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11th Sunday after Pentecost

Kurt Christenson

Sunday, August 24, 2025

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ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

August 24, 2025

10:00 a.m.

PRELUDE O for a thousand Tongues to Sing AZMON Carl Glaser

arr. by Eleanor Whitsett

Come thou Font of Every Blessing setting by Paul Manz

Lowell Mason’s (1792-1872) arrangement of the Carl G. Gläser (1784-1829) tune AZMON is used with “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing” in the United Methodist Hymnal. Gläser was a German composer and contemporary of Beethoven. Though Charles Wesley’s text (written in 1739) has been sung to a number of tunes through the years, AZMON is the dominant choice throughout the hymnody of the mainline denominations.

WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS

CONFESSION & FORGIVENESS

Blessed be the Holy Trinity, one God, who forgives all our sin, whose mercy endures forever. Amen.

Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.

Most merciful God, we confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. 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. 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.

In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

GATHERING HYMN Oh, Happy Day When We Shall Stand

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.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Let us pray: O God, mighty and immortal, you know that as fragile creatures surrounded by great dangers, we cannot by ourselves stand upright. Give us strength of mind and body, so that even when we suffer because of human sin, we may rise victorious through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

A READING FROM THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES: Isaiah 58:9b-14

God promises those who have returned from exile that where justice and mercy prevail, the ruins will be rebuilt and light will rise in the darkness. It is a day for new beginnings.

9b If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of

evil,

10 if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,

then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday.

11 The Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your needs in parched places

and make your bones strong, and you shall be like a watered garden,

like a spring of water whose waters never fail.

12 Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many

generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to

live in.

13 If you refrain from trampling the Sabbath, from pursuing your own interests on my

holy day; if you call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable;

if you honor it, not going your own ways, serving your own interests or pursuing

your own affairs;

14 then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride upon the heights of

the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Jacob,

for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Word of God. Word of Life. Thanks be to God.

PSALM 103:1-8 From Gather Hymnal Haugen

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all my being blessed God's name; bless the lord, and forget not God's benefits. Refrain
God pardons all your iniquities, and comforts your sorrows, redeems your life from destruction and crowns you with kindness. Refrain
Merciful, merciful, and gracious is our God; slow to anger, and abounding in kindness. Refrain

SECOND READING: Hebrews 12:18-29

Using images of Moses, the writer presents a striking vision of the new covenant of God made possible in Christ. There is no longer fear; only awe in the new promise in Christ into which we are invited.

18 You have not come to something that can be touched, a blazing fire, and darkness, and gloom, and a tempest, 19 and the sound of a trumpet, and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that not another word be spoken to them. 20 (For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned to death.” 21 Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.”) 22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

25 See that you do not refuse the one who is speaking, for if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we reject the one who warns from heaven! 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven.” 27 This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of what is shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe, 29 for indeed our God is a consuming fire.

Word of God. Word of Life. Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

The crowd | was rejoicing* at the wonderful things that Je- | sus was doing. Luke 13:17

GOSPEL READING: Luke 13:10-17 Glory to you, O God

Jesus heals a woman on the sabbath, offering her a new beginning for her life. When challenged by a narrow reading of the sabbath command, Jesus responds by expanding “sabbath work” to include setting people free from bondage.

10 Now Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” 13 When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. 14 But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the Sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured and not on the Sabbath day.” 15 But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it to water? 16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the Sabbath day?” 17 When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame, and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things being done by him.

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

SERMON Pastor Kurt Christenson

HYMN OF THE DAY Oh, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing

Intro by David Cherwien, former Cantor/organist of Mount Olive in Mpls and Artistic Director of the National Lutheran Choir, currently at Good Shepherd Lutheran in Mpls.

BLESSING FOR A NEW SCHOOL YEAR

EXCHANGE OF PEACE

The Peace of Christ be with you always.

And also with you.

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION Lord Listen to Your Children Praying

Response to each petition: God of grace, hear our prayer.

We sing before and after the prayers.

APOSTLE’S CREED We share together in our ancient story of faith

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 to the dead. 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.

OFFERING

Give online using the button at the top right of your screen.

Music Lobt Gott, ihr Christen, allzugleich Paul Manz

OFFERING PRAYER

Let us pray…Creator God, in your wisdom you bring forth all that is good and the harvest is plentiful. Strengthen us at your table with these gifts of the earth

and our labor, that we may work for the good of all; through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

THE 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.

