September 3rd, 2017
Time after Pentecost, Lectionary 22a
Holy Communion Now the Feast
INTRODUCTION
The prophet Jeremiah speaks of the incurable wound of his suffering, yet
finds in Gods words the delight of his heart. When Peter doesnt grasp
Jesus words about suffering, Jesus tells the disciples they will find their
lives in losing them. Such sacrificial love is described by Paul when he
urges us to associate with the lowly and not repay evil with evil. In worship
we gather as a community that we might offer ourselves for the sake of our
suffering world.
CHILDREN are always welcome to our Worship Service. Rainbow bags
and a cry room are available. A staffed nursery is also available if needed.
An usher will gladly provide you with assistance.
As a worship courtesy, we ask that you please turn off or set to vibrate
all cellular telephones and pagers during the worship service.
We ask that all present today please fill out the Attendance and Communion
registration card found in your bulletin and place it in the offering plate so
that we may record your presence with us.
PRAYER UPON ENTERING THE PEW
Almighty God, your Son Jesus Christ dignified our labor by sharing our
toil. Guide us with your justice in the workplace, so that we may never
value things above people, or surrender honor to love of gain or lust for
power. Prosper all efforts to put an end to work that brings no joy, and
teach us how to govern the ways of business to the harm of none and for
the sake of the common good; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE ORDER OF WORSHIP
PRELUDE O del mio dolce ardor Christof Willibald von Gluck
WELCOME
INVOCATION
In the name of the Father, and of the (+) Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
THANKSGIVINGS AND PRAYERS FOR VOCATIONS IN THE WORLD
Dear friends: United with all the baptized in the one body of Christ,
anointed with the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are joined in Gods mission for
the life of the world. We live out our baptismal calling in our families,
churches, neighborhoods, and in the work we do in the world.
Let us pray: O God, the heavens declare your glory and tell of your work in
creation. From you come the gifts of our bodies and minds, our skills and
abilities, and the opportunities to use these gifts in sustaining our lives and
in helping our neighbors.
We give you thanks and we pray for those whose labor contributes to the
wellbeing of all:
for homemakers and farmworkers,
for those who work in business or industry,
for professionals and clerical workers,
for government workers and public servants,
for service workers and food workers,
for those who organize and engage in charitable work,
for those who work in churches and religious institutions.
We thank you for those who are fulfilled in good work. Amen.
We pray for all who face any difficulty in their labor:
for those whose livelihood is insecure,
for those who have not found work which contributes to common good,
for those underemployed or underpaid,
for those who are overworked, over-stressed, or underappreciated at work,
for those whose work is tedious or dangerous,
for those who have lost a job,
for those who cannot find a job.
Bless and renew us all in our daily life and work,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Sisters and brothers, will you endeavor to pattern your life on the Lord
Jesus Christ, in gratitude to God and in service to others in your work in the
world and in your home?
I will, and I ask God to help me.

Will you support one another in your service, and will you share in the
mutual ministry that Christ has given to all who are baptized?
We will, and we ask God to help us.

Almighty God, Father, (+) Son, and Holy Spirit bless us all with good, fair,
meaningful labor. Amen.

GATHERING SONG: For the Fruit of All Creation (ELW 679)

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!

KYRIE Now the Feast (ELW 157)

CANTICLE OF PRAISE Now the Feast and Celebration (ELW 167) PRAYER OF THE DAY

O God, we thank you for your Son, who chose the path of suffering for the
sake of the world. Humble us by his example, point us to the path of
obedience, and give us strength to follow your commands, through Jesus
Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Please be seated.

