SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2024 17th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
CHRIST THE KING LUTHERAN CHURCH
PASTOR: Rev. Harry M. Krolus
CHURCH: 410-356-3400 CELL: 410-707-7663
Church email: ctklclcms@yahoo.com
Church Web Site: ctklchurch.org
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WELCOME to everyone who is worshiping with us today. We are glad that you are here! We pray that your worship experience here at Christ The King is spiritually uplifting and rewarding. If you are visiting, please sign our guest book and introduce yourself to Pastor Harry.
(Please turn off all electronic devices before worship begins; or, if you are using a Bible app to enhance your worship experience or to use PayPal, please enable the do not disturb function on your phone.)
AN ORDER OF HOLY COMMUNION
WORDS OF WELCOME
THE HANDSHAKE OF CHRISTIAN PEACE
OPENING HYMN: 901 “Open Now Thy Gates Of Beauty” (1-3)
THE CALL TO WORSHIP
P. We lift up our hearts to the Lord! We praise you, our Father; Giver of all things. We acknowledge you as Creator and Source of all that is.
C. Lord God, you made us! You have poured out your bounty upon us. You have opened your hand and satisfied the needs of every living thing!
P. We praise you, Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man. You are the Lamb of God; the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
C. Lord Jesus, you have gone to the cross for us, and by your death and resurrection, you have made it possible for us to be restored to life. You have opened your hands, loved us, embraced us, and made us your own!
P. We praise you, Spirit of God, our Counselor and Lord of Life. You were sent from the Father and the Son to call us to faith and to new life.
C. Holy Spirit, you are the Giver of Life. You breathe in us, and we are made new. You open your hands, and we are recreated, redesigned, and remodeled. Open our hearts, we pray, that we may walk in your way, praising you in all things and serving you with gladness!
RESPONSE: “Oh That I Had A Thousand Voices” (811)
Oh, that I had a thousand voices
To praise my God with thousand tongues!
My heart, which in the Lord rejoices,
Would then proclaim in grateful songs
To all, wherever I might be,
What great things God has done for me.
THE CONFESSION AND ASSURANCE OF FORGIVENESS
P. We confess our sins together.
C. O Lord our God, you call us to life in you, and to follow you. Sometimes, we flatly refuse. Forgive our arrogance, O Lord, and remodel us once again for service in your Kingdom.
O Lord our God, you call us to life in you and to follow you. Sometimes, we say “yes,” but mean “no.” Forgive our foolish and dishonest games, O Lord, and remodel us once again for service in your Kingdom.
O Lord our God, you call us to life in you and to follow you. Sometimes, we say “yes,” and mean “yes,” but wander off and do our own thing anyway. Forgive our weakness, O Lord, and remodel us once again for service in your Kingdom.
P. We all like sheep have gone astray; we each have turned to our own way.
C. But, the Lord laid on Christ the iniquity of us all.
P. He bore our griefs.
C. He carried our sorrows.
P. He was wounded for our transgressions.
C. He was bruised for our iniquities.
P. We have good news to share with one another! Because of Jesus Christ our Savior, because of his suffering, death, and resurrection; we are really free! Our sins are forgiven! Our Savior even gives us the power we need to live for him, to follow him, and to serve in his Kingdom.
RESPONSE: “Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow” (805)
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, O heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
THE PSALM FOR THE DAY: Psalm 116:1-9
P. I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.
C. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.
P. The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.
C. Then I called on the name of the LORD: “O LORD, save me!”
P. The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.
C. The LORD protects the simple-hearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.
P. Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.
C. For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
THE FIRST LESSON: Isaiah 50:4-10
The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. The Sov-ereign LORD has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back. I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting. Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. He who vindicates me is near. Who then will bring charges against me? Let us face each other! Who is my accuser? Let him confront me! It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me. Who is he that will condemn me? They will all wear out like a garment; the moths will eat them up. Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.
THE SECOND LESSON: James 3:1-12
Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
VOLUNTEER TIME
THE GOSPEL LESSON: Mark 9:14-29
When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
“What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.
A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”
“O unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”
“From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.”
Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”
THE SERMON HYMN: 844 “Lord Of All Nations, Grant Me Grace”
THE SERMON: “The Language We Speak”
text: James 3:9-12
THE PROCLAMATION OF FAITH
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth and of all that is seen and unseen.
I 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; by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. 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.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. I believe one holy Christian and Apostolic Church. I acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
THE OFFERING
AN OFFERING SONG (783)
Take my life, that I may be consecrated, Lord, to thee;
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use every pow’r as thou shalt choose.
