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St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran ChurchSUNDAY August 30th, 2020

To our Church FamilyWe’re Glad You’re Here.

WELCOME

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Today's Hymns from the Tower                 Church Carillon The Westminster StrikeAnnouncementsPrelude: A Simple Song from Mass (Sing to God) Leondard Bernstein

Albert Donze, baritone

CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESSThe assembly stands. All may make the sign of the cross, the sign that is marked at baptism, as the presiding minister begins.In the name of the Father, and of the ☩ Son, and of the Holy Spirit.Amen.

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.Amen.

Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.Silence is kept 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.

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.

GATHERING HYMN O God Beyond all Praising ELW 880

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GREETING

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.And also with you.

KYRIE

For peace in the world, for the health of the church, for the unity of all;for this holy house, for all who worship and praise,let us pray to the Lord, let us pray to the Lord. Refrain

That we may live out your impassioned response to the hungry and the poor;that we may live out truth and justice and grace,let us pray to the Lord, let us pray to the Lord. Refrain

For peace in our hearts, for peace in our homes, for friends and family;for life and for love, for our work and our play,let us pray to the Lord, let us pray to the Lord. Refrain

For your Spirit to guide; that you center our lives in the water and the Word;that you nourish our souls with your body and blood,let us pray to the Lord, let us pray to the Lord. Refrain

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Let us pray

O God, we thank you for your Son, who chose the path of suffering for the sake of the world. Humble us by his example, point us to the path of obedience, and give us strength to follow your commands, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

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First Reading: Jeremiah 15:15-21

 15O LORD, you know;  remember me and visit me,  and bring down retribution for me on my persecutors. In your forbearance do not take me away;  know that on your account I suffer insult. 16Your words were found, and I ate them,  and your words became to me a joy  and the delight of my heart; for I am called by your name,  O LORD, God of hosts. 17I did not sit in the company of merrymakers,  nor did I rejoice; under the weight of your hand I sat alone,  for you had filled me with indignation. 18Why is my pain unceasing,  my wound incurable,  refusing to be healed? Truly, you are to me like a deceitful brook,  like waters that fail.

 19Therefore thus says the LORD: If you turn back, I will take you back,  and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless,  you shall serve as my mouth. It is they who will turn to you,  not you who will turn to them. 20And I will make you to this people  a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you,  but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you  to save you and deliver you, says the LORD. 21I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked,  and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.

The Word of the LordThanks be to God.

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Second Reading: Romans 12:9-21

9Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; 10love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. 11Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. 13Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.  14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. 17Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. 18If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

The Word of the LordThanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Gospel: Matthew 16: 21-28

The holy gospel according to Matthew, the 16th chapterGlory to you, O Lord.

21From that time on, [after Peter confessed that Jesus was the Messiah,] 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. 22And Peter

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took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” 23But 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.”  24Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. 26For 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. 28Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

The gospel of the Lord.Praise to you, O Christ.

SERMON The Rev. Mark Kreemer

HYMN OF THE DAY O Word of God Incarnate ELW 514

Verse 1: AllVerse 2: Men’s Voices

Verse 3: All

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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.

After each petition the following response is given:Lord, in your mercy,hear our prayer.

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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

The peace of Christ be with you always.And also with you.

OFFERING

Offertory Anthem: They Shall Hunger no More from The Holy City Alfred R. Gaul

Sammy Kay Smith, sopranoAlbert Donze, baritone

DIALOGUE

The Lord be with you.And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.It is right to give our thanks and praise.

THANKSGIVING AT THE TABLEHoly God, our Maker, Redeemer, and Healer, in the harmonious world of your creation, the plants and animals, the seas and stars were whole and well in your praise.

When sin had scarred the world, you sent your Son to heal our ills and to form us again into one.

In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.

Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.

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Remembering, therefore, his acts of healing, his body given up, and his victory over death, we await that day when all the peoples of the earth will come to the river to enjoy the tree of life.

Send your Spirit upon us and this meal: as grains scattered on the hillside become one bread, so let your Church be gathered from the ends of the earth, that all may be fed with the Bread of life, your Son.

