Worship for Sunday, August 23, 2020
the attached blue-colored link!
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.
Listen to me, you that pursue
righteousness,
you
that seek the Lord.
Look to the rock from which you
were hewn,
and to the quarry from which you
were dug.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 for ever,
and my
deliverance will never be ended.
PSALM: Psalm 138
I will give thanks to you, O Lord,
with my whole heart;
before
the gods I will sing your praise.
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.
When I
called, you answered me;
you
increased my strength within me.
All the rulers of the earth will praise you,
O Lord,
when they have heard the words
of your mouth.
They
will sing of the ways of the Lord,
that
great is the glory of the Lord.
The
Lord is high, yet cares for the lowly,
perceiving
the haughty from afar.
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.
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
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and
sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be
conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so
that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and
perfect.
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 judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has
assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have
the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and
individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according
to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in
ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver,
in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.
THE HOLY GOSPEL: Matthew 16:13-20
Now when Jesus
came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do
people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist,
but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said
to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the
Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ 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. 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. 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.’ Then he
sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
Confident of your care and helped by the Holy Spirit, we pray for
the church, the world, and all who are in need.
A brief silence.
Lord our rock, you are our foundation in Jesus Christ, your Son,
whom we confess as the living God. Prepare your church for its mission in
bearing witness to Christ, both here at home and throughout the world. Lord, in
your mercy, hear our prayer.
You call forth praises from the far reaches of
the universe to the smallest of creatures. Join our songs to theirs, that a
spirit of praise and thanksgiving will arouse us to cherish this wondrous home
you give us. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O
Lord. Direct the leaders of countries, legislators and magistrates, mayors and
councils, to walk in your ways. Help leaders regard those in need with mercy
and fulfill your loving purposes in the governance of peoples. Lord, in your
mercy, hear our prayer.
Though we walk in the midst of trouble, you
preserve us, deliver us, and fulfill your purpose for us. According to your
steadfast love, grant healing and wholeness to those who are bereaved, in
trouble or adversity, or sick and in need of care. (You may lift up the
names of those for whom you would like to pray here.) Lord, in your mercy, hear
our prayer.
You call us into this community (name), in which
we, though many, are one in Christ. May we recognize in ourselves and in one
another the unique gifts you have given us for the building up of the church
for the sake of the world. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
You are the everlasting Rock from which we were hewn, and you restore your people to joy and gladness. In blessed memory and hope, we thank you for the lives of our beloved dead. (You may lift up the names of those who have died in Christ here.) Bring us with them to our heavenly home. 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.
forever and ever. Amen.
Amen
CLOSING HYMN: "The Church's One Foundation" (Video Link): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EI1zNawCvxk
Comments
Post a Comment