The Celebration of the Gospel
October 9, 2016 —21st Sunday after Pentecost
“Were not ten made clean?
Did none return to give praise to God except this foreigner?”
— Luke 17.17-18
________We Gather as the Body of Christ______
GREETING
PRELUDE He Hideth My Soul — Wm. Kirkpatrick, arr: Mark Hayes
[As we listen to the music we quiet our minds and bodies,
listen for our hearts’ deepest desires,
and become present to the Holy One who is lovingly present for us.]
* CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: Creator God, for the gifts of Creation
All: we thank you.
Loving Christ, for the gift of your grace and your presence
we thank you.
Holy Spirit, for your power in us, giving us life and love
we thank you.
We praise you. We worship you. Alleluia!
* SONG All Creatures of Our God and King Blue hymnal #62, vv. 1—4, 7
(10:30) CHILDREN’S TIME
____________ We Attend to the Word__________
(10:30) THE WORD IN SONG
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Pastor: The grace of God is with you.
Congregation: And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, we open ourselves in honesty to God.
God of love, help us to see ourselves with the eyes of love,
to see what is loving in us,
and what is not loving.
God, we recall when we have been in harmony with you, or with life, and we give thanks. [Silent prayer…]
We recall when we have been out of harmony, and we seek your grace. [Silent prayer…]
God of mercy, in Christ you have shown us your grace.
Forgive us, heal us, and perfect your love in us.
SILENT PRAYER … THE WORD OF GRACE
RESPONSE Thank You, Lord Blue hymnal #84
PRAYER OF THE DAY
God, when you have spoken to our hearts it has given us joy. We are grateful. So we listen again. Bless us, that we may receive, be changed, and serve you. Amen.
(10:30) OLD TESTAMENT Jeremiah 29.1, 4-7
[The prophet writes a letter to the Israelites who have been taken into exile in Babylon. He urges them not to think they have been helplessly deported, but sent for the purpose of ministry: “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” God commands us to care for the people around us, even if they are foreigners or “enemies.”]
These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
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(10:30) PSALTER Psalm 150
[An exuberant song of thanks and praise to God.]
We praise you, God! We praise you in your sanctuary.
We praise you in the swirling universe!
We praise you for your mighty deeds;
We praise you for your surpassing greatness!
We praise you with the sound of trumpets!
We praise you with lute and harp!
We praise you with tambourine and dance,
with strings and pipe!
We praise you with clanging cymbals,
with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that breathes praise Yahweh!
We praise you, Yahweh!!
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NEW TESTAMENT Philippians 4.4-7
[Paul encourages us to rejoice and be grateful, and to trust God to provide.]
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
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GOSPEL Luke 17.11-19
[Jesus heals ten lepers and sends them to show themselves to the priest (to fulfill the law, and perhaps as part of their healing, and a prophetic witness). But only one of them, the one who is a Samaritan, a despised enemy, returns to give thanks before going away. Jesus asks, “Where are the other nine?”]
On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Did none return to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”
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SERMON
* SONG God, We Thank You
God, with grateful hearts we thank you for your blessings and your grace,
gifts of life and all Creation, gift of all the human race.
For your boundless love and mercy, your forgiveness, given free,
Loving One, we praise and thank you—singing, living joyfully.
For your healing, for your wisdom, guiding us through all our days,
for each person and their varied gifts, we give you endless praise.
Give us grace to thank you, God, for grace that hides in everything.
Give us eyes and ears to notice; give us grateful hearts to sing.
May we come to life in wonder at the gifts that you bestow;
and in generosity of hand and spirit overflow.
Blossoming in gratitude, God, may we gladly serve and give,
praising you in all we do, with thanks throughout the lives we live.
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
[Anyone who wishes may share a prayer concern at the microphone.]
THE PRAYER OF JESUS
Our Mother, 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. Amen.
PASSING THE PEACE
______We Are Sent in Ministry to the World_____
OFFERING OUR GIFTS Rejoice, My Soul, With Gladness — Sigfried Karg-Elert
* OFFERING SONG For the Gift of Creation
For the gift of creation, the gift of your love,
and the gift of your Spirit, by which we live,
we thank you and give you the fruit of our hands.
May your grace be proclaimed by the gifts that we give.
* PRAYER
Gracious God, in gratitude for all you have given us, and in faithful stewardship of what you have placed in our hands to share with the world, we give you these gifts as symbols of our lives. Receive them with love, bless them with grace and use them according to your will, for the sake of the world, in the name of Christ. Amen.
THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD
* SONG Let Us Now Depart in Thy Peace Blue hymnal # 668
* THE BLESSING AND SENDING FORTH
RESPONSE We stand and sing to our neighbors:
May the grace and peace of Christ be with you my friends.
Go and share the love of God, love that never ends.
POSTLUDE Trumpet Tune — John Reading
[During the postlude there are people ready to pray with you at the candles in the corners.]