Today’s Readings and Hymns: (Click on each blue arrow to expand/collapse each section.)
6
Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel,
and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:
I am the first and I am the last;
besides me there is no god.
7
Who is like me? Let them proclaim it,
let them declare and set it forth before me.
Who has announced from of old the things to come?
Let them tell us what is yet to be.
8
Do not fear, or be afraid;
have I not told you from of old and declared it?
You are my witnesses!
Is there any god besides me?
There is no other rock; I know not one.
11
Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart to revere your name.
12
I will thank you, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
and glorify your name forevermore.
13
For great is your love toward me;
you have delivered me from the pit of death.
14
The arrogant rise up against me, O God, and a band of violent people seeks my life;
they have not set you before their eyes.
15
But you, O Lord, are gracious and full of compassion,
slow to anger, and full of kindness and truth.
16
Turn to me and have mercy on me;
give your strength to your servant, and save the child of your handmaid.
17
Show me a sign of your favor, so that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame;
because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
12So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—13for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
18I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. 19For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; 23and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
24[Jesus] put before [the crowds] another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; 25but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. 26So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. 27And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ 28He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 30Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’ ”
36Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 42and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!”
Oh, worship the King, all-glorious above. Oh, gratefully sing God’s power and love; our shield and defender, the Ancient of Days, pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise.
The earth with its store of wonders untold, Almighty, your pow’r has founded of old; established it fast by a changeless decree, and round it has cast, like a mantle, the sea.
Your bountiful care what tongue can recite? It breathes in the air, it shines in the light, it streams from the hills, it descends to the plain, and sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.
Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail, in you do we trust, nor find you to fail; your mercies, how tender, how firm to the end, our maker, defender, redeemer, and friend.
Soul, adorn yourself with gladness, leave the gloomy haunts of sadness, come into the daylight’s splendor, there with joy your praises render. Bless the one whose grace unbounded this amazing banquet founded; Christ, though heav’nly, high, and holy, deigns to dwell with you most lowly.
Hasten as a bride to meet him, eagerly and gladly greet him. There he stands already knocking; quickly, now, your gate unlocking, open wide the fast-closed portal, saying to the Lord immortal: “Come, and leave your loved one never; dwell within my heart forever.”
Now in faith I humbly ponder over this surpassing wonder that the bread of life is boundless though the souls it feeds are countless; with the choicest wine of heaven Christ’s own blood to us is given. Oh, most glorious consolation, pledge and seal of my salvation.
Jesus, source of lasting pleasure, truest friend, and dearest treasure, peace beyond all understanding, joy into all life expanding: humbly now, I bow before you, love incarnate, I adore you; worthily let me receive you, and, so favored, never leave you.
On what has now been sown your blessing, Lord, bestow; the pow’r is yours alone to make it sprout and grow. O Lord, in grace the harvest raise, and yours alone shall be the praise!
To you our wants are known, from you are all our pow’rs; accept what is your own and pardon what is ours. Our praises, Lord, and prayers receive and to your word a blessing give.
Oh, grant that each of us, now met before you here, may meet together thus when you and yours appear, and follow you to heav’n, our home. E’en so, Amen! Lord Jesus, come!
Worship Leaders: Pastor Colleen Cox, Suzie Harteg
Music: Deb Jenks (organ and piano), Nancy Kennedy (piano)
Additional Resources:
View and print the pre-reader’s version of this Sunday’s children’s bulletin: Pre-reader’s Version View and print the reader’s version of this Sunday’s children’s bulletin: Reader’s Version
The radio program Sing for Joy follows the weekly Sunday lectionary through music and reflection. To listen, click here: Sing for Joy. Program host Pastor Bruce Benson ties the biblical readings of the day with musical selections from a number of sources brought together by Dr. John Ferguson, retired professor of organ and church music. The program is produced by St. Olaf College.
Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE #A-730287 and CCLI licenses #21502973 and #21502966. All rights reserved.
