First Lutheran Church

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12th Sunday after Pentecost

Kurt Christenson

Sunday, August 31, 2025

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TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

August 31, 2025

10:00 a.m.

PRELUDE Just as I Am WOODWORTH William Bradbury

setting by Gordon Young

Just as I am, without one plea, | But that Thy blood was shed for me,

And that Thou bidst me come to Thee, | O Lamb of God, I come, I come. - Charlotte Elliot

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 God Is Here!

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, you resist those who are proud and give grace to those who are humble. Give us the humility of your Son, that we may embody the generosity of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

FIRST READING: Proverbs 25:6-7a

The book of Proverbs is part of a collection of writings known as wisdom literature. Wisdom literature gave directions to Israel’s leaders and people for the conduct of daily life. Today’s reading is about humility.

6 Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence

or stand in the place of the great,

7a for it is better to be told, “Come up here,”

than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.

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

PSALM Psalm 112

1.They are lights in the darkness for the upright; they are generous, merciful and just. Good people take pity and lend, they conduct their affairs with honor.

The just will never waver, they will be remembered forever. They have no fear of evil news; with firm hearts they trust in the Lord.
With steadfast hearts they will not fear. Openhanded, they give to the poor; their justice stands firm forever. Their heads will be raised in glory.

SECOND READING: Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

The conclusion of the letter to the Hebrews contains suggestions for the conduct of a holy life, all of which are shaped by God’s love toward us in Jesus Christ.

1 Let mutual affection continue. 2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. 3 Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them, those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured. 4 Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers. 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for he himself has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” 6 So we can say with confidence,

“The Lord is my helper;

I will not be afraid.

What can anyone do to me?”

7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 15 Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

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

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Take my yoke upon you, and | learn from me;* for I am gentle and hum- | ble in heart.

(Matt. 11:29)

GOSPEL READING: Luke 14:1, 7-14 Glory to you, O God

Jesus observes guests jockeying for position at the table. He uses the opportunity to teach his hearers to choose humility rather than self-exaltation. Jesus also makes an appeal for hosts to imitate God’s gracious hospitality to those in need.

1 On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the Sabbath, they were watching him closely.

7 When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host, 9 and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. 11 For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

12 He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers and sisters or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 And you will be blessed because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

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

SERMON Pastor Kurt Christenson

HYMN OF THE DAY Gather Us In

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: Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

We sing before and after the first and last petitions of prayer

During the prayers when the Assisting Minister asks “and for what else do the people of God pray?” you are invited to pray aloud for whatever the Holy Spirit has laid on your heart. Please do not be concerned about waiting to speak until after another soul has finished their petition. Just say your prayer over the top, underneath or alongside the others. We will hear a marvelous mix of voices which God makes into a symphony of prayer.

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.

Music Old 124th, abbr. Draw Nigh and take the Body of the Lord

Tune: Trente quatre pseaumes de David, Geneva, 1551

setting by Charles Callahan

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 Coming Together for Wine and for Bread

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 Welcome Table

BLESSING & DISMISSAL Aaronic Blessing Numbers 6:23-27

Go in peace. Live by the Spirit.

Thanks be to God.

POSTLUDE Largo G.F. Handel

in memory of +Jared Jacobsen

Sanctuary Flowers were given by Joyce & Randy Sensmeier in honor of their 56th wedding anniversary.

The Rev. Kurt R. Christenson, Pastor

Bill Engel, Music Director

Earl Vaults, Tenor Saxophone

Peleiah Baesa, Violin

Paul Engel, Cantor

Joann Masters, Lector

Richard Phillips, Assisting Minister

David Pohl, Deacon Randy Sensmeier, Joyce Sensmeier, Paul Engel, Billie Thompson, Elizabeth Connolly, Singers

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

Ruth Clayton, Melinda Person, Kersten Sutter, Ushers

Kersten Sutter, 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

CANCELED: Anti-Racism Workshop today

We had planned to meet after worship today to continue our anti-racism discussion of chapters 12-14 of So You Want to Talk About Race? by Ijeoma Oluo. However, no one submitted the HW that was critical to our activity, so we will be postponing this discussion until after the Season of Creation. Stay tuned! And do your HW! (Remember, anti-racism work requires active effort in order to be successful.)

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.

TACO Financial Update

Thank you so much for your generous outpouring and immediate response to the TACO financial situation we announced last week. The good news: TACO has raised enough money from these special donations to cover another two months of expenses! We will continue to keep you posted about ways you can get involved with your time, talents, and treasures.

Season of Creation starts next Sunday!

Please join us after worship next Sunday for a special forum led by our gallery artist, Bruce Turk. He and Katie MacNichol will open the season with an artist’s touch. In spoken word and a visual gallery they will help us hear how beauty draws us closer to the earth. Please plan to attend the rest of our Season of Creation forums. More information about our Season of Creation themes and special guests is detailed in our Heartbeat weekly e-news.

Parking Changes at FLC

In an effort to increase our parking income and reduce our budget deficit, we have partnered 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 generally run from 6pm to 6am Tuesday-Saturday. The management company will monitor the lot during these times and issue tickets to unpaid guests. (If you scan the QR code on the sign, the message will tell you when paid parking is in effect in real-time.) Please contact Erin if you have any questions.

TOMORROW! 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!

Condolence Card Ministry Update

On Wednesday 8/27/25 there was another disturbing and heartbreaking school shooting. A shooter opened fire Wednesday morning during Mass at a Minneapolis Catholic school, killing two children, ages 8 and 10, and injuring 17 other people before killing himself. Mary Claire was not able to be here today to help at the table, but if you want to start sending condolences to the church school now here is the address:

Annunciation School

525 W 54th St

Minneapolis, MN 55419

Next ThursDIY: September 4

We’ve been making real progress with our DIY helpers. Last week, the group repaired many of the broken sanctuary chairs. These folks are making a real difference. Many thanks for their efforts and an invitation to join them. Speak directly with Pastor Kurt if you are interested or have any questions. This is not overly heavy work and tools and know-how are provided.

TACO Bites

Shower trailer help: TACO is looking for a dedicated helper to tow the shower trailer from Santee to FLC and back on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays. Pastor Kurt has been faithfully doing this work so far, but his other obligations prevent him from continuing. If you have a truck and towing package that would tow our small shower trailer and are willing to commit to this work, please let Pastor Kurt know.
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!

Amnesty International next steps
Season of Creation details
TACO Bike the Bay details, volunteer needs, and registration link
Community Events
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 3:00 FLC night at TACO; meal and clinics
Wednesday	10:00 TACO Starbucks and snacks; Clothing closet
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	12:00 TACO First Saturday Giveaway 6:30 AA in the lobby
Sunday	9:00 Bible Study 10:00 Worship 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