St Ansgar Lutheran Church, London

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Sunday Morning

We invite you to join us for the following worship services:

Sundays
10:30 a.m. Worship service

Hand sanitizer will be available at the entrance and other locations in the church for
your use.

Washrooms will be available for use.

In the service: The service will be shown on the screen. The offering will not be gathered and presented, but there will be an offering plate at the back of the sanctuary where you can put your offering as you enter or leave. Pastor David distributes the communion wafers and an Assisting Minister distributes wine or grape juice in individual glasses.

We have coffee and fellowship time available again in Luther Hall after the service.

We will continue to evaluate our worship service procedures on a monthly basis.

ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, AUGUST 9 2026

St. Ansgar Lutheran Church, Outline for Worship (with sermon)
August 9, 2026 – Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost
Based on ELW Setting Four

GATHERING

WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS

BRIEF ORDER FOR CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
P: Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God, whose compassion endures forever. ☩
C: Amen.

P: Let us confess our sin to God.

Silence is kept for reflection.

P: Compassionate God,
C: we confess to you all our sins.
Our burden is heavy, and we cannot free ourselves.
In your mercy, call us back to you.
Your yoke is easy and your burden is light.
Restore us to dwell in your peace. In Christ’s name we pray.
Amen.

P: Jesus says, “Come to me, all who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest.”
In the name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, your sins are forgiven. Rest ☩
in God’s love.
C: Amen.

ENTRANCE HYMN - Eternal Father, Strong to Save (ELW #756)

GREETING
P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion
of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C: And also with you

KYRIE
A: In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.

A: For the peace from above, and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.

A: For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God,
and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.

A: For this holy house, and for all who offer here their worship and praise,
let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.

A: Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
C: Amen.

HYMN OF PRAISE (ELW p. 149)
P: This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia.
C: Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain,
whose blood set us free to be people of God.
Power and riches and wisdom and strength,
and honour and blessing and glory are his.
This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia.
Sing with all the people of God
and join in the hymn of all creation:
Blessing and honour and glory and might
be to God and the Lamb forever. Amen.
This is the feast of victory for our God,
for the Lamb who was slain has begun his reign.
Alleluia. Alleluia.

PRAYER OF THE DAY
P: Let us pray.
P: God our defender, storms rage around and within us and cause us to be
afraid. Rescue your people from despair, deliver your sons and daughters from
fear, and preserve us in the faith of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and
Lord.
C: Amen

WORD

FIRST READING: 1 Kings 19:9-18
9 At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there. Then the word of
the LORD came to him, saying, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 10 He
answered, "I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the
Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your
prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it
away." 11 He said, "Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD, for the
LORD is about to pass by." Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was
splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the
LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was
not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not
in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. 13 When Elijah heard it,
he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the
cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, "What are you doing here,
Elijah?" 14 He answered, "I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of
hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars,
and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my
life, to take it away." 15 Then the LORD said to him, "Go, return on your way to
the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king
over Aram. 16 Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and
you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your
place. 17 Whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall kill; and
whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill. 18 Yet I will leave
seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every
mouth that has not kissed him."

A: The word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.

PSALM: Psalm 85: 8-13
8 I will listen to what the Lord God is saying;
for you speak peace to your faithful people and to those who turn their
hearts to you.
9 Truly, your salvation is very near to those who fear you,
that your glory may dwell in our land.
10 Steadfast love and faithfulness have met together;
righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11 Faithfulness shall spring up from the earth,
and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
12 The Lord will indeed grant prosperity,
and our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness shall go before the Lord
and shall prepare for God a pathway.

SECOND READING: Romans 10:5-15
5 Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that "the
person who does these things will live by them." 6 But the righteousness that
comes from faith says, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into
heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 "or 'Who will descend into the
abyss?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? "The
word is near you, on your lips and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that
we proclaim); 9 because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and
believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10
For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the
mouth and so is saved.11 The scripture says, "No one who believes in him will
be put to shame." 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the
same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. 13 For,
"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." 14 But how are
they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe
in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without
someone to proclaim him? 15 And how are they to proclaim him unless they are
sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

A: The word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
C: Alleluia. Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
P: The Holy Gospel according Matthew 14:22-33
C: Glory to you, O Lord.

22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the
other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the
crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he
was there alone, 24 but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far
from the land, for the wind was against them. 25 And early in the morning he
came walking toward them on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him
walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out
in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; do
not be afraid." 28 Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come
to you on the water." 29 He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started
walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he noticed the
strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord,
save me!" 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying
to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" 32 When they got into the boat,
the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, "Truly you
are the Son of God."

