March Worship 2025 – Redeemer Lutheran Church

March 30, 2025 – Fourth Sunday in Lent

The psalm sets the tone this day: “Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven, and whose sin is put away!” Happy are those who have “become the righteousness of God” in the merits of Christ Jesus. Happy are those for whom the forgiveness of God has “rolled away . . . the disgrace” of former times. Happy is the father at the return of his prodigal son. Happy are we that our sins are forgiven for Jesus’ sake. Rejoice!

PRELUDE

PROCESSIONAL Be Still and Know Redeemer Choir

GREETINGS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

CALL TO WORSHIP Lenten Meditation 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 the holy Trinity, one God, who forgives all our sin, whose mercy endures forever.

C: Amen.

P: Let us return to God, confessing our sin in the assurance of God’s abiding love.

Silence is kept for reflection.

P: Compassionate One,

C: you are slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, but our lives do not always reflect you and your love for the world. We do not show others the tender compassion you have shown to us. We do not welcome others with the radical hospitality you grant to all people. We oppress others, even though you have set us free again and again. We squander the abundant gifts of the earth. Transform our lives and guide us again in the way of the cross. Amen.

P: Beloved in Christ, God’s arms are always stretched open wide to welcome the wandering ones home. In Christ your sins are forgiven. You have a place in God’s house forever.

C: Amen.

GATHERING HYMN Our Father, We Have Wandered ELW 606

SALUTATION AND PRAYER OF THE DAY

P: The Lord be with you.

C: And also with you.

P: God of compassion, you welcome the wayward, and you embrace us all with your mercy. By our baptism clothe us with garments of your grace, and feed us at the table of your love, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

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 Joshua 5:9-12

By celebrating the Passover and eating the produce of the promised land instead of the miraculous manna that had sustained them in the desert, the Israelites symbolically bring their forty years of wilderness wandering to an end at Gilgal.

⁹ The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt.” And so that place is called Gilgal to this day.

¹⁰ While the Israelites were camped in Gilgal they kept the passover in the evening on the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho. ¹¹ On the day after the passover, on that very day, they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. ¹² The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land, and the Israelites no longer had manna; they ate the crops of the land of Canaan that year.

The reader concludes: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

PSALM (responsively) Psalm 32

¹ Happy are they whose transgressions ^| are forgiven,
and whose sin is ^| put away!
² Happy are they to whom the Lord im- ^| putes no guilt,
and in whose spirit there ^| is no guile!
³ While I held my tongue, my bones with- ^| ered away,
because of my groaning ^| all day long.
⁴ For your hand was heavy upon me ^| day and night;
my moisture was dried up as in the ^| heat of summer.
⁵ Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and did not con- ^| ceal my guilt.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” Then you forgave me the guilt ^| of my sin.
⁶ Therefore all the faithful will make their prayers to you in ^| time of trouble;
when the great waters overflow, they ^| shall not reach them.
⁷ You are my hiding-place; you preserve ^| me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts ^| of deliverance.
⁸ “I will instruct you and teach you in the way that ^| you should go;
I will guide you ^| with my eye.
⁹ Do not be like horse or mule, which have no ^| understanding;
who must be fitted with bit and bridle, or else they will ^| not stay near you.”
¹⁰ Great are the tribulations ^| of the wicked;
but mercy embraces those who trust ^| in the Lord.
¹¹ Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice ^| in the Lord;
shout for joy, all who are ^| true of heart.

SECOND READING 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

One way to describe the gospel is the promise that in Christ everything is transformed into newness. All mistakes, all deliberate sins, all old history is reconciled with Christ’s resurrection. This is Paul’s strong message to the congregation in the city of Corinth.

¹⁶ From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. ¹⁷ So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! ¹⁸ All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹ that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. ²⁰ So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

The reader concludes: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

Please stand, if able, to welcome the Gospel.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION FOR LENT Return to the Lord, Your God

P: The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the fifteenth chapter.

GOSPEL Luke 15:1-3,11b-32

Jesus tells a parable about a son who ponders his father’s love only after he has spurned it. The grace he receives is beyond his hopes. That same grace is a crisis for an older brother who believes it is his obedience that has earned his place in the father’s home.

