SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST July 4, 2021
ORDER OF SERVICE: LSB DS4, p. 203
THE HYMNS: 965, 966, 839
THE SERMON TEXT: John 8:31-38
OPENING HYMN: "God Bless Our Native Land" (LSB 965)
God bless our native land;
Firm may she ever stand
Through storm and night.
When the wild tempests rave,
Ruler of wind and wave,
Do Thou our country save
By Thy great might.
So shall our prayers arise
To God above the skies;
On Him we wait.
Thou who art ever nigh,
Guarding with watchful eye,
To Thee aloud we cry:
God save the state!
[Stand]
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
[The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.]
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen
P: Our help is in the name of the Lord
C: who made heaven and earth.
P: If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C: But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P: Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying: God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
C: Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
[Stand]
THE INTROIT (all): Psalm 132:13-16; Antiphon: Psalm 34:8
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! For the Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling place: "This is my resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread. Her priests I will clothe with salvation, and her saints will shout for joy." Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
KYRIE ~ Lord Have Mercy (Sung) (LSB 204)
C: Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Lord, have mercy.
GLORIA IN EXCELSIS (Sung) ~ Glory to God in the Highest (LSB 204)
To God on high be glory and peace to all the earth;
Goodwill from God in heaven proclaimed at Jesus’ birth!
We praise and bless You, Father; Your holy name, we sing—
Our thanks for Your great glory, Lord God, our heav’nly King.
To You, O sole begotten, The Father’s Son, we pray;
O Lamb of God, our Savior, You take our sins away.
Have mercy on us, Jesus; Receive our heartfelt cry,
Where You in pow’r are seated at God’s right hand on high.
For You alone are holy; You only are the Lord,
Forever and forever, be worshiped and adored;
You with the Holy Spirit alone are Lord Most High,
In God the Father’s glory. “Amen!” our glad reply.
SALUTATION and COLLECT OF THE DAY
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Let us pray. O God, Your almighty power is made known chiefly in showing mercy. Grant us the fullness of Your grace that we may be called to repentance and made partakers of Your heavenly treasures; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
[Sit]
OLD TESTAMENT: Ezekiel 2:1-5
1 He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” 2 And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. 4 The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ 5 And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them.
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C. Thanks be to God.
EPISTLE: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10
1 I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. 3 And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4 and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. 5 On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses— 6 though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. 7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
P: This is the Word of the Lord.
C. Thanks be to God.
[Stand]
ALLELUIA (Sung)
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
These things are written that you may believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
P: The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the sixth chapter
C: Glory to You, O Lord.
HOLY GOSPEL: Mark 6:1-13
1 [Jesus] went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4 And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” 5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And he marveled because of their unbelief.
And he went about among the villages teaching.
7 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 9 but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. 10 And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11 And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.
P: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to You, O Christ.
P: A second reading, from Holy Gospel according to St. John, the eighth chapter
C: Glory to You, O Lord.
HOLY GOSPEL: John 8:31-38
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. 38 I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”
P: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to You, O Christ.
[Sit]
HYMN OF THE DAY: "Before You, Lord, We Bow" (LSB 966)
Before You, Lord, we bow,
Our God who reigns above
And rules the world below,
Boundless in pow'r and love.
Our thanks we bring
In joy and praise,
Our hearts we raise
To You, our King!
The nation You have blest
May well Your love declare,
From foes and fears at rest,
Protected by Your care.
For this bright day,
For this fair land--
Gifts of Your hand--
Our thanks we pay.
May ev'ry mountain height,
Each vale and forest green,
Shine in Your Word's pure light,
And its rich fruits be seen!
May ev'ry tongue
Be tuned to praise
And join to raise
A grateful song.
Earth, hear your Maker's voice;
Your great Redeemer own;
Believe, obey, rejoice,
And worship Him alone.
Cast down your pride,
Your sin deplore,
And bow before
The Crucified.
And when in pow'r He comes,
Oh, may our native land
From all its rending tombs
Send forth a glorious band,
A countless throng,
With joy to sing
To heav'n's high King
Salvation's song!
SERMON
[Stand]
APOSTLES' CREED
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And 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 sits and the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence 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.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
After each petition:
P: Let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
OFFERING
BENEDICTION
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you
and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: "O Christ, Our True and Only Light" (LSB 839)
O Christ, our true and only light,
Enlighten those who sit in night;
Let those afar now hear Your voice
And in Your fold with us rejoice.
Fill with the radiance of Your grace
The souls now lost in error's maze;
Enlighten those whose inmost minds
Some dark delusion haunts and blinds.
O gently call those gone astray
That they may find the saving way!
Let ev'ry conscience sore oppressed
In you find peace and heav'nly rest.
Shine on the darkened and the cold;
Recall the wand'rers to Your fold.
Unite all those who walk apart;
Confirm the weak and doubting heart,
That they with us may evermore
Such grace with wond'ring thanks adore
And endless praise to You be giv'n
By all Your Church in earth and heav'n.