St. Mark Lutheran Church and Preschool
St. Mark Lutheran Church
Est. December 24, 1958
About Pew Connections
We are glad to have you worship with us today. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask anyone. The Pew Connections card, located at the end of each pew, helps us keep track of attendance and receive your notes. We invite you to take a moment to fill one out.
About the Service Online
We invite family, friends, and neighbors to view livestream services online HERE. We are a congregation of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. We are built on the Holy Scriptures; we proclaim Christ crucified and risen for the life of the world.
About The Lord’s Supper
As we celebrate The Lord’s Supper, we do so in the confession of the Christian faith that rejoices with glad confidence because our Lord gives us not only bread and wine but also His very body and blood for the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:26-29). Furthermore, this act strengthens our union with Him and with one another. Our Lord invites to His table those who trust that the Lord's body and blood are given for the forgiveness of sins. We are warned in scripture that those who receive this Sacrament unworthily do so to their great harm (1 Corinthians 11:23-32), and because the Lord's Supper is a confession of the common faith which is confessed at this altar, anyone who is not yet instructed, who are in doubt, or who hold a confession differing from the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and yet desire to receive the Sacrament, are asked to first speak to the Pastor. Those who wish to receive grape juice, not wine, can do so by receiving the white grape juice distributed in trays.
About Giving
Christian giving is a joyful response to God’s grace in Jesus Christ. In thanksgiving for His gifts, we support the proclamation of God’s Word, the administration of the Sacraments, and works of mercy, trusting the Lord to use our offerings according to His will. To give joyfully, click on our Giving page. Or you can download the app from the Play Store or App Store.
About Fellowship
Join us for a time of food and fellowship immediately following the service. As brothers and sisters in Christ, we gather to share a meal, give thanks for God’s provision, and encourage one another in love. Family, friends, and neighbors are invited to bring something to share. We look forward to growing together. See you in the Fellowship Hall.
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ROOTED - WOVEN - GRAFTED INTO GOD'S STORY
+SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2026+
+SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST+
651 I LOVE YOUR KINGDOM, LORD
Text: Timothy Dwight, 1752–1817, alt.
Tune: Aaron Williams, 1731–76
Text and tune: Public domain
+ CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION +
(The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.)
Pastor In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Congregation Amen.
Pastor If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
Congregation But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(Silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination.)
Pastor Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
Congregation 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.
Pastor 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 + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Congregation Amen.
+SERVICE OF THE WORD+
KYRIE LSB 168
Assistant In peace let us pray to the Lord.
Congregation Lord, have mercy.
Assistant For the peace from above and for our salvation let us pray to the Lord.
Congregation Lord, have mercy.
Assistant For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all let us pray to the Lord.
Congregation Lord, have mercy.
Assistant For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise let us pray to the Lord.
Congregation Lord, have mercy.
Assistant Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
Congregation Amen.
THIS IS THE FEAST LSB 171
SALUTATION AND COLLECT OF THE DAY
Pastor The Lord be with you.
Congregation And also with you.
Pastor Let us pray.
Lord God, heavenly Father, since we cannot stand before You relying on anything we have done, help us trust in Your abiding grace and live according to Your Word; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Congregation Amen.
(Sit)
OLD TESTAMENT READING Isaiah 55:6–9
6“Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
7let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Assistant This is the Word of the Lord.
Congregation Thanks be to God.
EPISTLE Philippians 1:12–14, 19–30
12I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 14And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. . . .
19for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.
27Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
Assistant This is the Word of the Lord.
Congregation Thanks be to God.
(Stand)
ALLELUIA AND VERSE LSB 173
HOLY GOSPEL Matthew 20:1–16
Pastor The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twentieth chapter.
Congregation Glory to You, O Lord.
1[Jesus said:] “The kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ 5So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ 7They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ 8And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ 9And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 11And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 12saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. 15Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ 16So the last will be first, and the first last.”
Pastor This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Congregation Praise to You, O Christ.
NICENE CREED
Congregation 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 the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in 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.
(Sit)
827 HARK, THE VOICE OF JESUS CALLING
Text (st. 1): Daniel March, 1816–1909, alt.; (sts. 2–4): Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Tune: Joseph Barnby, 1838–96
Text (sts. 2–4): © 2001 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110003899
Text (st. 1) and tune: Public domain
SERMON
(Stand)
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
(Following the prayers, the people may greet one another in the name of the Lord, saying, “Peace be with you,” as a sign of reconciliation and of the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Matt. 5:22–24; Eph. 4:1–3).)
(Sit)
OFFERING
OFFERTORY LSB 176
(Stand)
+SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT+
PREFACE LSB 177
Pastor The Lord be with you.
Congregation And also with you.
Pastor Lift up your hearts.
Congregation We lift them to the Lord.
Pastor Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
Congregation It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
Pastor It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and singing:
SANCTUS LSB 178
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING LSB 178
Pastor Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Congregation Amen.
THE WORDS OF OUR LORD
Pastor Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My + body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My + blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
PROCLAMATION OF CHRIST
Pastor As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
Congregation Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
Pastor O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
LORD’S PRAYER
Congregation 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.
PAX DOMINI LSB 180
Pastor The peace of the Lord be with you always.
Congregation Amen.
AGNUS DEI LSB 180
(Sit)
DISTRIBUTION
(The pastor and those who assist him receive the body and blood of Christ first and then distribute them to those who come to receive, saying:)
Take, eat; this is the true body of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, given into death for your sins.
Amen.
Take, drink; this is the true blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, shed for the forgiveness of your sins.
Amen.
(In dismissing the communicants, the following is said:)
Pastor The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen and preserve you in body and soul to life everlasting. Depart + in peace.
Congregation Amen.
636 SOUL, ADORN YOURSELF WITH GLADNESS sts. 1–4
Text: Johann Franck, 1618–77; (sts. 1, 4): tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978; (sts. 2–3): tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Tune: Johann Crüger, 1598–1662
Text (sts. 1, 4): © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110003899
Text (sts. 2–3) and tune: Public domain
845 WHERE CHARITY AND LOVE PREVAIL sts. 1–5
Text: Latin, c. 9th cent.; tr. Omer E. Westendorf, 1916–97, alt.
Tune: Lucius Chapin, 1760–1842
Text: © 1960 World Library Publications. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110003899
Tune: Public domain
(Stand)
NUNC DIMITTIS LSB 182
POST-COMMUNION COLLECT
Assistant Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Congregation Amen.
BENEDICTION LSB 228
Pastor The grace of our Lord + Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with us all.
Congregation Amen.
738 LORD OF ALL HOPEFULNESS
Text: Jan Struther, 1901–53
Tune: Irish
Text: © Oxford University Press. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110003899
Tune: Public domain
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Divine Service, Setting Two from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2026 Concordia Publishing House.
We are a congregation of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.
Rooted in the Word of God, dwelling in Christ, and branching out for the sake of the world.
