August 23rd, 2020 - Jesus Walks on Water
Directly below in English and here in Spanish is an at-home Worship Service to be read through with the family. Included are links to hymns and pastoral messages (English, Spanish, Bilingual, and children's message) which will be made available Saturday night on Youtube and on Facebook later on Sunday. They can be used individually or as a group. The head of the household can lead (L) and others can respond (C) and take turns reading the readings. Use the links for the hymns and sermons at the appropriate time. Do not feel pressured to go through the whole thing in one sitting, use the parts as you are able so that it works with you and your family.
If you have any prayer requests, or if you worship in this way this weekend, please use or fill out our online connect card, or linked below in the liturgy. Comment to let us know how it went and any suggestions you may have!
If you choose, you can also give your offering here, by clicking on the blue "Donate" button on our Facebook page, or by following the link below at that point in the service. You may also bring or send your offering directly to Pastor Schoell's house, or have your bank mail a check directly to the church at 1215 S 8th St. Milwaukee, WI 53204.
Finally, for this week’s news update click here.
May God bless your at-home worship service this weekend.
Pastor Dunn and Pastor Schoell
Jesus Walks on Water
Summer School in Jesus’ Classroom - Week 5
We continue our 6-week summer school class with Jesus. Our teacher, Jesus, will answer all kinds of questions that may be on your mind including: Why does God allow evil to continue in this world? What exactly is “The Kingdom of God”? How can I think through setting priorities in life? Does Jesus really care about my physical well being? What if I have weak faith? What do I do if I’m scared? Who did Jesus come to save? We will join Jesus and his disciples in the classroom as he tells parables. We will observe him teaching in the real world as he performs miracles and teaches us life lessons and eternal life lessons. Our primary objective for this “Summer School” worship series is this: That as we gather around Jesus and his Word, our faith grows.
Today we consider the miracle when Jesus walked on water. The promises of our Lord Jesus Christ comfort our troubled hearts, calm all our doubts, and strengthen us in the sure hope of heaven.
Opening Hymn - Speak, O Lord
Invocation
L. In the name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C. Amen.
Confession and Absolution
L. Let us approach God with a true heart and confess our sins, asking him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to forgive us.
C. Lord of life, I confess that I am by nature dead in sin. For faithless worrying and selfish pride, for sins of habit and sins of choice, for the evil I have done and the good I have failed to do, you should cast me away from your presence forever. O Lord, I am sorry for my sins. Forgive me, for Jesus’ sake.
L. Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. In his great mercy, God made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in our sins. Hear the word of Christ just as he proclaimed to the paralytic: "Take heart, your sins are forgiven.” Let us take this forgiveness to heart and proclaim it to each other in the name of the Father, and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Prayer of the Day
L. Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve. Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C. Amen.
First Lesson - 1 Kings 19:9-18
Disillusioned and desperate at the unbelief of the people of Israel, the prophet Elijah believed that he was the only faithful believer left alive. But then God, after showing his great power, appeared to Elijah in a soft whisper and assured him that he was not the only one left. God would guard his holy prophet with his protecting hand.
9 He came to a cave and spent the night there.
Then the word of the LORD suddenly came to him, saying, “Why are you here, Elijah?”
10 He said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Armies, but the people of Israel have abandoned your covenant. They have torn down your altars and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking to take my life.”
11 Then the LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is passing by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains and shattered rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind.
After the wind came an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
12 After the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire.
After the fire there was a soft, whispering voice.
13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak, and he went out and stood at the entrance to the cave. Then a voice came to him and said, “Why are you here, Elijah?”
14 He said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of Armies, but the people of Israel have abandoned your covenant. They have torn down your altars and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking to take my life.”
15 Then the LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came and go to the Wilderness of Damascus. When you get there, you are to anoint Hazael as king over Aram. 16 You will also anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel and Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah as prophet in your place. 17 Whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill, and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. 18 But I have preserved in Israel seven thousand whose knees have not bent to Baal and whose lips have not kissed him.”
Second Lesson - Romans 9:1-5
The apostle Paul had a pastoral heart and did not want anyone to be lost. As a result, in this reading, he laments the fact that most of his Jewish brothers had rejected Jesus Christ.
I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying—my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit 2 that I have great sorrow and continuous pain in my heart. 3 For I almost wish that I myself could be cursed and separated from Christ in place of my brothers, my relatives according to the flesh, 4 those who are Israelites. Theirs are the adoption as sons, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, came the Christ, who is God over all, eternally blessed. Amen.
Gospel - Matthew 14:22-33
The disciples were afraid when they saw what they thought was a ghost, but Christ calmed their doubts by saying, "It is I. Do not be afraid." When Peter began to doubt, Christ held him up with his mighty hand. And then by calming the wind, Christ strengthened the confidence of his disciples that he truly was the Son of God. In the same way, when we are weak and desperate, God graciously helps and strengthens us.
22 Immediately Jesus urged the disciples to get into the boat and to go ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed the crowd, he went up onto the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone. 24 By then the boat was quite a distance from shore, being pounded by the waves because the wind was against it. 25 In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came toward them, walking on the sea. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified and cried out in fear, “It’s a ghost!” 27 But Jesus spoke to them at once, saying, “Take heart! It is I! Do not be afraid.”
28 Peter answered him and said, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
29 Jesus said, “Come!”
Peter stepped down from the boat, walked on the water, and went toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind, he was afraid. As he began to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31 Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 Those who were in the boat worshipped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God!”
Children's Message
Hymn of the Day - By Grace, I’m Saved
English Sermon -or- Bilingual Sermon
Confession of Faith - The Apostles' Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
I believe 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 is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there 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 everlasting. Amen.
Offering
Out of thanksgiving for God’s message of grace and forgiveness, if you would like to support our ministry with a financial gift you may do so with zero fees through our Facebook page by following the previous link. We thank you for your gracious support.
Online Connection Card
The Lord's Prayer
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread; forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us; lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.
Any special prayers or petitions may follow.
The Blessing
L. The Lord bless us and keep us.
The Lord make his face shine on us and be gracious to us.
The Lord look on us with favor and ☩ give us peace.
C. Amen