The Bulletin is at: 09-29-2019 – Bulletin
The Service in PDF format is at: 09-29-2019 – Service
or the service is as follows:
SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
September 29, 2019
AS WE GATHER…Jesus tells a story about a rich man and a poor man. The rich man had an earthly life filled with abundance, and he ignored the poor man who was in misery outside his gate. This story gives us pause and causes us to think about how we are treating our neighbors in need. It also reminds us never to trust in our earthly wealth and possessions, but rather to trust always in our Redeemer, Jesus.
RINGING OF THE BELL
CHORAL OPENING: “Joyful Noise” By: Pepper Choplin
Make a joyful noise to the Lord. Shout to God, the Rock of our salvation.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord. Come to His presence with praise and jubilant singing.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord. Serve the Lord with Love and gladness.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord. Gather to worship and bless His name forever.
Know that the Lord, the Lord is God, Creator, Who has made us.
We are the people of our God. We are the sheep, the sheep of His own pasture.
Make a joyful noise. Make a joyful noise. Shout to God the Rock of our salvation.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord. Gather to worship and bless His name forever.
Know that the Lord, the Lord is God; His mercy is everlasting.
Know that the Lord, the Lord is God; His truth endures to ev’ry generation, all generations.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord. Serve the Lord with love and gladness.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord. Gather to worship and bless His name forever.
Make a joyful noise. (x4) Rise up and make a joyful noise!
L: In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
WE CONFESS…
L: Jesus tells us of a rich man and a poor man, whose name was Lazarus. The rich man ignored Lazarus in life, though Lazarus was right outside his door. How often in our own lives do we ignore those who are outside our door, who are in our own community and in need? How often do we put our trust in riches rather than in our Redeemer? We turn to our heavenly Father to ask His mercy and forgiveness.
Silence for reflection
L: Together we confess our sins:
C: Heavenly Father, we confess that we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We confess that we have taken comfort in the riches of this world rather than in the riches of Your kingdom. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus, have mercy on us. Forgive our sins and remove our guilt and shame.
RECEIVING FORGIVENESS
L: Almighty God has shown His love for us in this: He gave His Son, Jesus, to die and rise for all people, for the rich and the poor, for you and for me. As a called and ordained servant of Christ and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
SONG OF PRAISE: Praise to the Lord, the Almighty LBW 543 (v 1 & 4)
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is your health and salvation!
Let all who hear Now to his temple draw near,
Joining in glad adoration!
Praise to the Lord! Oh, let all that is in me adore him!
All that has life and breath, come now with praises before him!
Let the amen Sound from his people again.
Gladly forever adore him!
L: Let us Pray. O God, You are the strength of all who trust in You, and without Your aid we can do no good thing. Grant us the help of Your grace that we may please You in both will and deed; through Jesus, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?”
Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. Now the Lord God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”
“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house– for I have five brothers–so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.'”
SERMON HYMN: They’ll Know We Are Christians
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord,
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord,
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored:
CHORUS: And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,
Yes they’ll know we are Christians by our love.
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand,
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand,
And together we’ll spread the news that God is in our land:
CHORUS
All praise to the Father, from whom all things come,
And all praise to Christ Jesus, His only Son,
And all praise to the Spirit, who makes us one:
CHORUS
C: I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And 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 sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life + everlasting. Amen.
OFFERING
The offerings gathered are a sign of our whole lives offered to God in humble gratitude for his greatest of all offerings, his Son offered for our salvation.
OFFERTORY
L: Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord God, You have taught us through Your Word that the pursuit of a self-centered and complacent faith is not what You have intended for us. Rather, You call us to walk in Your will and ways for the furthering of Your kingdom and the loving of our neighbors.
C: We praise You for Your wisdom, Lord. You know our struggles and our weaknesses and how easily we are deterred from Your will. Empower us to live a life focused on faith, love, care for others, endurance, and joy in You.
L: Lord God, Jesus taught us that there is no eternal value in placing the pursuit of riches as the priority of our life as it leads to a path of separation from You.
C: Strengthen our faith, Lord. Teach us to rely on You rather than our own pursuits and interests. Strengthen us through the work of Your Spirit in us.
L: Grant that those whom You have called and placed as overseers and leaders in Your places of worship may faithfully fulfill the calling in which You have placed them that they may speak Your Word in confidence.
C: Grant that each person in every vocation serve You and others in Your name all the days of their life.
L: Lord God, let the cries of all in need come before You, (especially…). By Your merciful goodness, grant healing to their bodies and peace to their souls.
C: Comfort and support all who are burdened and sorrowful, that in all their sadness, faith may remain firm.
L: Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord.
C: Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER
DISTRIBUTION
Jesus, Name Above All Names TOSB 115
Jesus, Names above all names,
beautiful Savior, glorious Lord,
Emmanuel, God is with us,
blessed Redeemer, living Word.
Jesus, loving shepherd
Vine of the branches, Son of God
Prince of Peace, Wonderful counselor
Lord of the universe, Light of the world
Jesus, Way of salvation,
King of kings, Lord of Lords,
The way the truth, and the Life,
Mighty creator, my Savior and friend.
Amazing Grace TOSB 31
- Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.
- ‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!
- Thro’ many dangers, toils, and snares
I have already come;
‘Tis grace has bro’t me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
- When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun.
Bind Us Together TOSB 14
(Refrain)
Bind us together Lord, Bind us together with cords that cannot be broken,
Bind us together Lord, Bind us together
Bind us together with love.
(Verse)
There is only one God.
There is only one King.
There is only one body.
That is why I sing.
(repeat refrain above)
CLOSING SONG: How Firm a Foundation LBW 507
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in God’s excellent Word!
What more can be said than to you God hath said,
to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?
“Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
for I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
Throughout all their life time my people shall prove
My sovereign eternal, unchangeable love;
And then, when gray hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in my bosom be home.