“I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.” (Matthew 13:35)
SCRIPTURE READINGS
HYMNS FOR THE DAY
- Opening Hymn “Rise, My Soul, to Watch and Pray” (LSB 663)
- Hymn of the Day “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come” (LSB 892)
- Distribution Hymns
- “By All Your Saints in Warfare” (LSB 518)
- “Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me” (LSB 761) Text here.
- “The Day Is Surely Drawing Near” (LSB 508)
- “Praise and Thanksgiving” (LSB 789)
- Closing Hymn “Spread the Reign of God the Lord” (LSB 830)
Viii sunday after pentecost/St james, elder
Sermon
A note from Pastor regarding his sermon:
The Church Year gives us an interesting dilemma this week: The Gospel reading for the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost continues Jesus’ teaching in parables, this week with the Parable of the Weeds. Jesus teaches this parable immediately after the Parable of the Sower from our reading last week, and it continues to build our understanding of how the church is to proclaim the Gospel as it awaits Christ’s glorious return.
But on Saturday, the 25th of July, the Feast of St. James the Elder commemorates the Saint after whom our congregation is named. The past two years, we have taken the time to remember our namesake and give thanks to God for the example he set for us – both positive and negative.
This week, then, we will try something a bit different. We will celebrate both days! Using a second Gospel reading in which we see an example of St. James’ zealousness for God, we will see how his example helps to illustrate a part of the Parable of the Weeds, and remember what our true calling as Christ’s Church is.