I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:19

Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

August 23, 2020

www.HTLsomerset.org

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the Rev. Dale A. Fjordbotten, Pastor

Office Phone: 732-873-2888

Mobile: 646-265-7532

E-Mail: pastordaleholytrinity@gmail.com

www.HTLsomerset.org

Welcome!

If you’d like to learn more about Holy Trinity and our family, or have a need or concern, please speak with the Pastor,

or phone or email us. It would be our joy and privilege to get to know you!

Serving Today:

• Presiding Minister Pastor Dale • Deacon John Bremer • Organist Lorna-Jane Bremer • Cantors Diane Trampe, Marty Czebotar • Altar Theresa Farkas • Counter Thomas Jennings • Service Bulletin John Bremer, Thomas Jennings • Live-Stream Thomas Jennings, Maureen Haney • Greeter Wendy Mikosz

Service Bulletin Notations:

P = Pastor A = Deacon/Lector/Worship Assistant C = Congregation

LSB = Lutheran Service Book (maroon) WOV = With One Voice (blue)

Standing during the service, where indicated, is optional

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Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost August 23, 2020 T 10:00 AM

+Service of the Word+

Welcome & Introduction to the Day Pastor Dale

At any time and in any place, the Christian may ask God to forgive sin that separates one from God and others. At the same time, it is good to remember that to be a Christian is to be united to a community that bears the wounds of sin and human folly. Throughout the liturgy, it hears and

feels and tastes the merciful and forgiving love of God: in the absolution, in receiving the body and blood of Christ, in the words of forgiveness spoken by the Pastor.

These acts of confession and forgiveness in the liturgy are gifts of grace. How, then, might our words and actions extend this grace in daily life?

Stand

Gathering Hymn Christ Is Our Cornerstone LSB 912

Text (sts. 1–3,) and Music: Public domain

Confession and Absolution

P In the name of the Father, the T Son and the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8-9

C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just,

will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Silence for self-examination.

P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.

C Most merciful God,

we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean.

We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed,

by what we have done and by what we have left undone.

We have not loved You with our whole heart;

we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.

We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment.

For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us.

Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will

and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen. John 20:19–23

P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you

and for His sake forgives you all your sins.

As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority,

I therefore forgive you all your sins

in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

Hymn of Praise Holy God, We Praise Thy Name (Vs. 1-3, 5) LSB 940

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5 Holy Father, holy Son,

Holy Spirit, three we name Thee;

Though in essence only one,

Undivided God we claim Thee

And, adoring, bend the knee

While we own the mystery. Text and Music: Public domain.

Prayer of the Day

P The love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord,

and the life of the Spirit be with you all.

C And also with you.

P Let us pray. Almighty God, whom to know is everlasting life,

grant us to know Your Son, Jesus, to be the way, the truth, and the life

that we may boldly confess Him to be the Christ

and steadfastly walk in the way that leads to life eternal; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord,

who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

C Amen.

Sit

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First Reading Isaiah 51:1–6 the Lord’s Comfort for Zion

In this text, the writer appeals to a people who seem apathetic, if not despairing. Isaiah reminds Israel that God's actions in the past (v. 2) are the basis for hope in the present.

A The Old Testament reading for this Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost is from Isaiah, chapter 51.

1“Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD:

look to the rock from which you were hewn,

and to the quarry from which you were dug. 2Look to Abraham your father

and to Sarah who bore you;

for he was but one when I called him,

that I might bless him and multiply him. 3For the LORD comforts Zion;

he comforts all her waste places

and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the LORD;

joy and gladness will be found in her,

thanksgiving and the voice of song. 4“Give attention to me, my people,

and give ear to me, my nation;

for a law will go out from me, and I will set my justice for a light to the peoples. 5My righteousness draws near,

my salvation has gone out,

and my arms will judge the peoples; the coastlands hope for me,

and for my arm they wait. 6Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath;

for the heavens vanish like smoke,

the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner;

but my salvation will be forever,

and my righteousness will never be dismayed.