PREFACE

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;

who on this day overcame death and the grave, and by his glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life. And so, with all the choirs of angels, with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

SANCTUS

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER

On the night our Lord Jesus was betrayed…

Remembering, then, his death and resurrection, we take this bread and cup, giving you thanks that you have made us worthy to stand before you and to serve you as your priestly people.

Send your Spirit upon these gifts of your church; gather into one all who share this bread and wine; fill us with your Holy Spirit to establish our faith in truth, that we may praise and glorify you through your Son Jesus Christ; through whom all glory and honor are yours, almighty Father, with the Holy Spirit, in your holy church, both now and forever.

Amen.

THE LORD'S PRAYER

Lord, remember us in your Kingdom and teach us to pray:

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. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.

AGNUS DEI Lamb of God

COMMUNION MUSIC Jesus Christ is Waiting

COMMUNION BLESSING & PRAYER

Now may the body and blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ strengthen and keep you in his grace.

Amen.

Gracious God, you gathered us to your table and we drank deeply of your grace.

Send us out by your Spirit to love our neighbors as ourselves and proclaim your love in Jesus’ name. Amen.

SENDING SONG Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

BLESSING & DISMISSAL Aaronic Blessing Numbers 6:23-27

Go in peace. Live by the Spirit.

Thanks be to God.

POSTLUDE Lobe den Herren Organ with Violin and Tenor Sax setting by Paul Manz

Sanctuary Flowers were given by Richard Phillips in honor of Dr. Steve Barbone’s years of teaching and mentoring students at SDSU.

The Rev. Kurt R. Christenson, Pastor

Bill Engel, Music Director & Organ

Earl Vaults, Tenor Saxophone

Peleiah Baesa, Violin

Paul Engel, Cantor

Martha Radatz, Lector

Chuck Leib, Assisting Minister

David Pohl, Deacon Randy Sensmeier,

Joyce Sensmeier, Paul Engel, Billie Thompson, Elizabeth Connolly, Singers

Brian Jensen, Rebecca Kjonegaard, Melodie Baker, Kyle Leslie, Sound, Video, & Computer

Ruth Clayton, Melinda Person, Kersten Sutter, Ushers

Marlene Garich & Mary Claire, Fellowship Snacks

confession & forgiveness, prayer of the day, offering prayer, and dismissal

from Sundays and Seasons 2021, Year B

reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies annual license #SB137579

kyrie, preface, eucharist, sanctus, agnus dei, nunc dimittis

from Evangelical Lutheran Worship setting 2

reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies annual license #SB137579

hymn of praise

from Evangelical Lutheran Worship setting 3

reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies annual license #SB137579

Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE, License A-710629.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Keeping it out Front…Our Strategic Ministry At Work

First Lutheran Church Congregational Priorities:

Connecting with each other
Fostering leadership
Attending to our Virtual Community
Incorporating Children, Youth, & Families into the Life of the Congregation.
Justice focus of Anti-Racism, Diversity and Racial Justice

TACO in Immediate Need of Financial Assistance - Everything helps!

The TACO board met last week to discuss some dire news. Donations have fallen sharply, while the number of people turning to us for meals, showers, clothing, and support continues to grow. Many of our guests are seniors from the nearby housing high-rises who are struggling with the rising cost of living, and we are also seeing more first-time homeless individuals seeking help. The board is working on some long-term planning to stay afloat, but in the meantime, TACO is in immediate need of financial assistance to help cover its operating expenses and continue providing its crucial services. Here are some ways you can help:

If you are a regular giver to TACO, please consider "frontloading" the remainder of your 2025 donation.
Sponsor a meal ($5) or a full meal service for one day ($250).
Share a message to your social media networks to ask for donations.
Register for Bike the Bay the TACO Way today!

TODAY after worship: Amnesty International

Join us after worship for a forum presented by the San Diego Amnesty International chapter coordinators Cathy Pfister and Devinder Hans. They will share information about their social justice activism efforts in San Diego and suggest ways FLC may want to get involved by partnering with them. Please join us if you would like to learn ways we can help.

Next Sunday after worship: Anti-Racism Workshop

We will be meeting next Sunday at 11:30 in the lobby to continue our anti-racism discussion using the book So You Want to Talk About Race? by Ijeoma Oluo. We will discuss Chapters 12-14. Everyone is welcome to attend and participate!

September 5: Art Show Reception & Staged Reading at FLC

To accompany the Season of Creation in September, we will be hosting an art installation called "Coastal Approach" by renowned artist and actor Bruce Turk. We will kickoff the show with an opening reception and performance by Bruce Turk & Katie MacNichol, who have regularly graced the stage at the Old Globe theater, North Coast Rep., and Off Broadway shows.

