselves an idol of any form. Do not make an image of a male or female, 17 an image of any animal that walks on the earth, an image of any bird that flies in the sky, 18 an image of anything that creeps on the ground, or an image of any fish that swims in the water below the earth. 19 Beware so that you do not lift up your eyes to the heavens and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the vast army of the heavens, and you are lured away, and you bow down to them and worship them—things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the nations under all the heavens.
20 But you are the ones that the Lord has chosen and has brought out of the iron furnace of Egypt, to be a nation that is his possession, as is the case today. 21 But the Lord was angry with me because of your words, and he swore that I would not cross the Jordan and would not come into the good land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. 22 I will die in this land without crossing over the Jordan, but you will cross over and take possession of this good land. 23 Be on guard so that you do not forget the covenant that the Lord your God made with you and so that you do not make an idol for yourselves in the form of anything that the Lord your God prohibited. 24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
25 But when you become the father of children, and you have grandchildren, and you have grown old in the land, if you then act corruptly by making an idol of any form, and you do evil in the eyes of the Lord your God, provoking him to anger, 26 I today call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you, that you will most certainly perish quickly from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live many days in it, because you will most certainly be destroyed. 27 The Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left as a people that are few in number among the nations where the Lord your God will force you to go. 28 There you will worship gods, the work of human hands, made of wood and stone—things that do not see or hear or eat or smell.
29 But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find him when you search for him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30 When you experience misery and all these things have happened to you in future days, then you will return to the Lord your God, and you will be obedient to his voice. 31 For the Lord your God is a compassionate God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant that he promised to your fathers with an oath.
The Epistle Lesson I Corinthians 9:24-10:13
24 Do you not know that when runners compete in the stadium, they all run, but only one receives the prize? Run like that—to win. 25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable victor’s wreath, but we do it for an imperishable one. 26 That is why there is nothing aimless about the way I run. There is no pummeling of the air in the way I box. 27 Instead I hit my body hard and make it my slave so that, after preaching to others, I myself will not be rejected.
10:1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, 2 and they were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3 They all ate the same spiritual food 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them—and that rock was Christ! 5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them. He had them die in the wilderness.
6 Now these things took place as examples to warn us not to desire evil things the way they did. 7 Do not become idolaters like some of them—as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to celebrate wildly.” 8 And let us not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell. 9 Let us not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and so were being destroyed by the serpents. 10 And do not grumble, as some of them grumbled, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 All these things that were happening to them had meaning as examples, and they were written down to warn us, to whom the end of the ages has come.
12 So let him who thinks he stands be careful that he does not fall. 13 No testing has overtaken you except ordinary testing. But God is faithful. He will not allow you to be tested beyond your ability, but when he tests you, he will also bring about the outcome that you are able to bear it.
after which the Congregation will rise
The Gospel Lesson Luke 10:25-37
25 Just then, an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the law?” he asked him. “What do you read there?”
27 He replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and, love your neighbor as yourself.”
28 He said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho. He fell among robbers who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 It just so happened that a priest was going down that way. But when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 In the same way, a Levite also happened to go there, but when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 33 A Samaritan, as he traveled, came to where the man was. When he saw him, he felt sorry for the man. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. He put him on his own animal, took him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day, when he left, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. Whatever extra you spend, I will repay you when I return.’ 36 Which of these three do you think acted like a neighbor to the man who fell among robbers?”
37 “The one who showed mercy to him,” he replied. Then Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
The Nicene Creed
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 men and for our salvation, came down from heaven And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost 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 sitteth on the right hand of the Father; And he shall come again with glory, to judge both the quick and the dead; Whose Kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, The Lord and Giver of Life, Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, Who spake by the Prophets. And I believe 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.
After which the Congregation will be seated for
The Children’s Lesson I Corinthians 10:11,12
11 All these things that were happening to them had meaning as examples, and they were written down to warn us, to whom the end of the ages has come. 12 So let him who thinks he stands be careful that he does not fall
Whose “Ruler” Will You Use To Measure Your Faith?
The Sermon Hymn “My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less”
1 My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand.
2 When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace;
In ev’ry high and stormy gale My anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand.
3 His oath, His covenant and blood Support me in the raging flood;
When ev’ry earthly prop gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand.
4 When He shall come with trumpet sound, Oh, may I then in Him be found,
Clothed in His righteousness alone, Redeemed to stand before His throne!
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand.
The Greeting Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ! O Lord, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your praise. Amen.
The Sermon Text based on Amos 7:7-17
7 This is what he showed me: I saw the Lord standing by a wall that had been constructed with a plumb line. He had a plumb line in his hand. 8 The Lord said to me, “What do you see, Amos?” I said, “A plumb line.”
