The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost July 31, 2016 Saint James Evangelical Lutheran Church 460 West Annapolis Street - West Saint Paul, MN 55118 Church Office: (651) 457-9232 Fax: (651) 457-1893 E-mail: stjlc@saintjameslutheran.com Visit our web site: www.saintjameslutheran.com Pastor Michael Albrecht 651-457-6796 malbrecht@saintjameslutheran.com Pastor Dale Critchley 651-689-3253 dcritchley@saintjameslutheran.com Terese Thune Youth Director 651-336-2117 tthune@saintjameslutheran.com Pastor Ralph Rokke 651-457-3955 rrokke@saintjameslutheran.com Pastor Richard Stadler 651-338-8621 rstadler@saintjameslutheran.com Shirley Hess Parish Nurse 651-210-3380 pnstjlc@saintjameslutheran.com
WELCOME TO WORSHIP! THE TITLE OF TODAY S SERMON IS: Are You Rich? Most of us don t think we re rich, but in Christ we are! We have the riches of forgiveness of sins and eternal life with God in the Kingdom of Heaven. May God open our hearts to realize how rich we are in Jesus. And may God make us thankful, and also good stewards of the earthly riches he gives us. GUESTS AND VISITORS, we are delighted that you are worshiping with us today! Please stop by the Visitor Welcome Center as you leave and pick up a small gift. Thank you for coming, and please come back and visit again soon. You are always welcome here at Saint James. Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost July 31, 2016 LARGE PRINT COPIES OF THE SERVICE ARE AVAILABLE IN THE NARTHEX. SPECIAL POCKET HEARING SYSTEMS are available from the ushers for anyone desiring an amplified broadcast of the service. THE NURSERY is not staffed but is available for parents who have young children who become noisy or restless during the service. We are thankful for families who teach their children to worship by bringing them to church. When your little ones become noisy, feel free to take them to the narthex or the nursery to settle them down. The service can be seen and heard on TV in both locations. PRE-SERVICE PRAYER GRACIOUS HEAVENLY FATHER, you are our greatest treasure! And you have made us heirs together with Christ of all that you have. Lord, forgive us for worrying about money and possessions, and for loving them too much. Make us thankful people who manage well what you entrust to us. In Jesus name we pray, Amen. 2
THE ORDER OF SERVICE PRE-SERVICE HYMN SING (Choose your favorite!) GREET FELLOW WORSHIPPERS OPENING HYMN: Christian Worship, #227 Come, Let Us Join Our Cheerful Song PASTORAL WELCOME AND INVOCATION: Congregation responds by singing: A-men. Pastor Rokke Please stand for stanza 4 CONFESSION OF SINS: P: Let us confess our sins to God our Father, and receive His forgiveness. C: Most merciful God, 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. We justly deserve your present and eternal punishment. 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. ABSOLUTION: P: God our heavenly Father has had mercy upon you, and He has given His only begotten Son to die for you. Jesus paid the penalty for all your sin. Therefore, as a called and ordained servant of Christ and by His authority, I forgive you all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. C sings: A-men. HYMN OF THANKS AND PRAISE: Give Thanks Henry Smith Verse 1 Give thanks With a grateful heart Give thanks to the Holy One Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ His Son (repeat) Chorus 1 And now let the weak say I am strong Let the poor say I am rich Because of what The Lord has done for us And now let the weak say I am strong Let the poor say I am rich Because of what The Lord has done for us Ending Give thanks CCLI Song # 20285 CCLI License # 272318 Please be seated 3
PRAYER OF THE DAY King Solomon was the richest man of his time. But he found that earthly riches alone don t satisfy. To be truly rich, we need to know know God and to serve him. FIRST READING: Ecclesiastes 2:18-26 I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, 19 and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. 20 So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, 21 because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. 22 What has a man from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? 23 For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity. 24 There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, 25 for apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment? 26 For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. READING RESPONSE P: This is the Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God. As believers in God, our true wealth is in heaven. We are truly rich because God has saved us by his grace through faith in Jesus. SECOND READING: Colossians 3:1-11 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. READING RESPONSE P: This is the Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God. P: Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us so that through endurance and encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope. Alleluia! 4
