Thank you Rev. Dennis Himm from Gloria Dei Lutheran in Grand Blanc, MI for leading our worship service today. And a special thank you, too, for your CHILDREN'S choir blessing us with patriotic hymns. It was a wonderful celebration of our country’s INDEPENDENCE.

St. Paul Ev. Lutheran Church

313 4th Street, Manistee, MI 49660

Pentecost 4 July 3, 2022

THEME OF THE DAY

We have sinned and fall short of fulfilling the Law of the Lord. Through contrition and repentance God prepares the heart to receive the gift of the Gospel.

WELCOME

CALL TO WORSHIP (spoken & sung – Hymn 618) Psalm 100

M: Shout to the Lord with joy, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before him with joyful songs.

C: Before the Lord we bow, The God who reigns above

And rules the world below In boundless pow'r and love.

Our thanks we bring; In joy and praise

Our hearts we raise To heav'n's high King.

M: Know that the Lord is God. He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

C: The nation you have blessed May well your love declare,

From foes and fears at rest, Protected by your care.

For this fair land, For this bright day

Our thanks we pay -- Gifts of your hand.

M: Enter his gates with thanksgiving, his courtyards with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name.

C: May ev'ry mountain height, Each vale and forest green,

Shine in your Word's pure light And its rich fruits be seen!

May ev'ry tongue Be tuned to praise

And join to raise A grateful song!

M: For the Lord is good. His mercy endures forever. His faithfulness continues through all generations.

C: Earth, hear your Maker's voice; Your great Redeemer own.

Believe, obey, rejoice, And worship him alone.

Cast down your pride! Your sin deplore

And bow before The Crucified!

PRAYER OF THE DAY

M : O God, protector of all the faithful, you alone make strong; you alone make holy. Show us your mercy and forgive our sins day by day. Guide us through our earthly lives that we do not lose the things you have prepared for us in heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: Amen.

FIRST LESSON: 2 Chronicles 33:1-6,10-18

1 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he ruled as king in Jerusalem for fifty-five years. 2 He did evil in the eyes of the LORD by following the disgusting practices of the nations which the LORD had driven out before the people of Israel. 3 He rebuilt the high places which his father Hezekiah had torn down. He erected altars to the Baals and made Asherah poles. He worshipped the whole army of the heavens and served them. 4 He built altars in the House of the LORD, about which the LORD had said, “In Jerusalem my Name will be forever.” 5 He built altars for the whole army of the heavens in the two courtyards of the House of the LORD. 6 He made his sons pass through the fire in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom. He practiced fortune telling and sought omens and consulted mediums and spiritists. He greatly increased the evil deeds he did in the eyes of the LORD and provoked him to anger… 10 The LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention. 11 So the LORD brought the officials of the army of the king of Assyria against them. They led Manasseh captive with hooks. They bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon. 12 When he was in distress, he sought the favor of the LORD and humbled himself deeply before the God of his fathers. 13 He prayed to the LORD, and the LORD responded to his prayer and heard his plea for mercy. He brought him back to Jerusalem into his own kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is the true God. 14 Afterward he built an outer wall for the City of David in the valley, from west of the Gihon Spring up to the entrance by the Fish Gate. He encircled Ophel with it and raised it to a very great height. He also put commanders of the army in all the fortified cities in Judah. 15 He removed the foreign gods and the idol from the House of the LORD. He removed all the altars he had built on the mountain of the House of the LORD and in Jerusalem and threw them outside of the city. 16 He restored the altar of the LORD and offered sacrifices of fellowship offerings and thank offerings on it. He commanded Judah to serve the LORD, the God of Israel. 17 Nevertheless, the people still sacrificed at the high places, but only to the LORD their God. 18 You can find the rest of the acts of Manasseh, his prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, in the annals of the kings of Israel.

M: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

SECOND LESSON: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor males who have sex with males, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor the verbally abusive, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And some of you were those types of people. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

M: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL: Luke 7:36-50

36 A certain one of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him. Jesus entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 Just then a sinful woman from that town learned that he was reclining in the Pharisee’s house. She brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38 stood behind him near his feet weeping, and began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she began to wipe them with her hair while also kissing his feet and anointing them with the perfume. 39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would realize who is touching him and what kind of woman she is, because she is a sinner.” 40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” He said, “Teacher, say it.” 41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. The one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he forgave them both. So, which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one who had the larger debt forgiven.” Then he told him, “You have judged correctly.” 44 Turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house, but you did not give me water for my feet. Yet she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but she, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with perfume. 47 Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; that is why she loved so much. But the one who is forgiven little loves little.” 48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” 49 Those reclining at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 50 He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

M: Here ends the Gospel.

C: Praise be to You, O Christ

HYMN 617

Christ, by heav'nly hosts adored, Gracious, mighty, sov'reign Lord,

God of nations, King of kings, Head of all created things,

By the Church with joy confessed, God o'er all, forever blest --

Pleading, at your throne we stand: Save your people, bless our land.

