THE NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Welcome to Grace!
Our mission at Grace is to teach the inspired and inerrant Word of God, to proclaim that Jesus Christ is the crucified and risen Savior of the world, and to nurture believers for lives of Christian service.
Check out the GRACE WEBSITE at GraceLutheranSAZ.org
WORSHIP NOTES
We are very pleased that you have joined us for worship today! We pray that this time will be a blessing for you as God comes to you with his Word and promises, and as you offer him your thanks and praise.
The worship service is printed in this worship folder for you to follow along and participate. You’ll notice that the service is a dialogue between God and us, his people. The pastor speaks to God along with the congregation and also speaks the Word of God to the people. Those wishing to leave an offering can do so at the exit today or give online at www.GraceLutheranSAZ.org/give. (You can also scan the QR code to the right to access the online giving page.)
Today we are using elements from the Christian Worship hymnal. If you would like to worship from a hymnal today, you will find these blue worship books in the hymnal racks in each row; however, you do not need to use a hymnal if you so choose, as everything needed for worship is printed in this worship folder.
Personal prayers for worship are now available on printed labels located in the inside cover of each hymnal. These include prayers for before and after worship.
OUR WORSHIP SERIES TELL US A STORY
Much of what Jesus has to say is contained within his parables. Parables are simple little stories that contain profound truths about life and eternity. For the believer, a parable takes a challenging spiritual fact and makes it clear. However, since the parable conveys spiritual truth, for someone without faith, the story remains only that a story. Therefore, our prayer for this worship series is that Christ would send us his Holy Spirit so that we might receive the peace and power Jesus offers us in his parables. Tell us a story, Jesus! Our worship follows this path:
A Story of Perplexing Generosity
A Story of Spiritual Insincerity
A Story of Reckless Patience
A Story of Insane Rejection
THEME FOR TODAY A STORY OF RECKLESS PATIENCE
Patience is a virtue. But can too much patience be a vice? If you are too patient, waiting to see if that pain in your stomach goes away with time, you might make a problem worse. If you are too patient with an incompetent employee, you will lose productivity before the inevitable his firing occurs anyway. Too much patience would seem not to be a virtue, but reckless behavior.
Yet that is exactly what God demonstrates to a rebellious human race reckless patience. Through a story Jesus teaches exactly what God’s patience means for us.
OPENING HYMN God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It
Christian Worship 679
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The words of the invocation remind us that the God we meet and worship here is the true and triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
INVOCATION
Minister: In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit.
Congregation: Amen.
CONFESSION
Matthew28:18-20
Our Savior Jesus Christ commanded Baptism when he said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
All of us are born into this world with a deep need for Baptism. From our parents we inherit a sinful nature; we are without true fear of God and true faith in God and are condemned to eternal death. But while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. He took away our sin by giving his life on the cross. In Baptism, he clothes us with the robe of his righteousness and gives us a new life. We recall what Baptism means for our daily lives:
Baptism means that the sinful nature in us should be drowned by daily sorrow and repentance, and that all its evil deeds and desires be put to death. It also means that a new person should daily arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” James 5:16
As baptized children of God, we confess our sins: Holy God, gracious Father, I am sinful by nature and have sinned against you in my thoughts, words, and actions. I have not loved you with my whole heart; I have not loved others as I should. I deserve your punishment both now and forever. But Jesus, my Savior, paid for my sins with his innocent suffering and death. Trusting in him, I pray: God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Silence for meditation and reflection
Christ gave the authority to forgive the sins of penitent sinners to his church:
“Whenever you forgive people’s sins, they are forgiven.”
John 20:23
God saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit and united us to the death and resurrection of Jesus. Every day God forgives your sins, removes your guilt, and strengthens you to defeat Satan’s power. His promise is for you and your children, and he will never forsake you. Your sins are forgiven. You are clothed with Christ. You are at peace with God now and forever. Amen.
+ HOLY BAPTISM +
The Gospel according to St. Mark: People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.
THE RITE OF BAPTISM
Paul Beven, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Receive the sign of the cross on the head and heart (+) to mark you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified.
The almighty God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has given you the new birth of water and the Spirit and has forgiven all your sins. May he strengthen you with his grace all the days of your life. Peace be with you.
THE RITE OF BAPTISM
???? Shawback, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Receive the sign of the cross on the head and heart (+) to mark you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified.
???? Shawback, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Receive the sign of the cross on the head and heart (+) to mark you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified.
The almighty God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has given you the new birth of water and the Spirit and has forgiven all your sins. May he strengthen you with his grace all the days of your life. Peace be with you.
PRAYER
Let us pray.
