Welcome!
“Lord Jesus Christ, be present now, Our hearts in true devotion bow,
Thy Spirit send with grace divine, And let Thy truth within us shine.” (3:1)
ELEVENTH SUNDAY after TRINITY Sunday August 16, 2026
ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH HIDEWOOD TWP, SD
TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH WATERTOWN, SD
To prepare yourselves for worship you are welcome to meditate on:
Today’s Psalm 67
1 God be merciful to us and bless us,
And cause His face to shine upon us, Selah
2 That Your way may be known on earth,
Your salvation among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.
4 Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy!
For You shall judge the people righteously,
And govern the nations on earth. Selah
5 Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.
6 Then the earth shall [b]yield her increase;
God, our own God, shall bless us.
7 God shall bless us,
And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.
ORDER for WORSHIP
The bell calls us for worship
Opening Prayer
P: Lord God, we are glad and thankful to be able to honor You and receive blessing from Your holy Word. Be with us in our worship and bless us for Your mercy’s sake. Teach us, encourage us, strengthen us, and enable us to flee temptation and honor You in all that we say and do. Amen.
Hymn 35
Invocation
P: We begin in the name of the Triune God:
C: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Confession and Absolution of Sins
P: We have come into the presence of God, who created us to love and serve Him as His dear children. But we have disobeyed Him and deserve only His wrath and punishment. Therefore, let us confess our sins to Him and plead for His mercy.
ALL: Merciful Father in heaven, I am altogether sinful from birth. In countless ways I have sinned against You and do not deserve to be called Your child. But trusting in Jesus, my Savior, I pray: Have mercy on me according to Your unfailing love. Cleanse me from my sin, and take away my guilt.
P: God, our heavenly Father, has forgiven all your sins. By the perfect life and innocent death of our Lord Jesus Christ, He has removed your guilt forever. You are His own dear child. May God give you strength to live according to His will.
C [spoken]: Amen.
CONFESSION OF FAITH – THE APOSTLES’ CREED
ALL: I believe in God the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His 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 into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven And is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; From there He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; The Holy Christian Church, the communion of saints; The forgiveness of sins; The resurrection of the body; And the life everlasting. Amen.
Today’s focus is on ISAAC
Bible readings – sermon
Hymn 528
Genesis 21 – 2 Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. 3 And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him Isaac.... 6 And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.”
Genesis 22 – 7 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.”
Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
8 And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together.
9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.
11 But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.”
12 And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”
13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
Genesis 24 – 3 “... you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; 4 but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”
Genesis 25 – 21 Now Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.
23 And the Lord said to her:
“Two nations are in your womb,
Two peoples shall be separated from your body;
One people shall be stronger than the other,
And the older shall serve the younger.”
24 So when her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb. 25 And the first came out red. He was like a hairy garment all over; so they called his name Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel; so his name was called Jacob.
27 So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents. 28 And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
Genesis 26 – 1 There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar.
2 Then the Lord appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. 3 Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father.”
6 So Isaac dwelt in Gerar. 7 And the men of the place asked about his wife. And he said, “She is my sister”; for he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” because he thought, “lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to behold.” 8 Now it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked through a window, and saw, and there was Isaac, [showing endearment to Rebekah his wife. 9 Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Quite obviously she is your wife; so how could you say, ‘She is my sister’?”
Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’ ”
The Offering is collected / brought forward
Prayer led by the pastor
P: You, O Lord, have the whole world in Your hand. You have its tiny, little babies in Your hand. You have our brothers and sisters, youth and children, in Your hand. To You be the glory – You have dominion over all!
When we step into Your presence, as we do to pray, and glimpse even a little of Your majesty, we begin to know ourselves as we are known. How small are we; how imposing are You. How common are we; how stately are You. Look with pity and with kindness on us in our low estate. Our vanity, which proves so empty in Your presence, is without substance when we deal with others, too. Teach us not to think so highly of ourselves. Give us the good grace to submit in loving service to others.
We are certain of Your love. We have seen how much You care. We have watched You give Your life because You pity us. So we come with confidence to bring our cares to You. We worry, fret, and chafe over an endless catalog of troubles. Yet knowing that You love us, we find release from all that nags at us. If You are for us, who can be against us?
Strengthen us, dear Lord, and defend us against the wily, wicked foe. He probes; he tests; he deceives; he leads us down false pathways after empty hopes. He would devour us were You not at our side. Our daily lives are a continuing confrontation with temptation. Whom Satan cannot mislead into wrongdoing, he badgers with sorrow, pain, and fear. You are our God of grace. Protect us from devil, world, and flesh. Be our strong support. When our last days arrive, make our souls perfect and our victory complete through Your sacrifice and triumph. Calvary and the empty tomb are the boast of all who put their trust in You. Amen.
P: any special prayers there may be will be offered here...
P: And so we join to pray the words Jesus taught us:
ALL: 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.
The Benediction
P: The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you His peace.
C [spoken]: Amen.
Closing Hymn: 45
Zion Lutheran Church Hidewood Township, SD – 8:30 a.m.
Trinity Lutheran Church Watertown, SD – 10:30 a.m.
trinitywatertownsd.com
Members: Church of the Lutheran Confession www.clclutheran.org
Pastor Paul Krause. . . parsonpaulkrause@gmail.com cell:920-238-5775
Teacher Mikkela Schmitt . . . . . . . .cell: 715-933-1502
Church and School: 605-886-2976
Organists: John Klatt, Rebecca Larson, Naomi Rehder
STATISTICS
Trinity attendance – 8/2: 35 8/9: 37
CALENDAR and ANNOUNCEMENTS
TODAY >> Zion – 8:30 a.m. service; Trinity – 10:30 a.m.
MON >> 9 a.m. Opening Devotion for Trinity Lutheran School
SAT >> 10:30 – service in Des Moines – Pastor C. Drehle
NEXT SUNDAY >> Zion – 8:30 a.m. service – Trinity – 10:30 a.m.
>> ILC opening service – details below
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
>> week of 9/6 Bible class and confirmation classes resume
>> 9/13 Sun Sunday School sessions begin at Zion / Trinity
>> 9/13 Sun PK to Grace/Sleepy Eye, MN, for their Mission Fest
>> 9/15-17 Tue-Thu West Central Pastoral Conference, Sioux Falls
>> 9/18-20 Fri-Sun CLC Women’s Retreat West – details below
>> 9/24-27 Thu-Sun Man Up! Weekend men’s retreat - details below
>> 10/11 Sun Education Sunday / Mission Fest Sunday
guest speaker – ILC Professor Paul Naumann
MANY THANKS!
>> Many thanks to Myron K and Dave K for leading our services while PK was on vacation – and thanks to John K for serving as pastor “on call!”
>> Do you have something you are thankful for at Zion/Trinity? Let Pastor Krause know, and he will be happy to include it in the bulletin!
TRINITY LUTHERAN SCHOOL OPENING TOMORROW! All are welcome to come for our opening devotion tomorrow (Monday) morning at 9 a.m. when we will ask God’s blessings on our teacher and her two students for their school year!
REPORTING ON THE CLC CONVENTION will begin next Sunday – the Proceedings have been printed. PK (and our delegates) will be taking 5 minutes after church for the next several Sundays to report on the various actions taken.
ILC OPENING SERVICE ILC President Dr. Dan Schierenbeck sends the following... The opening worship service for Immanuel Lutheran High School, College, and Seminary will take place on Sun. Aug. 23, 3:00 p.m., at the campus fieldhouse. The service will also be streamed at http://www.youtube.com/@ilcvideos. May the Lord richly bless the upcoming year as we grow together in the truth of God's saving Word!
CLC WOMEN’S RETREAT WEST Grace Lutheran from Valentine reports... We currently have nearly 80 women from 22 different CLC congregations registered to attend the Women's Retreat in Oacoma, SD, the weekend of September 18th. If you would like to join us, please register by Friday, September 4th. Information can be found online at https://womensretreat.clclutheran.net/womens-retreat-west/ or on the flier on the entry table - or talk to Collette for more - she is planning to attend.
MAN UP! WEEKEND The 2026 ManUp! Men's Weekend will be held September 24-27, 2026, at beautiful Wyalusing State Park near Prairie du Chien, WI. This is the 10th year of the weekend, and will offer strength and encouragement for men 18 and older for their personal faith, family, and fellowship at church. The weekend will include Bible study, fellowship, leadership training, team building, relationship building, worship, and many outdoor bonding activities. Register and send in your payment before August 30th for the discounted rate of $75. Registration increases to $150 after August 31st. The registration includes lodging and meals. You can register by going to the Man Up! website here: www.manup.clclutheran.org. Sign up today!
