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PRELUDE
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
RINGING OF THE BELL
Please stand as you are able.
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God, source of hope in every
nation, rest for the weary, glory and peace to the ends of the earth.
Amen.
Let us bring every burden to God.
Silence is kept for reflection.
God of all mercy, we have sinned against you, our neighbors,
and your creation. Within ourselves and our communities, our
desire to do what is good is at war with the evil that dwells in
us. We lament the evil that holds us captive. We repent of the
evil we have done, and the evil done on our behalf. Rescue us,
forgive us, and restore us for lives of compassion and courage
through our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
All-merciful, Almighty God forgive you all your sins through the grace
of Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit’s power strengthen you in doing
what is good. Amen.
GATHERING HYMN “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” Hymn #742
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.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Let us pray. Lord of all the worlds, guide this nation by your
Spirit to go forward in justice and freedom. Give to all living in
these lands the blessings of well-being and harmony, but above
all things give us faith in you, that our nation may bring glory to
your name and blessings to all peoples, through Jesus Christ,
our Savior and Lord. Amen.
Please be seated.
WORD
FIRST READING Zechariah 9:9-12
The coming messianic king will inaugurate an era of disarmament
and prosperity. Because of God’s covenant with Israel, the people are
designated as “prisoners of hope.”
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you;
triumphant and victorious is he,
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and the war horse 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.
11 As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
12 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.
PSALM Psalm 145:8-14
8 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 Lord, you are good to all,
and your compassion is over all your works.
10 All your works shall praise you, O Lord,
and your faithful ones shall bless you.
Refrain
11 They shall tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your power,
12 that all people may know of your power
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 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.
14 The Lord upholds all those who fall
and lifts up those who are bowed down.
Refrain
SECOND READING Romans 7:15-25a
Life captive to sin is a catch-22 existence in which we know good but
do not do it and do things we know to be wrong. Through Jesus
Christ, God has set us free from such a futile existence.
15 I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want,
but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I
agree that the law is good. 17 But in fact it is no longer I who do it but
sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that the good does not dwell
within me, that is, in my flesh. For the desire to do the good lies
close at hand, but not the ability. 19 For I do not do the good I want,
but the evil I do not want is what I do. 20 Now if I do what I do not
want, it is no longer I who do it but sin that dwells within me.
21 So I find it to be a law that, when I want to do what is good, evil
lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God in my inmost
self, 23 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.
24 Wretched person that I am! Who will rescue me from this
body of death? 25a Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.
CHILDREN’S SERMON Ken Kleid
Please stand as you are able for the gospel reading.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
GOSPEL Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
The holy gospel according to Matthew.
Glory to you, O Lord.
Jesus chides people who find fault with both his ministry and that of
John the Baptist. He thanks God that wisdom and intelligence are not
needed to receive what God has to offer.
[Jesus spoke to the crowd saying:] 16 “To what will I compare this
generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another,
17 ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we wailed, and you did not mourn.’
18 “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a
demon’; 19 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.”
25 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; 26 yes, Father, for such
was your gracious will. 27 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.
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy
burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 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. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
SERMON Pastor Chris Markert
HYMN OF THE DAY “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name!” Hymn #634
Please stand as you are able.
THE APOSTLES’ CREED
Together with the whole church, we confess our faith:
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.
Please be seated.
THE PRAYERS
...God of grace, hear our prayer.
SHARING THE PEACE
The peace of Christ be with you always.
And also with you.
Let us share the peace with one another.
OFFERING
OFFERING MUSIC “O Beautiful For Spacious Skies" Choir Anthem
The congregation is invited to stand and join in singing the third verse as the
offering is brought forward.
OFFERING PRAYER
Let us pray. Blessed are you, O God, for waves of grain and
harvesters, fruitful vines and winepresses, for our labor and our
rest, for the gifts of your hand in this land. Transform us and
what we offer into the banquet of your compassion, serving
your love without limits through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.
MEAL
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
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.
It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and
in all places give thanks and praise. . . We praise your name and join
their unending hymn.
In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread,
and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, 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.
With this bread and cup we remember our Lord’s Passover from
death to life as we proclaim the mystery of faith;
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
Remember us in your kingdom and teach us to 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.
INVITATION TO COMMUNION
Citizens of the commonwealth of heaven: Taste and know that God
is good to all.
