Welcome

Opening Prayer^[1]:
God of justice, peace and righteousness come into our midst this morning.

Breathe your breath, your Spirit of prophecy, your energy, your enlivening, your imagination on us.

Wake us up, open our eyes, unplug our ears
That we might hear
That we might see
That we might grieve
That we might dream
That we might follow the ways of your extraordinary kingdom
Amen

Confession and Forgiveness:
Blessed be the holy Trinity, + one God, who creates, redeems, and sustains us and all creation.
Amen.

Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.

Silence is held for reflection.

Faithful God,
have mercy on us.  We confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves.  We turn from your loving embrace and go our own ways.  We pass judgment on one another before examining ourselves.  We place our needs before those of our neighbors.  We keep your gift of salvation to ourselves.  Make us humble, cast away our transgressions, and turn us again to life in you through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.  Amen.

God hears the cries of all who call out in need, and through his death and resurrection, Christ has made us his own. Hear the truth that God proclaims: Your sins are forgiven in the name of + Jesus Christ. Led by the Holy Spirit, live in freedom and newness to do God’s work in the world.
Amen.

Prayer of the Day:
O Lord God, enliven and preserve your church with your perpetual mercy. Without your help, we mortals will fail; remove far from us everything that is harmful, and lead us toward all that gives life and salvation, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.

First Reading: Psalm 119:33-40
³³        Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes,
and I will observe it to the end.
³⁴        Give me understanding, that I may keep your law
and observe it with my whole heart.
³⁵        Lead me in the path of your commandments,
for I delight in it.
³⁶        Turn my heart to your decrees,
and not to selfish gain.
³⁷        Turn my eyes from looking at vanities;
give me life in your ways.
³⁸        Confirm to your servant your promise,
which is for those who fear you.
³⁹        Turn away the disgrace that I dread,
for your ordinances are good.
⁴⁰        See, I have longed for your precepts;
in your righteousness give me life.

Second Reading: Romans 13:8-14
⁸   Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. ⁹ The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet”; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.

¹¹   Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; ¹² the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; ¹³ let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. ¹⁴ Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Gospel: Matthew 18:15-20
¹⁵   “If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. ¹⁶ But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. ¹⁷ If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. ¹⁸ Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. ¹⁹ Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

Children’s Sermon

Sermon: Bishop BJ Collins

Hymn of the Day:

Apostle’s Creed:
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. Amen.

Prayers of Intercession:
http://www.pilgrimpaths.co.uk/Finger%20Labyrinth%20and%20Prayer%20Guide%20Leaflet.pdf

http://www.pilgrimpaths.co.uk/Finger%20Labyrinth%20and%20Prayer%20Guide%20Leaflet.pdf

Confident of your care and helped by the Holy Spirit, we pray for the church, the world, and all who are in need. 

. . .  Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer. 

In the certain hope that nothing can separate us from your love, we offer these prayers to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Sharing of the Peace

Announcements

Offering
https://tithe.ly/give_new/www/#/tithely/give-one-time/468062

Sending Litany[2]:
The time for going on alert is with us. The hour has arrived for us to stop sleeping and wake up. Now is our full salvation nearer than when we first believed.

The night is almost over and the dawn is in the sky. So let us throw off the trappings of the night and dress ourselves for the coming new day.

Jesus, the brightest star of the morning, gives us his promise: “Look! I am coming quickly.”
The Spirit and the church say “Come!”
Let everyone who hears answer, “Come!”
Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

Lord’s Prayer:
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us saying:
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.

Benediction:
As you go from here, remember to love.
For love is what God asks of us; it is the very heart and soul of what it means to follow Jesus Christ. So go from here to love and serve God by loving and serving those you meet.

May Almighty God, Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you and lead you into the way of truth and life.
Amen

Dismissal:
Go in peace. Remember the poor.
Thanks be to God!

Prayer Requests:
Bob Keifer, Celia Warren, Frank Danowsky, Marie Tanner, Irene Stark, Peg Swinehart, Alice Snyder, Brock Baker, the family and friends of Robert Koch, Greg Seibert, Harold Snyder, Colette Richards, Pat Thomas, Gladys Guffey, Terry Funk, Darv Krouse, Terry Smith, Rodney Heckert, and Rebecca Otuszewski.

Portions reprinted from Evangelical Lutheran Worship, copyright 2006.  Used by permission of Augsburg Fortress, license #SBL09796L.  Music reprinted from the ELW, by permission of OneLicense, license #A712349.  Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.   Used by permission.

[1] Adapted from the Jonny Baker blog. http://jonnybaker.blogs.com/jonnybaker/2012/07/wake-up.html

[2] Adapted from Bruce Prewer, and posted on Bruce Prewer’s Home Page. http://www.bruceprewer.com/DocA/01advent1.htm