Sunday Worship Service: 13 November 2022

Facebook link for Sunday, November 13, 2022

https://www.facebook.com/190629367619921/videos/1322761148532885

Order of Worship for November 13, 2022

Meditation

The end is near. There is no doubt about it. The warnings are dire. The tone of today’s texts is ominous. But the baptized know how to live in the meantime. The baptized are strengthened for the living of these days in word and sacrament. The baptized rally around the invitation of the apostle: “Do not be weary in doing what is right.”

Prelude: Steal Away- arr. Schram. Sung by Senior Choir

Confession and Forgiveness

All may make the sign of the cross, the sign that is marked at baptism, as the presiding minister begins.

Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God,
who redeems us in Christ Jesus,
whose steadfast love endures forever.

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 our neighbors.
We have ignored voices that call for your justice.
We have neglected actions that witness to your righteousness.
We have spoken and acted in ways that disrupt your beloved community.
We truly repent of things we have done and left undone.

For the sake of Jesus Christ, have mercy on us.
Restore our troubled spirits, so that we may live in newness,
follow the way of the Spirit, and build up the body of Christ.
Amen.

Rejoice and be glad!
God hears the prayers of all who cry out, and restores us to life through the death
and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Therefore, I declare to you the forgiveness of all your sins,
in the name of the Father, and of the ☩ Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Opening Hymn: If You But Trust in God to Guide You ELW#469

Prayer of the Day

O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without you nothing is strong, nothing is holy. Embrace us with your mercy, that with you as our ruler and guide, we may live through what is temporary without losing what is eternal, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

FIRST READING: Malachi 4:1-2a

Malachi, whose name means “my messenger,” warns that “the day is coming.” On that day, the evil will be destroyed like stubble in a fire, but the “sun of righteousness” will shine on those who honor God.

¹See, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. ^2aBut for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

PSALM 98

¹Sing a new song to the Lord, who has done marvelous things,
whose right hand and holy arm have won the victory.
²O Lord, you have made known your victory,
you have revealed your righteousness in the sight of the nations.
³You remember your steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel;

all the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
⁴Shout with joy to the Lord, all you lands;
lift up your voice, rejoice, and sing.
⁵Sing to the Lord with the harp,
with the harp and the voice of song.
⁶With trumpets and the sound of the horn
shout with joy before the king, the Lord.
⁷Let the sea roar, and all that fills it,
the world and those who dwell therein.
⁸Let the rivers clap their hands,
and let the hills ring out with joy before the Lord, who comes to judge the earth.
⁹The Lord will judge the world with righteousness
and the peoples with equity.

SECOND READING: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Some members of the Thessalonian community, because of their belief in the nearness of Christ’s return, had ceased to work, living off the generosity of other members of the community. The writer of this letter warns them bluntly that if they want to eat, they need to work.

⁶Now we command you, beloved, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from believers who are living in idleness and not according to the tradition that they received from us. ⁷For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you, ⁸and we did not eat anyone’s bread without paying for it; but with toil and labor we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you. ⁹This was not because we do not have that right, but in order to give you an example to imitate. ¹⁰For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: Anyone unwilling to work should not eat. ¹¹For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. ¹²Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. ¹³Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right.

GOSPEL: Luke 21:5-19
In echoes of the prophet Isaiah and Mary’s song of praise, Jesus reveals surprising things about who enjoys blessing and who endures woe. He invites his disciples to shower radical love, blessing, forgiveness, generosity, and trust even on enemies and outsiders.

20Then [Jesus] looked up at his disciples and said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21“Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
“Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22“Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. 23Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
24“But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
25“Woe to you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
“Woe to you who are laughing now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26“Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.
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.”

Sermon: Pastor Chris Lee

HYMN OF THE DAY Lord of Our Life ELW #766

The APOSTLES’ 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

United with your saints across time and place, we pray for our shared world.

A brief silence.

Reviving God, keep your church active in its mission and ministry. Encourage bishops, deacons, pastors, and lay leaders to risk boldly in their proclamation and fill them with wisdom and endurance for challenging times.