VERSE OF THE DAY: Christian Worship, page 40 Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! These words are written that we may believe That Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! GOSPEL READING: Luke 12:13-21 Please rise for the Gospel P: The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the twelfth chapter. C: Glory to You, O Lord. Someone in the crowd said to (Jesus), Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me. 14 But he said to him, Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you? 15 And he said to them, Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. 16 And he told them a parable, saying, The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops? 18 And he said, I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry. 20 But God said to him, Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be? 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God. Earthly riches can become an idol that distracts us from God. But a person is truly rich who knows God and belongs to him through faith in Jesus. GOSPEL RESPONSE P: This is the Gospel of the Lord. C: Praise to You, O Christ! THE APOSTLES CREED: Christian Worship, p. 41 SERMON HYMN: Christian Worship # 355 Take the World, But Give Me Jesus SERMON: Text: Luke 12:13-21 Theme: Are You Rich? GLORIA PATRI: Christian Worship #273 Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, World without end. A-men Children are invited to the front of the church during stanza 3 of this hymn for the introduction of the sermon. Please rise after the sermon to sing the Gloria Patri 5
OFFERTORY Be seated as we present our offerings to the Lord. Give online at give.4gvn.us You can find step by step directions in the I Give Online card available in the pew racks. Please stand OFFERING: Honor the Lord with your substance and with the first fruits of all your income. Proverbs 3:9 HYMN OF REDEDICATION: Be Thou My Vision Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that thou art- Thou my best thought, by day or by night, Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light. traditional Irish tune Riches I heed not, nor man s empty praise, Thou mine inheritance, now and always; Thou and Thou only be first in my heart, High King of heaven, my treasure Thou art. REPORT ABOUT THE ALTAR WALL PROJECT Please be seated REPORT ABOUT THE RECENT YOUTH TRIP TO CHICAGO, AND VBS PRAYER FOR OURSELVES AND OTHERS Please stand THE LORD S PRAYER THE BENEDICTION Congregation sings: A-men, A-men, A-men THE CLOSING HYMN: Seek Ye First Karen Lafferty Verse 1 Seek ye first the kingdom of God, And His righteousness And all these things shall be added unto you, Allelu alleluia Verse 2 Man shall not live by bread alone, But by ev ry word That proceeds from the mouth of God, Allelu alleluia Verse 3 Ask and it shall be given unto you, Seek and ye shall find Knock and the door shall be opened unto you, Allelu alleluia CCLI Song #1352 CCLI License #272318 Karen Lafferty 1972 CCCM Music (Admin by Maranatha! Music (Capitol CMG)) Maranatha! Music (Admin. By Maranatha! Music (Capitol CMG)) POSTLUDE 6
SERVING IN OUR WORSHIP TODAY Pastor Ralph Rokke (preaching) Pastor Dale Critchley Organist and Music Director: Tom Rowland Ushers: Steve Lehmann and Team #2 Audio Video Team: Dani Critchley, Hannah Critchley, Sharon Ferrara, Glenn & Wendy Gatzke, Jerry Hinz, Len & Diane Munson, Jerry Peterson, Lorna Redding, Michael Schroeder, Leif Thune and Gil Ude Screen Slide Production: Ami Heesch PEOPLE TO PRAY FOR Let us remember to pray for some of our veteran members: Lonelle Crawford, Lil Gerber, Anamae Grappendorf, George Gru MISSIONS TO PRAY FOR This week please pray for Pastor Alex Krongolm, senior pastor of the Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit in Petrozavodsk, and his wife, Nadia, as they work with the young people in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia. FLOWERS The flowers in the chancel vases are given in loving memory of Jon Clawson s birthday, August 3 rd, provided by his mother Sue, brothers Tom (Bridget) and Tim and his nieces and nephews. If you would like to order FLOWERS to be placed in the chancel, please contact Altar Guild Flower Chairwoman Kathy Stadler at 651-450-6452 or stadlerek@comcast.net. SAINT JAMES FOUNDATION Remember the Foundation in your will your gift can make a difference for generations to come. Suggested Wording: In thanks to God for the gift of His Son Jesus, and for all His blessings to me in my lifetime, I gift and bequeath to Saint James Lutheran Church Foundation at 460 West Annapolis Street, West Saint Paul, MN 55118 the amount of $ or (specify the asset.). Stewardship Thought Humility is not necessarily thinking less of yourself, but rather thinking of yourself less. (Contributed by a Saint James member) Living as a Local Missionary In a parking lot with carts all over, collect them, and put them away, either in the corrals or back to the store. This will be especially welcome when the weather s bad. 7