A MESSAGE FOR OUR CHILDREN

FIRST READING: Exodus 3:1-15

Moses experienced the call of God when God appeared to him in a bush
that burned but was not consumed. When Moses expressed his
unworthiness, God promised to be with him. When Moses objected that
people would demand to know Gods name, God revealed his personal
name, Yahweh (I AM WHO I AM), or the LORD. Israel discovered Gods true
identity when God took them out of Egypt.
1
Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of
Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the
mountain of God. 2There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame
of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not
consumed. 3Then Moses said, I must turn aside and look at this great sight,
and see why the bush is not burned up. 4When the LORD saw that he had
turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, Moses, Moses!
And he said, Here I am. 5Then he said, Come no closer! Remove the
sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy
ground. 6He said further, I am the God of your father, the God of
Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face,
for he was afraid to look at God.
7
Then the LORD said, I have observed the misery of my people who are
in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I
know their sufferings, 8and I have come down to deliver them from the
Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a
land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the
Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9The
cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the
Egyptians oppress them. 10So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my
people, the Israelites, out of Egypt. 11But Moses said to God, Who am I
that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt? 12He
said, I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who
sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall
worship God on this mountain.
13
But Moses said to God, If I come to the Israelites and say to them,
The God of your ancestors has sent me to you, and they ask me, What is
his name? what shall I say to them? 14God said to Moses, I AM WHO I
AM. He said further, Thus you shall say to the Israelites, I AM has sent
me to you. 15God also said to Moses, Thus you shall say to the
Israelites, The LORD, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the
God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you:
This is my name forever,
and this my title for all generations.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
the wonders and the judgments | of Gods mouth,
6
O offspring of Abra- | ham, Gods servant,
O children of Jacob, Gods | chosen ones. R
23
Israel came | into Egypt,
and Jacob became a sojourner in the | land of Ham.
24
The LORD made the people of Israel | very fruitful,
more numerous | than their enemies,
25
whose hearts God turned, so that they hat- | ed Gods people,
and dealt unjustly with the ser- | vants of God.
26
O LORD, you sent Mo- | ses your servant,
and Aaron, your chosen one. 45b| Hallelujah! R
SECOND READING: Romans 12:9-21

PSALM: PSALM 105:1-6, 23-26, 45b Paul presents benchmarks for faithful relationships with Christians and
non-Christians. Love is the unflagging standard of our behavior. When we
Refrain: encounter evil, we do not resort to its tactics but seek to overcome it with
good. While Christians cannot control the actions and attitudes of others,
we seek to live at peace with all people.
9
Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; 10love one
another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. 11Do
not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12Rejoice in hope, be
patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. 13Contribute to the needs of the
saints; extend hospitality to strangers.
14
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15Rejoice
with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16Live in harmony with
Tone:
one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim
to be wiser than you are. 17Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take
thought for what is noble in the sight of all. 18If it is possible, so far as it
depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19Beloved, never avenge
yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written,
1
Give thanks to the LORD and call up- | on Gods name; Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. 20No, if your enemies
make known the deeds of the LORD a- | mong the peoples. are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for
2
Sing to the | LORD, sing praises, by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads. 21Do not be
and speak of all Gods | marvelous works. overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
3
Glory in Gods | holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the | LORD rejoice. The word of the Lord.
4
Search for the strength | of the LORD; Thanks be to God.
continually | seek Gods face.
5
Remember the marvels | God has done, Please stand for the reading of the gospel.
 GOSPEL ACCLAMATION 27
For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his
Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. 28Truly I
tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they
see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.

The gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.
Please be seated.

SERMON Pastor Charles Peterson

Please stand for the hymn.

VERSE:
May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes | of our hearts,* HYMN OF THE DAY: Lift High the Cross (ELW 660)
so that we may know the hope to which | God has called us. (Eph. 1:17, 18)
CREED
GOSPEL Matthew 16:21-28 As they recite the creed, worshippers are invited to bow beginning with the
As the Gospel is announced, worshippers are invited to trace a cross upon words born of the Virgin Mary, until the words he descended to the
their forehead, then over their lips, and then over their hearts, silently dead.
praying, May the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ be ever on my mind, on
my lips, and in my heart. I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

The holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to Matthew.
Glory to you, O Lord.
After Peter confesses that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living
God (16:16), Jesus reveals the ultimate purpose of his ministry. These
words prove hard to accept, even for a disciple whom Jesus has called a
rock.
21
From that time on, [after Peter confessed that Jesus was the
Messiah,] Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem
and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and
scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22And Peter took him
aside and began to rebuke him, saying, God forbid it, Lord! This must
never happen to you. 23But he turned and said to Peter, Get behind me,
Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not
on divine things but on human things.
24
Then Jesus told his disciples, If any want to become my followers, let
them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25For those
who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my
sake will find it. 26For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world
but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?
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
Open to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we pray for the church, the world, and
all of Gods creation.
Please sit or kneel as you are able.
Each petition ends with:
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Into your hands, gracious God, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting
the power of Christ and the gifts of the Spirit. Amen.

