NINTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

July 25, 2021

It’s Not Always About You

God’s promise of life in the rainbow summons us to hope in God. The apostle Paul urges us to discover and to know how real and firm is God’s love. Like the fearful disciples in today’s Gospel, we may have doubts of faith. But God’s Word assures us: “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid” (Mark 6:50). This causes us to stop our worrying and believe. Hope in God can calm you. The love of God can convince you. Here, now, at His mighty Word, your sins are forgiven, and you have hope, love, and life. We now gather before Him, our Creator, our Redeemer, and our loving God.

Download Printable PDF Bulletin Text Here

Download Printable PDF Sermon Text Here

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

+ PREPARATION +

OPENING HYMN: Lord Jesus Christ, Be Present Now

INVOCATION

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

People: Amen.

CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION

Pastor: Since the beginning of time, God has revealed His will to seek and to save that which was lost. No matter how often we have entered the gates of God’s place, whether often or rarely, because of sin, we are all lost, on our own, and helpless. Let us therefore approach God in humility to receive His forgiveness.

People: O God, I believe in You; O Lord, I trust Your promise to save me. Forgive me for my sins in thought, word, and deed. Come to me, though I am not worthy. Come to me with Your promise, with Your touch of forgiveness, healing, help, and life. Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Pastor: God has come to you in grace and mercy. Upon this your confession, as a called and ordained servant of the Word 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.

People: Amen.

+ WORD +

PSALM Psalm 136:1–9 (spoken responsively by verse)

¹Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

²Give thanks to the God of gods,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

³Give thanks to the Lord of lords,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

⁴to him who alone does great wonders,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

⁵to him who by understanding made the heavens,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

⁶to him who spread out the earth above the waters,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

⁷to him who made the great lights,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

⁸the sun to rule over the day,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

⁹the moon and stars to rule over the night,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

KYRIE

Pastor: In peace, let us pray to the Lord.

People: Lord, have mercy.

Pastor: For peace in our hearts and calm in our nation, let us pray to the Lord.

People: Lord, have mercy.

Pastor: For peace among nations, growth in the Church, unity of faith, and proclamation among all believers, let us pray to the Lord.

People: Lord, have mercy.

Pastor: For ourselves gathered here and all who join us wherever they are, let us pray to the Lord.

People: Lord, have mercy.

Pastor: Help us in our weakness, comfort us in setbacks, and defend us from all evil, 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.
O God, our Redeemer, according to Your gracious promises and gift of salvation, help us now in any anxiety or fear to believe in Your love and power to deliver us, and restore to us Your gift of life; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

People: Amen.

OLD TESTAMENT READING Genesis 9:8–17

(The covenant of the rainbow)

⁸ God said to Noah and to his sons with him, ⁹“Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, ¹⁰and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. ¹¹I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” ¹²And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: ¹³I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. ¹⁴When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, ¹⁵I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. ¹⁶When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” ¹⁷God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

Lector: This is the Word of the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.

GRADUAL Romans 11:33, 36 (spoken together)

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be glory forever. Amen.

EPISTLE Ephesians 3:14–21

(Prayer for spiritual strength)

¹⁴For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, ¹⁶that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

²⁰Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, ²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Lector: This is the Word of the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.

VERSE Mark 6:50c

Alleluia. Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid. Alleluia.

HOLY GOSPEL Mark 6:45–56

(Jesus walks on water.)

Pastor: The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the sixth chapter.

People: Glory to You, O Lord.

⁴⁵Immediately [Jesus] made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. ⁴⁶And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. ⁴⁷And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. ⁴⁸And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, ⁴⁹but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, ⁵⁰for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” ⁵¹And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, ⁵²for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

⁵³When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. ⁵⁴And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him ⁵⁵and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. ⁵⁶And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.

Pastor: This is the Gospel of the Lord.

People: Praise to You, O Christ.

HYMN OF THE DAY: Beautiful Savior

SERMON: It’s Not Always About You

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

After each petition:

Pastor: … Lord, in Your mercy:

People: hear our prayer.

At conclusion:

Pastor: … through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

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.
Almighty and most merciful God, the protector of all who trust in You, strengthen our faith and give us courage to believe that in Your love You will rescue us from all adversities; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

People: Amen.

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! Serve the Lord!

People: Thanks be to God.

NINTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST – Online Church at Home Service Bulletin