We give thanks, most merciful Father, that you have received these children as your own children and made them members of Christ’s body, the church. Now, we pray, grant to them and to all your church on earth that, being dead to sin, we may live to righteousness and, being buried with Christ into his death, we may also share in his resurrection, so that, with all your saints, we may inherit eternal life; through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
CHILDREN’S CHOIR Clap Hands!
Clap hands, shout your praises to God, clap hands, shout your praises to God, Clap hands, shout your praises to God, clap hands with joy and sing.
Clap hands, shout your praises to God, clap hands, shout your praises to God, Clap hands, shout your praises to God, clap hands with joy and sing.
Sing the glory of God! Sing of His might and wonders; Sing the glory of God! Rejoice: the Lord is King.
Clap hands, shout your praises to God, clap hands, shout your praises to God, Clap hands, shout your praises to God, clap hands with joy and sing.
Sing to God a glad song, praises unending reach to the sky; Join with melody and chord, make music for the Lord.
Clap hands, shout your praises to God, clap hands, shout your praises to God, Clap hands, shout your praises to God, clap hands with joy and sing.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Let us pray.
Almighty God, in your bountiful goodness, keep us safe from every evil of body and soul. Make us ready, with cheerful hearts, to do whatever pleases you; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
Please be seated
The L Almighty pictures his patient love for Israel as an owner of a vineyard patiently waiting for a good crop of fruit.
1 Let me sing for my loved one a song about my loved one’s vineyard. My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile ridge.
2 He dug it up and gathered the stones out of it. He planted it with the best vines. He built a tower in the middle of it. He also cut a winepress into it. He expected it to produce clusters of sweet grapes, but it produced only sour grapes.
3 So now, you residents of Jerusalem and you men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard.
4 What more could have been done for my vineyard that I have not already done for it? When I expected it to produce clusters of sweet grapes, why did it produce sour grapes?
5 Now, let me tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will take away its hedge, and it will become a pasture. I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled down.
6 I will make it a wasteland. It will not be pruned or hoed. So briers and thorns will shoot up. I will also command the clouds not to pour rain on it.
7 Yes, the vineyard of the L of Armies is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the planting that was pleasing to him. He expected justice, but instead there was oppression. He expected righteousness, but there was an outcry.
Lord.
SECOND READING Philippians 3:12-21
12 Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus also took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it yet, but there is one thing I do: Forgetting the things that are behind and straining toward the things that are ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal, for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Therefore, let all of us who are mature continue to think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this to you too. 16 Only let us think the same thing and walk in line with what we already have attained.
17 Brothers, join together in imitating me and in paying attention to those who are walking according to the pattern we gave you. 18 To be sure, many walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. I told you about them often, and now I am saying it while weeping. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their appetite, and their glory is in their shame. They are thinking only about earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. We are eagerly waiting for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.
21 By the power that enables him to subject all things to himself, he will transform our humble bodies to be like his glorious body.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Through Christ we have already attained the kingdom of heaven. God patiently waits for us to respond to his grace by living drastically different lives than the people of this world.
The Gospel Acclamation points toward the words of the Gospel.
Alleluia. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. Alleluia.
Jesus tells us a story of God’s reckless patience.
GOSPEL Matthew 21:33-43
33 “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower. He leased it out to some tenant farmers and went away on a journey. 34 When the time approached to harvest the fruit, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. 35 The tenant farmers seized his servants. They beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36 Then the landowner sent even more servants than the first time. The tenant farmers treated them the same way. 37 Finally, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. 38 But when the tenant farmers saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance!’ 39 They took him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 So when the landowner comes, what will he do to those tenant farmers?”
41 They told him, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end. Then he will lease out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his fruit when it is due.”
42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?
43 “That is why I tell you the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces its fruit.”
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise be to you, O Christ.
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE & GREETING
While the children are coming forward please greet your neighbor and fill out the Friendship Register located in the red folder in your row and pass it along. Thank you!
Please be seated
LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.
Matthew 6 and Luke 11 record how Jesus taught his disciples to pray. We use his example prayer as part of our public worship, trusting that he will hear and answer our prayers.
During the singing of this hymn, children ages 1-8 are excused to attend Children’s Church in the CLC Building. Parents can pick-up their children there following the service.
5 If you are sick, if death is near, this truth your troubled heart can cheer: Christ Jesus saves my soul from death; this is the anchor of my faith!
6 Glory to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Three in One!
To you, O blessèd Trinity, be praise now and eternally!
HYMN OF THE DAY—God Loved the World So That He Gave Christian Worship 570The Apostles’ Creed developed in the Early Christian Church as a personal confession of faith. It is so named because it confesses the faith taught by the Apostles of Jesus.
CONFESSION OF FAITH Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his 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 into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Please be seated
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
Eternal Lord, give us peace as we ponder the good news that you forgive our sins in Christ. Lead us to see clearly the path you have laid out for us.
