Welcome

Opening Prayer^[1]:
Lord Jesus, You are a Lord who walks beside your people. So, we pray for people who walk for justice.

You are a Lord who raises up those who are bent low. So, we pray for those held down by the grindings of life and the indifference of the world.

You are a Lord who feeds the hungry So, we pray for all who long for bread and the means to provide it.

You are a Lord who celebrates the small and the insignificant. So, we pray for the children and for those who are never noticed.

You are a Lord who says ‘Follow me’. So, we pray for courage and faith in our hearts that we may take up the cross and find it leads to life.
Amen.

Confession and Forgiveness:
Blessed be the holy Trinity, + one God, whose steadfast love is everlasting, whose faithfulness endures from generation to generation.
Amen.

Sisters and brothers, let us not let sin control the way we live. Let us not give in to sinful desires. Rather, let us offer ourselves to God, whose mercy has brought us from death to life.

Silence is held for reflection.

Gracious God,
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 repent.  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 uphold us by your Spirit, so that we may live and serve you in newness of life through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Friends, hear this:
God is merciful and full of steadfast love. God will not forget us. God will not forget God’s promise. In the name of + Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven. God has washed us clean, and leads us on paths of steadfast love and faithfulness.
Thanks be to God!

Gospel: Matthew 16:13-28
^16:13   Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴ And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. ¹⁸ And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” ²⁰ Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

²¹   From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. ²² And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” ²³ But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

²⁴   Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ²⁵ For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. ²⁶ For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?

²⁷   “For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. ²⁸ Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Children’s Sermon

Sermon

Hymn of the Day:

Apostle’s Creed:
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
       creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s 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 to the dead.*
On the third day he rose again;
       he ascended into heaven,
       he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
       and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
       the holy catholic church,
       the communion of saints,
       the forgiveness of sins,
       the resurrection of the body,
             and the life everlasting. Amen.

Prayers of Intercession:
http://www.pilgrimpaths.co.uk/Finger%20Labyrinth%20and%20Prayer%20Guide%20Leaflet.pdf

Confident of your care and helped by the Holy Spirit, we pray for the church, the world, and all who are in need.

. . .  Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

In the certain hope that nothing can separate us from your love, we offer these prayers to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Sharing of the Peace

Announcements

Offering
https://tithe.ly/give_new/www/#/tithely/give-one-time/468062

Lord’s Prayer:
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us saying:
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.

Back to School Blessing[2]:
Almighty God, we thank you for the gift of new beginnings. We ask that you bless all those who begin a new school year in the coming weeks. Give them minds that long for discovery, ears that long to hear the truth, eyes that long to see miracle and wonders in your creation, and hearts that long to love and serve others.

Almighty God, we thank you for the gifts of those who teach, administer and serve those who are growing in knowledge and skills for their own future and the world’s. We thank you for caretakes navigating new ways of learning in new settings. May they receive your courage, compassion, and patience during this new year of new patterns and systems for teaching and learning.

Almighty God, we thank you for the gift of technology. We ask that you bless all of these devices made by human hands. May they be tools that help us grow in knowledge, purpose, and love.  May they be tools that inspire us towards connection and communication. May they be tools that we use wisely and judiciously, never allowing them to separate us one from another.

Almighty God, we thank you for the gift of protection. We ask that you bless these masks that they may be a sign of our love for neighbor. May they be a sign of our faith in one another. May they be a sign of our hope and longing for the health and well-being of all your children.

Almighty God, we thank you for the gift of our burdens and the means to carry them. May these bags, backpacks, and briefcases ever remind us of the many blessings you have bestowed upon our lives. May these bags remind us of our baptismal call to carry Christ’s love into the world. May these bags and bag-tags remind us always whom we serve.
Amen

Benediction:
Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

God, the creator, + Jesus, the Christ, and the Holy Spirit, the comforter, bless you and keep you in eternal life.
Amen

Dismissal:
Go in peace. Christ is with you!
Thanks be to God!

 

Prayer Requests:
Bob Keifer, Celia Warren, Frank Danowsky, Marie Tanner, Irene Stark, Peg Swinehart, Alice Snyder, Brock Baker, the family and friends of Robert Koch, Greg Seibert, Harold Snyder, Colette Richards, Pat Thomas, Gladys Guffey, Terry Funk, Darv Krouse, Terry Smith, Rodney Heckert, and Rebecca Otuszewski.

 

Portions reprinted from Evangelical Lutheran Worship, copyright 2006.  Used by permission of Augsburg Fortress, license #SBL09796L.  Music reprinted from the ELW, by permission of OneLicense, license #A712349.  Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.   Used by permission.

[1] From the Christian Aid website. https://www.christianaid.org.uk/

[2] Adapter from by SJ Skinner of the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany (Richardson, TX).  Posted on Forma|The Network for Christian Education FB page with permission to use.