September Worship 2023 – Redeemer Lutheran Church

September 24, 2023 – 17th Sunday after Pentecost

Matthew narrates one of Jesus’ controversial parables in which Jesus says that the reign of God is like that of a landowner who pays his workers the same wage no matter what time of day they began to work. When God changes God’s mind about punishing Nineveh for their evil ways, Jonah is angry. Yet God is gracious and merciful, abounding in steadfast love. In baptism we receive the grace of God that is freely given to all. As Martin Luther wrote, in the presence of God’s mercy we are all beggars.

PRELUDE

PROCESSIONAL God Is So Good Redeemer Choir

GREETINGS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

TEMPLE TALK Mike Knaub

CALL TO WORSHIP The Steadfast Love Redeemer Choir

Please stand, if able.

Redeemer’s Mission is to Grow in Faith.

The Holy Spirit calls us together as the people of God.

CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

P: Blessed be God, the one who forms us, Jesus who bears the cross, the Spirit who makes our joy complete.

C: Amen.

P: Let us bow before God in humility, confessing our sin.

Silence is kept for reflection.

P: Steadfast and faithful God,

C: you have revealed the ways of justice, yet we fail to follow you. We are overwhelmed by the world’s violence and suffering. We are afraid to risk what we have for the sake of others. For the harm we have caused, known and unknown, forgive us. For the unjust demands we place on others and your creation, forgive us. For the ways we turn away from you and our neighbor, forgive us. Lead us back to you and set us on the right path; in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

P: Beloved in Christ, God’s justice stretches beyond all understanding. God’s compassion is beyond compare. In Jesus, God is always making a new way for us. In Christ, you are already and always forgiven.

C: Amen.

GATHERING HYMN When Morning Gilds the Skies ELW 853

SALUTATION AND PRAYER OF THE DAY

P: The Lord be with you.

C: And also with you.

P: Almighty and eternal God, you show perpetual lovingkindness to us your servants. Because we cannot rely on our own abilities, grant us your merciful judgment, and train us to embody the generosity of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

C: Amen.

ANTHEM There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy Redeemer Choir

Please be seated.

Redeemer’s Mission is to Proclaim Jesus Christ.

God speaks to us in scripture reading, preaching and song from

the Old Testament, Psalms, and the New Testament.

FIRST READING Jonah 3:10–4:11

After Jonah’s short sermon in 3:4, the Ninevites all repented and God decided to spare the city. Jonah objected to this and became even more angry when God ordered a worm to destroy a plant that was providing shade. The book ends with a question that challenges any who are not ready to forgive: You, Jonah, are all worked up about a bush, but shouldn’t I be concerned about a hundred and twenty thousand Ninevites?

¹⁰When God saw what [the people of Ninevah] did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.
^4:1But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry. ²He prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing. ³And now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” ⁴And the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?” ⁵Then Jonah went out of the city and sat down east of the city, and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, waiting to see what would become of the city.

⁶The Lord God appointed a bush, and made it come up over Jonah, to give shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort; so Jonah was very happy about the bush. ⁷But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the bush, so that it withered. ⁸When the sun rose, God prepared a sultry east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint and asked that he might die. He said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”

⁹But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?” And he said, “Yes, angry enough to die.” ¹⁰Then the Lord said, “You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night. ¹¹And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?”

The reader concludes: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

PSALM (responsively) Psalm 145:1-8

¹I will exalt you, my ^| God and king,
and bless your name forev- ^| er and ever.
²Every day ^| will I bless you
and praise your name forev- ^| er and ever.
³Great is the Lord and greatly ^| to be praised!
There is no end ^| to your greatness.
⁴One generation shall praise your works ^| to another
and shall de- ^| clare your power.
⁵I will speak of the glorious splendor ^| of your majesty
and all your ^| marvelous works.
⁶They shall tell of the might of your ^| wondrous acts,
and I will re- ^| count your greatness.
⁷They shall publish the remembrance of ^| your great goodness;
they shall sing joyfully ^| of your righteousness.
⁸The Lord is gracious and full ^| of compassion,
slow to anger and abounding in ^| steadfast love.

SECOND READING Philippians 1:21-30

Paul writes to the Philippians from prison. Though he is uncertain about the outcome of his imprisonment, he is committed to the ministry of the gospel and calls on the Philippians to live lives that reflect and enhance the gospel mission.

²¹For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. ²²If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which I prefer. ²³I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; ²⁴but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. ²⁵Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith, ²⁶so that I may share abundantly in your boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to you again.

²⁷Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel, ²⁸and are in no way intimidated by your opponents. For them this is evidence of their destruction, but of your salvation. And this is God’s doing. ²⁹For he has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as well—³⁰since you are having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

The reader concludes: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

Please stand, if able, to welcome the Gospel.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION Celtic Alleluia ELW 174

P: The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twentieth chapter.

GOSPEL Matthew 20:1-16

Jesus tells a parable about God’s generosity, challenging the common assumption that God rewards people according to what they have earned or deserve.

[Jesus said to the disciples:] ¹“The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. ²After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. ³When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; ⁴and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. ⁵When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. ⁶And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ ⁷They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ ⁸When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ ⁹When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. ¹⁰Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. ¹¹And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, ¹²saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ ¹³But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? ¹⁴Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. ¹⁵Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ ¹⁶So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

P: The Gospel of the Lord.

Please be seated.

MESSAGE Jim Fischer, Pastor

HYMN OF THE DAY What a Fellowship, What a Joy Divine ELW 774

Please stand, if able, for the Apostles’ Creed.

APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He 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, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again 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.

OFFERING

OFFERTORY RESPONSE – Create In Me a Clean Heart

OFFERING PRAYER

P: God of power, God of plenty, all things belong to you. We bring your gifts to the table, that all might be fed. Form us into the body of your Beloved, Jesus Christ, our Savior.

C: Amen.

Redeemer’s Mission is to Love All People.

Prayers on behalf of others

Remembering the caring and generous works of God, we pray for the church, creation, and the needs of our neighbors.

A brief silence.

God who is gracious and merciful, teach your church to invite and welcome all. Lead us to be grateful for the blessing of community. Challenge your church to choose equity and compassion over judgment. Merciful God, receive our prayer.

God who sends the wind and the sun, you know every worm and bush by name. Help us remember that even the humblest parts of creation are precious to you. Show us how best to care for the earth and its creatures. Merciful God, receive our prayer.

God who is ready to relent from punishing, impart your compassionate wisdom to legislators, judges, members of the military, and law enforcement. Give them courage to serve their communities in times of uncertainty, stress, or exhaustion. Merciful God, receive our prayer.

God who saves, direct your people who are tempted by evil ways. Protect your children from calamity and disaster. Strengthen all who are incarcerated. Encourage all who are in despair or pain of any kind. Merciful God, receive our prayer.

God who is slow to anger, may we boast about the goodness of Jesus with the confidence of Paul in prison. Inspire us to find abundance in whatever vocation we are called to in the world and in service to our congregation. Merciful God, receive our prayer.

Here other intercessions may be offered.

God who abounds in steadfast love, we give thanks for the saints called to the kingdom of heaven. United with them in spirit, hold us firm as we labor in this life and look to the life to come. Merciful God, receive our prayer.

As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of God’s Work, Our Hands this month, we lift up local schools and pray for the students, teachers, and faculty. Make them safe places that build foundations for openness and love. Bless the donations and support from Atonement Lutheran Church in Wesley Chapel for Cypress Creek High School, their ABC student assistance program and ESE classes for exceptional students. May they be signs of God’s loving care for our whole community. Merciful God, receive our prayer.

We remember those of our congregation who may be suffering physically, emotionally or spiritually. Please bring healing, peace and comfort to all those that we name in our hearts and minds. Merciful God, receive our prayer.

Protecting God, please keep our first responders and military personnel safe, whether they are at home or overseas. Hold them in your loving hands and protect them as they protect us. Hear us, O God. Merciful God, receive our prayer.

P: Remember us according to your steadfast love as we offer these and the prayers of our heart, trusting in your compassion made known through Jesus Christ.

C: Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

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.

GRACE, LOVE, & FELLOWSHIP

To be sung by the congregation

May the Grace of Christ, our Savior, and the love of God, our Father and the fellowship of the Spirit be with us.

May the Grace of Christ, our Savior, and the love of God, our Father and the fellowship of the Spirit be with us, forever and ever for evermore. Amen.

BENEDICTION

P: The Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make his face shine on us and be gracious to us. The Lord look on us with favor and give us peace. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

C: Choral Amen.

SENDING HYMN Glories of Your Name Are Spoken LBW 358

Redeemer’s Mission is to Proclaim Jesus Christ.

P: Go in peace. God is at work in you.

C: Thanks be to God.

September 17, 2023 – 16^th Sunday after Pentecost

In today’s second reading Paul questions why we judge one another, since we all stand before the judgment of God. Yet we do sin against one another, and Jesus’ challenge that we forgive seventy-seven times reveals God’s boundless mercy. When we hear the words of forgiveness in worship and sign ourselves with the cross, we are renewed in baptism to be signs of reconciliation in the world.

PRELUDE

PROCESSIONAL Surely It is God Who Saves Me Redeemer Choir

GREETINGS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

CALL TO WORSHIP You Are My Hiding Place Redeemer Choir

Redeemer’s Mission is to Grow in Faith.

The Holy Spirit calls us together as the people of God.

CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

P: Blessed be God, the one who forms us, Jesus who bears the cross,

the Spirit who makes our joy complete.

C: Amen.

P: Let us bow before God in humility, confessing our sin.

Silence is kept for reflection.

P: Steadfast and faithful God,

C: Amen.

GATHERING HYMN Praise, My Soul, the God of Heaven ELW 864

SALUTATION AND PRAYER OF THE DAY

P: The Lord be with you.

C: And also with you.

P: O Lord God, merciful judge, you are the inexhaustible fountain of forgiveness. Replace our hearts of stone with hearts that love and adore you, that we may delight in doing your will, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

C: Amen.

Please be seated.

Redeemer’s Mission is to Proclaim Jesus Christ.

God speaks to us in scripture reading, preaching and song

from the Old Testament, Psalms, and the New Testament.

FIRST READING Genesis 50:15–21

After Jacob’s death the brothers of Joseph begged for forgiveness for the crime they had done against him. You intended to do me harm, Joseph said, but God used this as an opportunity to do good and save many lives.

¹⁵Realizing that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers said, “What if Joseph still bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong that we did to him?” ¹⁶So they approached Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this instruction before he died, ¹⁷‘Say to Joseph: I beg you, forgive the crime of your brothers and the wrong they did in harming you.’ Now therefore please forgive the crime of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. ¹⁸Then his brothers also wept, fell down before him, and said, “We are here as your slaves.” ¹⁹But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God? ²⁰Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. ²¹So have no fear; I myself will provide for you and your little ones.” In this way he reassured them, speaking kindly to them.

The reader concludes: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

PSALM (read responsively) Psalm 103:1-13

¹Bless the Lord, ^| O my soul,
and all that is within me, bless God’s ^| holy name.
²Bless the Lord, ^| O my soul,
and forget not ^| all God’s benefits—
³who forgives ^| all your sins
and heals all ^| your diseases;
⁴who redeems your life ^| from the grave
and crowns you with steadfast ^| love and mercy;
⁵who satisfies your desires ^| with good things
so that your youth is renewed ^| like an eagle’s.
⁶O Lord, you provide ^| vindication
and justice for all who ^| are oppressed.
⁷You made known your ^| ways to Moses
and your works to the chil- ^| dren of Israel.
⁸Lord, you are full of compas- ^| sion and mercy,
slow to anger and abounding in ^| steadfast love;
⁹you will not al- ^| ways accuse us,
nor will you keep your an- ^| ger forever.
¹⁰You have not dealt with us according ^| to our sins,
nor repaid us according to ^| our iniquities.
¹¹For as the heavens are high a- ^| bove the earth,
so great is your steadfast love for ^| those who fear you.
¹²As far as the east is ^| from the west,
so far have you removed our transgres- ^| sions from us.
¹³As a father has compassion ^| for his children,
so you have compassion for those who fear ^| you, O Lord.

SECOND READING Romans 14:1-12

This Christian community has significant struggles with diversity. Here Paul helps us understand that despite different practices in worship and personal piety, we do not judge one another. All Christians belong to the Lord Jesus Christ who died for all of us and will judge each of us.

¹Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. ²Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. ³Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. ⁴Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

⁵Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. ⁶Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God.

