The livestream may be found here.
THE NINTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Faith,
courage, and action ‘between the times’
The color
green, used for the vestments and paraments in the season
after Pentecost, symbolizes growth and life in the Holy Spirit.
FIRST AND SECOND READINGS: The letter to the Hebrews encourages its readers to have
faith in God’s promises. Faith receives the promises given by God as assurances
of the future; faith therefore acts, in an uncertain present, in accordance
with the certain future that is proclaimed in the promises. Abraham, the father
of the Israelites, is held as the example of faith to be imitated by all. The
specific examples are faith when he is called by God to ‘go to the land that I
will show you’ (Gen. 12) and faith when God promises a son in his old age (Gen.
15). Abraham, and all those who followed him died without seeing the fullness
of the promises, but they died in faith that one day they would be brought to
completion.
GOSPEL: Jesus
also encourages his disciples to ‘have no fear,’ in other words, to live in
faith. Faith in God’s coming kingdom means a reevaluation of all the things
that promise security in the world, property and possessions among them. We who
live with property and possessions are called to renounce trust in them. Part
of this renunciation of trust is to voluntarily live with less: to give away
that which is ours in order to receive what is God’s. Leaving aside these
things, we are ready for action, that we may welcome Jesus when he comes again,
not as an itinerant Galilean rabbi, but as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
At the end there will be no need for faith, for faith will be replaced by what
is seen (1 Corinthians 13:8-13). Between now and that time, we live by faith in
God’s promises.
OPENING MUSIC
BRIEF ORDER FOR CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
Stand
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
In the name of the Father, and of the X Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(1 John 1:8-9)
Silence for reflection and self-examination.
Most merciful God,
we confess that we are in bondage to sin
and cannot free ourselves.
We have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
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
Almighty God, in his mercy, has given his Son to die for us and, for his sake, forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the Church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the X Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
THE HOLY COMMUNION
I will go to the altar of God;
the God of my joy and gladness.
WHymn
God, Who Stretched the
Spangled Heavens Green LBW 463
APOSTOLIC 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. 2 Corinthians 13:13
HYMN OF PRAISE
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Our faith rests securely upon you, O God,
and we await your kingdom.
Sustain us by Word and Sacrament
and keep us alert for the coming of the Son
of Man,
that we may welcome him without delay.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen
and the
LORD reckoned to him as righteousness.
Let us hear the Word of the Lord. Genesis 15:6
Sit
FIRST READING
Genesis 15:1-6
1After these things the word of the
Lord came to Abram in a vision,
“Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2But
Abram said, “O Lord God, what
will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer
of Damascus?”
3And Abram said, “You have given me
no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.” 4But
the word of the Lord came to him,
“This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your
heir.” 5He brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count
the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your
descendants be.” 6And he believed the Lord; and the Lord
reckoned it to him as righteousness.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM 33:12-22
Antiphon Ps.
33:22
12 Happy is the nation whose God | is the Lord!*
Happy
the people he has chosen to | be his own!
13 The Lord
looks | down from heaven,*
and
beholds all the people | in the world.
14 From where he sits enthroned he | turns his gaze*
on
all who dwell | on the earth.
15 He fashions all the | hearts of them*
and
understands | all their works.
16 There is no king that can be saved by a | mighty
army;*
a
strong man is not delivered by | his great strength.
17 The horse is a vain hope | for deliverance;*
for
all its strength it | cannot save.
18 Behold, the eye of the Lord
is upon | those who fear him,*
on
those who wait up- | on his love,
19 to pluck their | lives from death,*
and
to feed them in | time of famine.
20 Our soul waits | for the Lord;*
he
is our help | and our shield.
21 Indeed, our heart rejoic- | es in him,*
for
in his holy name we | put our trust.
22 Let your lovingkindness, O Lord, | be upon us,*
as
we have put our | trust in you.
SECOND READING Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
1Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the
conviction of things not seen. 2Indeed, by faith our ancestors
received approval. 3By faith we understand that the worlds were
prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are
not visible.
8By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place
that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he
was going. 9By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been
promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who
were heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he looked forward to
the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11By
faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old—and Sarah
herself was barren—because he considered him faithful who had promised. 12Therefore
from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, “as many
as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.”
13All of these died in faith without having received the promises,
but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were
strangers and foreigners on the earth, 14for people who speak in
this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15If they
had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had
opportunity to return. 16But as it is, they desire a better country,
that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God;
indeed, he has prepared a city for them.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks
be to God.
Stand
VERSE
Gospel Luke 12:32-40
The Holy Gospel according to St.
Luke.
Glory to you, O Lord.
[Jesus said:]
32“Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good
pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33Sell your possessions, and give
alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in
heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34For where
your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
35“Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; 36be
like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet,
so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. 37Blessed
are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you,
he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and
serve them. 38If he comes during the middle of the night, or near
dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.
39“But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour
the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40You
also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sit
SERMON
Stand
WHYMN OF THE DAY
Have No Fear,
Little Flock Green LBW 476
CONFESSION OF FAITH 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
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
Let
us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, and for all people
according to their needs.