¹ Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to [Jesus.] ² And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

³ So he told them this parable: ^11b “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. ¹³ A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. ¹⁴ When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. ¹⁶ He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. ¹⁷ But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! ¹⁸ I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.” ’ ²⁰ So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. ²¹ Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ²² But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; ²⁴ for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.
²⁵ “Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. ²⁷ He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ ²⁸ Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. ²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ ³¹ Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. ³² But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’ ”

P: The Gospel of the Lord.

Please be seated.

MESSAGE David Allman, Pastor

HYMN OF THE DAY Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling ELW 608

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/ ANTHEM Amazing Grace Redeemer Choir

Please join in singing the offertory response.

OFFERTORY RESPONSE – Create In Me a Clean Heart

OFFERING PRAYER

P: Gracious Provider, you set your immense treasures among us, opening your heart to the world. As we prepare to feast on your bountiful love, deepen our commitment to sharing those treasures with others, through our Savior, Jesus Christ.

C: Amen.

Redeemer’s Mission is to Love All People.

Prayers on behalf of others.

Led by the Spirit, let us turn to God in prayer for the church, the world, and all those in need.

A brief silence.

God of faithful promise, make your church a new creation in Christ. As you reconcile us to yourself, guide us also in your way of reconciliation, that through confession and forgiveness, repentance and reparations, your church may bear witness to your love. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

God of new beginnings, restore balance to the earth. Send rain to places of drought and sunshine to places of flooding, that the produce of the land may again support life. God, in your mercy,

receive our prayer.

God of prodigal grace, unite the nations as fellow members of the human family. Give leaders the courage to put aside pride and ego, to cease squandering lives and time, and to work for the well-being of all. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

God of boundless love, receive with open arms any in need of compassion. Embrace all who are far from home or estranged from loved ones, and all who live with regret. Embolden your people to offer and to seek forgiveness. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

God of radical inclusion, widen human circles to welcome all who are excluded. Bless the work of disability ministries, ministries by and with neurodivergent people, and multicultural and ethnic-specific ministries; that the welcome of Jesus be extended to all. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

Here other intercessions may be offered.

God of resurrection life, welcome home all who have died. We thank you for their lives and entrust them into your keeping, where true reconciliation and eternal peace are found. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

God of healing, we pray that you 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. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

God of all, we pray that you watch over our first responders and military personnel and keep them safe, whether they are at home or overseas. Hold them in your loving hands and protect them as they protect us. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

P: Receive the prayers of your people and draw all things together in your love, in the name of Jesus, who leads us from death to life.

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 Lift High the Cross ELW 660

Redeemer’s Mission is to Proclaim Jesus Christ.

P: Go in peace. Care for others as God cares for you.

C: Thanks be to God.

March 26, 2025 3:00 PM – Week 3 Encourager

I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15

PRELUDE

WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

INVOCATION AND CALL TO WORSHIP

Please stand, if able

P: We gather for worship today to be encouraged by the powerful presence of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen.

P: May the God of endurance and encouragement grant us…

C: To live in harmony with one another and in accord with Christ Jesus. (Romans 15:5)

P: So if there is any encouragement in Christ,

C: Any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit,

P: Any affection and sympathy,

C: Complete my joy by being of one mind,

P: Having the same love,

C: Being in full accord and of one mind. (Philippians 2:1-2)

P: Therefore encourage one another

C: And build one another up, just as you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

HYMN Be Thou My Vision ELW 793

CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

P: Encourage us, our Savior, Servant, Friend, with your word of forgiveness as we confess our sins.

C: My heart is weighed down by shame and guilt, by my sins and failures.

P: My words have discouraged and torn others down.

C: My confidence has been misplaced and misdirected.

P: My faith has faltered as I have trusted in material things and myself.

C: My soul is tried and burdened by the loads that I have carried.

P: My spirit needs a word of forgiveness and encouragement.

C: Lord, have mercy! Christ, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

(Please silently reflect on our need for the encouraging friendship of Jesus.)

