THE EIGHTH SUNDAY

AFTER PENTECOST

August 4, 2019

ST. PAUL EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH

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WELCOME TO ST. PAUL EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH

We are happy you have joined us for worship today. Wherever you are on your journey with or

toward God, you are welcome here—you are a blessing to this assembly. You are invited to fill

out the registration book that you can find at the end of each pew. We would love the

opportunity to connect so that we may welcome you more fully.

Lutherans believe, teach, and confess that in, with, and under the bread and wine in Holy

Communion we receive the true Body and Blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for the

forgiveness of sin, life, and salvation. All who are drawn in faith are welcome to join in this

confession and receive the Sacrament. Those not receiving the bread and wine may come

forward for a blessing.

We invite and encourage your full participation in our worship this morning. With this service

bulletin you can follow and participate in this morning’s liturgy. Any hymns not printed here

may be found in the red worship book in the pews; the hymns are in the second half of the

book. The hymns are also available from the ushers as a separate bulletin.

Children are always welcome at services. Children’s bulletins and crayons, as well as soft toys

and story books, are available at the back of the church. Nursery care with trained child-care

workers is available for infants and toddlers on the lower level. A changing table is located in

the lower level restroom. Please speak to an usher if you need assistance.

Children’s Church is held each week over the summer. After the children’s time, children are

invited to follow our Director of Children, Youth, and Families to one of the classrooms for a

lesson during the sermon. They will return for Communion.

Accessibility: Listening devices are available from an usher. If you would like assistance with a

wheelchair or walker, or if you would like Communion to be brought to you in your pew,

please see an usher for assistance.

Please join us for Coffee Hour each week immediately following the service in the Fellowship

Hall directly below the worship space or outside during the summer.

New to St. Paul? Ready to make it your own? Questions about St. Paul, including transferring

membership from another Lutheran church, or for beginning the process for baptism,

confirmation, reception, or transferring from one of the other Christian traditions, may be

directed to the Church Office at 781-646-7773 or parishadmin@stpaularlington.org.

Cover image:

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn. “Parable of the Rich Man.” 1627. Oil on panel. 12.5” x 16.5”.

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As we prepare for God’s presence in worship, please be aware that some prefer to be quiet at this time.

You are invited, however, to greet your fellow worshipers.

When the instruction for standing * appears, please stand as you are able and as seems comfortable.

At the ☩, you may make the sign of the cross, which reminds us of our baptism.

The congregational responses are printed in bold.

GATHERING

PRELUDE

Prélude modal Jean Langlais (1907–1991)

WELCOME

* CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God, who forgives all our sin, whose mercy endures

forever.

Amen.

Seeking reconciliation with God and neighbor, let us remember the gift of baptism and

confess our sin.

Silence is kept for reflection.

God of mercy,

we confess that we have sinned against you, against one another, and against the earth

entrusted to our care. We have squandered our bountiful gifts. We have considered the

blessings of the harvest our due. We have failed to protect those tender and vulnerable in

faith from the weeds of our indifference and inflexibility. Forgive us, that we may live in

the freedom of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

When we are laid low by sin and guilt, God made us alive together with Christ, forgiving us

☩ all our trespasses by taking our sins to the cross. For freedom Christ has set us free:

Rejoice in this good news!

Amen.

* GATHERING HYMN

“God of Grace and God of Glory” ELW 705

* GREETING

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit

be with you all.

And also with you.

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* CANTICLE OF PRAISE

* PRAYER OF THE DAY

Let us pray.

Benevolent God, you are the source, the guide, and the goal of our lives. Teach us to love

what is worth loving, to reject what is offensive to you, and to treasure what is precious in

your sight, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

WORD

FIRST READING Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12–14; 2:18–23

The teacher of wisdom who wrote Ecclesiastes sees that working for mere accumulation of wealth turns life into

an empty game, a “vanity of vanities.” Nevertheless, he asserts in the next verse, it is good to find enjoyment in

one’s work because such enjoyment is a gift from God.

anity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.

I, the Teacher, when king over Israel in Jerusalem, applied my mind to seek and to

search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven; it is an unhappy business that God has

given to human beings to be busy with. I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun; and

see, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

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I hated all my toil in which I had toiled under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to those

who come after me—and who knows whether they will be wise or foolish? Yet they will be

master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. So I

turned and gave my heart up to despair concerning all the toil of my labors under the sun,

because sometimes one who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave all

to be enjoyed by another who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. What do

mortals get from all the toil and strain with which they toil under the sun? For all their days

are full of pain, and their work is a vexation; even at night their minds do not rest. This also

is vanity.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

PSALM 49:1–12

Hear this, all you peoples; give ear, all you who dwell in the world,

you of high degree and low, rich and poor together.

My mouth shall speak of wisdom, and my heart shall meditate on understanding.

I will incline my ear to a proverb and set forth my riddle upon the harp.

Why should I be afraid in evil days, when the wickedness of those at my heels surrounds

me,

the wickedness of those who put their trust in their own prowess, and boast of their

great riches?

One can never redeem another, or give to God the ransom for another’s life;

for the ransom of a life is so great that there would never be enough to pay it,

in order to live forever and ever and never see the grave.

For we see that the wise die also; like the dull and stupid they perish and leave their

wealth to those who come after them.

Their graves shall be their homes forever, their dwelling places from generation to

generation, though they had named lands after themselves.

Even though honored, they cannot live forever; they are like the beasts that perish.

SECOND READING Colossians 3:1–11

Life in Christ includes a radical reorientation of our values. Just as the newly baptized shed their old clothes in

order to put on new garments, so Christians are called to let go of greed and take hold of a life shaped by God’s

love in Christ.

o if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is,

seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things

that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ

who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil

desire, and greed (which is idolatry). On account of these the wrath of God is coming on

those who are disobedient. These are the ways you also once followed, when you were

living that life. But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander,

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and abusive language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have

stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self,

which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. In that renewal

there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave

and free; but Christ is all and in all!

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

* GRADUAL HYMN

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* GOSPEL Luke 12:13–21

The holy gospel according to Luke.

Glory to you, O Lord.

In God’s reign, the “rich will be sent away empty.” Jesus uses a parable to warn against identifying the worth

of one’s life with the value of one’s possessions rather than one’s relationship with God.

omeone in the crowd said to [Jesus,] “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family

inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator

over you?” And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for

one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Then he told them a parable:

“The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, ‘What should I

do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my

barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say

to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’

But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the

things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So it is with those who store up treasures for

themselves but are not rich toward God.”

The gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

LET THE CHILDREN COME

Young children are invited to the front of the sanctuary to hear a message at this time.

SERMON

“Building Barns, Postponing Life” Pastor Ross Goodman

A brief silence for reflection follows the sermon.

* HYMN OF THE DAY

“All My Hope on God Is Founded” ELW 757

* APOSTLES’ CREED

In response to the Gospel, let us confess the faith of the church:

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s 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. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into

heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the

living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the

forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

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* PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

Treasuring your promise to hear us when we call, we pray for the church, those in need, and

all of your creation.

A brief silence.

Your people struggle with the weariness and toil of living in a broken world. Work through

your church to restore justice and mercy, and send rest and comfort to all who are bowed

down. Lift us and sustain our pastor, vicar, and bishops: Ross, Christephor, Jim, and

Elizabeth. Trusting in God, our abundant provider, let us pray.

Have mercy, O God.

Your creation longs for generous care. Give growth to the fields, strength to farmers,

ranchers, and laborers who toil in summer’s heat, and wisdom to us to respect earth’s

bounty. Bless our waterways: Spy Pond, Mystic Lakes, the Charles and the Chelsea Rivers

and the Atlantic Ocean. Trusting in God, our loving creator, let us pray.

Have mercy, O God.

Your world reflects your image in billions of unique ways. Touch every life—low and high,

rich and poor—and sway every heart toward your merciful will. We pray for our elected

and appointed leaders: Donald, Charlie, Elizabeth, Ed, Katherine, Cindy, Sean, and Adam.

Trusting in God, our Sovereign, let us pray.

Have mercy, O God.

Your people in this congregation praise you and pray for your almighty help. Comfort those

who suffer from anxiety, depression, or stress. Provide for those in need. We pray especially

for members of this church: Aurelio, Gladys, Gloria, Janna, Karma, Lorraine, Louise, Lynn,

Meredith, and Paul. Trusting in God, our purpose and goal, let us pray.

Have mercy, O God.

Your communities near and far lack basic resources. Supply work, food, and health care for

all who are in need. Bring relief to those who are overworked. We pray especially for

refugees and immigrants, members of the community who rely on the ministry of Arlington

EATS, and those whose lives are affected by the work of Ascentria Care Alliance and the

programs of the ELCA. Trusting in God, our help, let us pray.

Have mercy, O God.

Here other intercessions may be offered.

Your saints who have died now rest in your merciful care. Comfort us in faith and love as

we continue our labor on earth. Trusting in God, who gives life to the dead, let us pray.

Have mercy, O God.

All these things and more we ask in the name of our risen Lord, Jesus Christ, by the power

of your Holy Spirit.

Amen.

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* PEACE

The peace of Christ be with you always.

And also with you.

MEAL

OFFERTORY

“Benedictus” Brian Lewis (b. 1970)

* OFFERING HYMN

* OFFERING PRAYER

Let us pray.

Blessed are you, O God, for the greening earth given for all, for the talents we are given to

share, and for this bread and wine. Transform us to be the body of Christ, that, feasting on

this food and drink, our lives may reflect your generosity; through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

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* GREAT THANKSGIVING

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and in all places give

thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God, through our Savior Jesus Christ. You

sent your Son to reveal your never-failing love for creation. Through your Holy Spirit you

provide for our nurture and protection, that we might have all things necessary for growth

in grace and humble service to your people. And so, with all the choirs of angels, with the

church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join in adoring song:

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ou are indeed holy, God of power and might, and your glory fills the whole earth. You

created all that exists: stars and suns; flowing streams and growing grain; abundance

stored in the ground and beneath it; the richness of life of plants and animals. You created

humans to care for and enjoy your creation, and to give words to its song of praise.

When humanity fell into sin, you were faithful to the promise of your covenant. Through

the ages you nurtured and nourished your chosen people, using prophets and judges, story

and poetry to guide and guard them. And at the midsummer of the ages, you sent your Son

to bring your life to your people and your creation.

In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it,

and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for

the remembrance of me.

Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This

cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of

sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.

Remembering, therefore, his birth for our hope, his teaching for our correction, his welcome

for our reconciliation, his healing for our encouragement, his death for our forgiveness, his

resurrection for our jubilation, his ascension for our companionship, and his promise to

come again for our reassurance, we give you thanks not only with our lips but with our

lives.

Send, we pray, your Holy Spirit, the life-giver and advocate. By this meal, let the fruit of

your Spirit ripen in our midst and in our lives. Unite us with all who share this feast, and

nurture us to become what you have made us—your beloved people, the body of your Son,

the temple of your Spirit.

Through your Son, in your Spirit, with all your people, we give you thanks and praise, O

source of our life and fountain of all good, now and forever.

Amen.

* 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.

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COMMUNION

All who are baptized are welcome at the Lord’s Table. Please come forward via the center aisle at the

direction of the ushers. The Vicar and deacon will distribute the bread. Gluten-free wafers are

available upon request. The first cup of wine is for drinking, the second for intinction (dipping), and

the trays have individual glasses of red wine and grape juice. Those not receiving the bread and wine

may come forward for a blessing. If you are unable to come to the front, please notify an usher and

Communion will be brought to you.

LAMB OF GOD

COMMUNION HYMN

“God, Whose Giving Knows No Ending” ELW 678

* TABLE BLESSING

The body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his

grace.

Amen.

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* POST-COMMUNION CANTICLE

* PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

Let us pray.

Gracious God, we give thanks for your pruning, planting, and nurture. We rejoice that you

have used the harvest of field and vineyard to renew and sustain us. Lead us as we go from

this life-giving meal into lives of grateful service to you and your cherished creation;

through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.

Amen.

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SENDING

* BLESSING

Live your lives in Christ, rooted and built up in him, and abound in thanksgiving; and the

blessing of the holy Trinity, ☩ one God, be upon you and remain with you forever.

Amen.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

* SENDING HYMN

“O Living Bread from Heaven” ELW 542

* DISMISSAL

Go in peace. Christ is sending you.

Thanks be to God.

POSTLUDE

Improvisation

SERVING THE LORD IN

WORSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP

Pastor Ross Goodman Presider and Preacher

Ryan Patten Organist

Kim Fechtel Deacon

Kai Hedlund Acolyte

Dan Ries Lector

Liv Gjelsvik and Marie Breitenbach Altar Guild

TBD Ushers

Caroline David and Eric Hanson Coffee Hour

Kim Fechtel and TBD Tellers

You are invited to take this bulletin home for reflection on the service

and as a reminder of the announcements. If you prefer to leave it behind,

please place it in the basket in the Narthex and it will be recycled.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Below are highlights from our announcements this week. For more information, please see our Weekly

Update email. You can subscribe from our website (stpaularlington.org—click SUBSCRIBE in the

navigation menu at the top of the page) or like us on Facebook! Please send announcements via email to

parishadmin@stpaularlington.org by noon on Wednesday for inclusion in the coming Sunday’s bulletin.

Announcements received after that will be published the following week.

CHURCH NEWS

Parish Administrator Position | Our search for a part-time Parish Administrator continues. If

you or someone you know may be interested, contact Paul Ricci: pjaricci@yahoo.com.

Calumet Retreat (August 23–25) | The date for our retreat draws near, so take a moment to

reach out to Kourtni Patten for registration and info: family@stpaularlington.org.

IN OUR COMMUNITY

Upcoming Book Talk | Join Rev. Lenny Duncan at UniLu to discuss his new book, "Dear

Church, A Love Letter to the Whitest Denomination in America" on Monday, September 16

(7pm–9pm)

Arlington Public Schools Openings | Arlington Public Schools welcomes diverse applicants to

apply for open positions, including teachers, teaching assistants, and specialists. See more at:

www.arlington.k12.ma.us/hr/

Stewards of our Resources | As we heard recently from member Cathy Venkatesh, hot summer

days are a time to adjust our use of resources. Learn more about how to “Shave the Peak” at

massenergy.org.

Support the Arlington EATS Market | Help us fill the shelves at the Arlington EATS Market

this summer by bringing one item each Sunday.

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929 Concord Turnpike

Arlington, Massachusetts 02476

Web: www.stpaularlington.org | Office Phone: 781-646-7773

ST. PAUL STAFF The Reverend Ross Goodman, Pastor

Christephor Gilbert, Vicar

Ryan Patten, Director of Music & Organist, and Interim Parish Administrator

Kourtni Patten, Director of Children, Youth, & Families

Paul Ricci, Business Administrator

Dennis O’Brien, Church Property Manager

OFFICE HOURS

Monday–Thursday 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Liturgical materials and visuals reproduced by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #SAS003024.

Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible. Copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of

Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Music reprinted under OneLicense #A-709763.

All rights reserved. Psalm reprinted from St. Martin’s Psalter by Thomas Pavlechko. Copyright © 2010 St. James Music Press.

Used by permission.