The Celebration of the Gospel
November 5, 2017 —All Saints Sunday
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the realm of heaven.
—Matthew 5.3
________We Gather as the Body of Christ______
GREETING … PRELUDE All Things Bright and Beautiful arr: Sandra Eithun (Ringtones )
8:15 * CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: Loving God, the saints through all the ages praise you.
All: Your glory shines. Alleluia!
The saints in our lives have borne witness to you grace.
Your mercy raises us to new life. Alleluia!
Fill us with your spirit, that we may be your saints,
shining with your light in the darkness.
Your love shines in us; and we praise you and serve you. Alleluia!
8:15 * SONG Blest Are They Black hymnal # 2155
10:30 * CALL TO WORSHIP Revelation 7.9-17
[A vision of people gathered around God’s throne from every nation and culture praising God. They thank God for God’s presence, healing and providence.]
Leader: I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice:
All: Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!
All the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures,
and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God:
Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving
and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.
Then one of the elders addressed me:
Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?
Sir, you are the one that knows.
These are they who have come out of the great ordeal;
they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
For this reason they are before the throne of God,
and worship God day and night within God’s temple,
and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.
They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;
the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat;
for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,
and will guide them to springs of the water of life,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
10:30 * SONG For All the Saints Blue hymnal # 711, vv. 1,2,6
_____________ We Attend to the Word_________
PRAYER
Loving God, we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses, saints through the ages who have shone your light on our way. We are surrounded by saints who have gone before us in death, who have borne your grace in our lives. We are surrounded by the saints among us, who bless us, sustain us, teach us and pray for us. Speak your Word to us and sanctify us, that we may be made holy by your Spirit of love in us, through the grace of Jesus Christ, our Beloved, our Savior, and our hope. Amen.
10:30 NEW TESTAMENT 1 John 3.1-3
[A celebration of God’s love: How much God loves us, that God calls us God’s own children! Our lives are made luminous by our trust that deep within we are like Christ, and Christ’s light shines in us ]
What marvelous love God has lavished on us! Just look at it!
We are called children of God! That is who we really are.
But the world does not recognize us or take us seriously,
because it has no idea who Christ is or what Christ is up to.
But friends, we are children of God.
And that’s only the beginning. Who knows how we will end up!
What we know is that when all things are openly revealed,
we’ll see God – and in seeing God, become like God.
All of us who look forward to Christ’s coming stay ready,
with the glistening purity of Jesus’ life as a model for our own
Alleluia! Amen!
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GOSPEL Matthew 5.1-12
[The “beatitudes” are “blessings” that describe a spirituality of trust in God’s grace. Even when we are without worldly power, goods, or happiness, when we are gentle and devoted to God, God attends to us in love, and God’s infinite power and life flows through us for the healing of the world.]
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.
Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
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SERMON
8:15 SONG Blessed Steve G-H
Dear God, receive me anew, mourning and poor in my soul,
hungry for what makes me whole.
Bless me by making me simple like you.
Refrain: Blessed are the ones who have nothing but God,
for God and God alone shall fill their lives.
Mercy please grant me anew. Make my heart pure by your grace,
humble, that I may see your face.
Bless me by making me gentle like you. Refrain
Courage please give me anew, peace in the world to make,
and to suffer for your Gospel’s sake.
Bless me by making me faithful to you. Refrain
10:30 SONG Blest Are They Black hymnal # 2155
REMEMBERING THE SAINTS
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
SHARING THE PEACE OF CHRIST
___________We Share at Christ’s Table_________
OFFERING OUR GIFTS
* COMMUNION SONG Spirit of the Living God Blue hymnal #393
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING Black hymnal # 2257
[Preface]
Pastor: We thank you God, for your infinite love.
You have created us in your image, called us as your Beloved children,
and made Covenant to be our God.
You have judged the forces of oppression and injustice,
and set us free from all that diminishes life.
You have sent us your saints, women and children and men rooted in your grace,
who have shone the light of your love in our world.
And you have sent us Christ, who gathers us at your table.
We come in joy and thanksgiving, and with all your saints we sing your praise.
[Sanctus]
Blessed are all who come in your name, and blessed is Jesus, your Christ.
Jesus lived in your love, trusted your grace, and flowed freely with your mercy;
and gathered a community built on your grace, open to all.
[The Blessing and Covenant…]
Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me.”
As often as we break this bread and share this cup
we remember his death and resurrection until he comes again.
Remembering these, your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving
as a living and holy sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of our faith:
[Memorial Acclamation]
Pour out your Holy Spirit on these gifts of bread and cup,
that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
Pour out your Holy Spirit on us,
that we may be for the world the Body of Christ,
made holy by your grace, and made witnesses to that grace
by your Spirit in us, in the name and the company of Christ.
[Amen]
THE PRAYER OF JESUS
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.
SHARING THE HOLY MEAL Let Us Break Bread Together arr: Sandra Eithun (Ringtones)
PRAYER OF BLESSING
Gracious God, we thank you for this mystery in which you have given yourself to us. Help us to trust your grace, bear it into the world, and give witness to it in our lives, for the sake of the healing of the world, in the name and Spirit of Christ. Amen.
______ We Are Sent in Ministry to the World_____
THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD
* THE BLESSING AND SENDING FORTH
RESPONSE Please stand and sing to your neighbors:
I am the Church. You are the church. We are the church together.
All who follow Jesus, all around the world, yes we’re the church together.
POSTLUDE Postlude on “SINE NOMINE” – R. Vaughan Williams, arr: Dale G. Rider