P: Take courage, friends! Jesus forgives us of all your sins. Let our hearts be strengthened, our souls be refreshed, our minds be renewed and our spirits be encouraged. Jesus has nailed our sins to the cross and thrown them into the tomb. Having been forgiven by Jesus, let us now live for him.

C: What a friend we have in Jesus.

Redeemer’s Mission is to Grow in Faith.

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

SALUTATION AND PRAYER OF THE DAY

P: The Lord be with you.

C: And also with you.

P: Lord Jesus, life in this world leaves us disheartened and discouraged, lost and lonely. Come to the aid of your people with your friendship and love. Encourage us with your Word and your promises. Strengthen our faith to live for you alone. Grant us your Holy Spirit so that we have the courage we need to face all that we encounter in this life. Amen.

C: Amen.

Please be seated.

Redeemer’s Mission is to Proclaim Jesus Christ.

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

FIRST READING Isaiah 41: 8-11

But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, “You are my servant; I have chosen you and not cast you off”; do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. All who are incensed against you shall be ashamed and disgraced; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish.

SECOND READING 1 Thessalonians 5:5-11

For you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So, then, let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober, for those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober and put on the breastplate of faith and love and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.

The reader concludes: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

Please stand, if able, to welcome the Gospel.

GOSPEL Matthew 8:5-13

When (Jesus) entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, appealing to him and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible distress.” And he said to him, “I will come and cure him.” The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me, and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it.” When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him, “Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and will take their places at the banquet with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the heirs of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; let it be done for you according to your faith.” And the servant was healed in that hour.

P: The Gospel of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

Please be seated.

MESSAGE David Allman, Pastor

HYMN How Firm a Foundation ELW 796

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

P: We are not worthy to come under your roof and enter your presence, our Savior, Servant, Friend, and, still you welcome us to come and draw near to you in prayer. You promise that when we gather in your name, you will be present among us. And so, you encourage us to pray. Jesus, hear us now as we lift our prayers and make our requests to you.

C: Lord, hear our prayer.

P: Fortify our wavering hearts and encourage us with your unflinching love.

C: Lord, hear our prayer.

P: Encourage the leaders of this world to be about the work of peace and justice, fostering care for the traveler, the lonely, and the forgotten.

C: Lord, hear our prayer.

P: Build up the faith of those who are wandering in doubt, rescue those who are lost in sin and redeem all who are plagued by shame and guilt.

C: Lord, hear our prayer.

P: Strengthen the souls of those who are near the point of death or mourning the loss of loved ones.

C: Lord, hear our prayer.

P: Embolden our faith so that we can be witnesses for you in this world and that many may come to know you and your love.

C: Lord, hear our prayer.

P: Give hope and joy to your Church so that we can faithfully live as the Body of Christ among our neighbors.

C: Lord, hear our prayer, and encourage us as only you can. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

BENEDICTION

P: And now may the strength and promises, the peace and blessing of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit go with you and encourage you! Amen.

C: Amen. What a friend we have in Jesus!

HYMN Rock of Ages ELW 623

P: Go in peace and serve the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

By A. Trevor Sutton. Art and design: Jamie Wyatt. Images: Adobe Stock. © 2025 Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, Inc., 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. 800-325-9414. www.creativecommunications.com. All rights reserved.

March 23, 2025 – Third Sunday in Lent

The warnings are plentiful and blunt on the third Sunday in Lent. Cut it out or get cut down! The warnings are accompanied by God’s invitation to attentiveness: “Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live.” The landowner’s ultimatum is forestalled by the gardener’s readiness to till the ground one more year. That is good news for all of us. Thanks be to God!

PRELUDE

PROCESSIONAL Lamb of God Redeemer Choir

GREETINGS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

CALL TO WORSHIP Lamb of God Ladies Chorus

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 the holy Trinity, one God, who forgives all our sin, whose mercy endures forever.

C: Amen.

P: Let us return to God, confessing our sin in the assurance of God’s abiding love.

Silence is kept for reflection.

P: Compassionate One,

P: Beloved in Christ, God’s arms are always stretched open wide to welcome the wandering ones home. In Christ your sins are forgiven. You have a place in God’s house forever.

C: Amen.

