Welcome & Announcements

Prelude

Confession & Forgiveness:
Blessed be the holy Trinity, + One God, who creates us, redeems us, and calls us by name.
Amen.

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

Silence is kept for reflection.

Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you and your beloved children.  We have turned our faces away from your glory when it did not appear as we expected.  We have rejected your word when it made us confront ourselves.  We have failed to show hospitality to those you called us to welcome.  Accept our repentance for the things we have done and the things we have left undone.  For the sake of Jesus Christ, have mercy on us.  Forgive us and lead us, that we may bathe in the glory of your Son born among us, and reflect your love for all creation.  Amen.

Rejoice in this good news: In + Christ Jesus, your sins are forgiven. You are descendants of the Most High, adopted into the household of Christ, and inheritors of eternal life. Live as freed and forgiven children of God!
Amen.

Opening Hymn: ELW 707 “Lord of Glory, You Have Bought Us”

Lord of glory, you have bought us with your life-blood as the price,
never grudging for the lost ones that tremendous sacrifice;
and with that hast freely given blessings countless as the sand
to the unthankful and the evil with your own unsparing hand.

Grant us hearts, dear Lord, to give you gladly, freely, of your own.
With the sunshine of your goodness melt our thankless hearts of stone
till our cold and selfish natures, warmed by you, at length believe
that more happy and more blessed ’tis to give than to receive.

Wondrous honor you have given to our humblest charity
in your own mysterious sentence, “You have done it all to me.”
Naked, sick, in prison, hungry –in the least, your face we view,
saying by your poor and needy, “Give as I have giv’n to you.”

Lord of glory, you have bought us with your life-blood as the price,
never grudging for the lost ones that tremendous sacrifice.
Give us faith to trust you boldly, hope, to stay our souls on you:
but, oh, best of all your graces, with your love our love renew.

Apostolic Greeting:
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.

Prayer of the Day:
Let us pray.
O Lord Jesus, make us instruments of your peace, that where there is hatred, we may sow love, where there is injury, pardon, and where there is despair, hope. Grant, O divine master, that we may seek to console, to understand, and to love in your name, for you live with the Father and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

First Reading: Genesis 45:3-11, 15
³Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence.

⁴Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me.” And they came closer. He said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. ⁵And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. ⁶For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. ⁷God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. ⁸So it was not you who sent me here, but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. ⁹Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. ¹⁰You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. ¹¹I will provide for you there—since there are five more years of famine to come—so that you and your household, and all that you have, will not come to poverty.’

¹⁵And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Gospel: Luke 6:27-38
This is the Holy Gospel according to Luke, the 6th chapter.
Glory to you, O Lord.

²⁷“But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. ²⁹If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. ³⁰Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. ³¹Do to others as you would have them do to you.

³²“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ³³If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ³⁴If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. ³⁵But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. ³⁶Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

³⁷“Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; ³⁸give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”

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

Children’s Message

Sermon

Hymn of the Day: ELW 359 “Where Charity and Love Prevail
Where charity and love prevail, there God is ever found;
brought here together by Christ’s love, by love we thus are bound.

With grateful joy and holy fear, God’s charity we learn;
let us with heart and mind and soul now love God in return.

Let us recall that in our midst dwells Christ, God’s holy Son;
as members of each body joined, in him we are made one.

Let strife among us be unknown; let all contentions cease.
Be God’s the glory that we seek; be his our only peace.

Let us forgive each other’s faults as we our own confess,
that we may love each other well in Christian gentleness.

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
The Spirit of the Lord is poured out upon us in abundance; so we are bold to pray for the church, the world, and all that God has made.

Prayers continue with each petition ending:

God of grace,
hear our prayer.

Since we have such great hope in your promises, O God, we lift these and all our prayers to you in confidence and faith through Jesus Christ our Savior
Amen.

Offering

The Great Thanksgiving:
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God, through our Savior Jesus Christ. By the leading of a star he was shown forth to all nations; in the waters of the Jordan you proclaimed him your beloved Son; and in the miracle of water turned to wine he revealed your glory. And so, with all the choirs of angels, with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name saying:
Alleluia! Come Holy Spirit!

You are indeed holy, almighty and merciful God. You are most holy, and great is the majesty of your glory.

You so loved the world that you gave your only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life.

We give you thanks for his coming into the world to fulfill for us your holy will and to accomplish all things for our salvation.

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.

For as often as we eat of this bread and drink from this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

Remembering, therefore, his salutary command, his life-giving passion and death, his glorious resurrection and ascension, and the promise of his coming again, we give thanks to you, O Lord God Almighty, not as we ought but as we are able; we ask you mercifully to accept our praise and thanksgiving and with your Word and Holy Spirit to bless us, your servants, and these your own gifts of bread and wine, so that we and all who share in the body and blood of Christ may be filled with heavenly blessing and grace, and, receiving the forgiveness of sin, may be formed to live as your holy people and be given our inheritance with all your saints.

To you, O God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be all honor and glory in your holy church, now and forever.
Amen.

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.

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

Table Blessing:
The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
Amen.

Post-Communion Prayer:
Let us pray.
We give you thanks, gracious God, for we have feasted on the abundance of your house. Send us to bring good news and to proclaim your favor to all, strengthened with the richness of your grace in your Son, Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Benediction:
God, who leads you in pathways of righteousness, who rejoices over you, and who calls you by name, + bless your going out and your coming in, today and forever.
Amen.

Sending Hymn: ELW 452 “Awake, O Sleeper, Rise from Death”
Awake, O sleeper, rise from death, and Christ shall give you light;
so learn his love, its length and breadth, its fullness, depth and height.

To us on earth he came to bring from sin and fear release,
to give the Spirit’s unity, the very bond of peace.

Then walk in love as Christ has loved, who died that he might save;
with kind and gentle hearts forgive as God in Christ forgave.

For us Christ lived, for us he died, and conquered in the strife.
Awake, arise, go forth in faith, and Christ shall give you life.

Sharing of the Peace & Dismissal:
May the peace of the Lord be with you always.
And also with you.

Go with Christ into a weary world. Share the good news!
Thanks be to God!

Postlude

 

Prayer Requests:
Kay Martin, Jeff Charles, Ryan Hunter, Dr. Elwood Reiner, Ron Guffey, Dave Wall, Roger Neilson, Rosemary Fernsler, Malcolm Arter, Russ Wynn, Janet Day, Brandon Baker, Justin Golder, Carson Rehm, Lauren Rehm, Viv Marsh, family and friends of Barry Hauck, family and friends of Gladys Hauck, Shirley Russell, Frank Danowsky Jr., family and friends of Barry Beck, Dale Robbins, Barbara Church, family and friends of Willard Hauck, Shirley Hauck, Kim Payne, family and friends of Darv Krouse, family and Friends of Irene Stark, Gladys Fawcett, Peyton Weiser, Alice Snyder, Marie Tanner, Grace Yost, Peg Swinehart,  Martha Ketchem, Bob Keifer.

 

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.