50TH ANNIVERSARY OF GRACE LUTHERAN SCHOOL Grace Pastor Tom Naumann sends the following... Join us in celebrating 50 years of God’s grace in our Christian day school on Sunday, September 13, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at Grace Lutheran Church in Fridley, MN. We’ll gather for a special anniversary worship service with Grace alumni Pastor Neal Radichel as our guest preacher, followed by a potluck picnic, a memory filled slideshow, and joyful fellowship. All students, alumni, families, staff, church members, and friends are warmly invited as we give thanks for God’s faithfulness across generations.
CLC NEWS Current pastoral vacancies:
Mapleton, ND/Ponsford, MN; Detroit, MI; Red Wing, MN; Appleton, WI; Eau Claire, WI; Spokane, WA; Phoenix, AZ; Lemmon, SD; Austin, MN
Undecided call: Pastor Joe Naumann, Mankato, MN, to Detroit, MI
Returned calls:
Retired Pastor Paul Tiefel, Eau Claire, WI, to Appleton, WI
Pastor David Reim, Vernon, BC, Canada, to Lemmon, SD
Pastor David Reim, Vernon, BC, Canada, to Messiah, Eau Claire, WI
Pastor Mike Roehl, Bismarck, ND, to Austin, MN
Pastor David Pfeiffer, West Columbia, SC, to Phoenix, AZ
Pastor Luke Willitz, Eden Prairie, MN, to Mapleton, ND/Ponsford, MN.
75TH ANNIVERSARY – GETHSEMANE/SPOKANE VALLEY Pastor Wayne Eichstadt sends the following... Gethsemane in Spokane Valley is celebrating its 75th Anniversary in September. CLC President Michael Wilke will be our guest speaker. We recognize significant geographic distance lies between us, and joining us physically may be impossible for most, if not all. Yet, we welcome the fellow saints of our sister congregations to join us if able, and ask that you join with us in giving thanks to our Lord for 75 years of grace. “The Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 100:5)
Any correspondence may be sent via email: pastor@gethsemaneclc.org or USPS: 11315 E. Broadway Avenue, Spokane Valley, WA 99206.
CLC UPDATES that can be found online –
>> to keep up on our CLC missionaries, and to learn more of our overseas brethren, go to lutheranmissions.org. Scroll down and click on the photos of the missionaries to access their blog, photos, video, etc.
OHIO/KENTUCKY CLC WORSHIP SERVICE Missionary Todd Ohlmann sends the following .. Through recent submissions to the CLC Diaspora List, the Board of Missions has identified several CLC families living in the South-Central Ohio and North-Central Kentucky region. The Board has asked me to lead an effort to start a preaching station in the area. Initially, I plan to conduct worship and outreach while I am stateside to gauge interest and commitment. I have contacted all the families on the diaspora list; five CLC households seem interested and committed.
The first worship service and informal organizational meeting are scheduled for Sunday, August 16th at 1:00 PM. We'll be meeting in the community room at Celebration Villa of Summit Hills where Debbie Menton lives in Crestview, KY...just over the border from Cincinnati.
If you know of any other CLC members in the area or any members traveling to visit the Creation Museum or Ark Encounter that weekend, please let them know about this opportunity to worship and fellowship.
CLC WORLD MISSIONS PRAYER LIST – AUGUST 2026 – The following is excerpted from the post that Missionary Todd Ohlmann sends out several times a year – the full list will be available online on Sunday afternoon. You can also find it in printed form on the back table at Zion/Trinity.
Myanmar (South Asia) – Pastor Kham reports that Khawlvung, the orphan girl he and his wife care for, is tolerating the chemotherapy for ovarian cancer well and she has recovered from the surgery. She has six more months of treatment. Please pray for the Lord’s blessings on the treatments Khawlvung is receiving and for those who are caring for her.
India (South Asia) – On August 1st, our brother in Christ, Pastor Raju, the oldest brother of Pastor Jyothi suffered a heart-attack. Pastor Raju serves as a district chairman for the CLCI. By the grace of God, a Kinship medical aid grant was quickly approved and sent so that necessary medical care could be administered. The surgery was successful and he will be discharged from the hospital soon. Thank the Lord for providing all that was and is necessary to restore Pastor Raju back to good health. Ask for His continued blessings on the recovery and rehabilitation regimen so that Pastor Raju can return to his work among the sheep of our Savior’s CLCI flock.
