Worship Service: October 2, 2022

17th Sunday after Pentecost

Prelude

Gathering

Brief Order for Confession and Forgiveness

Please stand as you are able. The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.

P:  In the name of the Father, and of the ☩ Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

C:  Amen.

P:  Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

C:  Amen.

P:  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Please kneel or sit as you are able.

Silence for reflection and self-examination.

P:  Most merciful God,

C:  we confess that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name. Amen.

The minister stands and addresses the congregation.

P:  In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the Church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the ☩ Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

C:  Amen.

Please stand as you are able.

Opening Hymn #249 (green hymnal)

“God Himself Is Present” v. 1-3

1  God himself is present;
let us now adore him
and with awe appear before him!
God is in his temple;
all within keep silence,
prostrate lie with deepest rev’rence.
Him alone God we own,
him, our God and Savior;
praise his name forever!

2  God himself is present;
hear the harps resounding;
see the hosts the throne surrounding!
“Holy, holy, holy!”
Hear the hymn ascending,
songs of saints and angels blending.
Bow your ear to us here:
hear, O Christ, the praises
that your church now raises.

3  Light of light eternal,
all things penetrating,
for your rays our soul is waiting.
As the tender flowers,
willingly unfolding,
to the sun their faces holding:
even so would we do,
light from you obtaining,
strength to serve you gaining.

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.

Hymn of Praise: Hymn #606 (blue hymnal)

“Glory to God” (Liturgy of Joy)

Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to God’s people on earth.
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to God’s people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly king, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.

Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to God’s people on earth.
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to God’s people on earth.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer.

Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to God’s people on earth.
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to God’s people on earth.
For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the father.
Glory to God in the highest. Amen, amen.

Prayer of the Day

P:  The Lord be with you.

C:  And also with you.

P:  Let us pray.
Benevolent, merciful God: When we are empty, fill us. When we are weak in faith, strengthen us. When we are cold in love, warm us, that with fervor we may love our neighbors and serve them for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

C:  Amen.

The Word

Blessing of the Lector

P:  Let us pray.
Bless Sarah, O Lord, as she reads to us the scriptures. As rain and snow come down from heaven and do not return until the earth is watered, let your word not return empty, but accomplish your purpose and succeed in that for which it was sent; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

C:  Amen.

Please be seated.

First Reading: Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4

The oracle that the prophet Habakkuk saw.
O LORD, how long shall I cry for help,
  and you will not listen?
 Or cry to you “Violence!”
  and you will not save?
Why do you make me see wrongdoing
  and look at trouble?
 Destruction and violence are before me;
  strife and contention arise.
So the law becomes slack
  and justice never prevails.
 The wicked surround the righteous—
  therefore judgment comes forth perverted.
2:1 I will stand at my watchpost,
  and station myself on the rampart;
 I will keep watch to see what he will say to me,
  and what he will answer concerning my complaint.
Then the LORD answered me and said:
 Write the vision;
  make it plain on tablets,
  so that a runner may read it.
For there is still a vision for the appointed time;
  it speaks of the end, and does not lie.
 If it seems to tarry, wait for it;
  it will surely come, it will not delay.
Look at the proud!
  Their spirit is not right in them,
  but the righteous live by their faith.

  The word of the Lord.

C:  Thanks be to God.

Psalmody

“Trust in the Lord, Be Good” (Psalm 37)
Stephen Pearson

Leader:
Trust in the Lord, Be Good.
Dwell in His land, enjoy good pasture.
Trust in the Lord, Be Good.
Follow the Way, for God is faithful.

All:
Trust in the Lord, Be Good.
Dwell in His land, enjoy good pasture.
Trust in the Lord, Be Good.
Follow the Way, for God is faithful.

1  Your righteousness will shine as dawn;
the just cause, like the noonday sun.
Refrain from anger, and wait patiently.
Your salvation shall be won.

Refrain (All)

2  Why do the wicked seem to win?
Such forces of darkness they invoke!
Yet God sustains us, the enemy shall pass,
and vanish like the smoke.

Refrain (All)

3  Salvation comes but from the Lord:
our stronghold in trouble and despair.
Be patient and true, and God will save you:
God’s our refuge, hope and prayer.

Second Reading: 2 Timothy 1:1-14

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,
To Timothy, my beloved child:
 Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
I am grateful to God—whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did—when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.
Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher, 12 and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him. 13 Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.

  The word of the Lord.

C:  Thanks be to God.

Please stand as you are able.

Gospel Acclamation

♫ WOV Setting 4
(blue hymnal, p. 17)

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

Gospel: Luke 17:5-10

P:  The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the 17th chapter.

C:  Glory to you, O Lord.

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
“Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your place at the table’? Would you not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink’? Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!’ ”

P:  The Gospel of the Lord.