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

SERMON
Matthew 14:22-33
The sermon for today has been prepared by Bishop Jason Zinko, Bishop of the
Manitoba/Northwestern Ontario Synod of the ELCIC.

Hi everyone. I am Bishop Jason Zinko, serving the Manitoba/Northwestern
Ontario Synod of the ELCIC.
I would imagine that most of you here know this gospel story. You have probably
heard it many times before. And even if you haven’t heard the story or you’re not
sure of the details, I’m sure that you’re familiar with the fact that Jesus walked
on water. This is, after all, one of Jesus’ more well-known miracles.
But as we hear this story again today, I wonder what stood out for you. I wonder
if your imagination was drawn to the fact that Jesus sent the disciples on ahead
of him. Or maybe it was the stormy seas and the disciples afraid in the boat. I
can imagine that some of you zeroed in on Peter stepping out of the boat at
Jesus’ command. And some of you may have connected with Peter sinking and
crying out for help. Some of you will no doubt understand the anxiety and doubt
that blankets the whole story. And others would have seen God’s grace revealed
in this story.
In the work that I do, I am generally working with congregations – with groups
and systems. And, I usually work with those groups during periods of anxiety
and unhealth. So, the version of this story that often comes to me is the one that
focuses on the disciples being in a boat out to sea, taking on water, and needing
saving. And just between you and me, it’s not usually saving that they want – it’s
a return to happier times that happened yesterday.
I can empathize with that story. And I can relate.
But I don’t think that’s the story that Matthew is telling.
This story, in the end, is not about anxiety, fear, failure, or doubt. This is a story
about faith and grace.
This gospel reading comes right on the heels of last week’s story of Jesus
feeding the 5000. In fact, it comes ‘immediately’ after the crowds have finished
eating and the leftovers have been gathered. Jesus hadn’t even been allowed to
mourn the death of John the Baptist yet, and so after the crowds leave and the
disciples are sent on their way, he takes some time alone with God on the
mountain.
Then the scene switches over to the disciples. They are tired after fighting the
wind and waves all night. They think they see a ghost and are frightened. When
Peter does take a chance that he can walk on water, he ends up almost sinking
before being pulled out of the water and back onto the boat.
Our normal read of this is to say, “Well, Peter sank because he doubted. If he
just didn’t doubt, he would have been fine.”
Maybe that’s true. Maybe, if Peter had kept his eyes on Jesus and believed
beyond all doubt that his faith would allow him to do the impossible, this story
would have ended differently. And there are some religious traditions that would
say that if we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, we’ll never sink again.
But there’s a problem with that message. The problem is, basically, that it’s
really not how things work.
I can’t think of a single person who has ever had total, unwavering faith in the
face of all obstacles and challenges. I have never heard of anyone with such a
strong faith that doubt never crept into their minds through any storm.
Think about the metaphorical storms that we face. We are scared, anxious, and
insecure about a lot of things. We worry about kids and grandkids, friends,
significant others, finances, health, politics, work, and on and on. We worry
about if we will be accepted for who we are, if we have the courage to speak up
when needed, and about the world around us.
Those worries can toss us around like we’re adrift at sea. And no matter how
often we try to leave it in God’s hands, we can’t help but be distracted and try to
take care of all those things on our own. I mean really, there is no shortage of
things that we can worry about. And to hear “oh just keep your eyes on Jesus
and everything will be OK” doesn’t help matters. In fact, I think that it might just
make us feel worse. Because then we would have to worry about being a bad
disciple on top of everything else.
To me, reading the story this way takes away from the gospel, and turns the
story into plain old advice. Don’t get me wrong; it is good advice. We should
keep our eyes on Jesus. But to leave it at that robs the story of the gospel that
lies at the heart of it.
I would say that to hear the gospel – the good news of Jesus Christ – in this
reading, we need to forget about Peter for a minute and look at what Jesus is
doing. Jesus was the one that went to the disciples. Jesus was the one willing to
prove (again) who he was. Jesus was the one who reached out and caught
Peter in his most desperate time.
As fellow imperfect disciples, we need that Jesus. We need that good news that
no matter what storms we face, Jesus will be there to catch us. We need to
know that not even an ocean can separate Jesus from his disciples. We need to
know that despite our imperfections, we are perfect and loved in the eyes of
Christ, and we are worth being grabbed before slipping under.
The life of faith is not perfect. Even the disciples who travelled with Jesus saw
death, injustice, and brokenness. They saw fear and doubt. Jesus didn’t
magically make that go away. But through it all, Jesus was still there to help and
to heal, to guide and to teach, to love and to forgive.
We too, see death, injustice, and brokenness. More often these days we hear
about groups being marginalized. We hear about leaders fostering conflict and
polarizing the people they lead. We hear about record-breaking profits while
large portions of our country suffer and struggle to pay for necessities of life. It is
understandable, when we are being bounced around in seas like those, that we
too will have our moments of doubt, anger, and fear.
But that is the life of faith. It is not about being perfect and completely
unwavering no matter what. The life of faith is one in which we know we will not
be perfect, but where we know enough to realize that we need God’s saving
grace in Jesus.
We will fail as disciples. Of that, I am sure. But I am even more sure that Jesus
will reach out to catch us in our doubt and fear and failure. It doesn’t matter our
size, shape, colour, expression, experience, or station. Jesus will continue to call
us, continue to hold us up, and continue to lead us on. That is the faith and the
grace that we can rely on.
There’s one last thing that’s worth mentioning.
This wasn’t the end of the story for the disciples.
Jesus continued to call and lead his disciples into ministry in the world. Despite
their imperfections, Jesus goes on with his disciples to heal people, eat with
those on the margins, restore people, witness Christ’s Transfiguration, and
continue in ministry after Jesus’ death and resurrection.
And Jesus continues to call us into that work as his disciples. Despite our flaws,
our moments of doubt, and our imperfections, Jesus calls us to be with the
marginalized, to feed the hungry, to bring comfort, to bring healing, and to live
out and share the promise of life and grace that we have come to know through
the gospel.
I pray that you and you congregations will have the courage to hear Jesus’ call,
to risk getting out of the boat, and to know that we need Jesus’ help to carry us
and move us forward and that we can always depend on that help. AMEN.