Liberia (West Africa) – Pastor Joseph Kwiwalazu underwent an emergency appendectomy on August 5th. The Lord blessed the surgery, and he hopes to be discharged from the hospital on August 11th. He was preparing to depart for a Pastor Training Seminar in Bopolu when he was in too much pain to travel. Thank the Lord for the quick diagnosis and successful surgery. Ask the Lord to bless his recovery so Pastor Kwiwalazu can return to his Kingdom work and reschedule the Bible training seminars.
Democratic Republic of the Congo (Central Africa) – The CLC Board of Missions recently approved a recommendation to relocate Missionary Peter Evensen from Togo to the DR Congo. Having served for the past seven years in Togo, honing his French skills and translating the Online Theological Studies (OTS) curriculum, it has long been the plan for Missionary Evensen to use his French skills to assist Pastor Lumbala and the CCLC in DRC to further develop their pastor training program and incorporate the OTS courses into their curriculum. Pray that the Lord will bless all that is necessary for this move to take place in early 2027.
Nepal (South Asia) – The HCLCN recently held their annual General Pastor Conference and Himalayan Bible Institute (HBI) Alumni gathering. Thirty-four pastors, evangelists, and church leaders attended the three-day conference. <> Fifteen HBI students are scheduled to attend classes following the conference. <> Outreach efforts are on hold during the monsoon season, but plans are in place to conduct evangelism to unreached areas of Nepal once the rains have subsided. <> The congregation in Kathmandu has received a one-year extension on their lease so they will have more time to find a new place to worship Thank the Lord for safe travels and His blessings on the study of His word at the recent conference. Pray for the Lord’s wisdom, guidance, and provision as they seek a new place to worship. Ask the Lord to bless the outreach efforts to bring the Gospel to the unreached areas of Nepal.
Bangladesh (South Asia) – The Bangladesh Lutheran Church Mission (BLCM) has completed a new multipurpose building with support from a CLC-Mission Development Fund grant. The dedication of the worship space, classroom, dormitory rooms, library, office, and residence is planned for mid-October during Missionary Ohlmann’s annual visit. A four-day Bible training seminar, congregational visits, and planning discussions for opening a Bible Institute are also scheduled. <> Pastor Monotosh reports that the government is debating new laws to regulate religious organizations. Although Bangladesh identifies Islam as the official state religion, it has long described itself as “secular” in official documents. Proposed changes would replace “secularism” with terms such as equality, human dignity, social justice, religious freedom, and harmony. While supporters say this will protect minority religions, Christians are concerned the government may begin regulating Christian activities as it already does Islamic madrassahs and clergy. Thank the Lord for the completion of the BLCM building and ask His blessings on the upcoming dedication and Bible seminar. Pray for His guidance in establishing the new Bible Institute and for wisdom for lawmakers as they implement new regulations affecting His flock in Bangladesh.
Togo (West Africa) – Pastor Kossi Blewu’s weekly Bible Study radio program in a rural area north of Lomé has led to several new contacts. Missionary Evensen and Pastor Blewu are working on an introductory training program for several independent pastors who heard the radio program and have asked for more information about joining the EELC. They are also starting monthly meetings to strengthen the current EELC pastors. Pray for the Lord’s blessings on these efforts to proclaim the truth of God’s word and to strengthen and further establish the Gospel ministry of the EELC in Togo before Missionary Evensen moves to the DR Congo in early 2027.
Tanzania (East Africa) — Pray for the theological education of the twelve students attending Wittenberg Seminary. Ask our Savior to prepare them for service in His kingdom, so that they will be ready to preach and teach Christ crucified in their ministries. Ask for God's blessings on efforts complete the process of government certification of both the church body and the seminary, so that the students from Kenya will not be hindered from attending because of visa complications.
Kenya (East Africa) – Ask God to bless the upcoming trip to Kenya of Missionary Naumann and his wife, Paula, in September. Pray for the expansion of the KCLC through efforts to reach doctrinal agreement and fellowship with a number of new pastors and congregations in the Kitale area. Pray that the students of St. David's Academy in Etago and Emmaus School in Moi's Bridge will be blessed through instruction in the Word of God.