GATHERING HYMN Eternal Father Strong to Save ELW 756

SALUTATION AND PRAYER OF THE DAY

P: The Lord be with you.

C: And also with you.

P: Eternal God, your kingdom has broken into our troubled world through the life, death, and resurrection of your Son. Help us to hear your word and obey it, and bring your saving love to fruition in our lives, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

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 Isaiah 55:1-9

To those who have experienced long years in exile, the return to their homeland is a celebration of abundant life. God calls them into an everlasting covenant of love. Those who return to God will enjoy new life and forgiveness, because God’s ways are not our ways.

¹ Ho, everyone who thirsts,

come to the waters;
and you that have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
² Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
³ Incline your ear, and come to me;
listen, so that you may live.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
⁴ See, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
⁵ See, you shall call nations that you do not know,
and nations that do not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.

⁶ Seek the Lord while he may be found,
call upon him while he is near;
⁷ let the wicked forsake their way,
and the unrighteous their thoughts;
let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
⁸ For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
⁹ For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

The reader concludes: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

PSALM (responsively) Psalm 63:1-8

¹ O God, you are my God; eager- ^| ly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there ^| is no water.
² Therefore I have gazed upon you in your ^| holy place,
that I might behold your power ^| and your glory.
³ For your steadfast love is better than ^| life itself;
my lips shall ^| give you praise.
⁴ So will I bless you as long ^| as I live
and lift up my hands ^| in your name.
⁵ My spirit is content, as with the rich- ^| est of foods,
and my mouth praises you with ^| joyful lips,
⁶ when I remember you up- ^| on my bed,
and meditate on you in ^| the night watches.
⁷ For you have ^| been my helper,
and under the shadow of your wings I ^| will rejoice.
⁸ My whole being ^| clings to you;
your right hand ^| holds me fast.

SECOND READING 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Paul uses images from Hebrew Scriptures and prophecy to speak the truth of Jesus Christ: He is our rock, our water, our food, and our drink. Christ is the living sign of God’s faithfulness.

¹ I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, ² and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, ³ and all ate the same spiritual food, ⁴ and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. ⁵ Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness.

⁶ Now these things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did. ⁷ Do not become idolaters as some of them did; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play.” ⁸ We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. ⁹ We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents. ¹⁰ And do not complain as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. ¹¹ These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come. ¹² So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. ¹³ No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.

The reader concludes: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

Please stand, if able, to welcome the Gospel.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION FOR LENT Return to the Lord, Your God

P: The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the thirteenth chapter.

GOSPEL Luke 13:1-9

Asked about current tragic events, Jesus turns a lesson about whether suffering is deserved into a hard call to obedience. He then tells a parable that holds out hope that the timeline for ultimate judgment will be tempered by patience.

¹ At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.² [Jesus] asked them, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans?³ No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. ⁴ Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? ⁵ No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.”

⁶ Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. ⁷ So he said to the gardener, ‘See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?’ ⁸ He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. ⁹ If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’ ”

P: The Gospel of the Lord.

Please be seated.

MESSAGE David Allman, Pastor

HYMN OF THE DAY Sovereign Maker of All Things sheet

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.

OFFERING/ ANTHEM All the Way My Savior Leads Me Redeemer Choir

Please join in singing the offertory response.

OFFERTORY RESPONSE – Create In Me a Clean Heart

OFFERING PRAYER

C: Amen.

Redeemer’s Mission is to Love All People.

Prayers on behalf of others.

Led by the Spirit, let us turn to God in prayer for the church, the world, and all those in need.

A brief silence.

We pray for the church, called to be a witness to all peoples. Grant humility and wisdom to bishops, pastors, deacons, elders, councils, and congregations, that they may call upon you in making decisions. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

We pray for the earth, called to provide abundantly. Teach your people the goodness of your generosity, that in sharing what we have been given, all life may flourish on the planet that is our shared home. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

We pray for the nations, called to protect their inhabitants and collaborate in the work of justice and peace. Forge bonds of compassion and mutual care across human borders and boundaries, that all the world may have enough to live. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

We pray for those in need, called to receive your compassion. Comfort those whose lives have been disrupted through natural disasters and human conflict. Aid communities in coming together to mourn, heal, and rebuild. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

We pray for this assembly, called to welcome its neighbors to the table of your grace. Bless food pantries, community gardens and kitchens, clean water projects, and all ministries that address human hunger and thirst. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

Here other intercessions may be offered.

