GATHERING
WELCOME
Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling ELW 608
1 Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
calling for you and for me.
See, on the portals he’s waiting and watching,
watching for you and for me.
Refrain
“Come home, (Come home,)
come home! (come home!)
You who are weary, come home.”
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling, “O sinner, come home!”
2 Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading,
pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not his mercies,
mercies for you and for me? Refrain
3 Oh, for the wonderful love he has promised,
promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, he has mercy and pardon,
pardon for you and for me. Refrain
Text: Will L. Thompson, 1847-1909
PROMISE OF FORGIVENESS
Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God,
who forgives all our sin,
whose mercy endures forever.
Amen.
We confess our sin before God, who removes our guilt
and blots out all our offenses.
Silence is kept for reflection.
Gracious God, have mercy on us according to your steadfast love.
We have fallen for worldly delights that deceive us and dishonor you.
Gracious God, have mercy on us according to your steadfast love.
We desire self-reliance instead of hungering for your word.
Gracious God, have mercy on us according to your steadfast love.
We fail to recognize your coming reign, and hinder the work of the Spirit.
Gracious God, have mercy on us according to your steadfast love.
We draw from the well of self-serving ambition, and disdain the living water Christ offers.
Gracious God, have mercy on us according to your steadfast love.
We disregard voices of those on the edges of society,
and distrust the signs of your healing and hope in the world.
Gracious God, have mercy on us according to your steadfast love.
We dwell in tombs of self-pity and discontent, and disregard Christ’s call to come forth to new life.
ALL: God’s steadfast love, grace, and forgiveness abound. In faith, through grace, the free gift of God, we have been clothed in the righteousness of Christ.
In the name of ☩ Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven.
The Spirit of the One who raised Christ from the dead
dwells in us, pours God’s love into our hearts,
and gives us life and peace. Amen.
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
We pray together:
Bend your ear to our prayers, Lord Christ, and come among us. By your gracious life and death for us, bring light into the darkness of our hearts, and anoint us with your Spirit, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
WORD
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
Mercy, We Abide in You ACS 1077
Refrain — All
Mercy, we abide in you.
Stir in us, we pray.
Leader
1 In peace, may we assemble.
In peace, may we unite.
In peace, may we be whole.
Move within each heart. Refrain
Assembly
Hm . . . Stir in us, we pray.
Stir in us we pray.
Stir in us we pray. Refrain
2 For all who suffer in war,
for all who struggle for comfort,
for all who slumber in ease.
Move within each heart. Refrain
3 We are broken, longing for peace,
forgiveness, flow among us.
May we be reconciled.
Move within each heart. Refrain
Text: Bret Hesla, b. 1957
Text © 2006 Augsburg Fortress
LUKE 15-1-32
Jesus tells a series of parables about three lost things: a sheep, a coin, a son.
Build a Longer Table ACS 1062
1 Build a longer table, not a higher wall,
feeding those who hunger, making room for all.
Feasting together, stranger turns to friend,
Christ breaks walls to pieces; false divisions end.
2 Build a safer refuge, not a larger jail;
where the weak find shelter, mercy will not fail.
For any place where justice is denied,
Christ will breach the jail wall, freeing all inside.
3 Build a broader doorway, not a longer fence.
Love protects all people, sparing no expense.
When we embrace compassion more than fear,
Christ tears down our fences: all are welcome here.
4 When we lived as exiles, refugees abroad,
Christ became our doorway to the reign of God.
So must our tables welcome those who roam.
None can be excluded; all must find a home.
Text: David Bjorlin, b. 1984 Text © 2018 GIA Publications, Inc., giamusic.com.
SERMON Pastor Karla
CHOIR ANTHEM “Sanctuary”
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Prayer Response: Though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we shall fear no evil;
for you are with us; your rod and your staff, they comfort us. (Psalm 23:4)
MEAL
OFFERING OUR GIFTS FOR THE MISSION
AND MINISTRY OF GOD’S CHURCH
We have prayed. We have sung. We have heard the Word. Now, being thankful for the ministry we are called to do, we are invited to offer ourselves; our time, talents and treasure in faithful witness of the good things God has done for us and in confidence that our worship extends beyond this place and time. Your financial contributions are gratefully accepted to further the life and ministry of Gethsemane Lutheran. Thank you.
EUCHARISTIC PRAYER
AND WORDS OF INSTITUTION
LORD’S PRAYER
And now, join me in praying as Jesus taught us…
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
DISTRIBUTION
POST COMMUNION BLESSING
SENDING
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
BLESSING
My Life Flows On in Endless Song ELW 763
1 My life flows on in endless song;
above earth’s lamentation,
I catch the sweet, though far-off hymn
that hails a new creation.
Refrain
No storm can shake my inmost calm
while to that Rock I’m clinging.
Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth,
how can I keep from singing?
2 Through all the tumult and the strife,
I hear that music ringing.
It finds an echo in my soul.
How can I keep from singing? Refrain
3 What though my joys and comforts die?
The Lord my Savior liveth.
What though the darkness gather round?
Songs in the night he giveth. Refrain
4 The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
a fountain ever springing!
All things are mine since I am his!
How can I keep from singing? Refrain
Text: Robert Lowry, 1826-1899
OUR DECLARATION OF MISSION
You are the body of Christ.
We are the body of Christ, indeed!
So go in peace
To explore the faith
Live in peace
To express our faith to others
Share the peace
By inviting others to join us on this journey.
All: Go in peace. Believe the good news. THANKS BE TO GOD.
Confession and Forgiveness, Reading synopsis, Prayer of the Day, and cover art from Sundays and Seasons. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Please visit their Web site at www.augsburgfortress.org. All music is used with permission under CCLI #3225965.
LECTIONARY READINGS FOR TODAY
David is chosen and anointed
You anoint my head with oil. (Ps. 23:5)
Awake from sleep, live as children of light
Baptismal image: the man born blind
