FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Use the scroll bar on the right side of the window below to read along with the service.

July 10, 2022

“You go, and do likewise”

As our gracious God gathers us together in His house today, we are blessed with another opportunity to be filled with His love. This love is the love that enables us to love. It all begins with God, who so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son. This love is found in Jesus, who in great love offered His life upon the cross for us. This love is poured out upon us when we, by the power of the Holy Spirit, believe in Christ as our Lord and Savior. It knows no limits because this love is directed to us in Christ and then through us back to God in lives of worship. But our worship doesn’t stop when the service is over; no, our love for God continues when it is directed through us toward our neighbors in lives of humble service. The limitless love of God is ours to receive yet again today as we gather to give thanks to the Father above who has “transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13–14).

+ Preparation +

OPENING HYMN: #803 – Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee

INVOCATION

Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

People: Amen.

CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION

Psalm 41:4; Leviticus 18:4; Colossians 1:10, 12–14; Luke 10:27

Pastor: As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me;

People: heal me, for I have sinned against You!”

In silent prayer, we come before our merciful Lord for His healing forgiveness.

Pastor: Holy God, You have commanded us: “You shall follow My rules and keep My statutes and walk in them. I am the Lord your God.”

People: We confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean.

Pastor: “Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”

People: We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone.

Pastor: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

People: We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.

Pastor: As brothers and sisters in Christ, let us give thanks to the Father, “who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” As a called and ordained servant of Christ and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

People: Amen.

+ WORD +

PSALM Psalm 41; antiphon: v. 1

(Blessed is the one who considers the poor!)

Lector: Blessed is the one who considers the poor!

People: In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him;

Lector: the Lord protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land;

People: You do not give him up to the will of his enemies.

Lector: The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness You restore him to full health.

People: As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against You!”

Lector: My enemies say of me in malice, “When will he die and his name perish?”

People: And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words, while his heart gathers iniquity; when he goes out, he tells it abroad.

Lector: All who hate me whisper together about me; they imagine the worst for me.

People: They say, “A deadly thing is poured out on him; he will not rise again from where he lies.”

Lector: Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.

People: But You, O Lord, be gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may repay them!

Lector: By this I know that You delight in me: my enemy will not shout in triumph over me.

People: But You have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in Your presence forever.

Lector: Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,

People: from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Lector: Blessed is the one who considers the poor!

People: In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him.

KYRIE

Lector: In the peace and love of Christ, let us pray to the Lord.

People: Lord, have mercy!

Lector: For the gift of love from above and for the salvation of all who trust in Jesus, let us pray to the Lord.

People: Lord, have mercy!

Lector: For His love to fill the whole world as the Church of God walks in unity and proclaims the message of His kingdom, let us pray to the Lord.

People: Lord, have mercy!

Lector: For our congregation, for its labors of love, and for all who offer in this holy house their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.

People: Lord, have mercy!

Lector: Help, heal, rescue, and redeem us, gracious Lord.

People: Amen!

SALUTATION and PRAYER OF THE DAY

Pastor: The Lord be with you.

People: And also with you.

Pastor: Let us pray.
Lord Jesus Christ, in Your deep compassion You deliver us from the domain of darkness and bring us into Your eternal kingdom. Teach us to love You above all things and to love our neighbors as ourselves; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

People: Amen.

OLD TESTAMENT READING Leviticus 19:9–18

(The Lord instructs us to keep His statutes and live a life of love.)

⁹“When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. ¹⁰And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.

¹¹“You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another. ¹²You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.

¹³“You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him. The wages of a hired servant shall not remain with you all night until the morning. ¹⁴You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.

¹⁵“You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. ¹⁶You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.

¹⁷“You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. ¹⁸You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”

Lector: This is the Word of the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.

GRADUAL Romans 10:15b, 18b; Isaiah 52:7b, alt.

Lector: How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news,

People: who publish peace and bring good news of salvation.

Lector: Their voice has gone out to all the earth,

People: and their words to the ends of the world.

EPISTLE Colossians 1:1–14

(We live by faith in Christ Jesus; love for all the saints.)