C:  Praise to you, O Christ.

Please be seated.

Children’s Sermon

Sermon

Silence for reflection and meditation.

Hymn of the Day

“What Is the World Like” v. 1-4

1  What is the world like when God’s will is done?
Mustard seeds grow more than we can conceive:
roots thread the soil; branches reach for the sun.
This is how God moves us each to believe.

2  What is the world like when God’s will is done?
Witness the wandering child coming home;
watch as the parent breaks into a run.
This is how God longs for us when we roam.

3  What is the world like when God’s will is done?
No more is neighbor just ally or friend;
peace thrives in places where once there was none.
This is how God works when rivalries end.

4  What is the world like when God’s will is done?
Ready for feasting, we watch through the night,
tending our lamps till the new day’s begun.
This is how God readies us for the light.

Please stand as you are able.

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God,
 the Father, the Almighty,
  maker of heaven and earth,
  of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
 the only Son of God,
 eternally begotten of the Father,
 God from God, Light from Light,
 true God from true God,
 begotten, not made,
 of one Being with the Father.
 Through him all things were made.
 For us and for our salvation
   he came down from heaven;
   by the power of the Holy Spirit
    he became incarnate from the virgin Mary,
    and was made man.
 For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
  he suffered death and was buried.
  On the third day he rose again
   in accordance with the Scriptures;
  he ascended into heaven
   and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
 He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
  and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
 who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
 With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
 He has spoken through the prophets.
 We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
 We acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
 We look for the resurrection of the dead,
  and the life of the world to come. Amen

The Prayers

A:  Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, and for all people according to their needs.

After each petition:

A:  Lord, in your mercy,

C:  Hear our prayer.

After the last petition:

A:  Into your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

C:  Amen.

Peace

P:  The peace of the Lord be with you always.

C:  And also with you.

The ministers and congregation may greet one another with a gesture of peace.

Offertory Prayer

A:  Let us pray.

C:  Blessed are you, O Lord our God, maker of all things. Through your goodness you have blessed us with these gifts. With them we offer ourselves to your service and dedicate our lives to the care and redemption of all that you have made, for the sake of him who gave himself for us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Meal

Dialogue

P:  The Lord be with you.

C:  And also with you.

P:  Lift up your hearts.

C:  We lift them to the Lord.

P:  Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

C:  It is right to give our thanks and praise.

P:  It is indeed right and salutary that we should at all times and in all places offer thanks and praise to you, O Lord, holy Father, through Christ our Lord; who on this day overcame death and the grave, and by his glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life. And so, with the Church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

Sanctus: Hymn #616a (blue hymnal)

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might: heav’n and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest, hosanna in the highest.

P:  You are indeed holy, O God, the fountain of all holiness; you bring light from darkness, life from death, speech from silence.

  We worship you for our lives and for the world you give us. We thank you for the new world to come and for the love that will rule all in all. We praise you for the grace shown to Israel, your chosen, the people of your promise: the rescue from Egypt, the gift of the promised land, the memory of the ancestors, the homecoming from exile, and the prophets’ words that will not be in vain.

  In all this we bless you for your only-begotten Son, who fulfilled and will fulfill all your promises.

  In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.

  Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.

  For as often as we eat of this bread and drink from this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

C:  Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

P:  Therefore, O God, with this bread and cup we remember the incarnation of your Son: his human birth and the covenant he made with us. We remember the sacrifice of his life: his eating with outcasts and sinners, and his acceptance of death. But chiefly we remember his rising from the tomb, his ascension to the seat of power, and his sending of the holy and life-giving Spirit.

  We cry out for the resurrection of our lives, when Christ will come again in beauty and power to share with us the great and promised feast.

C:  Amen, amen. Come, Lord Jesus, come.

P:  Send now, we pray, your Holy Spirit, that we and all who share in this bread and cup may be united in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, may enter the fullness of the kingdom of heaven, and may receive our inheritance with all your saints in light.

C:  Amen, amen. Come, Holy Spirit, come.

P:  Join our prayers with those of your servants of every time and every place, and unite them with the ceaseless petitions of our great high priest until he comes as victorious Lord of all.

  Through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father, now and forever.

C:  Amen, amen, amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

P:  Lord, remember us in your kingdom, and teach us to pray:

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.

Invitation to Communion

P:  In Christ’s presence there is fullness of joy. Come to the banquet.

Please be seated.

Agnus Dei

♫ WOV Setting 4
(blue hymnal, p. 25)

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
have mercy on us, have mercy on us, have mercy.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
have mercy on us, have mercy on us, have mercy.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
grant us peace.

Communion

P:  The Body of Christ, broken for you.

  The Blood of Christ, shed for you.