On our fields of grass and grain Send, O Lord, the kindly rain;

O'er our wide and goodly land Crown the labors of each hand.

Let your kind protection be O'er our commerce on the sea.

Open, Lord, your bounteous hand; Bless your people, bless our land.

Give us rulers who will be Known for love and honesty;

Let the pow'rs that you ordained Be in righteousness maintained.

In the people's hearts increase Love of piety and peace.

Thus united, we shall stand One wide, free, and happy land.

SERMON: Proverbs 14:34

Righteousness lifts up a nation, but sin brings shame to a people.

Want to Do Something for Your Country?

1. Recognize the problem

2. Remember the solution

CONFESSION OF FAITH (Nicene Creed)

M: In a world that has difficulty believing in the one true God, but is so ready to believe that our universe happened by some unknown accident or by a random series of events, what do you believe?

C: We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

M: In a society that often teaches that Jesus was just a great human teacher, a wise prophet or just one way to God, what do you believe?

C: We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and became fully human.

M: While many put their trust in things or people that they make into their gods, what do you believe that Jesus did that proves He has conquered death and is true God just as He said?

C: For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

M: Those who refuse to trust the Lord are without hope. What do you believe that gives you hope now and for eternity?

C: We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

OFFERINGS GATHERED

PRAYER FOR THE CHURCH

M: Almighty God, we acknowledge with thanks that all we have and enjoy is a gift from your gracious hand. We come before you today in heartfelt appreciation for our nation and its people.

C: We thank you for enabling us to worship you in freedom and to serve you without fear.

M: You have enriched us with the bounties of farm and factory, the beauty of forest and mountain, and the marvels of medicine and science.

C: For all these blessings, we praise and glorify you.

M: Look with favor upon our nation, and preserve our cherished liberties. Enable our leaders to govern with wisdom, honesty, courage, and justice. Protect those who serve in the armed forces and those who maintain peace and safety in our communities.

C: Give us willingness to obey our nation’s laws and to work for the common good.

M: Keep our financial institutions secure and our economy strong. Bless our fields that they may produce abundant harvests. Guard us from calamities of nature and accident, and spare our land from the ravages of disease and epidemic.

C: Teach us not to worry but to cast all our cares on you.

M: Strengthen the homes of our nation. By your Spirit lead husbands and wives to love each other, parents to nurture their children, young adults to assume responsibility, and children to show respect.

Special prayers and intercessions may follow.

M: Hear us, Lord, as we bring you our private petitions.

Silent prayer.

M: To you, O Lord, we bring our thanks and our requests.

C: Hear our prayers for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

LORD’S PRAYER

CONFESSION OF SINS – HYMN 303

With broken heart and contrite sigh,

A trembling sinner, Lord, I cry.

Your pard'ning grace is rich and free

O God, be merciful to me!

No gifts, no deeds that I have done

Can for a single sin atone.

To Calvary alone I flee

O God, be merciful to me!

And when, redeemed from sin and hell,

With all the ransomed souls I dwell,

My joyous song shall ever be:

God has been merciful to me!

WORDS OF INSTITUTION

DISTRIBUTION HYMN 317

O Lord, we praise you, bless you, and adore you,

In thanksgiving bow before you.

Here with your body and your blood you nourish

Our weak souls that they may flourish. O Lord, have mercy!

May your body, Lord, born of Mary,

That our sins and sorrows did carry,

And your blood for us plead

In all trial, fear, and need: O Lord, have mercy!

Your holy body into death was given,

Life to win for us in heaven.

No greater love than this to you could bind us;

May this feast of that remind us! O Lord, have mercy!

Lord, your love and kindness did move you;

Let your supper move us to love you.

All our debt you have paid;

Peace with God once more is made. O Lord, have mercy!

May God bestow on us his grace and favor

To please him with our behavior

And live together here in love and union,

Cherishing our blest communion. O Lord, have mercy!

Let not your good Spirit forsake us;

Grant that heav’nly-minded he make us.

Give your Church, Lord, to see

Days of peace and unity. O Lord, have mercy!

Please stand

HYMN OF THANKSGIVING – 316

O Jesus, blessed Lord, to thee

My heartfelt thanks forever be,

Who hast so lovingly bestowed

On me thy body and thy blood.

Break forth, my soul, for joy and say:

What wealth is come to me this day!

My Savior dwells within my heart -

How blest am I! How good thou art!

BENEDICTION

M: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

C: Amen.

HYMN 619

God bless our native land! Firm may she ever stand

Through storm and night! When the wild tempests rave,

Ruler of wind and wave, Do thou our country save By thy great might.

For her our prayers shall rise To God above the skies;

On him we wait. Thou who art ever nigh,

Guarding with watchful eye,To thee aloud we cry, God save the state!

ANNOUNCEMENTS