All are welcome to receive Holy Communion at the Lord's table. We
practice a continuous communion distribution. You are invited to
come forward at the direction of the ushers and kneel or stand at the
altar rail, filling in spaces starting from the center as they become
available. If you'd like to receive a blessing instead, you may simply
come forward and cross your arms over your chest. If you are unable
to come forward, please notify an usher and we will bring the sacrament
to you. The communion cups contain wine (red) or grape juice
(white). Gluten-free wafers are available upon request.
Communion Hymns
Hymn #779 “Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound”
Hymn #608 “Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling”
Hymn #496 “One Bread, One Body”
POST COMMUNION BLESSING
Please stand as you are able.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Let us pray. We thank you, God of heaven and earth, that you fill
our deepest need with the very gift of Jesus Christ, broken and
poured out for us. Pour us out into a broken world. Channel our
common life toward the common good, following the way our
Savior leads us now and forever. Amen.
BENEDICTION
The Author of life, the Word of salvation, the Breath of new birth,
one God, bless you and equip you for living and serving, today
and every day. Amen.
SENDING HYMN “Before You, Lord, We Bow” Hymn #893
DISMISSAL
Go in peace. Seek liberty and justice for all. Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE
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ABOUT BROTHER CHRIS MARKERT
Brother Chris Markert was born and raised in Houston, Texas. He
graduated from Concordia University in Austin, Texas before attending
graduate school in Berkeley, California. As a pastor, he has
served congregations in Philadelphia, New Orleans, and Houston.
Brother Chris also served as the Bishop’s Associate for Mission in
the Gulf Coast Synod for nine years before coming to the Southwestern
Texas Synod. The reason he is called “Brother” is because
he is a friar in the Order of Lutheran Franciscans, the first officially
recognized religious order of the ELCA.
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Hey St. Andrew community! Our Youth Group
is stepping up for a fantastic cause on July
17th, and we need your help to make it a success.
We are participating in the Sole Shoe
Building project, turning recycled denim into
shoes for those in need!
Here is how you can get involved and support
our youth:
1. Donate Denim—We are looking for
Adult Non-Stretch Jeans. If you have any pairs
in good condition that you no longer wear, we
would love to take them off your hands!
2. Sponsor a Pair Along with your
jean donation, or if you don't have jeans to donate, you can sponsor a pair!
Cost: $35 covers the cost of making one full pair of shoes. Any donation amount
towards this project is greatly appreciated and makes a huge difference!
How to Give (Cash or Check)-Checks: Please make checks payable to
the church, but be sure to add a note in the memo line for "Sole Youth Project."
Cash: Drop-offs are welcome too!
Where to Leave Donations—Jeans can be left in the fellowship hall bin
labeled "Sole Donation Bin." You can drop off your monetary donations in the
mail slot at the church office door.
Thank you so much for always supporting our youth and helping us put our best
foot forward for this meaningful project!
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Announcements/Reminders
For children and parents:
After the children’s sermon, children are invited to go with
Ms. Ameya to the fellowship hall for Sunday school children’s time.
Youth are invited to join for a devotion and hang out time after worship
in the youth room. Ameya would like to extend a warm invitation
to any adults who would like to assist her or simply observe
on Sundays. Whether it’s during worship or fellowship time, it’s a
beautiful opportunity to bond with and get to know the vibrant youth
and children of our congregation. If interested, email her at
ameyas-intern@standrewofcl.org.
There are “busy bags” at the sanctuary entrance to help keep
children engaged during services.
There is a cry room in the back of the sanctuary with a changing
table and a large nursery space down the hallway past the fellow
ship hall available for families with young children. Each of the
spaces include access to listen to the worship service.
Please join us for fellowship time after worship in
our fellowship hall!!!
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11:10 AM—Fun & Faith Fridays VBS Volunteer mandatory Training, after
worship in the library
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Calendar This Week
July 8th—Fun & Faith Fridays VBS Volunteer mandatory Training, 6:30PM
in the library
July 10th—First Day of Fun & Faith Fridays!
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Church Staff and today’s worship leaders:
Today’s Preacher and Presider—Rev. Chris Markert
Pastor—Rev. Chris Steubing
Visitation Pastor—Rev. Judi Miller
Our Reader—John Lenhardt
Our Liturgist—Ken Kleid
Organist/Pianist—Jimmy Cheung
Choir and Hand Bell Director—Wendy Kuenemann
Children & Youth Ministry Intern—Ameya Steubing
Office Administrator—Trista Stubblefield
Liturgy and songs reprinted by permission of One License.net License # - A-744251.