HYMN OF THE DAY – O God, Our Help in Ages Past (ELW #632)

APOSTLES’ CREED
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.

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
A: With bold trust in God’s unfailing provision, we pray for the church, those in
need, and all of God’s creation.
A: God of our church, send forth your Spirit as we pray for our Bishops Larry and
Carla. Empower them with your wisdom to lead the church. We also pray for the
Thames Ministry area, especially retired Pastors Jack Dressler, Jim Garey, John
Goldsworthy, Tom Ristine, Glen Sellick, and Bob Zimmerman. Merciful God,
C: receive our prayer.

A: We pray for the servants of your gospel in every place, that your word may be
heard. Where your voice is scorned and your people are persecuted, strengthen
the church in its faithful witness. Merciful God,
C: receive our prayer.

A: For this world you have created, that all life may flourish. Preserve
biodiversity in all its variety and help ecosystems to survive the extremes of
a changing climate. Move our hearts with compassion to join in this work.
Merciful God,
C: receive our prayer.

A: For leaders of towns and cities, provinces and territories, nations, and
organizations, and all who are in authority, that they may lead with justice and
integrity. Teach us to respond with Christ-like mercy to all who are afraid or in
danger. Merciful God,
C: receive our prayer.

A: For all who struggle amid the storms of life, that they find peace and hope in
your loving presence. Comfort any who are lonely or grieving, and all who suffer
in any way. We pray especially for Beth, Jean, Mary Margaret, Kristine, Karen,
Emma, Cathy, Lene, Lyra, Bud, Pastor Bob, Margaret, and those others who are
in our hearts. Merciful God,
C: receive our prayer.

A: For this congregation and its ministries, that they reflect your love and life
amid a turbulent world. Guide council members and other church leaders with
your still, calm voice. Merciful God,
C: receive our prayer.

A: Merciful God, we pray for peace as war continues in Ukraine and in the
Middle East. Shelter all living in fear; protect those seeking refuge in
neighbouring countries; sustain families separated by the horrors of war;
tend to those who are injured; comfort all who mourn their dead.
Direct your people into the way of peace. Merciful God,
C: receive our prayer.

A: We give thanks for the faithful who have gone before us. Guide us in our
earthly journey, that we may one day join them in your eternal kingdom. Merciful
God,
C: receive our prayer.

A: Receive our prayers and answer, O God, as you have promised. All this we
ask in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.

PEACE
P: The peace of Christ be with you always.
C: And also with you.

LORD’S PRAYER
P: Lord, remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray.
C: 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.

SENDING

BLESSING
P: Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, + one God, bless, heal, and hold you today
and always.
C: Amen.

SENDING HYMN – When Peace like a River (ELW #785)

DISMISSAL
A: Heaven has come near. Go, share the good news!
C: Thanks be to God.

DISMISSAL HYMN – The Lord Now Sends Us Forth (ELW #538)
Verse 1
The Lord now sends us forth
with hands to serve and give,
to make of all the earth
a better place to live. Repeat (2X)

Verse 2
The angels are not sent
into our world of pain
to do what we were meant
to do in Jesus' name;
that falls to you and me
and all who are made free.
Help us, O Lord, we pray,
to do your will today. Repeat (2X)