⁷We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. ⁸If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. ⁹For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

¹⁰Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. ¹¹For it is written,

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall give praise to God.”
¹²So then, each of us will be accountable to God.

The reader concludes: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

Please stand, if able, to welcome the Gospel.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION Celtic Alleluia ELW 174

P: The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the eighteenth chapter.

GOSPEL Matthew 18:21-35

When Peter asks about the limits of forgiveness, Jesus responds with a parable that suggests human forgiveness should mirror the unlimited mercy of God.

²¹Peter came and said to [Jesus], “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” ²²Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.

²³“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. ²⁴When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; ²⁵and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. ²⁶So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ ²⁷And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. ²⁸But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ ²⁹Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ ³⁰But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. ³¹When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. ³²Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ³³Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ ³⁴And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. ³⁵So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

P: The Gospel of the Lord.

Please be seated.

MESSAGE David Allman, Pastor

HYMN OF THE DAY Our Father, We Have Wandered ELW 606

Please stand, if able, for the Apostles’ Creed.

APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He 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, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again 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.

Redeemer’s Mission is to Love All People.

Prayers on behalf of others.

Remembering the caring and generous works of God, we pray for the church, creation, and the needs of our neighbors.

A brief silence.

We pray for the church. Bless the missions and ministries of diverse congregations, that they uplift the good news of salvation in ways that can be understood. Merciful God, receive our prayer.

We pray for creation. Send rain to lands experiencing drought and healing to rivers clogged with pollution. Enrich the soil for trees and plants. Protect the crops needed to feed those who hunger. Merciful God, receive our prayer.

We pray for all who govern. Encourage those in positions of power to lead with empathy, practice forgiveness, and care for those who struggle. Merciful God, receive our prayer.

We pray for our neighbors who face illness of any kind. For those strained financially; for all living with chronic pain, mental illness, the disease of addiction, or otherwise afraid or in harm’s way. Protect all who cry out for mercy. Merciful God, receive our prayer.

We pray for this congregation. Open our hearts to practice intentional invitation. Help us to forgive each other, practice patience, and choose welcome over judgment. Move us to care for those in our community seeking refuge and safety. Merciful God, receive our prayer.

Here other intercessions may be offered.

We give thanks for the saints who died in faith. Show us how to live faithfully, creatively, and lovingly in your church and world. Merciful God, receive our prayer.

P: Remember us according to your steadfast love as we offer these and the prayers of our heart, trusting in your compassion made known through Jesus Christ.

C: Amen.

Please be seated.

OFFERING/ANTHEM When Peace Like a River Redeemer Choir

Please stand, if able, and join in singing the offertory response.

OFFERTORY RESPONSE – Create In Me a Clean Heart

OFFERING PRAYER

P: God of power, God of plenty, all things belong to you. We bring your gifts to the table, that all might be fed. Form us into the body of your Beloved, Jesus Christ, our Savior.

C: Amen.

The Meal

God feeds us with the presence of Jesus Christ. All baptized Christians are invited to receive Holy Communion. Communion Assistants, Ushers, and the choir will receive Holy Communion first. If you are unable to come to the altar for Holy Communion, please let an usher know and Holy Communion will be brought to you.

INVITATION TO COMMUNION

Speak to us, O Lord, in the breaking of the bread, and make us one with you. There are both wine and purple grape juice available. Tell the Communion Assistant if you prefer juice.

WORDS OF INSTITUTION

P: 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 in 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 in remembrance of me.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

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.

Please be seated.

DISTRIBUTION OF COMMUNION– Lamb of God

Please stand, if able.

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

C: Amen.

SENDING OF COMMUNION

P: O God of tender compassion, as you healed the sick and welcomed the stranger, bless those who leave this assembly to share the gifts of this table with our sisters and brothers who are sick, homebound, or imprisoned. May they be sustained by the love and prayers of this community, and by the Bread of life that satisfies all hunger, Jesus Christ our Lord.

C: Amen.

BENEDICTION

P: The Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make his face shine on us and be gracious to us. The Lord look on us with favor and give us peace. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

C: Choral Amen.

SENDING HYMN Praise to the Lord, the Almighty ELW 858

Redeemer’s Mission is to Proclaim Jesus Christ.

P: Go in peace. God is at work in you.

