13th Sunday after Pentecost

Called to contemplate the cost of discipleship today, we might be helped by translating Paul’s request to Philemon into our prayer of the day: Refresh my heart in Christ. Strengthened by the company and forgiveness of the Christ in the blessed sacrament and recalling God’s grace in remembrance of baptism, we can be strengthened in this hour to "choose life"—to choose life in God as our own.

Welcome to All Our Guests and Visitors: The people of First Lutheran Church extend a very sincere welcome to you. For this morning’s worship we will be using the Red Book (Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW)).

P: Pastor A: Assisting Minister C: Congregation * Please stand as you are able

Per CDC Guidelines: facemasks are now optional indoors (this may change). It’s never inappropriate to wear a mask. Please do what makes you feel comfortable.

PRELUDE:

*GATHERING SONG: “I Love to Tell the Story” ELW #661

+ GATHERING +

BRIEF ORDER FOR CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS:

P Blessed be the holy Trinity, + one God, who is eager to forgive and who loves us beyond our days.

C Amen.

P Dear friends, together let us acknowledge our failure to love this world as Jesus does.

Silence is kept for reflection.

God of mercy and forgiveness,

C we confess that sin still has a hold on us. We have harmed your good creation. We have failed to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with you. Turn us in a new direction. Show us the path that leads to life. Be our refuge and strength on the journey, through Jesus Christ, our redeemer and friend. Amen.

P Beloved of God: your sins are forgiven + and you are made whole. God points the way to new life in Christ, who meets us on the road. Journey now in God’s abiding love through the power of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

*GREETING:

A The grace given to us in Christ Jesus, the power of God who calls us with a holy calling, and the help of the Holy Spirit living in us be with you all.

C And also with you.

PRAYER OF THE DAY:

A Direct us, O Lord God, in all our doings with your continual help, that in all our works, begun, continued, and ended in you, we may glorify your holy name; and finally, by your mercy, bring us to everlasting life, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

C Amen

JUST FOR KIDS — Kids please meet up front with Pastor Dennis

Sunday School ~ all children age 3 on up may go with the teacher to the classroom.

+ WORD +

FIRST READING: Deuteronomy 30:15–20

Moses speaks to the Israelites, who are about to enter the land promised to their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In this passage, he lays out the stark choice before them: choose life by loving and obeying the Lord; or choose death by following other gods.

See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. ¹⁶If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the LORD your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. ¹⁷But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, ¹⁸I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. ¹⁹I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, ²⁰loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the LORD swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

PSALM: Psalm 1, Read Responsively

They are like trees planted by streams of water. (Ps. 1:3)

Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel ^| of the wicked,

nor lingered in the way of sinners,

nor sat in the seats ^| of the scornful!

²Their delight is in the law ^| of the LORD,

and they meditate on God's teaching ^| day and night.

³They are like trees planted by streams of water,

bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that ^| do not wither;

everything they ^| do shall prosper.

⁴It is not so ^| with the wicked;

they are like chaff which the wind ^| blows away.

⁵Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when ^| judgment comes,

nor the sinner in the council ^| of the righteous.

⁶For the LORD knows the way ^| of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked shall ^| be destroyed.

SECOND READING: Philemon 1–21

While Paul was in prison, he was aided by a runaway slave named Onesimus. The slave's master, Philemon, was a Christian friend of Paul. Paul told Onesimus to return to his master and encouraged Philemon to receive Onesimus back as a Christian brother.

Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,

To Philemon our dear friend and co-worker, ²to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:

³Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God ⁵because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus. ⁶I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ. ⁷I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother.

⁸For this reason, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do your duty, ⁹yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love—and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. ¹⁰I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. ¹¹Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful both to you and to me. ¹²I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. ¹³I wanted to keep him with me, so that he might be of service to me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel; ¹⁴but I preferred to do nothing without your consent, in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not something forced. ¹⁵Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back forever, ¹⁶no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother—especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

¹⁷So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. ¹⁸If he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. ¹⁹I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it. I say nothing about your owing me even your own self. ²⁰Yes, brother, let me have this benefit from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ. ²¹Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.

*HOLY GOSPEL: Luke 14:25–33

P The Holy Gospel according to Luke, the fourteenth chapter.

C Glory to you, O Lord

Jesus speaks frankly about the fearsome costs of discipleship. Those who follow him should know from the outset that completing the course of discipleship will finally mean renouncing all other allegiances.

²⁵Now large crowds were traveling with [Jesus;] and he turned and said to them, ²⁶"Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. ²⁷Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. ²⁸For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? ²⁹Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, ³⁰saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' ³¹Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? ³²If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. ³³So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.

P The Gospel of the Lord.

C Praise to you, O Christ

SERMON: Pastor Dennis Hickman

HYMN OF THE DAY: “O Jesus, Joy of Loving Hearts” ELW #658

APOSTLES’ CREED:

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He 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, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again 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

* catholic means universal

SHARING OF THE PEACE:

P The peace of the Lord be with you always.

C And also with you.

(The congregation greets one another in the name of the Lord: “Peace be with you.”)

OFFERING:

(Download Vanco Mobile app to give via your phone)

*OFFERTORY: “Take My Life, That I May Be” ELW #685 vs. 1

Take my life, that I may be consecrated, Lord, to thee;

take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.

*OFFERTORY PRAYER:

A Gracious God, in your great love you richly provide for our needs. Make of these gifts a banquet of blessing, and make us ready to share with all in need; through Jesus Christ, who sets a table for all.

C Amen.

+ PRAYERS +

A God hears the cry of the poor and is near to all in need. Let us pray for our neighbors, our world, and ourselves, trusting in God's mercy and love.

Prayer Petitions...

P All this we ask, gracious God, together with all that is known to you alone, in the name of your risen and anointed Son, through the power of your life-giving Spirit.

C Amen

+ THE LORD’S SUPPER +

*THE GREAT THANKSGIVING:

P The Lord be with you.

C And also with you.

P Lift up your hearts.

C We lift them to the Lord.

P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

C It is right to give our thanks and praise.

P It is indeed right, our duty and our joy... we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

THE WORDS of INSTITUTION

THE LORD’S PRAYER:

P Lord, remember us in your kingdom, and teach us to pray:

C 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

COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION

The Lord invites to His table to receive his Body and Blood those who are baptized and believe the words, “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sin.” Children who have not yet received their first Holy Communion are invited forward for a blessing. Children who do receive the bread and wine, please hold out your hands so we know to serve you. We are aware that alcohol is not a choice for some people; therefore, we offer white grape juice as an alternative choice. The white grape juice is in the center of each tray of glasses, the wine is red. Feel free to stand if kneeling is a hardship for you. Communion assistants please come forward also and kneel at the altar rail. Pre-sealed cups are still available on the little table in the center.

OTHER HYMNS DURING DISTRIBUTION: ELW #462

*POST-COMMUNION BLESSING:

P The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.

C Amen.

*POST-COMMUNION PRAYER:

A God of the abundant table, you have refreshed our hearts in this meal with bread for the journey. Give us your grace on the road that we might serve our neighbors with joy; for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

C Amen.

+ SENDING +

*BLESSING:

P God, who gives life to all things and frees us from despair, bless you with truth and peace. And may the holy Trinity, + one God, guide you always in faith, hope, and love.

C Amen.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

*SENDING SONG: “Let Us Ever Walk with Jesus” ELW #802

DISMISSAL:

A Go in peace. Remember the poor.

C Thanks be to God.

*POSTLUDE: