First Service
THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Grace and Glory
August 23, 2026
AS WE GATHER
The word doxology encompasses words of praise that are addressed to the triune God. It comes from the Greek word doxa, which is used in the New Testament to express the splendor of God and also serves to describe the outpouring of honor and praise to God from His faithful people. When we sing or say “Glory be to God on high,” we are joining the praises spoken by the angels of God in eternity: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen” (Revelation 7:12). Such an honor it is for us to join in that praise!
+ PREPARATION +
HYMN Glory Be to God the Father LSB 506
Glory be to the God the Father, glory be to God the Son,
Glory be to God the Spirit: great Jehovah, Three in One! Glory, glory while eternal ages run!
Glory be to Him who loved us, washed us from each spot and stain;
Glory be to Him who bought us, made us kings with Him to reign! Glory, glory to the Lamb that once was slain!
Glory to the King of angels, glory to the Church’s King,
Glory to the King of nations; Heav’n and earth, your praises bring! Glory, glory to the King of glory sing!
Glory, blessing, praise eternal! Thus the choir of angels sings;
Honor, riches, pow’r dominion! Thus its praise creations brings. Glory, glory, glory to the King of Kings!
INVOCATION
Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
OPENING SENTENCES Psalm 29:1–2, 11; 96:3–4a
Pastor: Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
People: Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.
Pastor: Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples!
People: For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised.
Pastor: May the Lord give strength to His people!
People: May the Lord bless His people with peace!
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
Pastor: Let us now confess our sin to God, our merciful Father.
People: Gracious God, with contrition and repentance we admit and confess our sinfulness. We are by nature sinful and unclean. Daily we have sinned and done things we ought not to have done and have not done that which we are to have been doing as Your servants. We indeed deserve Your punishment in this life and for eternity. Trusting in Your mercy, we come to You for forgiveness. Our trust is not in ourselves but in the merits of Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Have mercy on us, O God. Grant us remission of all our sins and by the power of the Holy Spirit at work within our hearts and lives lead us into ways that reflect Your goodness and love.
Pastor: God is gracious and merciful and hears our supplications. By the command of our Lord and as His called and ordained servant, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
+ WORD +
PRAISE HYMN Holy God, We Praise Thy Name TLH 250 vs 1 & 4
Holy God, we praise Thy Name. Lord of all, we bow before Thee.
All on earth Thy scepter claim, all in heav’n above adore Thee.
Infinite Thy vast domain, everlasting is Thy reign.
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.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Pastor: 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.
People: Amen.
OLD TESTAMENT READING Isaiah 51:1–6 (The salvation of the Lord will be forever.)
“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. 2 Look 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. 3 For 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. 5 My 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. 6 Lift 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.
EPISTLE Romans 11:33–12:8 (We are one Body in Christ.)
33 Oh, 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?” 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
1 I 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. 2 Do 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. 3 For 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. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the 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.
HOLY GOSPEL Matthew 16:13–20 (Jesus is confessed as the Christ, the Son of the living God, by Peter.)
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And 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. 18 And 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. 19 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.” 20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
HYMN The Church’s One Foundation TLH 473
The Church’s one foundation, Is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
She is His new creation, by water and the Word:
From heav’n He came and sought her, to be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her, and for her life He died.
Elect from every nation, yet one o’er all the earth,
Her charter of salvation: one Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy name she blesses, partakes one holy food;
And to one hope she presses, with ev’ry grace endued.
The Church shall never perish Her dear Lord, to defend,
To guide, sustain, and cherish, Is with her to the end.
Tho’ there be those that hate her, False sons within her pale,
Against both foe and traitor She ever shall prevail.
Though with a scornful wonder Men see her sore oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed,
Yet saints there watch are keeping;
Their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping Shall be the morn of song.
‘Mid toil and tribulation, and tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation, of peace forevermore;
Till with the vision glorious, her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious, shall be the Church at rest.
SERMON
NICENE CREED
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made: who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried. And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And he will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe one holy Christian and apostolic Church, I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
GREETING/ANNOUNCEMENTS
OFFERING
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
Pastor: Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
We pray for the church, that God’s people may live confidently and joyfully share the message of salvation in word and deed. And we pray for this gathering of God’s holy people, that we be blessed with all grace and evidence the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.
We pray for our families and for those who share in our Christian fellowship and join with us in worship and for all who are part of the household of faith. Also we pray for those with special concerns and needs this day: those who are hospitalized or homebound, those who are grieving at this time, the unemployed and underemployed, and all those whose needs are known to us, [especially . . .]. As Your people, grant that we may bring Your blessing to situations of need in all places.
Merciful God, we thank You for all those faithful people whose words and actions have guided us in the past, especially remembering those no longer with us on earth, who have been called to glory and now share in Your eternal presence. By the working of Your Holy Spirit, direct us to walk Your servant way throughout our lives until that day when we stand in Your splendid presence in heaven. Lord, in mercy hear us.
People: Amen.