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

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Responsorial Psalm Psalm 138

The refrain is first sung by the cantor, then repeated immediately and throughout the psalm, by the congregation.

Refrain

Verses:

1 I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with | my whole heart;*

before the gods I will | sing your praise. 2 I will bow down toward your holy temple and praise your name,*

because of your | love and faithfulness; 3 for you have glorified your name*

and your word a- | bove all things. Refrain 4 When I called, you | answered me;*

you increased my | strength within me. 5 All the rulers of the earth will praise | you, O LORD,*

when they have heard the words | of your mouth. Refrain 6 They will sing of the ways | of the LORD,*

that great is the glory | of the LORD. 7 The LORD is high, yet he cares | for the lowly;*

perceiving the haughty | from afar. Refrain 8 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you | keep me safe;*

you stretch forth your hand against the fury of my enemies;

your right | hand shall save me. 9 You will make good your pur- | pose for me;*

O LORD, your love endures forever;

do not abandon the works | of your hands. Refrain

Second Reading Romans 11:33—12:8 Gifts of Grace

Paul offers practical advice to the Roman Christians, suggesting new ways of relating to God, to the world, to the self, and to other believers.

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A The Epistle is from Romans, chapter 11: 33Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable

are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34“For who has known the mind of the Lord,

or who has been his counselor?” 35“Or who has given a gift to him

that he might be repaid?” 36For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever.

Amen.

12:1I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual

worship. 2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of

your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and

acceptable and perfect.

3For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according

to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4For as in one body we have many

members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6Having gifts that

differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to

our faith; 7if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8the one

who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

A This is the Word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

Stand

Gospel Acclamation

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Holy Gospel Matthew 16:13–20 Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

At a climactic point in Jesus' ministry, God reveals to Peter that Jesus is "the Messiah, the Son of the living God," and Jesus responds by revealing his vision of the church.

P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the sixteenth chapter.

C Glory to you, O Lord. \

13When Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14And they said, “Some say John the

Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15He said to

them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-

Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in

heaven. 18And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates

of hell shall not prevail against it. 19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on

earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 20Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one

that he was the Christ.

P The is the Gospel of the Lord.

C Praise to you, O Christ.

Sit

Sermon "The Rock" Pastor Dale

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Hymn of the Day Built on the Rock (Vs. 1-3, 5) LSB 645

5 Grant, then, O God, Your will be done,

That, when the church bells are ringing,

Many in saving faith may come

Where Christ His message is bringing:

“I know My own; My own know Me.

You, not the world, My face shall see.

My peace I leave with you. Amen.” Text and Music: Public domain.

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Stand

Apostles' Creed

P God has made us His people through our baptism into Christ. Living together in trust and hope, we confess our faith:

C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ, His 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 into hell.

The third day He rose again from the dead.

He ascended into heaven

and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy Christian Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life T everlasting. Amen.

Prayer of the Church – the Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

P Having heard the Word proclaimed, let us pray for ourselves, for all the faithful, and for all people as they have need.

A brief silence

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P For all people, that they may have faith in Christ and heed the voice of God

calling by His Word;

For the Church, that the people of God may pursue righteousness with peace and

joy in their hearts; and For all pastors and their ministry of Word and Sacrament and for all vocations to

the ministry, that the lives of God’s people may contribute greatly to His praise

and glory, let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P For our president, Congress, governor and all civic leaders in their pursuit of

peace and unity; For all judges and magistrates in their pursuit of justice with mercy; and

For those who protect us from violence and preserve order here and everywhere,

let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P For all noble professions, and for the flourishing of the arts and music;

For favorable weather and the fruits of the earth; and For those unemployed, the poor, the homeless, the hungry and all people in need,

let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P For all families and children, single adults and youth;

For those who teach and those who learn, that they may advance in wisdom and

grace; let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P For victims of disaster and for those stricken by illness or infirmity;

For the aged and infirm, as well as those in nursing homes and assisted living facilities;

For those who grieve the loss of those whom they love; and especially for those

who have requested our prayers (………………); let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

P For the work of God’s kingdom in this place; to build Your Church on the strong

rock of faith, where evil will not prevail against it, and establish in us an unshakable trust in You for this life and the life to come; let us pray to the Lord:

C Lord, have mercy.