¹Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

²To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

³We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, ⁴since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, ⁵because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, ⁶which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, ⁷just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf ⁸and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.

⁹And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. ¹¹May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, ¹²giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. ¹³He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, ¹⁴in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Lector: This is the Word of the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.

ALLELUIA and VERSE Luke 10:27, adapted

Pastor: Alleluia. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind.

People: And you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Alleluia.

HOLY GOSPEL Luke 10:25–37

(The good Samaritan shows love for his neighbor.)

Pastor: The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the tenth chapter.

People: Glory to You, O Lord.

²⁵Behold, a lawyer stood up to put [Jesus] to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” ²⁶He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” ²⁷And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” ²⁸And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

²⁹But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” ³⁰Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. ³¹Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. ³²So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. ³⁴He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ ³⁶Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” ³⁷He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Pastor: This is the Gospel of the Lord.

People: Praise to You, O Christ.

HYMN OF THE DAY: #849 – Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness

SERMON: We Are the Voice of Jesus

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 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

Pastor: Fellow redeemed, we have been made holy by the blood of Jesus and have been called into His eternal kingdom. Let us then lift our prayers before our holy God, trusting that He hears and answers us for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Holy God, our Father in heaven, we thank You for the mercy You have shown to us. We have not lived the lives of holiness You require, choosing to put ourselves first instead of fearing, loving, and trusting in You above all things. And yet You transfer the holiness of Your Son to us as we trust in Him as our Lord and Savior.

People: Your name be holy among us as we live our lives for Your glory!

Pastor: Lord Jesus, You reign at the Father’s right hand as King of kings and Lord of lords. As You minister to us now by Your Holy Spirit, working through the means You have established, Your kingdom breaks into our world and touches our lives with Your love.

People: Your name be holy among us as we share in the blessings of Your kingdom!

Pastor: Your will, O Lord, is for all people to know You and confess You as their holy God. Send Your Church into every corner of this world that the Great Commission be accomplished as people of every nation are baptized in Your name and taught the fullness of Your Word. Lead, guide, and bless our congregation—along with all churches and workers in Your kingdom—that we dedicate our lives to sharing the Good News of Christ. Loving You, grant that we also love our neighbors as ourselves, thereby revealing Your Son to the world He died to save.

People: Your name be holy among us as we walk according to Your gracious will!

Pastor: Giving Lord, You provide daily bread to all Your creation. Help us to receive with thanksgiving every blessing Your hand provides. As stewards of Your good gifts, grant that we be wise managers of what rightfully belongs to You. Sharing with our neighbors in need, grant that Your love be extended through our generosity.

People: Your name be holy among us as we receive our daily bread with thanksgiving!

Pastor: Gracious Father, You give the healing balm of Your forgiveness to all who cling to Your Son by faith. Bless those who stand in need of spiritual healing and also those who cry out for relief from their physical suffering, [especially . . .] We entrust all those in need to Your healing care.

People: Your name be holy among us as we experience Your forgiveness and healing!

Pastor: Blessed Redeemer, You have rescued us from the domain of sin and death by Your death upon the cross and resurrection from the grave! Satan stands defeated because You live and reign to all eternity. We give You all praise and glory for the work You have done to lead us away from temptation, to deliver us from the evil one, and to transfer us into Your eternal kingdom. By Your grace, through faith in You alone, we receive the gifts that You pour out upon us as we stand in Your holy presence.

People: Your name be holy among us as we stand in Your victory!

Pastor: Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend ourselves and all those for whom we pray, for Yours alone is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, now and forever.

People: Amen!

LORD’S PRAYER Matthew 6:9–13

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.

CLOSING PRAYER

Pastor: Let us pray.
Holy Lord, in Your deep compassion You rescue and restore us as Your holy people. Teach us to love You above all things and to love our neighbors as ourselves; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

People: Amen.

CLOSING SENTENCES Luke 10:27, adapted

Pastor: Alleluia. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind.

People: And you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Alleluia.

BENEDICTION Numbers 6:24–26

Pastor: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and + give you peace.

People: Amen.

DISMISSAL

Pastor: Go in peace as you serve the Lord.People: Thanks be to God.

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST – Online Church at Home Bulletin