Refreshments will be provided, and a donation of $15 is suggested. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Surfrider Foundation, whose mission is the protection and enjoyment of the world’s ocean, waves, and beaches, for all people, through a powerful activist network.

Parking Changes at FLC

In an effort to increase our parking income and reduce our budget deficit, we will be partnering with a parking management company to implement hourly parking fees during the times we don’t use the lot. For most people, this won’t affect you at all. You can still park for free during FLC or TACO events. When the lot is not in use by FLC/TACO or our monthly parking clients, hourly parking will run from 6pm to 6am Tuesday-Saturday. The management company will monitor the lot during these times and issue tickets to unpaid guests. Hourly parking will begin Thursday, and more information will be available this week in the Heartbeat newsletter. Signage will be clearly posted as well in the lot. Please contact Erin if you have any questions.

FLC Night Serving TACO: September 1 (Labor Day)

Fellow FLC volunteers, September 1 is the first Monday of September and our evening to assist with serving dinner at TACO. Please consider giving 2 hours of your time for this worthwhile and heartwarming experience. If you can give of your time from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Monday September 1, please let Joann Masters know, either at church or by email: jbmasters56@gmail.com, and she'll take care of signing you up. Come join the fun! Looking forward to seeing you there.

October 18: Bike the Bay the “TACO Way”

Enjoy a fun and challenging ride around San Diego Bay to benefit the wonderful work that TACO does every day! This is a 25 (or 50!) mile long, flat (except for the last little bit) family friendly ride--everyone can do it! Check out the TACO website or Heartbeat for more information. We already have several teams signed up, and riders will be entered into a raffle for prizes!

Next ThursDIY: August 28

We’ve been making real progress with our DIY helpers. The parking lot to patio steps have been painted with safety stripes; missing and broken ceiling tiles have been replaced, storage closets have been cleaned and arranged, pictures have been rehung in the library, irrigation pipes have been repaired, a Pride float built, a bathroom fan was repaired, floors cleaned, and soon we’ll be tackling some painting, back room and chair repair. These folks are making a real difference. Many thanks for their efforts and an invitation to join them. Speak directly with Pastor if you are interested or have any questions. This is not overly heavy work and tools and know-how are provided.

Tapestry Retreat September 19-21

Tapestry is a ministry of the Pacifica Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), dedicated to inspiring and educating LGBTQIA+ individuals and allies. Through our retreat weekends, we foster community and deepen our understanding of Christ from a Queer perspective. Participants leave these retreats empowered to serve as beacons of faith, providing support and connection to those seeking a safe space to express their spirituality.

Bible Study

Over the remaining weeks of August, the Sunday morning Bible Study will be taking a long look at the books of Galatians and Colossians. These two relatively short letters written by St. Paul invite us to consider what it means to live as disciples of Jesus. Galatians in particular was a favorite of Martin Luther’s. In its verses he found comfort, inspiration and the knowledge that he wasn’t saved so much by how good he was but by how good God Is! Galatians has been referred to as the “Magna Carta” of Christian Freedom.

TACO Bites

Identity Document Day: Thanks to our friends at Think Dignity, TACO helps people get passports, birth certificates, social security card replacements and a fresh California ID at no cost once a month.
New website: Have you checked the TACO website recently? Lane has been doing some wonderful updates and adding new content. Make sure to check it out! (tacosd.org)

Check our website and Heartbeat e-news for more!

RIC August newsletter

New Blog Posts and sermon notes
Web links to event information and registration
Sponsor sanctuary flowers for an upcoming Sunday

If you would like to receive our weekly announcements please email the church office at administrator@firstlutheransd.org

This week at FLC

Monday	12:00 AA in the lobby 4:00 TACO meal and clinics
Wednesday	10:00 TACO Starbucks and snacks; Clothing closet; showers
Thursday	9:30 Chinese Church bible study 12:00 Al Anon in the library
Friday	9:00 TACO meal 12:00 AA in the lobby
Saturday	6:30 AA in the lobby
Sunday	9:00 Bible Study 10:00 Worship 11:30 Anti-Racism Forum Chapters 12-14 3:00 Chinese Bible Church Worship

First Lutheran Church

the heart of Christ in the heart of the City
a congregation of the Pacifica Synod/Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
proclaiming Christ’s name in downtown San Diego since 1888
feeding God’s blessed hungry ones since 1975

Welcome!

First Lutheran Church of San Diego is a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) congregation committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism. Since 1989 we've been explicitly and vibrantly welcoming people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, races, and ethnic backgrounds. Being so, enriches and greatly strengthens our faith community.

Our Strategic Ministry Priorities