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)
EIGHTH SUNDAY after TRINITY Sunday JULY 26, 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 125
1 Those who trust in the Lord
Are like Mount Zion,
Which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So the Lord surrounds His people
From this time forth and forever.
3 For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
On the land allotted to the righteous,
Lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity.
4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
And to those who are upright in their hearts.
5 As for such as turn aside to their crooked ways,
The Lord shall lead them away
With the workers of iniquity.
Peace be upon Israel!
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 435
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.
First Reading – Old Testament – Genesis 18: 1-15
Sarah did laugh!
1 Then the Lord appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. 2 So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, 3 and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant. 4 Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant.”
They said, “Do as you have said.”
6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.” 7 And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it. 8 So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate.
9 Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?”
So he said, “Here, in the tent.”
10 And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.”
(Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.) 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. 12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”
13 And the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”
15 But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid.
And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”
Second Reading – New Testament Epistle – Romans 8: 28-39
Nothing can separate us from God’s love!
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Third Reading – New Testament Gospel – Matthew 13: 44-52
Bringing out treasures old and new!
44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46 who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, 48 which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, 50 and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
51 Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?”
They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”
52 Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”
P: So far with today’s Scripture readings.
Blessed are those who hear and treasure God’s Word! Alleluia!
CONFESSION OF FAITH – THE NICENE CREED
ALL: 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 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.
Hymn 528: 4-7
Sermon – Why did Sarah laugh?
Hymn 528: 12-15
The Offering is collected / brought forward
Prayer
P: Dear God our Father, You have graciously brought us to the beginning of a new week.
Forgive us, we pray, for all the sins we have committed this past week, and do not on their account withhold Your blessings from us.
Lord, in this week just beginning, keep us by Your almighty power from all harm and danger. By Your grace preserve us, lest the temptations that assail us succeed in overcoming us.
When problems beset us, teach us to seek their solution in Your Word. For only as You direct us through Your Word, dear God, can we hope to serve You as the Christians we profess to be.
All this we ask in Jesus’ name. 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.
Hymn 147
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
P: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night He was betrayed, took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is My body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” Then He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; this is My blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
The peace of the Lord be with you always! Amen.
DISTRIBUTION of the SACRAMENT – Hymn on p. 12
Communicant members of Trinity and Zion Lutheran Churches or of a sister CLC congregation are invited to come forward – for more information, please see the “Note to visitors...” box below.
Note to Visitors about Holy Communion at Zion and Trinity today
Holy Communion is rightly called a ‘Sacrament’ because it is a “sacred act;” not in what WE do for Christ, but in what Christ does for US! Because God’s Word presents the reception of this Sacrament as a most intimate expression of spiritual and confessional unity (1 Corinthians 1:10; 10:16-17 Romans 16:17-18), we ask that only those who have publicly professed such oneness of faith with us by membership at Trinity or Zion or another CLC church come forward to receive the Sacrament. This is not a judgment of anyone’s faith, but rather an expression of ours. Please speak with the pastor if you are seeking a church home or have any questions. We’d love to have you!
Hymn (melody: 654)
1. Lord, now let Your servant Go his way in peace;
Your great love has brought me Joy that will not cease.
2. For my eyes have seen Him Promised from of old –
Savior of all people, Shepherd of one fold.
3. Light of revelation To the Gentiles shown,
Light of Israel’s glory To the world made known.
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 309
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 - week of July 19
Zion: 22; Trinity: 42; Ladies’ Aid: 5; Voters: 13
previous week – elders: 2(+PK); church council: 9
CALENDAR and ANNOUNCEMENTS
TODAY >> Zion – 8:30 a.m. service; Trinity – 10:30 a.m.
>> PLEASE NOTE – communion at Zion and Trinity is being held
TODAY – one week EARLIER than usual
NEXT SUNDAY >> Zion – 8:30 a.m. service; Trinity – 10:30 a.m.
>> Lay service – led by Myron Kuhlman
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
>> 8/8 Sat Ladies’ informal gathering at the LunchBoxx, 10 a.m.
>> 8/9 Sun Lay service – led by Dave Klatt
>> 8/13 Thu Trinity School Board meeting – 7 p.m.
>> 8/17 Mon First day of school at Trinity Lutheran
>> 8/22 Sat next Des Moines service – 10:30 a.m. – Pastor C. Drehle
>> 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
>> 10/11 Sun Education Sunday / Mission Fest Sunday
guest speaker – ILC Professor Paul Naumann
MANY THANKS!
>> Many thanks to all who helped/participated in our VBS days at Trinity!
>> 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!
REPORTS ARE AVAILABLE on Trinity’s back table and by e-mail later today from last Sunday’s quarterly voters’ meeting
CLC WOMEN’S RETREAT WEST The women of Grace Lutheran in Valentine, NE invite you to the CLC Women's Retreat-West September 18-20 in Oacoma (Chamberlain), SD! We're holding it at the beautiful Arrowood Cedar Shore Resort, overlooking the Missouri River. Registration is now open in both digital (https://tinyurl.com/WR-West2026) and paper formats (available on the back table at Zion/Trinity). More information is also available at https://womensretreat.clclutheran.net and in the CLC Ladies Facebook group. We hope to see you this fall!
UPCOMING REPORT ON CLC CONVENTION Once the full report (the Proceedings) come out, PK and the delegates will report on the various actions taken.
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.
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 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
HECLA HARVEST FESTIVAL is on Sunday, Aug. 9, at 4 p.m.. Our outdoor service of first-fruits thanksgiving with smoked meat dinner returns to what most might remember as Marvin and Gwen's red barn and garden, now the home of Cody and Shelby (Schwab) Wolters: 40055 100th St., Hecla, SD 57446. Guests are welcome to bring a side dish or dessert. For more information, contact pastor_daub@hotmail.com or (605) 994-2145.
IF YOU NEED A PASTOR
while PK is on vacation these next 2 Sundays –
>> You can call him, he will have his cell phone
>> Pastor John Klatt has offered to serve as “pastor on site” until Pastor Krause returns, so you can call him – 605-303-1258
>> Or you are also welcome to contact one of the elders at either Zion or Trinity
At Trinity: Tim Fuerstenau, Myron Kuhlman
At Zion: Dan Eclov, Garry Krause, Dennis Tramp
2026 CLC MISSION HELPER TRIP - EAST AFRICA – The eleven Mission Helpers are done with their work, and are on their way (or are already) home. You can take a look at the blog of their journey at www.2026clcmissionhelpertripeastafrica.blogspot.com. Your prayers are requested and much appreciated.