INTRODUCTION
In Isaiah the people are advised to look to their spiritual ancestors as the rock from which they were hewn. Jesus declares that the church will be built on the rock of Peter’s bold confession of faith. God’s word of reconciliation and God’s mercy are keys to the church’s mission. Paul urges us to not be conformed to this world but to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, using our individual gifts to build up the body of Christ. From the table we go forth to offer our spiritual worship through word and deed.
Announcements
*Confession and Forgiveness
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
God of all mercy and consolation, come to the help of your people, turning us from our sin to live for you alone. Give us the power of your Holy Spirit that we may confess our sin, receive your forgiveness, and grow into the fullness of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.
Most merciful God, 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 by 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.
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. Amen.
* Prayer of the Day
O God, with all your faithful followers of every age, we praise you, the rock of our life. Be our strong foundation and form us into the body of your Son, that we may gladly minister to all the world, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
*Gathering Song O Holy Spirit, Enter In (ELW 786)
First Reading: Isaiah 51:1-6
1 Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness,
you who seek the Lord.
Look to the rock from which you were hewn
and to the quarry from which you were dug.
2 Look to Abraham your father
and to Sarah, who bore you,
for he was but one when I called him,
but I blessed him and made him many.
3 For the Lord will comfort Zion;
he will comfort all her waste places
and will make her wilderness like Eden,
her desert like the garden of the Lord;
joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving and the voice of song.
4 Listen to me, my people,
and give heed to me, my nation,
for a teaching will go out from me
and my justice for a light to the peoples.
5 I will bring near my deliverance swiftly;
my salvation has gone out,
and my arms will rule the peoples;
the coastlands wait for me,
and for my arm they hope.
6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens
and look at the earth beneath,
for the heavens will vanish like smoke,
the earth will wear out like a garment,
and those who live on it will die like gnats,
but my salvation will be forever,
and my deliverance will never be ended.
Psalm: Psalm 138
1 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I will sing your praise.
2 I will bow down toward your holy temple and praise your name, because of your steadfast love and faithfulness;
for you have glorified your name and your word above all things.
3 When I called, you answered me;
you increased my strength within me.
4 All the rulers of the earth will praise you, O Lord,
when they have heard the words of your mouth.
5 They will sing of the ways of the Lord,
that great is the glory of the Lord.
6 The Lord is high, yet cares for the lowly,
perceiving the haughty from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you keep me safe;
you stretch forth your hand against the fury of my enemies; your right |hand shall save me.
8 You will make good your purpose for me;
O Lord, your steadfast love endures forever; do not abandon the works of your hands.
Second Reading: Romans 12:1-8
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members and not all the members have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. 6 We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; 7 ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; 8 the encourager, in encouragement; the giver, in sincerity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.
Gospel: Matthew 16:13-20
The holy gospel according to Matthew. Glory to you, O Lord.
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.
The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
Meditation Pastor Wende Bleam
Hymn of the Day Built on a Rock (ELW 652)
Offering of Tithes and Gifts to God
Please place your offering in the plate near the Sanctuary door any time during or following worship. Your offering and tithes may be made online through our website, stjohnslutheranfolcroft.org or sent by mail to
St. John’s Lutheran Church, 1500 Glen Avenue, Folcroft, PA 19032.
* Offering Prayer
Prayers of Intercession
With bold trust in God’s unfailing provision, we pray for the church, those in need, and all of God’s creation.
We pray for the servants of your gospel in every place, that your word may be heard. Where your voice is scorned and your people persecuted, strengthen the church in its faithful witness. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
God, our rock, you are the foundation on which the church is built. Strengthen and encourage your faithful people everywhere they gather, that they boldly proclaim your word of life to all the world. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
You regard the lowly and hear us when we cry out to you. Be present among all who struggle with addiction, housing insecurity, incarceration, and mental illness, that they know they are not alone. Hear our prayers for all in need this day. We pray for the family and friends of Bishop Pat Davenport, the family and friends of Hikeen and Charles, the family and friends of Dawn Butler, Folcroft Police and Fire Company members, Ceasar, Bruce, Paul, Ruth, Deb, Richie, Donna, Carol, Barbara, Vince, Danielle, Connor, Bryant, Walt, Lisa, Pastor Wende, Ray, Lillian, Alexis, Dadiana, Martie, Derek, Robert, Sandy, Tonie, Frank, Billy, Birtey and those we now raise before you in our hearts. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
You draw together people with differing gifts. Lift up the many and varied gifts and talents of this congregation and strengthen the bonds of fellowship that all may be united as the body of Christ. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
You bring deliverance to nations and peoples. Come to the aid of nations experiencing war, conflict, disease, famine, and disaster. Guide the work of relief agencies and peacemaking organizations. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
Receive our prayers and answer, O God, as you have promised. All this we ask in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
* LORD'S PRAYER
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.
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.
*Blessing
Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever.
Amen.
* Sending Song O Savior, Precious Savior (ELW 820)
Dismissal - Go in peace. Share the good news. Thanks be to God.
The Eternal Candle is sponsored for the month of August by John Bindi.
You Can Help! You can be a good steward and get your grocery shopping done. Did you know that if you purchase a grocery food gift card from St. John’s, our congregation will receive 5% of all sales of gift cards. Please see MaryAnne Rossi if you wish to purchase and gift cards. Thank you for helping us raise that 5% for helping to continue our ministry.
Each week, we collect food for our hungry neighbors in need in our Sharing God's Bounty Wagon. Hunger doesn’t take a vacation. Please consider making a donation of a food item each week. If you are in need of food, please notify Mary Anne Rossi and she will let you know what we have available.
The Social Ministry Committee would love to hear from you if you have any ideas for small fundraising and/or social ministry events that we could pull off with minimal effort. Challenge us with your ideas!!
With our church building getting older, we need everyone’s eyes and ears to help keep her in good repair. If you see any problems like a burnt out light bulb, please let Barb or
MaryAnne know or drop a note in the offering plate on Sunday. We need to get a jump on current or upcoming problems.
Our Financial Response (thru July)
CURRENT
Budgeted costs per month $ 7,305.04
Offering last 2 months $ 9,015.28
Budget required to date (7 months) $ 51,135.28
Total received to date $ 33,080.68
MISSION SUPPORT
Budget required to date (7 months) $ 2,800.00
Total received to date $ 2,674.04
Please continue to support St. John's. Our expenses continue each month.
Your offering and tithes may be made online through our website,
stjohnslutheranfolcroft.org or sent by mail to
St. John’s Lutheran Church, 1500 Glen Avenue, Folcroft, PA 19032.
