CALL TO WORSHIP PSALM 145:8–14
The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
LORD, you are good to all, and your compassion is over all your works.
All your works shall praise you, O LORD, and your faithful ones shall bless you.
They shall tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your power,
that all people may know of your power and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; your dominion endures throughout all ages.
You, LORD, are faithful in all your words, and loving in all your works.
The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up those who are bowed down.
GATHERING SONG “Lord of All Hopefulness” #765
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God, full of compassion and mercy,
abounding in steadfast love. Amen.
Trusting God’s promise of forgiveness,
let us confess our sin against God and one another.
Silence for reflection and self-examination.
Eternal God our creator,
in you we live and move and have our being.
Look upon us, your children, the work of your hands.
Forgive us all our offenses, and cleanse us from proud thoughts and empty desires.
By your grace draw us near to you, our refuge and our strength;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us.
In the mercy of almighty God, Christ died for us while we still were sinners;
and for his sake, God ☩ forgives you all your sins.
Amen.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Let us pray. You are great, O God, and greatly to be praised. You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you. Grant that we may believe in you, call upon you, know you, and serve you, through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
THE FIRST LESSON: Zechariah 9:9-12
Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the warhorse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall command peace to the nations; his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.
Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.
THE SECOND LESSON: Romans 7:15-25
I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me.
So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.
GOSPEL HYMN “You Are The Way” #758
THE GOSPEL FOR THE DAY: Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
The holy gospel according to Saint Matthew. Glory to you, O Lord.
[Jesus spoke to the crowd saying:] "To what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.' For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon'; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds." At that time Jesus said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
SERMON “Take My Yoke” Pastor Phil Wold
HYMN OF THE DAY “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” #742
THE APOSTLES CREED
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
THE SIGN OF PEACE IS SHARED
The peace of Christ be with you always. And also with you.
THE OFFERING AND OFFERING PRAYER
Let us pray. Blessed are you, O God, maker of all things. Through your goodness you have blessed us with these gifts: our selves, our time, and our possessions. Use us, and what we have gathered, in feeding the world with your love, through the one who gave himself for us, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
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
SENDING SONG “Jesus Shall Reign” #434
SENDING
Go in peace. Live the gospel.
Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE
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