Welcome to Christ Lutheran Church

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3 Time after Pentecost July 16, :30 am Welcome to Christ Lutheran Church Community of Faith * Cottonwood, Minnesota God s word is like the rain that waters the earth and brings forth vegetation. It is also like the sower who scatters seed indiscriminately. Our lives are like seeds sown in the earth. Even from what appears to be little, dormant, or dead, God promises a harvest. At the Lord s table we are fed with the bread of life, that we may bear fruit in the world. (Sundays and Seasons, Augsburg Fortress, 2016) Prelude GATHERING The Holy Spirit calls us together as the people of God. Call to Worship, Prayer Requests, and Community Announcements Confession and Forgiveness P: Blessed be the holy Trinity, + one God, full of compassion and mercy, abounding in steadfast love. P: Trusting in God s promise of forgiveness, let us confess our sin against God and one another. Silence is kept for reflection. P: Gracious God, C: have mercy on us. We confess that we have turned from you and given ourselves into the power of sin. We are truly sorry and humbly desire to change. In your compassion forgive us our sins, known and unknown, things we have done and things we have failed to do. Turn us again to you, and encourage us by your Spirit, so that we may live and serve, you renewed in life, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. P: God s love has been poured into our hearts through the gift of the Holy Spirit. In the mercy of almighty God, Christ died for us while we were still sinners, and for his sake, God + forgives all your sins.

4 Gathering Hymn We All Are One in Mission [576] Greeting P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. C: And also with you. Prayer of the Day P: Let us pray. C: Almighty God, we thank you for planting in us the seed of your word. By your Holy Spirit help us to receive it with joy, live and serve others according to your will, and grow in faith and hope and love; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. Please be seated. WORD God speaks to us in scripture reading, preaching, and song. First Reading Isaiah 55: For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. 12 For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the L for a memorial, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. L: Word of God, word of life. C: Thanks be to God. Psalm 65: 9-13 (Read responsively by verse.) L: You (O God) visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide the people with grain, for you have prepared it. C: You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth. L: You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with richness. C: The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, -2-

5 L: The meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy. Gospel Acclamation [508] first half of stanza 2, As Rain from the Clouds As grain that is scattered your word has been sown on rocks and on roadways, in good earth and sand. Make fertile our soil that the good seed may grow and ripen rich fruit to return to your hand. Gospel Reading P: The Holy Gospel according to Matthew, the thirteenth chapter. C: Glory to you, O Lord. 1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. 6 But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 Let anyone with ears listen! 18 Hear then the parable of the sower. 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. 23 But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty. P: The Gospel of the Lord. C: Praise to you, O Christ. Please be seated. A Message from Jamaica Our congregation s ambassadors to Robin s Nest Hymn of the Day Light Dawns on a Weary World [726] -3-

6 Prayers of God s People The congregation will respond to the prayer petitions with, hear our prayer. Sharing of God s Peace P: The peace of the Lord be with you always. C: And also with you. Please share a sign of God s peace with your neighbors. Please be seated. MEAL God feeds us with the presence of Christ. Offering Offertory Prayer A: Let us pray. Merciful God, you open wide your hand and satisfy the need of every living thing. You have set this feast before us. Open our hands to receive it. Open our hearts to embrace it. Open our lives to live it. We pray this through Christ our Lord. 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. Words of Institution Lord s Prayer 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. Invitation to Communion P: Come, let us eat, for now Christ s feast is spread. Please be seated. -4-

7 Anyone who has communed elsewhere is welcome to commune here. Those who don t yet commune are invited to come forward for a blessing. If you prefer grape juice rather than wine, please indicate that to your server. Please come forward at the invitation of the ushers to receive communion in a continuous manner, returning to your seat via the side aisles. If you would like communion brought to you at your seat, please let the usher know. Communion Distribution Children of the Heavenly Father [781] Shout to the Lord [821] Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee [836] For the Beauty of the Earth [879] Blessing after Communion P: Now may the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace. Prayer after Communion A: Let us pray. Jesus Christ, you are the host of this meal. You have given us not only this bread and cup, but your very self, that we may feast on your great love for us. Filled again by these signs of your grace, may we hunger for your reign of justice, may we thirst for your way of peace, for you are Lord forevermore. SENDING God blesses us and sends us in mission to the world. Blessing and Sending P: Almighty God, Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever. Sending Hymn Sent Forth by God s Blessing [547] A: Go in peace. The Spirit sends us forth to serve. C: Thanks be to God! Prayer for the Journey God of compassion, whose Son became poor for our sake: Help us to see the face of Christ in those who are poor, and in serving them to serve you. Give us generous hearts so that those living in poverty may have adequate food, clothing, and shelter. By your Spirit move us to affirm the dignity of all people, and to work for just laws that protect the most vulnerable in society; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. -5-

8 Prayer Requests The Apostle Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:6-7 to, Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Your prayers are a gift to those requesting them, and encouragement for one another as we experience challenges, sorrows, or thanksgivings of any kind. Health Concerns, as well as Others In Our Hearts and On Our Minds: Norm Evers, Sue Gropel, Lisa Jones, Ellen Lenz, Anna (Olson) Meyer, Cayson Rialson, Karen and Nick (family members of Pastor Shelly) All those dealing with illness, addictions, depression, unemployment, underemployment, and any challenges in their lives. Families of our Congregation. This week pray for: Steve and Robin Alm Tanner Alm Terrance Alm & Amber Engesser, Colt Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Care Center Residents. This week pray for Julie Jaeger and Donna Neuharth at Boulder Estates in Marshall. Workers in Other Countries, Missionaries, and Local Congregation Missions. This week pray for our ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission YAGM including Kari Louwagie of our congregation who is serving in Madagascar. Christ Lutheran Church Location: 126 Front Street (corner of Front and North First on the lake) mailing address: P.O. Box 166, Cottonwood, Minnesota Office Phone and Voice Mail: Interim Pastor Shelly Olson ; cell ; prshelly3@gmail.com Pastoral Asst. Gwen Arneson ; cell ; gwenarneson@yahoo.com Organist Gwen Arneson See Pastoral Assistant above Administrative Asst. Rhoda Schmidt ; cell ; christlutheran@christcotton.com Accounting Asst. Melanie Olsen cell ; melaniesolsen@live.com Custodians Jon & Jeannette Myrvik cell ; ; jjmyrvik@charter.net -6-