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P Receive our prayers, O Lord, and give us all we need for this day and the days to

come, through the power of the Holy Spirit, and in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God now and

forever.

C Amen.

P And now Lord, remember us in Your Kingdom and teach us to pray:

(We sing…)

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 debts

as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power,

and the glory forever. Amen.

ThanksGiving You may give electronically in any of the following ways:

1. You may go to www.htlsomerset.org

and click on “Give Now”

2. You may use the GivePlus Mobile App and search for HTLC

with zip 08873

3. You may use the QR code for e-giving

You may also mail your gift to: Holy Trinity Lutheran Church,

1640 Amwell Rd., Somerset NJ 08873

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Benediction

P The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.

The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.

C Amen.

Sit

Brief Announcements

Stand

Sending Hymn My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less LSB 576

Text and Music: Public domain.

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(read the Story Behind the Hymn on back cover)

Dismissal

A Go in peace. Christ is with you!

C Thanks be to God.

Wearing of the Green

Have you noticed the church has been wearing the color green in the altar

paraments, the banners, and the pastor’s stole now for a while? Green is a color often associated with things that are growing. During this time of the church year, the scripture lessons help us to focus on how God works through His Word to help us grow in our faith in Jesus.

This “green” time is called the Sundays after Pentecost, and lasts from June through November.

Copyright Acknowledgments:

• Elements from Divine Service, Setting 4, and Service of Prayer and Preaching: Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. Reprinted with permission under license.

• Psalm 138 Refrain: Public Domain. Setting created by Thomas Jennings, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Somerset, NJ.

• Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

• Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

• This worship service created utilizing Lutheran Service Builder © 2006 Concordia Publishing House under license.

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The Story Behind the Hymn….

My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less

The words to this great hymn were written by Edward Mote, who was born in London, Jan. 21, 1797. His parents managed a pub and often left Edward to his own devices playing in the street. Speaking of these childhood years he once said, "So ignorant was I that I did not know that there was a God." He was finally exposed to the Christian gospel and was baptized the age of 18. He was trained as a cabinet maker and worked in London for 37 years. Only in his 50's did he enter the ministry and was pastor at Rehoboth Baptist Church in Horsham, West Sussex for 26 years. He died on November 13, 1918.

Mote’s original title for the hymn was Nor Earth, Nor Hell My Soul Can

Move. He was inspired to write this hymn as he explained the Gospel Herald:

"One morning it came into my mind as I went to labour, to write an hymn on the ‘Gracious Experience of a Christian.' As I went up Holborn I had the chorus:

‘On Christ the solid Rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand.’

In the day I had four first verses complete, and wrote them off. On the Sabbath following I met brother King as I came out of Lisle Street Meeting . . . who

informed me that his wife was very ill, and asked me to call and see her. He said that it was his usual custom to sing a hymn, read a portion, and engage in prayer, before he went to meeting. I said, ‘I have some verses in my pocket; if he

liked, we would sing them.' We did; and his wife enjoyed them so much, that after service he asked me, as a favour, to leave a copy of them for his wife. 1 went home, and by the fireside composed the last two verses, wrote the whole

off, and took them to sister King. . . As these verses so met the dying woman's case, my attention to them was the more arrested, and I had a thousand printed for distribution.”

The music that we sing this hymn to today was composed by William

Bradbury in1863, specifically for this hymn text. Bradbury had been pastor of several churches some in New York City. He was unceasingly active, having edited fifty-nine books of sacred and secular music, a large part of which were his own work. Bradbury was an excellent conductor and teacher.

Bradbury died at his residence in Montclair, NJ on January 8, 1868, leaving a widow, four daughters and a son. He will always occupy a prominent place in American musical history.