GATHERING
WELCOME
In Christ There Is No East or West ELW 650
1 In Christ there is no east or west,
in him no south or north,
but one community of love
throughout the whole wide earth.
2 In Christ shall true hearts ev’rywhere
their high communion find;
his service is the golden cord
close binding humankind.
3 Join hands, disciples of the faith,
whate’er your race may be.
All children of the living God
are surely kin to me.
4 In Christ now meet both east and west,
in him meet south and north;
all Christly souls are one in him
throughout the whole wide earth.
Text: John Oxenham, 1852-1941, alt.
PROMISE OF FORGIVENESS
Blessed be the holy Trinity,☩ one God,
whose compassion endures forever. Amen.
Jesus says, “Come to me,
all you who are weary
and are carrying heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest.”
In the name of God;
Father, ☩ Son, and Holy Spirit,
Creator, ☩ Christ, and Charism Giver,
Source, ☩ Savior, and Sustainer,
our sins are forgiven.
Rest in God’s love.
Receiving this blessing, we dare to confess our sin to God, who loves us.
Silence is kept for reflection.
We pray… Compassionate God,
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 peace in you,
having received the forgiveness only you can give.
In the name and hope of Christ we pray,
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:
Teach us, Lord God, to serve you as you deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight for what is right and not to heed the wounds, to toil toward justice and not to seek for rest, to labor for the common good and not to ask for reward, except that of knowing that we do your will, through Jesus, the Christ, our Savior. Amen.
WORD
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
My Faith Looks Up to Thee ELW 759, vss 1, 3, 4
1 My faith looks up to thee,
thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
take all my guilt away,
oh, let me from this day
be wholly thine!
3 While life’s dark maze I tread
and griefs around me spread,
be thou my guide;
bid darkness turn to day,
wipe sorrow’s tears away,
nor let me ever stray
from thee aside.
4 When ends life’s transient dream,
when death’s cold, sullen stream
shall o’er me roll;
blest Savior, then, in love
fear and distrust remove;
oh, bear me safe above,
a ransomed soul!
Text: Ray Palmer, 1808-1887
ROMANS 9:16-21, 10:4, 8-13
On being right with God.
SERMON Pastor Karla
Lord Jesus, You Shall Be My Song ELW 808
1 Lord Jesus, you shall be my song as I journey;
I’ll tell ev’rybody about you wherever I go:
you alone are our life and our peace and our love.
Lord Jesus, you shall be my song as I journey.
2 Lord Jesus, I’ll praise you as long as I journey.
May all of my joy be a faithful reflection of you.
May the earth and the sea and the sky join my song.
Lord Jesus, I’ll praise you as long as I journey.
3 As long as I live, Jesus, make me your servant,
to carry your cross and to share all your burdens and tears.
For you saved me by giving your body and blood.
As long as I live, Jesus, make me your servant.
4 I fear in the dark and the doubt of my journey;
but courage will come with the sound of your steps by my side.
And with all of the family you saved by your love,
we’ll sing to your dawn at the end of our journey.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
In your great mercy, O God,
answer us with your unfailing help. (Psalm 69:13)
CHOIR ANTHEM “Communion Song”
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
I Love to Tell the Story ELW 661
1 I love to tell the story
of unseen things above,
of Jesus and his glory,
of Jesus and his love.
I love to tell the story,
because I know it’s true;
it satisfies my longings
as nothing else would do.
Refrain
I love to tell the story;
’twill be my theme in glory
to tell the old, old story
of Jesus and his love.
2 I love to tell the story:
how pleasant to repeat
what seems, each time I tell it,
more wonderfully sweet!
I love to tell the story,
for some have never heard
the message of salvation
from God’s own holy word. Refrain
3 I love to tell the story,
for those who know it best
seem hungering and thirsting
to hear it like the rest.
And when, in scenes of glory,
I sing the new, new song,
I’ll sing the old, old story
that I have loved so long. Refrain
Text: Katherine Hankey, 1834-1911
OUR DECLARATION OF MISSION
You are the body of Christ.
We are the body of Christ in the world!
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.
WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST IN THE WORLD, SO LET’S TELL EVERYBODY: WE HAVE GOOD NEWS! HEAVEN HAS COME NEAR! 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
The prophet must speak despite opposition
Answer me, O Lord, for your love is kind. (Ps. 69:16)
Buried and raised with Christ by baptism
The cost of discipleship
Prayer is important to us. We are a people of prayer, and our prayer leads us to know God more completely. Knowing God reassures us that God’s love is sufficient for all we need. Knowing God leads us to action, to working for justice and peace. We dedicate ourselves to making our little corner of the world a better place. We dedicate ourselves to welcoming all of God’s people. We dedicate ourselves to trusting God in all phases of life.