We give thanks for the faithful lives of those who proclaimed your gospel in times of challenge and strife, and for all those whose lives of love and service have ended. May their witness inspire our own. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

We pray that you 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. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

We pray that you watch over our first responders and military personnel and keep them safe, whether they are at home or overseas. Hold them in your loving hands and protect them as they protect us. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

P: Receive the prayers of your people and draw all things together in your love, in the name of Jesus, who leads us from death to life.

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 Guide Me Ever, Great Redeemer ELW 618

Redeemer’s Mission is to Proclaim Jesus Christ.

P: Go in peace. Care for others as God cares for you.

C: Thanks be to God.

March 19, 2025 3:00 PM – Week 2 Listener

I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15

PRELUDE

INVOCATION AND CALL TO WORSHIP

WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Please stand, if able

P: We gather as friends knowing that we are heard by the Triune God. We gather in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen.

P: Answer me when I call, O God of righteousness!

C: You have given me relief when I was in distress.

P: Be gracious to me

C: And hear my prayer. (Psalm 4:1)

P: O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted;

C: you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear (Psalm 10:17)

P: I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;

C: Incline your ear to me; hear my words. (Psalm 17:6)

P: Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;

C: Be gracious to me and answer me! (Psalm 27:7)

HYMN Come, My Soul, with Every Care

CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

P: Lord Jesus, our listening friend, hear us as we confess our sins.

C: Forgive me, Jesus, for all that I have done to harm my neighbors.

P: Lord Jesus, our listening friend, hear us as we confess our sins.

C: Forgive me, Jesus, for all that I have failed to do.

P: Lord Jesus, our listening friend, hear us as we confess our sins.

C: Forgive me, Jesus, for the ways that I have sinned against you in thought, word and deed.

P: Lord Jesus, our listening friend, hear us as we confess our sins.

C: Lord, have mercy! Christ, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

(Please silently reflect on how Jesus listens to—and forgives—the confessions of his people.)

P: Listen now and hear the Good News! Our Savior, Servant, Friend, Jesus, has heard us confess our sins. He has nailed our sins to the cross, and he has thrown them into the tomb. They are forgiven, and they are gone. Hear these words now as though they were spoken not by me, rather by Jesus himself: Friends, your sins are forgiven. Amen.

C: What a friend we have in Jesus.

Redeemer’s Mission is to Grow in Faith.

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

SALUTATION AND PRAYER OF THE DAY

P: The Lord be with you.

C: And also with you.

P: Lord God, heavenly Father, incline your ear to us. Hear us as we come before you in prayer and praise, with thanksgiving and gratitude for your love and mercy. We pray through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

C: Amen.

Please be seated.

Redeemer’s Mission is to Proclaim Jesus Christ.

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

FIRST READING Jeremiah 29: 10-14

For thus says the Lord: Only when Babylon’s seventy years are completed will I visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

SECOND READING 1 John 5:13-15

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him.

The reader concludes: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

Please stand, if able, to welcome the Gospel.

GOSPEL John 3:1-17

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with that person.” Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?

“Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen, yet you^[^f^] do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him.

P: The Gospel of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

Please be seated.

MESSAGE David Allman, Pastor

HYMN My Faith Looks Up to Thee ELW 759

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

P: God, you call out to us with peace and promise, hope and healing delivered through our friend, Jesus. God, you call out to us and invite us to respond with faith and trust. By your invitation, O God, we call out to you in prayer.

C: Lord, hear our prayer.

P: Listen to our prayers for mercy and forgiveness, and renew a right spirit within us.

C: Lord, hear our prayer.

P: Listen to our prayers for peace, deliver this world from injustice, protect the vulnerable and give us good and faithful leaders.

C: Lord, hear our prayer.

P: Listen to our prayers for healing and hope for all who are ill or recovering from sickness.

