August 16, 2026

THE SERVICE

PENTECOST 12—UNEXPECTED TRUTHS—THE CHURCH IS FOR ALL PEOPLE

“All are welcome!” Is that true at our church? Or is church meant only for people of the right heritage who behave the right way, “good church folk”? Is it conceivable that a stranger could walk into church unexpectedly and for some reason you would ask yourself, “What is someone like that doing here?” Or perhaps you ask that question about yourself. “There seem to be godly people here. I’m not like them. Do I really belong?”

Today Jesus shows us that the Church is for all people. All of us—regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, or social status—have the same problem of sin. And we all have the same Savior. Anyone who comes to Christ’s Church and cries out “Lord, have mercy!” is welcome.

OPENING HYMN 917 God Himself Is Present

1 God himself is present:
    let us now adore him
    and with awe appear before him.
God is in his temple,
    all within keep silence,
    humbly kneel in deepest rev’rence.
He alone
on his throne
    is our God and Savior;
    praise his name forever!

2        God himself is present:
    hear the harps resounding;
    see the hosts the throne surrounding.
“Holy, holy, holy!”
    hear the hymn ascending,
    songs of saints and angels blending.
Bow your ear
to us here:
    hear, O Christ, the praises
    that your Church now raises.

3 Fount of ev’ry blessing,
    purify my spirit,
    trusting only in your merit.
Like the holy angels,
    worshiping before you,
    may I ceaselessly adore you.
All my days
shall my praise
    rise to you in heaven
    for the grace you’ve given!

Text: Gerhard Tersteegen, 1697–1769, abr.; tr. Frederick W. Foster, 1760–1835; tr. John Miller, 1756–1790, alt.
Text: Public domain

Please Stand

INVOCATION 154 Setting One

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

Amen.

CONFESSION

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just
and will forgive us our sins
and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Let us confess our sins to the Lord.
Holy God, gracious Father,
    I am sinful by nature
        and have sinned against you in my thoughts, words, and actions.
    I have not loved you with my whole heart;
    I have not loved others as I should.
        I deserve your punishment both now and forever.
    But Jesus, my Savior, paid for my sins
        with his innocent suffering and death.
    Trusting in him, I pray: God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Silence for meditation and reflection

Our gracious Father in heaven has been merciful to us. He sent his only Son, Jesus Christ, who gave his life as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Therefore, as a called servant of Christ and by his authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

SONG OF PRAISE 624 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

1 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is your health and salvation!
Let all who hear
now to his temple draw near,
joining in glad adoration!

2 Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things is wondrously reigning
and, as on wings of an eagle, uplifting, sustaining.
Have you not seen
how all that’s needful has been
sent by his gracious ordaining?

3 Praise to the Lord, who has fearfully, wondrously, made you,
health has bestowed and, when heedlessly falling, has stayed you.
What need or grief
ever has failed of relief?
Wings of his mercy did shade you.

4 Praise to the Lord, who will prosper your work and defend you;
surely his goodness and mercy shall daily attend you.
Ponder anew
what the Almighty can do
as with his love he befriends you.

5 Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him!
All that has life and breath, come now with praises before him!
Let the amen
sound from his people again;
gladly forever adore him!

Text: Joachim Neander, 1650–1680; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–1878, alt.
Text: Public domain

THE WORD

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Let us pray.

Gracious God, in Christ you bring people from near and far into the fellowship of your church. Open our eyes to your saving plan, and move us to embrace all who seek your salvation so that we may rejoice together at the banquet of your love; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

Be seated

FIRST READING Isaiah 56:1,6–8

The Lord told the world that all God-fearing people would have a place in the house of his Church.

1This is what the Lord says:

“Maintain justice
and do what is right,
for my salvation is close at hand
and my righteousness will soon be revealed.

6And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord
to minister to him,
to love the name of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it
and who hold fast to my covenant—
7these I will bring to my holy mountain
and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations.”
8The Sovereign Lord declares—
he who gathers the exiles of Israel:
“I will gather still others to them
besides those already gathered.”

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

PSALM OF THE DAY Psalm 67

1May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine on us—
2so that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.

3May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.
4May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you rule the peoples with equity
and guide the nations of the earth.
5May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.

6The land yields its harvest;
God, our God, blesses us.
7May God bless us still,
so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.

SECOND READING Ephesians 2:13–22

Christ takes foreigners and strangers and builds them into a holy temple, his Church.

13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

14For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

19Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Please Stand

GOSPEL (in English and Karen) Matthew 15:21–28

In the face of a test from Jesus, a Canaanite woman demonstrates great faith in God’s promise for all people.

21Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” 23Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” 24He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” 25The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. 26He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” 27“Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” 28Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise be to you, O Christ!

Be seated

CHILDREN'S MESSAGE

HYMN OF THE DAY 914 Christ Is Our Cornerstone

1 Christ is our cornerstone,
    on him alone we build;
with his true saints alone
    the courts of heav’n are filled.
On his great love
    our hopes we place
    of present grace
and joys above.

2        Here may we gain from heav’n
    the grace which we implore,
and may that grace, once giv’n,
    be with us evermore
until that day
    when all the blest
    to endless rest
are called away.

3 Oh, then, with hymns of praise
    these hallowed courts shall ring;
our voices we will raise
    the Three in One to sing
and thus proclaim
    in joyful song,
    both loud and long,
that glorious name.

Text: Latin, c. 8th cent., abr.; tr. John Chandler, 1806–1876, alt.
Text: Public domain

SERMON

Please Stand

CONFESSION OF FAITH Nicene Creed 325 & 381 AD

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We 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, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became truly human. 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.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Be seated

OFFERING PRESENTED BEFORE THE ALTAR

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

Sovereign Lord of all, give us joy in your house of prayer, and open its doors to people of all nations.