WELCOME, CONFESSION and FORGIVENESS, ENTRANCE HYMN,
and PRAYER OF THE DAY
Confession and Forgiveness:
P: Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen
P: Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.
Most merciful God,
C: we confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. 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.
P: In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
Entrance Hymn: O Beautiful for Spacious Skies vs. 1&3 ELW #888
Prayer of the Day:
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: You are great, O God, and greatly to be praised. You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you. Grant that we may believe in you, call upon you, know you, and serve you, through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
C: Amen.
A TIME FOR the CHILDREN:
Children looking for activities and lessons can find them on our website at: https://www.anacorteslutheran.org/sunday-school
READING, GOSPEL, SERMON, HYMN of the DAY
Reading- The Dent Family
The Holy Gospel: Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
Hymn of the Day: I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say vs. 1&3 ELW# 611
PRAYERS of INTERCESSION, OFFERING,
SPECIAL MUSIC (John Parker and Dave Bjornson)
Prayers of Intercession:
A: Called into unity with one another and the whole creation, let us pray for our shared world.
We pray for the church. Sustain us as we share your word. Embrace us as we struggle to find our common ground. Lift up leaders with powerful and prophetic voices. Free us from stagnant faith.
We pray for the well-being of creation. Protect the air, water, and land from abuse and pollution. Free us from apathy in our care of creation and direct us toward sustainable living.
We pray for our nation, especially at this time when we celebrate our independence. We pray that the promises of freedom would extend to all people. Amidst racial tensions and divisions, bring us together and give us courage to engage in difficult conversations. Guide leaders in developing just policies. Help us remember freedom is never easy. When we sing God Bless America, may that always be for us a penitential prayer and not a challenge.
We pray for all who are weary and heavy laden. For all who are tired, grieving, feeling despair, isolated, sick, or oppressed; especially those of this congregation who suffer. Take the yoke upon you and ease their burdens. Heal and restore your children. We pray for this congregation. Bless pastors, and congregational leaders. Energize children's ministry volunteers, church administrators, and those who maintain our building. Shine in this place that we might notice the ways of your live transforms our lives.
Receive these prayers, O God, an those too deep for words; through Jesus Christ our Lord
C: Amen.
Special music: O Beautiful for Spacious Skies - John Parker and Dave Bjornson
Blessing and Sending - The Dent Family
Holy Communion:
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 God thanks and praise.
The 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 us our trespasses against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory. Amen.
Blessing:
A: Neither death, no 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.
C: Amen
Sending Hymn: God Bless America 2x
Sending Sentence:
A: Go in peace. Care for the weary and those with heavy burdens.
C: Thanks be to God.