Work in us so that we believe and live the Word we have heard today.
Provide courage and compassion to all who preach and teach your Word. Fill them with a love like yours as they proclaim your grace to us and all people. Move us to love all ministers of the Word wherever they serve.
Guard and guide the families of our congregation. Lead husbands and wives to love each other with commitment, respect, and patience. Help parents to grasp the eternal value of keeping their children close to Jesus all their lives. Grant joy to those who are single, and make them a blessing to others.
Protect us from the temptations that surround us; give us pure hearts and minds.
Provide wisdom and insight to those who make laws and set policies. Give us respect for those who protect us from crime. Lead us to value the rights of our fellow citizens and to defend those who cannot defend themselves.
Bless our land with peace and prosperity so that the gospel may be proclaimed to all.
Give us passion to share the story of your love with our family and friends. Overcome unbelief, and open the hearts of people everywhere to believe the good news that Jesus has forgiven their sins and opened the gates of heaven.
Fill us with joy over every sinner who repents and comes to trust in you.
Extend your healing power to those who are sick and suffering in body or mind. Give patience and compassion to all who care for the sick and dying. Lift the eyes of the distressed to your love in Christ.
Hear us, Lord, as we pray in silence.
Silent prayer
Gracious God, you govern and direct all things and you love all people. Hear our prayers, spoken and silent, and answer them in your wisdom and grace. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
This modern hymn from the team at Getty Music is one of the new hymns in our hymnal. It reminds us how patient God is with us and just how great his mercy is. At the end of the hymn, the refrain is sung three times as noted.
HYMN—His Mercy Is More Christian Worship 579
The minister will sing stanza 1 and the first refrain. Please join in singing the remainder of the hymn.
PRAYER
Almighty God, we thank you for teaching us the things you want us to believe and do. Help us by your Holy Spirit to keep your Word in pure hearts that we may be strengthened in faith, guided in holiness, and comforted in life and in death, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
BLESSING
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look on you with favor and (+) give you peace.
Amen.
Please be seated
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The blessing of Aaron has been spoken over God’s people for over 3,500 years. The L said, “In this way they will put my name on [them], and I will bless them.” Numbers 6:27
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Friendship Register
We would like to have a record of both members and guests who are worshiping with us. Please sign the red Friendship Register book located along the center aisle in the hymnal rack.
Children’s Church
Children ages 1-8 will be dismissed from our worship service today during the hymn before the sermon to attend Children’s Church. Parents, following worship, please pick your child up from the gymnasium in the CLC building.
Sunday Morning Bible Study
Amazing Grace, A Mighty Fortress, and On Eagles Wings might be a few of your favorite hymns, but do you know who wrote them, why they were written, or what section of Scripture they were based on? Our Sunday morning Bible Study series discovers the answers to those questions and more as we learn about our favorite hymns and how they open up the Scriptures for our learning. Now would be an excellent time to make Sunday morning Bible study a part of your routine! Class is held at 9:00 AM in the CLC gymnasium.
WELS Tucson Campus Ministry: Tonight
WELS Tucson Campus Ministry (TCM) invites all college-aged adults to join us for Bible study this evening on Seven Deadly Sins: Greed. We meet in the Student Center located in the basement at Grace-Tucson at 7:00 PM.
Pastor Appreciation Month
Grace’s Care Committee for Called Workers (CCCW) asks for your help to celebrate Pastor Appreciation Month. The first request is that you pray for our pastors. Also, every Sunday in October you will have an opportunity to contribute to a monetary gift for our five pastors. This gift will be presented to them at the end of the month. Contributions can be placed in the basket at the exit or given to Grace-Sahuarita site elder, Bob Breiler. (Checks can be made out to Grace Lutheran Church). Thank you for your generous participation. Questions can be directed to Kay Kassulke (541 -941-3038).
NEW Midweek Bible Study: Wednesday
What is the difference between a Catholic, Lutheran, and Baptist church? If you don’t understand the differences between churches, this study walks through what various church bodies officially teach about the Bible, Jesus, Salvation, the Sacraments, and Morality. Please join us on Wednesdays at 10:00 AM in the church entryway.
Chrismon Crafting: Saturday
Calling all crafters: we are making Chrismon ornaments for our Christmas tree here at GraceSahuarita! Our next crafting session will be Saturday, October 14, at 9:30 AM in the church entryway. Bring nothing but a smile and tons of craftiness! Join us for food, fellowship, and fun as we craft away! Please sign up TODAY in the church entryway. If we have enough participation, we won’t need to schedule another session. If you have any questions, please contact Jane Neujahr at (760) 622-7924. We hope you can join us!