THE INSTALLATION OF SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS
P. Friends in Christ, our Lord has called you into service in this place, Christ The King Lutheran Church. He has blessed you with His gifts and equipped you with skills to carry out His work among His people. This is indeed a challenge and a wonderful privilege! God has not said that your task will be easy. But He promises to sustain you as you bring to the children and adults the Good News of Salvation through Jesus Christ . Be assured that you do not labor alone but with the constant presence of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever” (John 14:6). I ask you now in the presence of this congregation, “DO YOU WILLINGLY ACCEPT THE TASK OF WORKERS IN GOD’S KINGDOM, ASSURED THAT OUR LORD WILL GUIDE AND SUPPORT YOU AS YOU CARRY OUT HIS WILL AND WORK?”
Teachers: I DO WITH THE HELP OF GOD.
P. The task and blessings of sharing the faith through God’s Word belongs to every member of our congregation. I now ask the congregation, DO YOU JOYFULLY AND WILLINGLY SUPPORT THE WORK OF THESE FAITHFUL LABORERS AS THEY SHARE THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST WITH THE MEMBERS OF CHRIST’S BODY HERE AT CHRIST THE KING LUTHERAN CHURCH?”
C. We give God glory for the sharing of His Word among us and pledge our joyful and faithful support to those He has chosen to lead us in this task.
P. We pray.
Lord, we pray for our teachers and our learners. Through Your Holy Spirit bless the preaching, teaching and hearing of Your Holy Word. Empower us, here in our congregation and in the schools, high schools, colleges, and seminaries throughout our church, to be grateful and faithful in Your Word and work. Give us joyful hearts and increase our love for one another. Bless us, and for Jesus’ sake help us to be a blessing to others.
C. Heavenly Father, show us the way to better serve you. For Jesus’ sake continue to share with us the Spirit’s presence. Help us to celebrate both our unity in Christ and the diversity of gifts with which you have blessed us individually. In your mercy and grace forgive us when we fall, and lead us joyfully to know and do your will. In Jesus’ name. AMEN.
P. We go in peace. Amen.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYERS
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.
THE LORD’S SUPPER
We invite to the Lord’s Table all who have been baptized, accept the Bible as God’s authoritative Word, and believe that the body and blood of the risen Christ are really present in the bread and wine; given for the forgiveness of our sins. If you prefer the individual cup, please extend one index finger as your hands are folded on the altar railing. This will alert the communion assistants of your preference. Also, if for some medical reason you are not able to consume alcohol, grape juice is available in the individual cups. The grape juice is “red” while the wine is “white”.
THE THANKSGIVING
P. The Lord be with you.
C. And with you, his servant.
P. Lift up your hearts.
C. We lift them up to the Lord.
P. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C. To do so is both right and proper.
THE WORDS OF INSTITUTION
THE WORDS OF INVITATION
P. The gifts of God for the people of God.
C. Amen.
PRE COMMUNION HYMN: “Now The Silence” (910)
Now the silence, Now the peace,
Now the empty hands uplifted;
Now the kneeling, Now the plea,
Now the Father’s arms in welcome;
Now the hearing, Now the power,
Now the vessel brimmed for pouring;
Now the body, Now the blood,
Now the joyful celebration;
Now the wedding, Now the songs,
Now the heart forgiven leaping;
Now the Spirit’s visitation,
Now the Son’s epiphany,
Now the Father’s blessing.
Now. Now. Now.
THE DISTRIBUTION
HYMN: 619 “This Body, Given For Me, O Savior”
688 “Come Follow Me, The Savior Spake”
703 “How Can I Thank You, Lord?
POST COMMUNION HYMN: “Sent Forth By God’s Blessing” (643)
Sent forth by God’s blessing, Our true faith confessing,
The people of God from his dwelling take leave.
The supper is ended. Oh, now be extended
The fruits of this service in all who believe.
The seed of his teaching, Receptive souls reaching,
Shall blossom in action for God and for all.
His grace did invite us, His love shall unite us
To work for God’s kingdom and answer his call.
THE DISMISSAL
P. Father, we thank and praise you for all things...
C. For the giving of your Son to be our Savior; for the pouring out of your Spirit that we might have faith; for the admonition and direction of your Word; for making us, and remaking us; for life, and life in Christ, and eternal life; for the meal we have shared; for loved ones, friends, and each other; for opportunities to live as your children; and for the privilege of sharing the Gospel. Empower us, that we may give ourselves to you and to your service. Amen.
THE BENEDICTION
P. Go now in the spirit of our risen Lord. Seek his will in all things. And may he guide you and bless you.
C. Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: 851 “Lord Of Glory, You Have Bought Us”