C: Lord, hear our prayer.

P: Listen to our prayers for all who mourn the loss of loved ones or are discouraged by loneliness.

C: Lord, hear our prayer.

P: Listen to our prayers for wisdom in good and godly living, upright conduct and virtue.

C: Lord, hear our prayer.

P: Listen to our prayers of thanksgiving for all the gifts that you give to your people.

C: Lord, hear our prayer. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

BENEDICTION

P: The Father invites us to come to him. The Son grants us access through the cross. The Holy Spirit guides us in the way of holiness. And, so, may the triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—be our friend and companion now and for all eternity. Amen.

C: Amen. What a friend we have in Jesus!

HYMN Jesus, Calls Us, O’er the Tumult

P: Go in peace and serve the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

March 16, 2025 – Second Sunday in Lent

Though we sometimes doubt and often resist God’s desire to protect and save us, our God persists. In holy baptism, God’s people have been called and gathered into a God-initiated relationship that will endure. Lent provides the church with a time and a tradition in which to seek God’s face again. Lent provides another occasion to behold the God of our salvation in the face of the Blessed One who “comes in the name of the Lord.”

PRELUDE

PROCESSIONAL Be Still and Know Redeemer Choir

GREETINGS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

CALL TO WORSHIP Into Thy Presence We Come 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 the holy Trinity, one God, who forgives all our sin, whose mercy endures forever.

C: Amen.

P: Let us return to God, confessing our sin in the assurance of God’s abiding love.

Silence is kept for reflection.

P: Compassionate One,

P: Beloved in Christ, God’s arms are always stretched open wide to welcome the wandering ones home. In Christ your sins are forgiven. You have a place in God’s house forever.

C: Amen.

GATHERING HYMN Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise ELW 834

SALUTATION AND PRAYER OF THE DAY

P: The Lord be with you.

C: And also with you.

P: God of the covenant, in the mystery of the cross you promise everlasting life to the world. Gather all peoples into your arms, and shelter us with your mercy, that we may rejoice in the life we share in your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

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 15:1-12,17-18

God promises a childless and doubting Abram that he will have a child, that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars, and that the land of Canaan will be their inheritance. Abram’s trust in God is sealed with a covenant-making ceremony, a sign of God’s promise.

¹ After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” ² But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” ³ And Abram said, “You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.” ⁴ But the word of the Lord came to him, “This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.” ⁵ He brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” ⁶ And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.

⁷ Then he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess.” ⁸ But he said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” ⁹ He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” ¹⁰ He brought him all these and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. ¹¹ And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

¹² As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him.

¹⁷ When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. ¹⁸ On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates.”

The reader concludes: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

PSALM (responsively) Psalm 27

¹ The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom then ^| shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I ^| be afraid?
² When evildoers close in against me to de- ^| vour my flesh,
they, my foes and my enemies, will stum- ^| ble and fall.
³ Though an army encamp against me, my heart ^| will not fear.
Though war rise up against me, my trust will ^| not be shaken.
⁴ One thing I ask of the Lord; one ^| thing I seek;
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek God ^| in the temple.
⁵ For in the day of trouble God will ^| give me shelter,
hide me in the hidden places of the sanctuary, and raise me high up- ^| on a rock.
⁶ Even now my head is lifted up above my enemies ^| who surround me.
Therefore I will offer sacrifice in the sanctuary, sacrifices of rejoicing; I will sing and make music ^| to the Lord.
⁷ Hear my voice, O Lord, ^| when I call;
have mercy on me and ^| answer me.
⁸ My heart speaks your message— ^| “Seek my face.”
Your face, O Lord, ^| I will seek.
⁹ Hide not your face from me, turn not away from your ser- ^| vant in anger.
Cast me not away—you have been my helper; forsake me not, O God of ^| my salvation.
¹⁰ Though my father and my moth- ^| er forsake me,
the Lord will ^| take me in.
¹¹ Teach me your ^| way, O Lord;
lead me on a level path, because of ^| my oppressors.
¹² Subject me not to the will ^| of my foes,
for they rise up against me, false witnesses ^| breathing violence.
¹³ This I believe—that I will see the goodness ^| of the Lord
in the land ^| of the living!
¹⁴ Wait for the Lord ^| and be strong.
Take heart and wait ^| for the Lord!

