Welcome

Opening Litany[1]:
We look to the rulers of this earth for leadership, wisdom, and strength.

We look to these bodies of ours for stability, fulfillment, and joy.

We look to families and friends for love, compassion, and hope.

When rulers betray, when bodies fail, and when families disappoint, God offers another look.
God will guide us.

God’s Spirit will sustain us. Christ will welcome us home. Come, my sisters and brothers,
we are all God’s family now.

Confession & Forgiveness:
Blessed be the holy Trinity, + one God, the God of manna, the God of miracles, the God of mercy.
Amen.

Drawn to Christ and seeking God’s abundance, let us confess our sin.

Silence is kept for reflection.

God, our provider,
help us.  It is hard to believe there is enough to share.  We question your ways when they differ from the ways of the world in which we live.  We turn to our own understanding rather than trusting in you.  We take offense at your teachings and your ways.  Turn us again to you.  Where else can we turn?  Share with us the words of eternal life and feed us for life in the world.  Amen.

Beloved people of God: in Jesus, the manna from heaven, you are fed and nourished. By Jesus, the worker of miracles, there is always more than enough. Through Jesus, + the bread of life, you are shown God’s mercy: you are forgiven and loved into abundant life.
Amen.

Prayer of the Day:
Let us pray.
All-powerful God, in Jesus Christ you turned death into life and defeat into victory. Increase our faith and trust in him, that we may triumph over all evil in the strength of the same Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.

First Reading: Genesis 3:8-15
⁸They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. ⁹But the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” ¹⁰He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” ¹¹He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” ¹²The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.” ¹³Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent tricked me, and I ate.” ¹⁴The LORD God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this, cursed are you among all animals and among all wild creatures; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. ¹⁵I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Gospel: Mark 3:20-35

This is the Holy Gospel according to Mark, the 3rd chapter.
Glory to you, O Lord.

²⁰and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. ²¹When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.” ²²And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.” ²³And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? ²⁴If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. ²⁶And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. ²⁷But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.

²⁸“Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; ²⁹but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— ³⁰for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

³¹Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. ³²A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.” ³³And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” ³⁴And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! ³⁵Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

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:
Let us come before the triune God in prayer.

Prayers continue with each petition ending:

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

We lift our prayers to you, O God, trusting in your abiding grace.
Amen.

Sharing of the Peace

Announcements

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

Sending Litany[2]:
So now we leave this digital space of worship And while so much of the road ahead is different, the path constantly changing, we know some things that are as solid and sure as the ground beneath our feet, and the sky above our heads.

We know God is love. We know Christ’s light endures.

We know the Holy Spirit this there, found in the space between all things, closer to us than our next breath, binding us to each other, until we gather we again.

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:
Almighty God, Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever.
Amen.

Dismissal:
Go in peace. You are the body of Christ.
Amen.

 

Prayer Requests:
Gladys Guffey, Courtney Price, Angela Chaundy, Mark Rabuck, family and friends of Brady Hall, Betty Fawcett, Greg Fawcett, Mason Peluso, family and friends of Bill Criswell, Kay Hilkert, Kay Keister, 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, Glen Van Dyke, Tom Burns, Megan Brodsky, 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] Adapted from The Abingdon Worship Annual 2012, © 2011 Abingdon Press by Mary Scifres. Posted on the Worship Elements page of the Ministry Matters website. http://www.ministrymatters.com/

[2] Adapter from Rev. Nora Vedress, Calvary United Church in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada.