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Welcome to Worship
Sunday after Pentecost
10:00 AM Service October 6, 2024
Prelude
Welcome and Announcements
Ringing of the Bell
Temple Talk Tom Pearson and Ron Dietzmann
Confession and Forgiveness
Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God, who forgives all our sin, whose mercy endures forever.
Amen.
Let us confess our sin and come to God for healing. Silence is kept for reflection.
Gracious God,
have mercy on us. We confess that we have honored you with our lips, but have harmed our neighbors with our tongues. The cravings at war within us cause conflicts and disputes. In our desire to be first we make distinctions among ourselves. We place the needs of the poor and the suffering last. In your great mercy, forgive us our sins. Draw near to us with grace in time of need, and turn us to follow in the way of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
God promises to forgive our iniquity and to remember our sin no more. By grace you have been saved. In the name of Jesus Christ, the source of eternal healing, your sins are forgiven.
Amen.
Hymn #821 “Shout to the Lord”
Greeting:
L: 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.
L: Liturgist P: Pastor C: Congregation R: Reader
Hymn of Praise
L: Let us pray.
C: Sovereign God, you have created us to live in loving community with one another. Form us for life that is faithful and steadfast, and teach us to trust like little children, that we may reflect the image of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
WORD
First Reading Genesis 2: 18--24
Genesis 2 stresses that people are not meant to live in isolation but in relationship. Out of love for humanity, God creates them male and female, to provide companionship for each other and to become with each other “one flesh.” The Hebrew words used here are ish (man) and ishshah (woman).
18The Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” 19So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. 21So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was taken.” 24Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.
R: The Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God.
Psalm: Psalm 8
Refrain:
PS 8:1 O Lord our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!—
2you whose glory is chanted above the heavens out of the mouths
of infants and children; you have set up a fortress against your
enemies, to silence the foe and avenger.
3When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and
the stars you have set in their courses,
4what are mere mortals that you should be mindful of them, human
beings that you should care for them?
Refrain:
Ps 8: 5Yet you have made them little less than divine; with glory and honor
you crown them.
6You have made them rule over the works of your hands; you have put
all things under their feet:
7all flocks and cattle, even the wild beasts of the field,
8the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, and whatever passes along the
paths of the sea.
9O Lord our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Refrain:
Second Reading Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12
Quoting from the psalms, this passage from Hebrews emphasizes that Jesus, the one through whom God created everything and who sits at God’s right hand, is also the one who experienced human suffering and death in order to blaze the path of salvation for us.
1Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, 2but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. 3He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
2:5Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. 6But someone has testified somewhere, “What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them?
7You have made them for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honor, 8subjecting all things under their feet.” Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them,9but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 10It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, 12saying, “I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters, in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.”
R: The word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God.
Children’s Sermon Pastor Chris Steubing
Please Stand
Gospel Acclamation
The Gospel according to Mark
(After the Gospel is announced, we say)
Glory to you, O Lord.
Gospel Mark 10: 2—16
Jesus announced and enacted in history the new reality of God’s surprising activity. These two stories demonstrate this new reality: Women and chil-dren are accepted and valued, not dismissed as inferior to adult men.
2Some Pharisees came, and to test [Jesus] they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” 5But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. 6But from the beginning of crea-tion, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” 10Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; 12and if she divorces her husband and marries anoth-er, she commits adultery.” 13People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. 14But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. 15Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” 16And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.
The gospel of the Lord.
(After the reading of the Gospel, we say)
C: Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon Pastor Chris Steubing
Remain seated
Hymn WOV #748 “Bind Us Together” (Insert)
L: Together with the whole church, we confess our faith:
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.
The Prayers
L:. . . .God of Grace,
C: Hear our prayer.
The Peace
L: The peace of Christ be with you always.
C: And also with you.
L: You may share the peace with one another.
Offering
Offering Hymn “Come As You Are” (see insert)
David Crowder, Matt Maher and Ben Glover CCLI#7017790
The offering is collected as the hymn is sung. Please stand on the last verse as the offering is brought forward.
Let’s pray,
All: Holy God, gracious and merciful, you bring forth food from the earth and nourish your whole creation. Turn our hearts toward those who hunger in any way, that all may know your care; and prepare us now to feast on the bread of life, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
MEAL
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, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise. . . We praise our name and join their unending:
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.
P: 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: Christ has set the table with more than enough for all. Come!
Communion Distribution---All are welcome at the Lord’s table. The cups contain wine (red) or grape juice (white). Those who do not normally receive communion, are free to come forward for a blessing.
Communion Hymns
Hymn #777 “Come to Me, All Pilgrims Thirsty” vs. 1-4
Hymn #779 “Amazing Grace”
Blessing
P: The body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ, strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
Amen.
Prayer after Communion
P: Let us pray. O God, we give you thanks that you have set before us this feast, the body and blood of your Son. By your Spirit strengthen us to serve all in need and to give ourselves away as bread for the hungry, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Benediction
P: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord’s face shine on you with grace and mercy. The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
Hymn #525 “You Are Holy”
L: Go in peace. Share the Good News.
Thanks be to God.
Postlude
Our thanks to those who serve as our worship leaders::
Our Reader—Jeff Lynch
Our Liturgist—Claire Roberts
Organist—Jimmy Cheung
Music Assistant—Doris Menke
Choir and Hand Bell Director—Wendy Kuenemann
Pastor—Rev. Chris Steubing