CONFESSION AND PROCLAMATION OF FORGIVENESS

Sisters and brothers, let us confess our sins in the presence of God and one
another.
Silence for reflection and self-examination.

Most merciful God,

we confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. We
have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have
done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our
whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the
sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us,
and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your holy name. Amen.

God, who is rich in mercy, loved us even when we were dead in sin, and
made us alive together with Christ. In the name of Jesus Christ, our sins
are forgiven. By grace we have been saved. Almighty God give us faith
through the Holy Spirit that the love of Christ may shine in our hearts and
show forth in our lives. Amen.
Please stand and greet one another in the peace of the risen Christ.
PEACE
OFFERING PRAYER
Let us pray. O God, ruler of heaven and earth, all that we have and all that
we are come through you. We offer back in thanksgiving a portion of what
you have given us: our time, our work, and our wealth. With them we
dedicate our lives to the care and redemption of all that you have made,
through Jesus Christ, who gave himself for the salvation of the world.
Amen.

The peace of Christ be with you always. DIALOGUE

And also with you.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

MUSIC AT THE OFFERING Meditation on Lift High the Cross Wells

OFFERTORY HYMN: As the Grains of Wheat (ELW 465)


PREFACE
HOLY, HOLY, HOLY
EUCHARISTIC PRAYER
Holy, mighty, and merciful Lord, heaven and earth are full of your glory.
In great love you sent to us Jesus, your Son, who reached out to heal the
sick and suffering, who preached good news to the poor, and who, on the
cross, opened his arms to all. 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.
Remembering, therefore, his death, resurrection, and ascension, we await
his coming in glory. Pour out upon us the Spirit of your love, O Lord, and
unite the wills of all who share this heavenly food, the body and blood of
Jesus Christ, our Lord; to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be all honor
and glory, now and forever. Amen.
LORD'S PRAYER
Risen Lord, remember us in your kingdom, and teach us to pray:
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.
INVITATION TO COMMUNION
All who desire to leave their old lives behind and live in Christ, come to the
table!
COMMUNION
The body of Christ, given for you.
The blood of Christ, shed for you.
Amen.
All baptized people are welcome to the table to receive Christs body and
blood. If you have not been baptized, you are also welcome to the table as
Gods guest; we are honored by your presence. We recognize the Body of
Christ as the community of the baptized, so if you would like to become part
of the Body of Christ, we encourage you to seek baptism. If you cant or
dont wish to receive today, we encourage you to hold your hands over
your chest for a blessing as you come forward.
LAMB OF GOD O Christ, Lamb of God SENDING OF COMMUNION

Gracious God, loving all your family with a mothers tender care: As you
sent the angel to feed Elijah with heavenly bread, assist those who set forth
to share your word and sacrament with those who are sick, homebound, and
imprisoned. In your love and care, nourish and strengthen those who will
receive this sacrament, and give us all the comfort of your abiding presence
through the body and blood of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

BLESSING

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

SENDING HYMN: Hallelujah! We Sing Your Praises (ELW 535)

DISMISSAL

Go in peace. Love as God has loved you.

Thanks be to God.

POSTLUDE Chorale Fantasia on Hallelujah! We Sing Your Praises Wells

The flowers on the altar are given to the glory of God and in
honor of Dr. Tom Wells and the choir.

Presented by Dwight Garner and Rodney Davidson

Upcoming Commemoration
SONG DURING DISTRIUBUTION:
Peter Claver, priest, missionary to Colombia, died 1654
I Want to Walk As a Child of the Light (ELW 815)
Saturday, September 9, 2017
Born into Spanish nobility, Claver became a Jesuit missionary, and served
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
in present-day Colombia. His ministry was focused on the slaves that
arrived there. He gave them food and medicine, learned their dialects, and
Almighty God, you gave your Son Jesus Christ both as a sacrifice for sin
taught them Christianity.
and a model of godly life. Move us by your Holy Spirit to receive him
always with thanksgiving and conform our lives to his; through the same
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.