Then the Lord said: “Look, I am about to set up a plumb line next to my people Israel.
I will no longer overlook their sin. 9 The high places of Isaac will be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel will be ruined. I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”
10 Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent a message to Jeroboam king of Israel: Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to endure all of his words. 11 This is what Amos says: “Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will certainly go into exile away from its own soil.”
12 Then Amaziah said to Amos, “You seer, get out of here! Flee to the land of Judah. You may eat food and prophesy there. 13 But you must never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the sanctuary of the king and the national temple.”
14 Then Amos responded to Amaziah: I was not a prophet, nor was I a son of a prophet. Rather, I was a sheep breeder and I took care of sycamore fig trees. 15 But the Lord took me from tending flocks, and the Lord said to me, “Go, prophesy to my people Israel.”
16 But now, hear the word of the Lord, you who are saying, “Do not prophesy against Israel” and “Do not preach against the house of Isaac.”
17 This is what the Lord says: “Your wife will be a prostitute in the city, and your sons and your daughters will fall by the sword. Your land will be parceled out with a measuring line, and as for you, you will die upon unclean soil. And Israel will certainly go into exile far away from its own soil.”
How Do We/You Measure Up?
The Blessing To Him Who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy — to the only God, our Savior, be glory, majesty, power, and authority…now and forever. Amen.
We Offer Our Gifts to the Lord
Our Offerings of Love to our Lord
Because we aren’t able to pass an offering plate today during today’s worship service those in attendance may leave their offerings in the offering plates by the exit door at the close of our service today.
For those watching today’s service, we offer you the following suggestions for providing God with Your thank-offerings through our ministry:
1) You can send a check (no cash) in the mail to the church address (415 N. 6th Place, Lowell, AR 72745)
2) You can go online to our website (www.gracelutherannwa.com) and use the giving option there.
At the Pastor’s invitation, the Congregation will rise for
We Bring Our Prayers to the Lord
The Prayers for Today
Included in our Prayers this Morning…
Prayers of Intercession on behalf of Bill Krizsan, as he continues
to undergo treatment for bladder cancer….that God might him with a successful recovery
and one on behalf of Mike Outlaw, who will undergo a surgical procedure this Wednesday;
and also
A Prayer of Thanksgiving for Bev Anderson whom our Lord took successfully
through vascular surgery this past week.
The Lord’s Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name; Thy
Prayer 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.
We Celebrate the Lord’s Supper
Pastor – The Lord be with you.
Congregation (Sung) And also with you.
Pastor – Lift up your hearts.
Congregation (Sung) We lift them up to the Lord
Pastor – Let us give thanks unto the Lord, our God.
Congregation (sung) It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
Consecration of the Elements
Pastor – The peace of the Lord be with you always.
Congregation – (Sung) Amen.
The Exhortation Regarding the Lord’s Supper
(Please read the following if you have not spoken with our Pastor about taking communion. Thank you.)
TO OUR GUESTS AND FRIENDS
We ask that only “Confirmed, Communicant” members of this congregation, or of one of our Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod congregations come forward to receive the Lord’s Supper at this time.
We believe, according to Scripture, that only those who are “one,” that is, in complete doctrinal agreement, united in a common public confession of faith, are to commune together at the same altar (see I Corinthians 10:17 and I Corinthians 1:10).
To be “in communion” means to share and to hold in common. By eating and drinking at our Lord’s Table, we are not only sharing in, with, and under the bread and wine, Jesus’ very body and blood…we are also publicly declaring that we hold in common a specific confession of faith. In other words, as a result of having comprehensively studied the Scriptures together all of our communicants have agreed to accept and proclaim the same Biblical doctrines and practices.
Through membership in a particular church body (for us, that church body is the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod), each person makes a public statement that he/she is in full agreement with the teachings and practices of that body. Because not every church body or Lutheran Synod teaches and practices the same things, we in the WELS want to be honest in our recognition of the doctrinal differences that, here on earth, separate us from other church bodies. Please bear in mind that we are not, in any way, judging the legitimacy of your Christian faith. Still, we ask that if you have not (upon study of the Word with us) declared yourself to be in full doctrinal agreement with us, you would respectfully not join us in the Lord’s Supper this morning.
It is our prayer that our Scripture-based practice of “Close Communion” will encourage anyone among us today who is not presently in full fellowship with us to seriously examine the teachings and practices of his/her church in order to determine if those teachings and practices are really in full agreement with God’s Word.