Give your Church faith in your promise of salvation,
that we may reject idolatries of every kind and act in anticipation of the
coming kingdom; Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Give this congregation the wisdom and courage to
seek your Kingdom and to boldly speak that all may know its advent; Lord, in
your mercy,
hear our
prayer.
Bless our country and all the nations of the world
with peace, justice, and harmony; Lord, in your mercy,
hear our
prayer.
Give your comfort and blessing to all who despair
of your love, that their fear may give way to faith and their sadness with
rejoicing; Lord, in your mercy,
hear our
prayer.
Give your grace and healing to the needy; to all
who are sick, dying, grieving, and otherwise in distress, especially these whom
we name now…
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our
prayer.
Help us to look with hope to the coming new
Jerusalem, that in that day we may stand and rejoice with the saints when the
world is freed from sin, evil, and death; Lord, in your mercy,
hear our
prayer.
Into your hands, Father, we commend
all for whom we pray, trusting in your steadfast love; through Jesus Christ our
Lord.
Amen
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
And also with you.
The people exchange the sign of peace with the simple words, Peace be with you.
Sit
The Lord’s Table is prepared.
Stand
O Bread of Life from Heaven (LBW 222), stanza 1
1 O Bread of life from heaven,
O Food to pilgrims given,
O Manna from above:
feed with the blessed sweetness
of your divine completeness
the souls that want and need your love.
Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation:
through your goodness we have this bread to set before you,
which earth has given and human hands have made.
It will become for us the bread of life.
Blessed be God for ever.
Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation:
through your goodness we have this wine to set before you,
fruit of the vine and work of human hands.
It will become for us the cup of salvation.
Blessed be God for ever.
GREAT THANKSGIVING
It is indeed right and salutary that we should at
all times and all places
offer
thanks and praise to you, holy Father, through Christ our Lord; We put our
trust in his saving death and resurrection, and we look with joy to welcome him
when he is revealed in glory. And so, with the Church on earth and the hosts of
heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
The pastor leads the people in praying the Eucharistic canon:
You are indeed holy, almighty and merciful God;
you are most holy, and great is the majesty of your glory.
You so loved the world that you gave your only Son,
that whoever believes in him may not perish
but have eternal life.
Having come into the world, he fulfilled for us your holy will
and accomplished our salvation.
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.
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.
Remembering, therefore, his salutary command,
his life-giving Passion and death,
his glorious resurrection and ascension,
and his promise to come again,
we give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
not as we ought, but as we are able;
and we implore you mercifully
to accept our praise and thanksgiving,
and, with your Word and Holy Spirit,
to bless us, your servants,
and these your own gifts of bread and wine;
that we and all who share in the body and blood of your Son
may be filled with heavenly peace and joy,
and, receiving the forgiveness of sin,
may be sanctified in soul and body,
and have our portion with all your saints.
All honor and glory are yours, O God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
in your holy Church, now and forever. Amen
In the presence of Christ, we pray to his Father using the words he gave us.
Christ is in our midst.
By the power of the Spirit,
we pray to his Father, saying:
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 Matthew 6:9-15
This is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
Happy are we who are called to his supper.
Lord, I am not worthy to receive you,
but only say the word and I shall be healed.
John 1:29; Revelation 19:9; Luke 7:6-7
O Bread of Life from Heaven, stanza 2
2 O Fount of grace redeeming,
O River ever streaming
from Jesus’ wounded side:
come now, your love bestowing
on thirsting souls, and flowing
till all are fully satisfied.
Sit
DISTRIBUTION
They may receive the Lord’s Body and Blood who are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, who commune in their home churches, and who believe that Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, is truly present in, with, and under the forms of bread and wine for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.
Please come forward, take a communion cup from the tray, and kneel at the altar rail on your ‘side’ of the worship space. Please make an effort to leave some distance between your family unit and the next family unit. When your side has finished communing, please place your empty cup in the tray provided.
WDISTRIBUTION HYMN
Soul, Adorn Yourself with Gladness Green LBW 224
When all have received, the congregation stands at the direction of the pastor.
The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
Amen
O Bread of Life from Heaven, stanza 3
3 We love you, Jesus, tender,
in all your hidden splendor
within these means of grace.
Oh, let the veil be riven,
and our clear eye in heaven
behold your glory face to face.
Almighty God, you gave your Son both as a sacrifice for sin and a model of the godly life. Enable us to receive him always with thanksgiving, and to conform our lives to his; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.
Sit
ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR THE FAITH FAMILY
Stand
Silence for meditation.
BENEDICTION
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 X give you peace.
Amen Numbers 6:24-26
WCLOSING HYMN
Great
Is Thy Faithfulness
Blue WOV 771
DISMISSAL
Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2022 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved.
Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #20540.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Prayer of the Day from Opening Prayers: Collects in Contemporary Language: Norwich, UK: Canterbury Press, 2001.
Peterson, Kathleen. Mary, Martha and Jesus, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=56572 [retrieved July 11, 2022]. Original source: Kathleen Peterson, https://www.kathleenpetersonart.com
Agnus Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org
St Stephen Lutheran Church
55 Forsythe Road
Pittsburgh PA 15220
(412) 279-5868
office@ststephenpittsburgh.org
Saturday Evening Worship – 6:30 pm
Sunday Morning Worship – 9:30 am
