Luke 11:1-13
Sunday, July 27, 2025
7th Sunday after Pentecost
Confession and Forgiveness
In the name of the Father,
and of the ☩ Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Baptized into Christ, let us confess our sin.
Silence is kept for reflection.
Merciful God,
you free us to love others,
but we neglect our neighbors and follow our own way.
You lead us by the Spirit of joy and peace, but we turn away from the abundant life you offer.
You surround us with patience, kindness, and generosity, but we grow weary in doing what is right.
In your mercy, forgive us.
Do not give up on us.
Heal us, break our bonds, and show us the path of life.
Amen.
You belong to Christ Jesus
and you are God’s children through faith.
In the cross of ☩ Christ, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, your sins are forgiven.
Clothed with Christ, you are a new creation.
Amen.
Gathering Hymn: You Are Holy – ELW 525
Prayer of the Day
Almighty and ever-living God, you are always more ready to hear than we are to pray, and you gladly give more than we either desire or deserve. Pour upon us your abundant mercy. Forgive us those things that weigh on our conscience, and give us those good things that come only through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
First Reading: Genesis 18:20-32
20 Then the Lord said, “How great is the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah and how very grave their sin! 21 I must go down and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me, and if not, I will know.”
22 So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham remained standing before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham came near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will you then sweep away the place and not forgive it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” 26 And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will forgive the whole place for their sake.” 27 Abraham answered, “Let me take it upon myself to speak to my lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29 Again he spoke to him, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” 30 Then he said, “Oh, do not let my lord be angry if I speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” 31 He said, “Let me take it upon myself to speak to my lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” 32 Then he said, “Oh, do not let my lord be angry if I speak just once more. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.”
Word of God. Word of Life.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm: 138
1 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I will sing your praise.
2 I will bow down toward your holy temple and praise your name, because of your steadfast love and faithfulness;
for you have glorified your name and your word above all things.
3 When I called, you answered me;
you increased my strength within me.
4 All the rulers of the earth will praise you, O Lord,
when they have heard the words of your mouth.
5 They will sing of the ways of the Lord,
that great is the glory of the Lord.
6 The Lord is high, yet cares for the lowly,
perceiving the haughty from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you keep me safe;
you stretch forth your hand against the fury of my enemies; your right hand shall save me.
8 You will make good your purpose for me;
O Lord, your steadfast love endures forever; do not abandon the works of your hands.
Second Reading: Colossians 2:6-15
6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
8 Watch out that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a spiritual circumcision, by the removal of the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ; 12 when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, 14 erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it.
Word of God. Word of Life.
Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia. Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. Alleluia. (Luke 11:9)
The Holy Gospel according to Luke
Glory to you O Lord
Gospel: Luke 11:1-13
1 Jesus was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”2 So he said to them, “When you pray, say:
Father, may your name be revered as holy.
May your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread.
4 And forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.
And do not bring us to the time of trial.”
5 And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ 7 And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything out of friendship, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.
9 “So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 Is there anyone among you who, if your child asked for a fish, would give a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if the child asked for an egg, would give a scorpion? 13 If you, then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you O Christ
One of Jesus’ disciples said to him:
- Lord, teach us to pray…Jesus said to them…When you pray…say:
- Let us pray…
- The Lord be with you.
Our Father…Our Mother…Our Holy Parent…Source of All Being from whom we came and to whom we return.
- God whose goodness and love transcends the complexity and even the pain of our relationship with our own parents.
- God who transcends and even heals the failings we ourselves have as parents.
- You…who knit us together in our own mother’s wombs.
- God who knows us better than we know ourselves.
- Jesus called you Abba and so shall we.
- Be to us our Holy Parent…the one who loves without condition.
Our Father who art in heaven…
- Our Father who brings a small measure of your heaven to every place your people are.
- Our Father who art in everything.
- Every place we say we can feel your awesomeness…
- And every place we claim that you have forsaken.
- Our Father who art in children’s homes and neonatal units.
- Who art in jail cells and luxury high-rises.
- Who art in law offices and under bridges where homeless sleep.
- Who art in rooms with those thinking of taking their own lives.
- And who art amid wedding reception dance floors.
Our Father who art in Heaven…Hallowed be thy name.
- Holy is your name.
- Ever since Adam blamed…not his own sin…
- Blamed you…for giving him the woman who made him sin…
- Ever since the beginning we have attributed our own sin and ego and wishful thinking…
- And malice and racism and manipulations of others…
- And ambition to you and your name…
- And yet your name remains holy.
- When others or ourselves have claimed that you laid it on our heart to shame someone…
- Even then when we have used your name in vain…
- Your name remains holy.
- Your holiness has withstood generations of humans using your name as a get out of responsibility free card…
- When we say you are blessing it…
- Or you are willing it…
- Or you are co-signing on it…
- And our sin is anything other than sin.
- And yet your name remains holy.
Our Father…who art in heaven…Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come…
- May thy undoing of our ways and the in-breaking of your ways…
- The way things really are…appear before our eyes.
- Brother Martin Luther reminds us that your kingdom comes with or without our asking for it…
- But in this prayer…we ask that your dominion…your kingdom come among us.
- But right now…God…right now we think we might just skip over the asking for it…
- And move right to the begging for it if that’s OK with you.
- We beg you to bring more than just a small measure of heaven to earth…because this place is a mess.
