Everything you need for July 31 online worship.
Preparations for Worship:
- Do your best to eliminate distractions like the phone, TV, etc.
- Worship actively! Whether you are by yourself or with others, try reading the parts of the service aloud (responses, lessons, and prayers).
- This service is for children too. Help them participate. Ask those who have that ability to read a prayer or lesson aloud. Take a moment to describe what’s happening. Ask questions. Encourage little ones to draw what they are hearing while you all listen. Unlike our more typical Sunday worship at church, you can pause at any time for questions and discussion.
- Before you begin, load each of the videos below. (You might first have to get past a distracting ad.)
- Pause for a moment of quiet meditation. Then pray:
“Heavenly Father, I have come to worship you. Draw near to me in your gracious Word, and assure me of your loving kindness. Curb my wandering thoughts, that with undivided attention I may hear your voice and speak your praise. Through Jesus Christ. Amen.”
CONFESSION OF SINS
The grace of our Lord (+) Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you. And also with you.
We have come into the presence of God, who created us to love and serve him as his dear children. But we have disobeyed him and deserve only his wrath and punishment. Therefore, let us confess our sins to him and plead for his mercy.
Merciful Father in heaven, I am altogether sinful from birth. In countless ways I have sinned against you and do not deserve to be called your child. But trusting in Jesus, my Savior, I pray: Have mercy on me according to your unfailing love. Cleanse me from my sin, and take away my guilt.
God, our heavenly Father, has forgiven all your sins. By the perfect life and innocent death of our Lord Jesus Christ, he has removed your guilt forever. You are his own dear child. May God give you strength to live according to his will. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
O Lord, grant us wisdom to recognize the treasures you have stored up for us in heaven that we may never despair but always rejoice and be thankful for the riches of your grace; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
LESSON – ECCLESIASTES 1:1-2, 12-14; 2:18-26
The words of Ecclesiastes, David’s son, king in Jerusalem. 2“Nothing but vapor,” Ecclesiastes said. “Totally vapor. Everything is just vapor that vanishes.” 12I, Ecclesiastes, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13I applied my heart to seek out and explore with wisdom everything done under the sky. (What a burdensome task God has given the children of Adam to keep them busy!) 14I have seen all the actions done under the sun, and, look, it is all nothing but vapor. It is all chasing the wind. 18I also hated all the results of my hard work, for which I worked so hard under the sun, since I must leave it all to the man who comes after me. 19And who knows—will he be wise, or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the results of my hard work, for which I worked so hard and so wisely, under the sun. This too is vapor that vanishes. 20So I changed my course, and my heart began to despair over all my hard work at which I worked so hard under the sun. 21Sure, there may be a man who has worked hard—wisely, aptly, and skillfully. But he must hand over whatever he accumulated by all his hard work to a man who has not worked hard for it. This too is vapor. It’s so unfair! 22For what does a man gain through all his hard work, through all the turmoil in his heart, as he works so hard under the sun? 23Pain fills all his days. His occupation is frustration. Even at night his heart does not rest. This too is vapor. 24There is nothing better for a man than to eat and to drink and to find joy in his work. This too, I saw, is from God’s hand. 25For who can eat or enjoy himself apart from him? 26Yes, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness to the man whom he considers good, but to the person who goes on sinning God gives the task of gathering and collecting, but only so that he can give it all to a person whom God considers good. This too is vapor, nothing but chasing wind.
GOSPEL – LUKE 12:13-21
13Someone from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14But Jesus said to him, “Man, who appointed me to be a judge or an arbitrator over you?” 15Then he said to them, “Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because a man’s life is not measured by how many possessions he has.” 16He told them a parable: “The land of a certain rich man produced very well. 17He was thinking to himself, ‘What will I do, because I do not have anywhere to store my crops?’ 18He said, ‘This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and goods. 19And I will tell my soul, “Soul, you have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ 20“But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your soul will be demanded from you. Now who will get what you have prepared?’ 21“That is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
DEVOTION – COLOSSIANS 3:1-11
CONFESSION OF FAITH
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.
OFFERING
Offerings may be given on-line at tithe.ly/risensavior, mailed to the church, or dropped off at the church.
Our members have joined together in faith and love to do the Lord’s work in this community and around the world. Guests need not feel obligated to participate in this offering which supports our ministry.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
All is vanity, O Lord, without the grace of Your Word and Spirit. Guard our hearts against pride and arrogance and a life rich in things but poor in spirit.
Grant to us wise hearts, that we may love rightly all that You have made and use them all for Your purpose and glory.
Be near to the suffering, the dying and the grieving especially Denise Falewitch’s brother in law dealing with cancer and all those young and old who don’t believe in you. Sustain them in the truth that their lives are even now hidden with Christ in God, and that when He appears, they will also appear with Him in glory.
Give them compassionate and skillful doctors and nurses, that their suffering may be alleviated and their minds and bodies returned to health.
Lord God, You have seated Your Christ at Your right hand and surrounded Him with all those that He has led out of the great tribulation.
We thank You for the peace and rest You have given them in Him, and we pray that You would one day deliver us by His hand into the paradise He has won for us.
Dear God, we thank you for the dedicated service of Missionary Luke Wolfgramm who has served in Russia for 25 years. Although he was forced to evacuate, you have not left the church there on its own. Continue to bless the work of the pastors and church members in Russia. Keep them faithful to your Word and safe from harm. Prosper the work with churches of Eastern Europe.
We pray this trusting in Christ who works everything for our good.
Answer all doubt and fear, O Lord, with confidence in Your Word and Sacraments, that by these we may be kept in holiness and guarded from temptation and despair; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who taught us to pray…
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.
THE LORD’S BLESSING
Brothers and sisters, go in peace. Live in harmony with one another. Serve the Lord with gladness.
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.