C: Thanks be to God.

September 10, 2023 – 15th Sunday after Pentecost

https://youtube.com/watch?v=xZae__pSMw0%3Fsi%3Dk762FTQwZ_4xhSeT

Conflict is a part of relationships and life in community. Jesus’ words in today’s gospel are often used in situations having to do with church discipline. The prophet Ezekiel tells of warning the wicked to turn from their ways, and Paul reminds us that love is the fulfilling of the law. We gather in the name of Christ, assured that he is present among us with gifts of peace and reconciliation.

PRELUDE

PROCESSIONAL Jesus, We are Gathered Redeemer Choir

GREETINGS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

CALL TO WORSHIP Trust in the Lord Redeemer Choir

Please stand, if able.

Redeemer’s Mission is to Grow in Faith.

The Holy Spirit calls us together as the people of God.

CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

P: Blessed be God, the one who forms us, Jesus who bears the cross, the Spirit who makes our joy complete.

C: Amen.

P: Let us bow before God in humility, confessing our sin.

Silence is kept for reflection.

P: Steadfast and faithful God,

C: Amen.

GATHERING HYMN Bind Us Together WOV 748

SALUTATION AND PRAYER OF THE DAY

P: The Lord be with you.

C: And also with you.

P: O Lord God, enliven and preserve your church with your perpetual mercy. Without your help, we mortals will fail; remove far from us everything that is harmful, and lead us toward all that gives life and salvation, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

C: Amen.

Please be seated.

Redeemer’s Mission is to Proclaim Jesus Christ.

God speaks to us in scripture reading, preaching and song from

the Old Testament, Psalms, and the New Testament.

FIRST READING Ezekiel 33:7-11

God appointed Ezekiel as a sentinel for the house of Israel. Ezekiel must faithfully convey God’s warnings to the people. Remarkably, God—who is about to attack Jerusalem—gives a warning with the hope that repentance will make the attack unnecessary.

⁷So you, mortal, I have made a sentinel for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. ⁸If I say to the wicked, “O wicked ones, you shall surely die,” and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but their blood I will require at your hand. ⁹But if you warn the wicked to turn from their ways, and they do not turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but you will have saved your life.

¹⁰Now you, mortal, say to the house of Israel, Thus you have said: “Our transgressions and our sins weigh upon us, and we waste away because of them; how then can we live?” ¹¹Say to them, As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from their ways and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel?

The reader concludes: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

PSALM (responsively) Psalm 119:33-40

SECOND READING Romans 13:8-14

The obligation of Christians is to love one another and so fulfill the heart and goal of the law. Clothes make the person as we “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” and live today in light of the future God has in store for us.

⁸Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. ⁹The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet”; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.

¹¹Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; ¹²the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; ¹³let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. ¹⁴Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

The reader concludes: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

Please stand, if able, to welcome the Gospel.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION Celtic Alleluia ELW 174

P: The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the eighteenth chapter.

GOSPEL Matthew 18:15-20

Jesus offers practical advice to his disciples on how individuals—and the church as a whole—should go about restoring relationships when one member has sinned against another.

[Jesus said to the disciples:] ¹⁵“If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. ¹⁶But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. ¹⁷If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. ¹⁸Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. ¹⁹Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. ²⁰For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

P: The Gospel of the Lord.

Please be seated.

MESSAGE David Allman, Pastor

HYMN OF THE DAY Lead On, O King Eternal! ELW 805

Please stand, if able, for the Apostles’ Creed.

APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered

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.

OFFERING

OFFERTORY RESPONSE – Create In Me a Clean Heart

OFFERING PRAYER

P: God of power, God of plenty, all things belong to you. We bring your gifts to the table, that all might be fed. Form us into the body of your Beloved, Jesus Christ, our Savior.

C: Amen.

Redeemer’s Mission is to Love All People.

Prayers on behalf of others

Remembering the caring and generous works of God, we pray for the church, creation, and the needs of our neighbors.

A brief silence.

Hold us accountable, O God. Show your church where repentance is needed and lead us in paths of intentional compassion and listening. Help us extend hands of reconciliation and care, especially in relationships with other Christians and people of other faiths. Merciful God, receive our prayer.

