This Week’s Bulletin
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Sunday, July 20, 2025 | The 6th Sunday after Pentecost
+ THE LITURGY OF THE GATHERING +
8:55AM The Ringing of the Valley of Hope Spire Bells
WORDS OF WELCOME
THE VOLUNTARY
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
Please stand as you are able and face the cross as it processes down the aisle, leading us into worship.
P In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P 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 will perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord
C Amen
P Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.
Silence is kept for reflection.
P Most Merciful God,
C we confess that we are captive 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 will delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name. Amen.
P In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God 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 ☩ Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
THE GATHERING HYMN – ELW #688 – Lord of Light
THE APOSTOLIC GREETING
P The grace of Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C And also with you.
THE KYRIE
THE HYMN OF PRAISE
THE COLLECT/PRAYER OF THE DAY
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P O Lord God, your mercy delights us, and the world longs for your loving care. Hear the cries of everyone in need, and turn our hearts to love our neighbors with the love of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
C Amen.
Please be seated.
+ THE LITURGY OF THE WORD +
We hear readings from Holy Scriptures. A lesson from the Old Testament (or Hebrew Bible), a Psalm, a lesson from the New Testament, and a reading from one of the four Gospels are read.
THE FIRST READING – Genesis 18: 1-10a
The Lord visits Abraham and Sarah to tell them that the long-awaited promise of the birth of a child will be fulfilled for them in their old age.
1 The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them and bowed down to the ground. 3 He said, “My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” 6 And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah and said, “Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes.” 7 Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. 8 Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared and set it before them, and he stood by them under the tree while they ate.
9 They said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” And he said, “There, in the tent.” 10a Then one said, “I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son.”
After the reading: Word of God. Word of Life.
All respond: Thanks be to God.
THE PSALMODY – PSALM 15
We will read the Psalm responsively.
1 Lord, who may dwell in your tabernacle?
Who may abide upon your holy hill?
2 Those who lead a blameless life and do what is right,
who speak the truth from their heart;
3 they do not slander with the tongue, they do no evil to their friends;
they do not cast discredit upon a neighbor.
4 In their sight the wicked are rejected, but they honor those who fear the Lord.
They have sworn upon their health and do not take back their word.
5 They do not give their money in hope of gain, nor do they take bribes against the innocent.
Those who do these things shall never be overthrown.
THE SECOND READING – COLOSSIANS 1: 15-28
This letter offers a mystical teaching, that the great mystery of God is “Christ in you.” Because Christ is present in the church, Christians share in his life, suffering, and glory.
15 [Christ Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation,16 for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.
21 And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him, 23 provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, became a minister of this gospel.
24 I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. 25 I became its minister according to God’s commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
After the reading: The word of the Lord.
All respond: Thanks be to God.
THE GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
We stand to welcome the good news from the Gospel:
THE READING OF THE GOSPEL – LUKE 10: 38-42
P The Holy Gospel for this day is according to St. Luke, the 10th chapter.
C Glory to you, O Lord.
During his visit to the home of Mary and Martha, Jesus reminds Martha that her concern for her many tasks distracts from the one thing that precedes all else: abiding in the presence of God.
38 Now as [Jesus and his disciples] went on their way, he entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at Jesus’s feet and listened to what he was saying. 40 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her, then, to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things, 42 but few things are needed—indeed only one. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”
After the Gospel is read,
P The Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to you, O Christ.
THE GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Please be seated.
THE HOMILY PScott +
A time for reflection.
THE HYMN OF THE DAY – ELW #790 – Day by Day
Please stand as you are able.
THE APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come 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.
THE PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH
A With the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, let us pray for the church, those in need, and all of God’s creation.
After each petition…
A …God of grace,
C hear our prayer.
P Trusting in your lovingkindness, we place our prayer and hope in you, in the name of Jesus Christ..
C Amen.
THE SHARING OF THE PEACE
As forgiven people, we share the peace of Christ with one another.
P The peace of Christ be with you always.
C And also with you.
The ministers and congregation may greet one another with a gesture of peace, using these or similar words: Peace be with you.
Please be seated.
GREETINGS FOR THE DAY
+ THE LITURGY OF THE MEAL +
THE GIVING OF OUR TITHES AND OFFERINGS TO GOD
We bring our offerings at the front of the altar. The basket on the left (closest to the piano) is for BLAST! offerings. The basket on the right (closest to the pulpit) is for adult offerings.
OFFERTORY MUSIC
OFFERTORY PRAYER
Please stand as you are able.
A Let us pray. Creator God, in your wisdom you bring forth all that is good and the harvest is plentiful. Strengthen us at your table with these gifts of the earth and our labor, that we will work for the good of all; through Jesus Christ, our Savior.
C Amen.
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
THE PREFACE
It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times…we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
SANCTUS
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
THE LORD'S PRAYER
We pray together the prayer Our Lord taught to his disciples:
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.
Please be seated.
INVITATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE HOLY AND BLESSED SACRAMENT
All are welcome to Christ’s table. Whatever happens, you cannot do it incorrectly. Gluten-free, rice-free, and non-alcoholic options are available. Prayer Ministers will be available during Holy Communion on either side of the front part of our worship space.
THE AGNUS DEI
COMMUNION HYMN – ELW #474 – Bread of Life From Heaven
THE POST COMMUNION BLESSING AND PRAYER
Please stand as you are able.
P The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen and keep you in His grace.
C Amen.
A Mothering God, you gathered us to your table, and we drank deeply of your grace. Send us out by your Spirit to love our neighbors as ourselves and to proclaim your love in Jesus’ name.
C Amen.
+ THE LITURGY OF THE SENDING +
THE BENEDICTION
P The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord’s face shine upon you with grace and mercy. The Lord look upon you with favor, and + give you peace.
C Amen.
THE SENDING HYMN – ELW #787 – When peace like a river
THE SENDING PRAYER
Draw your church together, O God, into one great company of disciples, together following our teacher Jesus Christ in every walk of life, together serving in Christ’s mission to the world, and together witnessing to your love wherever you will send us; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE DISMISSAL
P Go in peace. Live by the Spirit!
C Thanks be to God!
THE VOLUNTARY
Liturgy reprinted by permission of Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2025 Augsburg Fortress license #23630. All rights reserved. Hymns reprinted by permission Sundays and Seasons #23630, OneLicense #A-705758, and CCLI#2530682. Other hymns printed by permission as noted. 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. Permission to Podcast the music in this service obtained from OneLicense.net, Augsburg Fortress, and CCLI.
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