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Psalm 23 & Opening Litany[1]:
¹The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. ²He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; ³he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.

⁴Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me.

⁵You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. ⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life long.

In the darkest valley,
at the banquet table;

in the hard work of life,
at the moments of ease;

in our day-to-day reality,
at times set aside–

like this time, now–
for worship, for listening, for paying attention;

with every step we take:
goodness and mercy follow us; our cups overflow.

Thanksgiving for Baptism:
Refreshed by the resurrection life we share in Christ, let us give thanks for the gift of baptism.

We thank you, risen Christ, for these waters where you make us new, leading us from death to life, from tears to joy.

We bless you, risen Christ, that your Spirit comes to us in the grace-filled waters of rebirth, like rains to our thirsting earth, like streams that revive our souls, like cups of cool water shared with strangers.

Breathe your peace on your church when we hide in fear. Clothe us with your mercy and forgiveness. Send us companions on our journey as we share your life.

Make us one, risen Christ. Cleanse our hearts. Shower us with life.

To you be given all praise with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God, now and forever.
Amen.

Prayer of the Day:
Let us pray.
O Lord Christ, good shepherd of the sheep, you seek the lost and guide us into your fold. Feed us, and we shall be satisfied; heal us, and we shall be whole. Make us one with you, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

First Reading: 1 John 3:16-24
¹⁶We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. ¹⁷How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?

¹⁸Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. ¹⁹And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him ²⁰whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. ²¹Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; ²²and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.

²³And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. ²⁴All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Gospel: John 10:11-18

This is the Holy Gospel according to John, the 10th chapter.
Glory to you, O Lord.

¹¹“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹²The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. ¹³The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. ¹⁴I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, ¹⁵just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. ¹⁷For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. ¹⁸No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.

Children’s Sermon

Sermon

Hymn of the Day

Apostle’s Creed:
Let us confess our faith using the 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:
Alive in the risen Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, we bring our prayers before God who promises to hear us and answer in steadfast love.

Prayers continue with each petition ending:

. . . Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.

In the hope of new life in Christ, we raise our prayers to you, trusting in your never-ending goodness and mercy; 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]:
Day by day, God leads us:
to the deep, deep pools of peace,
to the green, lush lawns of grace.

Day by day, Jesus calls us:
to pour out ourselves in service,
to anoint the stranger with hope.

Day by day, the Holy Spirit shows us:
the community we could be,
the family we are called to become.

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:
May our glorious God grant you a spirit of wisdom to know and to love the risen Lord Jesus.

The God of life, Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever.
Amen.

Dismissal:
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Go in peace. Share the good news. Alleluia!
Thanks be to God! Alleluia!

 

Prayer Requests:
Bryce Warren, Ken Noll Jr., Martha Ketchem, Brooke Houpt, Mary Baker, family and friends of Helen Barsh, Jim, Cole Felker, Marilyn Gresh, family and friends of Mary Kay Harper, Annette Baker, Larry Erb, family and friends of Judy Connolly, family and friends of Clifford Fry, Glen Van Dyke, Kay Hilkert, Darv Krouse, Brenda Krouse, family and friends of Pete Shearer, Tom Burns, Megan Brodsky, family and friends of Frank Danowsky, Bob Keifer, Peg Swinehart.

 

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 Joanna Harader and posted on Spacious Faith. https://spaciousfaith.com/

[2] Written by Thom Shuman on Lectionary Liturgies.