Those who wish to commune at the altar rail may either bring forward their individual Communion kit, or receive the wafer and wine/grape juice by intinction (dipping) from the Communion Ministers, when they are directed forward by the usher. Those who wish to commune in their seat with their individual Communion kit may remain seated.

Communion Hymn

“We Walk by Faith” v. 1-4

1  We walk by faith and not by sight;
with gracious words draw near,
O Christ, who spoke as none e’er spoke:
“My peace be with you here.”

2  We may not touch your hands and side,
nor follow where you trod;
but in your promise we rejoice,
and cry, “My Lord and God!”

3  Help then, O Lord, our unbelief;
and may our faith abound
to call on you when you are near
and seek where you are found:

4  For you, O resurrected Lord,
are found in means divine:
beneath the water and the word,
beneath the bread and wine.

Communion Hymn #212 (green hymnal)

“Let Us Break Bread Together”

1  Let us break bread together on our knees;
let us break bread together on our knees.

Refrain
When I fall on my knees,
with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.

2  Let us drink wine together on our knees;
let us drink wine together on our knees. Refrain

3  Let us praise God together on our knees;
let us praise God together on our knees. Refrain

Table Blessing

P:  The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.

C:  Amen.

Post-Communion Canticle: Hymn #624 (blue hymnal)

“Now, Lord” (Detroit Folk Mass)

Now, Lord, you let your servant go in peace:
your word has been fulfilled.
My own eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared in the sight of all people:
a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be forever. Amen.

Post-Communion Prayer

A:  Let us pray.
Pour out upon us the spirit of your love, O Lord, and unite the wills of those whom you have fed with one heavenly food; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

C:  Amen.

Sending

Announcements for God’s Mission in the World

Please stand as you are able.

Blessing

P:  Almighty God, Father, ☩ Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever.

C:  Amen.

Closing Hymn #722 (blue hymnal)

“Hallelujah! We Sing Your Praises”

Refrain
Hallelujah! We sing your praises,
all our hearts are filled with gladness.
Hallelujah! We sing your praises,
all our hearts are filled with gladness. Repeat

1  Christ the Lord to us said:
I am wine, I am bread,
I am wine, I am bread,
give to all who thirst and hunger. Refrain

2  Now he sends us all out,
strong in faith, free of doubt,
strong in faith, free of doubt.
Tell to all the joyful gospel. Refrain

Dismissal

A:  Go in peace. Serve the Lord.

C:  Thanks be to God.

Postlude


Worship Leaders

The Rev. Emily Beckering, Pastor ** away
The Rev. Michael Oakley, Presiding Minister
Kris Keith, Music Director
Kate Wollenburg, Organist
Noah Moorhouse, Assisting Minister
Sarah Papin, Reader

Upcoming Events

Sunday, October 2: 17 Pentecost

9 am Sunday School
10:30 am Worship (in-person / livestreamed)
After worship: Evangelism Committee

Tuesday, October 4

5:30 pm Confirmation Class

Sunday, October 9: 18 Pentecost

**No Sunday School**
10:30 am Worship (in-person / livestreamed)

Tuesday, October 11

6:30 pm Venture Scouts
7 pm St. Paul Players board meeting

Thursday, October 13

6 pm Scouts BSA

Friday, October 14

1 pm Building reserved for wedding prep
5:30 pm Wedding rehearsal

Saturday, October 15

2:30 pm Wedding!

Copyright Notices

God Himself Is Present: Text st. 3 and 4 © Augsburg Publishing House, admin. Augsburg Fortress.

Glory to God: Music by James Capers © 1993 Augsburg Fortress.

Trust in the Lord, Be Good: Text and music by Stephen J. Pearson © 1996 Psalmistry Music.

What Is the World Like: Text by Adam M. L. Tice and music by Sally Ann Morris © 2009 GIA Publications, Inc., giamusic.com. All rights reserved.

We Walk by Faith: Music by Marty Haugen © 1984 GIA Publications, Inc., 7404 S. Mason Ave., Chicago, IL 60638. www.giamusic.com. 800.442.3358. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Let Us Break Bread Together: Arr. © 1972 Contemporary Worship 4, admin. Augsburg Fortress.

Now, Lord (Detroit Folk Mass): Music by Tillis Butler and James Harris © 1986 Fortress Press, admin. Augsburg Fortress.

Hallelujah! We Sing Your Praises: Text and arr. © 1984 Utryck, admin. Walton Music Corp.

Hymns/anthems: Music reprinted and streamed by permission under ONE LICENSE #A‐726103 and CCLI Licenses #21045423 and #21045416. All rights reserved.

Liturgical texts and service music: From SundaysandSeasons.com. Copyright © 2022 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #SAS010308.