- Lord…your people are killing each other…
- And the vulnerable are even more vulnerable…
- And the wealthy are even more wealthy…
- And we have developed weapons that do unspeakable things…
- And we have developed economic systems that rely on those weapons…
- And it’s hard to see a way out…Lord.
- So…we need your Kingdom to speed things up.
- And if that’s not possible…then open our eyes to where your kingdom already is taking root and growing among us.
- Turn our eyes from our despair to any amount of light your kingdom is spreading…however small.
Our Father…who art in heaven…Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come…thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.
- Show us that your thoughts are not our thoughts and that our thoughts are not your thoughts.
- God…I am so guilty of trying to align your will with mine rather than praying to align my will with yours.
- But you are God…and I am not.
- Yet have mercy on us Lord when it feels like you are not paying attention.
- Forgive us when we use prayer as a way of getting all the things we want…because we know better.
- You are our Father whose name is holy and whose love is boundless…
- And who wants as our holy Parent to hear our prayers…
- To hear what troubles us…
- You want to know the longing in our hearts and the hurt in our lives and the thankfulness in our being.
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.
- Give us this day our daily senses…our daily laughter…our daily kindness…our daily humility…our daily freedom.
- Give your children their daily bread…their daily flatbread…their daily tortillas…their daily rice.
- Lord…give us real bread…even when we keep reaching for those Twinkies…and cannoli and Krispy Kremes.
- As you did with your people who you freed from slavery…
- Grant us that which we need for just this day.
- Help us to be in this day Lord…and to know that all we have comes from you.
- Give us the gift of enough-ness.
- When we long for more than what is enough…soften our hearts and teach us to give more.
- May our response to perceived scarcity always be increased generosity…
- For we are your children and from you we receive everything.
- It all belongs to you…and you let us have so much.
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 sins. As we forgive those who sin against us.
- Forgive us when we hate what you love.
- Forgive us when we would rather self-medicate ourselves than feel anything.
- Forgive us when we squander the grace and freedom you have given us.
- Forgive us for our self-centered lives.
- Forgive us for how much we resent in others the same things we hate in ourselves.
- God…we praise you that your grace and mercy and forgiveness toward us is our one true source of our forgiveness toward others.
- Forgiven people forgive people…
- And God…we thank you for guiding the way toward this kind of freedom.
- May we more and more become what we receive.
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 sins. As we forgive those who sin against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
- Deliver us from the inclination that we too do not have evil in our hearts.
- Deliver us from religious and national exceptionalism.
- Deliver us from addiction and depression.
- Deliver us from self-loathing.
- Deliver us from high fructose corn syrup.
- Deliver us from fear.
- Deliver us from complacency.
- Deliver us from Complicity.
As Jesus taught us…we are throwing this bag of prayers at your door.
- We are not asking nicely…Lord.
- We are your children…and we are claiming your promises as our own.
- Use this prayer to hammer us all into vessels that can accept the answer when it comes.
- For Thine is the kingdom…and the power…and the glory…forever…and ever…And the children of God say…AMEN.
Hymn of the Day: What a Friend We Have in Jesus – ELW 742
Prayers of Intercession
In solidarity with all creation, we join our voice to the voice of the whole church and pray for the needs of the world.
A brief silence.
Loving God, create in your church a desire for union with you in prayer. Raise up leaders to teach Christ’s devotion to prayer and model Christ’s way of prayer, until all people experience prayerful intimacy with you. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Reveal to humanity the sacredness of all creation. With the breath of your Spirit, realign the balances of nature. Grant persistence in prayer and action for the sake of the earth, our common home. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Teach rulers of the earth to sing of your ways, caring for the lowly and having no preference for the powerful. Direct the heart of every person to seek your will on earth as in heaven. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
To all whose prayers are cries for help, give your good gifts, and satisfy their deepest needs. We pray especially for: John & Lisa Mountain, Terry Vernon, Shirley Schulz, David & Carol Beazley, Margaret Miller, Carol, Angie, Dick Trompke, Estoria Brimm, Bill Treichler, Julia Busby-Morgan, Nancy Hare, Sean Kelly, Ariel Lopez, Chad Rudzik, Pete Hanshaw and others. Gather them to your constant, loving presence, that they may rest in the confidence of life with you. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Awaken new life in this place. Open our hearts to ways you are calling us to be at work in the world and our community. We pray for neighboring congregations and ministry sites especially: Church of God – SDA – Bay Point Christian – St. Barts – Blessed Trinity…St. Matthew…DayStar Life Center…Canguros Day School. Give us courage to boldly share your love for all people beyond our walls. God of grace, hear our prayer.
Center the ministries of this assembly on prayer and service. Guide our relationships in the wider community, being ready to assist those who seek help. Strengthen feeding, clothing, and housing ministries and community partnerships. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
We give thanks for all who have gone before us. May we trust your steadfast love and continue in hope until we are united with all your saints. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
Trusting in your lovingkindness, we place our prayer and hope in you, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Pray with me
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,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Blessing
The love of God abound in you;
the grace of our Savior Jesus Christ fill your hearts; and the life of the Spirit
☩ bless you and give you peace.
Amen.
Sending Hymn: Go, My Children, with My Blessing – ELW 543
Dismissal
Go in peace. Live by the Spirit.
Thanks be to God.