Reveal your miracles to us, O God. Move us to cherish you as we behold the wonders of creation. Renew the seas and the soil, the forests and the creatures that live in them. Turn us to ways of living that seek Earth’s thriving. Merciful God, receive our prayer.

Inspire us to lead with honor, O God. Guide judges and legislators, police, and government officials to create and uphold just laws. Move us to treat all people with dignity and guide our conversations with one another. Merciful God, receive our prayer.

Help us comfort those who suffer, O God. Reassure any who are harmed by the wicked acts of others. Bring peace to all who are vulnerable, frightened, despairing, or sick. Guard their waking and their sleeping. Merciful God, receive our prayer.

Awaken us, O God. Challenge and encourage your people to value the vocation to which each is called. We pray for all discerning new possibilities or changing employment. In all our diverse callings, teach us to love our neighbor above all else. Merciful God, receive our prayer.

Here other intercessions may be offered.

Be our hope, O God. We remember with thanksgiving your disciples who died in faith. May their trust in your promise be our protection and our hope. Merciful God, receive our prayer.

P: Remember us according to your steadfast love as we offer these and the prayers of our heart, trusting in your compassion made known through Jesus Christ.

C: Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

GRACE, LOVE, & FELLOWSHIP

To be sung by the congregation

May the Grace of Christ, our Savior, and the love of God, our Father and the fellowship of the Spirit be with us.

May the Grace of Christ, our Savior, and the love of God, our Father and the fellowship of the Spirit be with us, forever and ever for evermore. Amen.

BENEDICTION

P: The Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make his face shine on us and be gracious to us. The Lord look on us with favor and give us peace. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

C: Choral Amen.

SENDING HYMN Great Is Thy Faithfulness ELW 733

Redeemer’s Mission is to Proclaim Jesus Christ.

P: Go in peace. God is at work in you.

C: Thanks be to God.

September 3, 2023 – 14^th Sunday after Pentecost

https://youtube.com/watch?v=2UrZmIZBcXY%3Fsi%3DWlnZE7jtaQKWqpZx

The prophet Jeremiah speaks of the incurable wound of his suffering yet finds in God’s words the delight of his heart. When Peter doesn’t 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.

PRELUDE

PROCESSIONAL Bless Our Native Land ELW 891

GREETINGS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

CALL TO WORSHIP This is My Song ELW 887

Redeemer’s Mission is to Grow in Faith.

The Holy Spirit calls us together as the people of God.

CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

P: Blessed be God, the one who forms us, Jesus who bears the cross,

the Spirit who makes our joy complete.

C: Amen.

P: Let us bow before God in humility, confessing our sin.

Silence is kept for reflection.

P: Steadfast and faithful God,

C: Amen.

GATHERING HYMN Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service ELW 712

SALUTATION AND PRAYER OF THE DAY

P: The Lord be with you.

C: And also with you.

P: 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.

C: Amen.

Please be seated.

Redeemer’s Mission is to Proclaim Jesus Christ.

God speaks to us in scripture reading, preaching and song

from the Old Testament, Psalms, and the New Testament.

FIRST READING Jeremiah 15:15–21

Jeremiah’s delight in the word of the Lord is contradicted by the heaviness of God’s hand upon him and God’s seeming unfaithfulness. God’s tough love to Jeremiah says that if he repents, he will be allowed to continue in his strenuous ministry. Jeremiah is strengthened by the simple words, “I am with you.”

¹⁵O Lord, you know;
remember me and visit me,
and bring down retribution for me on my persecutors.
In your forbearance do not take me away;
know that on your account I suffer insult.
¹⁶Your words were found, and I ate them,
and your words became to me a joy
and the delight of my heart;
for I am called by your name,
O Lord, God of hosts.
¹⁷I did not sit in the company of merrymakers,
nor did I rejoice;
under the weight of your hand I sat alone,
for you had filled me with indignation.
¹⁸Why is my pain unceasing,
my wound incurable,
refusing to be healed?
Truly, you are to me like a deceitful brook,
like waters that fail.
¹⁹Therefore thus says the Lord:
If you turn back, I will take you back,
and you shall stand before me.
If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless,
you shall serve as my mouth.
It is they who will turn to you,
not you who will turn to them.
²⁰And I will make you to this people
a fortified wall of bronze;
they will fight against you,
but they shall not prevail over you,
for I am with you
to save you and deliver you,
says the Lord.
²¹I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked,
and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.

