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Welcome

Opening Litany^[1]:
In a world that cries out, “Fear me!”
we will listen to Jesus’ words, “Do not be afraid!”

In a world that wants us to hate the other…
We will live Jesus’ call to “Love God. Love your neighbor, as you love yourself.”

In a world that radicalizes, we, too, will be radical.
Radical with our hospitality.
Radical with our hope.
Radical with our love.

Then come to this place, ready to be who we are called to be.
Let us gather together and worship God.

Confession and Forgiveness:
Blessed be the + Holy Trinity, the one who fashions us, the one who heals us, the one who reforms us again and again.
Amen.

Let us confess our sin, calling for God’s transforming power.

Silence for reflection and self-examination.

Source of all life,
we confess that we have not allowed your grace to set us free. We fear that we are not good enough. We hear your word of love freely given to us, yet we expect others to earn it. We turn the church inward, rather than moving it outward. Forgive us. Stir us. Reform us to be a church powered by love, willing to speak for what is right, act for what is just, and seek the healing of your whole creation. Amen.

God hears our cry and sends the Spirit to change us and to empower our lives in the world. Our sins are forgiven, + God’s love is unconditional, and we are raised up as God’s people who will always be made new, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Prayer of the Day:
Let us pray.
O Lord God, you are the holy lawgiver, you are the salvation of your people. By your Spirit renew us in your covenant of love, and train us to care tenderly for all our neighbors, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.

 First Reading: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
¹You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain, ²but though we had already suffered and been shamefully mistreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. ³For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, ⁴but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. ⁵As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; ⁶nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, ⁷though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. ⁸So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Gospel: Matthew 22:34-46
³⁴When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, ³⁵and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. ³⁶“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” ³⁷He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸This is the greatest and first commandment. ³⁹And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

⁴¹Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: ⁴²“What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” ⁴³He said to them, “How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying, ⁴⁴‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet” ’?

⁴⁵If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?” ⁴⁶No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

Children’s Sermon

Sermon

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]:
We have heard the voice of God calling, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

We have felt the Spirit moving among us, moving us to acts of compassion and justice.

We have known the love of Jesus. We love because Christ first loved us.

Let us go now to serve our God, who calls us by name.

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:
Matt Koch, Marilyn Gresh, Bob Keifer, Celia Warren, Frank Danowsky, Marie Tanner, Sonja Noll, Irene Stark, Peg Swinehart, Alice Snyder, Greg Seibert, the family and friends of Harold Snyder, Colette Richards, Pat Thomas, Gladys Guffey, Terry Funk, Darv Krouse, Rob Lockwood, Terry Smith, Rodney Heckert, Rebecca Otuszewski, Bonnie Heddings Lyons, Roger Neilson, John Denius, Family and Friends of Joe Moyer.

 

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] Written by Richard Bott, and posted on Sharing Liturgy. http://liturgy.richardbott.com/

[2] Adapted from Mary Scifres, on the Ministry Matters website. http://www.ministrymatters.com/all/blog/entry/1779/worship-elements-october-16-2011