Through him all glory and honor is yours, Almighty Father, with the Holy Spirit, in your holy Church, both now and forever.Amen

LORD’S PRAYER

Make us bold, O merciful God, to address you as our Abba as we 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.

SENDING HYMN Let Us Ever Walk with Jesus ELW 802Verses 1, 2, 4

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BLESSING

May the Lord bless you and keep you.May the Lord’s face shine upon you and be gracious to you.May the Lord look upon you with favor and give you peaceAmen.

DISMISSAL

Go in peace. Live in love as Christ loved us.Thanks be to God.

Postlude: Voluntary on Deo Gratias (The Agincourt Hymn) Arr. Charles Callahan

Music Notes

Guest Musicians: Albert Donze is a professional baritone who holds degrees in Vocal Performance, Vocal Pedagogy, and Music Education. A former music educator teaching middle school and high school in the public schools, he also served as an archivist for Ludwig Master Publishing. Albert currently teaches private voice at Firestone High School's Akron School for the Arts.

Samantha Kay Smith is St. Pauls’ soprano soloist, singing and rehearsing weekly with the Chancel Choir and offering musical solos in worship on a regular basis. She is frequently called upon to collaborate with local community and arts organizations. A student of Amy Yekel, she sings a variety of sacred and secular vocal repertoire, including musical theater. She graduated from Ohio University with a degree in Communications Studies and is the “Family Fund Coordinator” for Flynn Restaurant Group.

Prelude: Leonard Bernstein’s Mass is described as “a theatre piece for singers, players, and dancers” and was commissioned by first lady Jacqueline Kennedy for the opening of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. Lyricized by renowned composer and writer Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell), Bernstein chose a modern “innovative” form for the work instead of his originally planned traditional mass format. Mass features thirty-two beautiful movements accompanied by an orchestra of strings, keyboards, percussion, woodwinds, brass, guitars, and synthesizers. Although secular in many ways, the work is a religious mass, offering worship to God. Leonard Bernstein was a renowned composer and also served as conductor of the New York Philharmonic, where he raised the musical stakes of the organization and guest conducted all around the world. He also wrote the music for the musical West Side Story.

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Offertory Anthem: The Holy City is an oratorio for a choir of mixed voices, soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soli, and piano. An oratorio is a large work that tells a religious story. Other oratorio examples include Messiah and Elijah. English composer Alfred Robert Gaul wrote the work in the mid-1800s. Today’s anthem is a duet excerpt, originally for soprano and alto.

Postlude: The Agincourt Hymn (also called “Agincourt Carol” or “Agincourt Song”) is an English song honoring “God and Country,” written some time in the fifteenth century in celebration of King Henry VIII’s victory against the French army in France’s east region. The music is majestic and simple, utilizing many hollow ‘perfect’ intervals, frequently featured in instrumental music of this era.

Hymns, Liturgies, and Live stream permissions granted by the following:

Music in today’s Liturgy in covered by:"Permission to podcast / stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, License #A-734490. All rights reserved

GATHERING HYMN O God Beyond all Praising ELW 880"Permission to podcast / stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, License #A-734490. All rights reserved"Permission to podcast / stream the music in this service obtained from CCLI, License #20472231 All rights reserved.”

HYMN OF THE DAY O Word of God Incarnate ELW 514Public Domain

SENDING HYMN Let Us Ever Walk with Jesus ELW 802"Permission to podcast / stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, License #A-734490. All rights reserved

In our prayers today we will remember

Marcia Wright, Renee Brown, Chris Collard, Chuck Evans, Josh Keller, Bob Cocklin, Dr Donald Zimmerman Nancy Straughn, Martha Scott, Judy Hall, Don and Wanda Evans, Catherine Richards, Bob Keefer, Linda Klein, Sara Hughes, Chrissy Sturtz, Donna Viles, Betty Ayers, Jean Dexter, Janet Duke, Betty George, Marjorie Hill, Bob Kirsch, Dan Landig, Anna Langenfeld, Daniel Leone, Darlene Lewis, Angela Sutter, Amy White, Maria Lictenberger, Diane Brant, Karen Lunkwitz, Dave Paul, Ron Meimer, Jim Mullen, Hazel Draper, Jennifer Mays, Alice Ferguson, Cheryl Shaw