The reader concludes: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

PSALM (read responsively) Psalm 26:1-8

¹Give judgment for me, O Lord, for I have lived with integrity;
I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered.
²Test me, O Lord, and try me;
examine my heart and my mind.
³For your steadfast love is before my eyes;
I have walked faithfully with you.
⁴I have not sat with the worthless,
nor do I consort with the deceitful.
⁵I have hated the company of evildoers;
I will not sit down with the wicked.
⁶I will wash my hands in innocence, O Lord,
that I may go in procession round your altar,
⁷singing aloud a song of thanksgiving
and recounting all your wonderful deeds.
⁸Lord, I love the house in which you dwell
and the place where your glory abides.

SECOND READING Romans 12:9-21

Paul presents benchmarks for faithful relationships with Christians and non-Christians. Love is the unflagging standard of our behavior. When we 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.

⁹Let 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.

¹⁴Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. ¹⁵Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. ¹⁶Live in harmony with 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, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” ²⁰No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” ²¹Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

The reader concludes: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

Please stand, if able, to welcome the Gospel.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION Celtic Alleluia ELW 174

P: The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the sixteenth chapter.

GOSPEL Matthew 16:21-28

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.”

²¹From 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.”

²⁴Then 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?

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.”

P: The Gospel of the Lord.

Please be seated.

MESSAGE David Allman, Pastor

HYMN OF THE DAY Lift High the Cross ELW 660

Please stand, if able, for the Apostles’ Creed.

APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

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.

Redeemer’s Mission is to Love All People.

Prayers on behalf of others.

Remembering the caring and generous works of God, we pray for the church, creation, and the needs of our neighbors.

A brief silence.

God of life, your words are the joy at the heart of your church. Draw the seeker to you, place messages of hope and healing in the mouths of your witnesses, and open your children to your truth when we stumble. Merciful God, receive our prayer.

God of steadfast love, renew the earth by your Spirit, that lands and oceans reveal the beauty of your creation. Challenge us to live humbly and peaceably as part of your world. Merciful God, receive our prayer.

God of patience, lead those who govern to hold fast to what is good. Guide them to show honor to the people in their care. Overcome evil in all nations and grant peace to peoples and places mired in conflict. Merciful God, receive our prayer.

God of deliverance, remember all who are suffering, lonely, and in pain. Liberate your people being insulted, persecuted, or in the grasp of the ruthless. Give endurance to workers who persevere on this Labor Day and insure fair wages and safe working environments. Merciful God, receive our prayer.

God of justice, equip this congregation to boldly follow you in uncertain times and to remain faithful in prayer when facing challenges. Show us how best to love and care for one another and our communities.

Merciful God, receive our prayer.

Here other intercessions may be offered.

God of glory, we give thanks for the saints who now dwell with you in splendor. Nurture us in faith until the day we join their heavenly song. Merciful God, receive our prayer.

P: Remember us according to your steadfast love as we offer these and the prayers of our heart, trusting in your compassion made known through Jesus Christ.

C: Amen.

Please be seated.

OFFERING

Please stand, if able, and join in singing the offertory response.

OFFERTORY RESPONSE – Create In Me a Clean Heart

OFFERING PRAYER

P: God of power, God of plenty, all things belong to you. We bring your gifts to the table, that all might be fed. Form us into the body of your Beloved, Jesus Christ, our Savior.

C: Amen.

The Meal

INVITATION TO COMMUNION

Speak to us, O Lord, in the breaking of the bread, and make us one with you. There are both wine and purple grape juice available. Tell the Communion Assistant if you prefer juice.

WORDS OF INSTITUTION

THE LORD’S PRAYER

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

Please be seated.

DISTRIBUTION OF COMMUNION– Lamb of God

Please stand, if able.

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

C: Amen.

SENDING OF COMMUNION

C: Amen.

BENEDICTION

P: The Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make his face shine on us and be gracious to us. The Lord look on us with favor and give us peace. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

C: Choral Amen.

SENDING HYMN O Beautiful for Spacious Skies ELW 888

Redeemer’s Mission is to Proclaim Jesus Christ.

P: Go in peace. God is at work in you.

C: Thanks be to God.