14 Pentecost August 29

GATHERING SONG “Will You Let Me Be Your Servant” #659

CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Let us pray. O God our strength, without you we are weak and wayward creatures. Protect us from all dangers that attack us from the outside, and cleanse us from all evil that arises from within ourselves, that we may be preserved through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

FIRST LESSON: Deuteronomy 4:1–2, 6–9

So now, Israel, give heed to the statutes and ordinances that I am teaching you to observe, so that you may live to enter and occupy the land that the LORD, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. You must neither add anything to what I command you nor take away anything from it, but keep the commandments of the LORD your God with which I am charging you. You must observe them diligently, for this will show your wisdom and discernment to the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!" For what other great nation has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is whenever we call to him? And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this entire law that I am setting before you today?

But take care and watch yourselves closely, so as neither to forget the things that your eyes have seen nor to let them slip from your mind all the days of your life; make them known to your children and your children's children-- Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.

THE SECOND LESSON: James 1:17–27

Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God's righteousness. Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.

But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act — they will be blessed in their doing.

If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.

THE GOSPEL FOR THE DAY: Mark 7:1–8, 14–15, 21–23

The holy gospel according to Saint Mark. Glory to you, O Lord.

Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?" He said to them, "Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written,

'This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.' You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition."

Then he called the crowd again and said to them, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile."

For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person."

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

SERMON “Heart Disease” Pastor Phil Wold

HYMN OF THE DAY “Create in Me a Clean Heart” # 759

THE OFFERING

OFFERING PRAYER

Let us pray. Holy God, you open the doors of heaven, giving us every generous and perfect gift from above. Lift our eyes from the food that perishes, and nourish us now with the food that endures for eternal life, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE SERVICE OF PRAYERS FOR HEALING

Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, and for all people according to their needs.

Let us pray for all who suffer, all in pain or grief or any kind of suffering…

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Let us pray for recovery from sickness, that God, the strength of the weak and the comfort of the suffering, may grant God’s healing power…

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Let us pray for healing in our communities, between nations, among peoples, within families…

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Let us pray for all those who depend upon our prayers…

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Gracious God, in baptism you anointed us with the oil of salvation, and joined us to the death and resurrection of your Son. Bless all who seek your healing presence in their lives. In their suffering draw them more deeply into the mystery of your love, that following Christ in the way of the cross they may know the power of his resurrection; who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen

THE SIGN OF PEACE

The peace of the Lord be with you always. And also with you.

NOISY OFFERING

THE LORD'S PRAYER

BLESSING

SENDING SONG “Savior Like A Shepherd Lead Us” #789

SENDING

Go in peace. Share the good news. Thanks be to God.

POSTLUDE

Flowers on the altar are given by Mike Mellgren in memory of Marty Mellgren and in honor of her birthday this month.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.