And if you are guest among us today, we want you to know that it is our earnest desire that you might become familiar with the Biblical doctrines our congregation confesses, in order that you might one day join with us at the Lord’s altar in this public expression of full unity of doctrine and practice. Until then, please know that we are most grateful for your participation as a fellow Christian in this worship service, and that we appreciate your understanding and respect of our Communion practice.
The First Distribution Hymn “Draw Nigh and Take the Body of the Lord”
1 Draw near and take the body of the Lord,
And drink the holy blood for you outpoured;
Offered was He for greatest and for least,
Himself the victim and Himself the priest.
2 He that His saints in this world rules and shields,
To all believers life eternal yields;
With heav’nly bread makes them that hungry whole,
Gives living waters to the thirsting soul.
3 Come forward then with faithful hearts sincere,
And take the pledges of salvation here.
Before Your altar, Lord, Your servants bow
In this Your feast of love be with us now.
The Second Distribution Hymn “Thy Table I Approach”
1 Your table I approach; Dear Savior, hear my prayer.
Let not an unrepentant heart Prove hurtful to me there.
2 Lord, I confess my sins And mourn their wretched bands;
A contrite heart is sure to find Forgiveness at Your hands.
3 Your body and Your blood, Once slain and shed for me,
Are taken at Your table, Lord, In blest reality.
4 Search not how this takes place, This wondrous mystery;
God can accomplish vastly more Than what we think could be.
5 O grant, most blessed Lord, That earth and hell combined
May not about this sacrament Raise doubt within my mind.
6 Oh, may I never fail To thank You day and night
For Your true body and true blood, O God, my peace and light.
We Leave With The Lord’s Blessing
The Closing Prayer
The Benediction
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
The Lord look with favor upon you, and give you His peace. Amen.
The Closing Hymn “May the Grace of Christ the Savior”
sung to the melody of “Jesus, Thou Art Mine Forever”
May the grace of Christ our Savior And the Father’s boundless love
With the Holy Spirit’s favor Rest upon us from above.
So may we abide in union With each other and the Lord
Gathered here in blest communion By the power of His Word.
Now with all the saints in heaven Thanks and praise to You we sing,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Three in One, our Triune King! Amen.
Silent Prayer
Announcements
Post-service Music
Announcements
Last Sunday At Grace Lutheran
Worship Attendance: 69 Online Views: 34 Bible Class: 22 Online: 29
Sunday School: 2 Budget Offerings: $3315 Online Gift: $20.91 Tuesday Bible Class: 11
Serving Us Next Sunday
Elders: John Johnson, Steve Stone, Tim Pfortmiller
Ushers: Kent Mayer, John Wambold, Jim Winnat
Altar Guild: Tammy Schwartz, Marilyn Outlaw
Looking Ahead For Grace Lutheran Church
Today Morning Worship, with a celebration of the Lord’s Supper, 9:30 a.m.
Bible Class/Sunday School, – begins 15 minutes after worship is done
Sept 07(Mon) LABOR DAY….No School….No Secretary in the church office
Sept 08(Tues) Morning Bible Class, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m
Church Council Meeting, 6 p.m. Elders’ Meeting afterward
Sept 12 (Sat) Outreach Calling/Visitation, 10:00 a.m.
Sept 13 (Sun) Morning Worship, 9:30 a.m.
Bible Class/Sunday School, 15 minutes after worship concludes
This Week’s Birthdays Sept 06 – Linda Ryskey;
Sept 10 – Barbara Center; Sept 11 Jim Winnat Sept 12 – Kevin Turner;
Phone, Address, and E-Mail Address Request Reminder…….. If you have had any address, email or phone number changes in the recent three or four months, please share it with us on the white notepad in the front entryway. We’d like to keep our congregational telephone (regular and cellular), address, and email directory as up-to-date as we can….. but can do that only with your help.
Do You Know Anyone…. within your circle of friends, relatives, acquaintances, or neighbors who is not currently attending a church? Have you invited them to join us for public worship on Sunday morning? Have you offered them the opportunity to join us for worship & Bible study online (at www.gracelutherannwa.com)? Would you be willing to share his/her/their name with us, so that we might include them on our monthly mailing list? If you can answer “yes” especially to this last question, please speak with Pastor, as we would like to serve others (as we are serving you and our current church membership) with our Savior’s Gospel of love, forgiveness, and everlasting life. Your prayers and your support in this vital area of our collective ministry will be most appreciated.
Sunday Morning Bible Class We are holding our Bible class here in the gymnasium. It begins a few minutes after worship closes, and will last about 30 minutes. Please consider being part of today’s class. Today we’re going to be finishing the story of God’s Gift to Hannah of a special son….Samuel….and about God’s calling of Samuel into His service (I Samuel 1-3).