SECOND READING Philippians 3:17—4:1

Although Paul’s devotion to Christ has caused him to be persecuted, he does not regret the course he has taken. Writing from prison, he expresses confidence in a glorious future and encourages other Christians to follow in his footsteps.

¹⁷ Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. ¹⁸ For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. ¹⁹ Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. ²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. ²¹ He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself. ^4:1 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.

The reader concludes: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

Please stand, if able, to welcome the Gospel.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION FOR LENT Return to the Lord, Your God

P: The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the thirteenth chapter.

GOSPEL Luke 13:31-35

Neither Herod’s plotting nor Jerusalem’s resistance to maternal love will deter Jesus from his sacrificial mission.

³¹ At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to [Jesus,] “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” ³² He said to them, “Go and tell that fox for me, ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. ³³ Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’ ³⁴ Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! ³⁵ See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ”

P: The Gospel of the Lord.

Please be seated.

MESSAGE David Allman, Pastor

HYMN My Hope is Built on Nothing Else ELW 597

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.

Led by the Spirit, let us turn to God in prayer for the church, the world, and all those in need.

A brief silence.

Holy God, you long to gather your church under your wings. Bless the churches of Jerusalem, and all persecuted churches, that your people may take heart and stand firm as they witness and minister in your name. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

Holy God, you give shelter to living things as numerous as the stars. Strengthen the voice of prophets who call humanity to faithful care for the planet, that they would not be silenced but heeded as your messengers. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

Holy God, you raised up leaders like Abram, Sarai, and Paul to show your people what it means to rely on your promises. Guide today’s leaders to work for justice and safeguard the world for future generations. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

Holy God, you are the stronghold of our life. Care tenderly for those who are ill in body or mind, and for people living in fear or need. May all know they are not alone. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

Holy God, you offer us citizenship in heaven. Unite communities of faith who are divided over earthly things, that following the way of your Son, they may set aside grudges and serve their neighbors with generosity and love. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

Here other intercessions may be offered.

Holy God, you are our light and our salvation. We give thanks for the saints who have gone before us. Help us to trust in you as they did and to live according to their example. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

Holy God, you are our strength in our time of need. we pray that you 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. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

Holy God, you are our protector and you keep us safe. We pray that you watch over our first responders and military personnel and keep them safe, whether they are at home or overseas. Hold them in your loving hands and protect them as they protect us. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

P: Receive the prayers of your people and draw all things together in your love, in the name of Jesus, who leads us from death to life.

C: Amen.

Please be seated.

OFFERING/ ANTHEM Guide My Feet Redeemer Choir

Please join in singing the offertory response.

OFFERTORY RESPONSE – Create In Me a Clean Heart

OFFERING PRAYER

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

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 Lord, Take My Hand ELW 767

Redeemer’s Mission is to Proclaim Jesus Christ.

P: Go in peace. Care for others as God cares for you.

C: Thanks be to God.

March 12, 2025 3:00 PM – Savior, Servant, Friend

Week 1 – Healer

I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15

PRELUDE

WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

INVOCATION AND CALL TO WORSHIP

Please stand, if able

P: We gather together as friends in the healing presence of the Triune God. We gather in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

C: Amen.

P: Be gracious to me, O Lord,

C: For I am languishing; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled. (Psalm 6:2)

P: O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,

C: And you have healed me. (Psalm 30:2)

P: He sent out his word and healed them,

C: And delivered them from their destruction. (Psalm 107:20)

P: Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God;

C: It is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting. (Psalm 147:1)

P: He heals the brokenhearted

C: And binds up their wounds. (Psalm 147:3)

HYMN Come to Calvary’s Holy Mountain

CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

P: Be gracious to us, O Lord, hear our confession and heal our iniquity.

C: My thoughts have veered away from your paths of righteousness.

P: My ways have departed from your ways.

C: Seeking to gain control has made me a slave to sin.

P: Desires have brought disease into my heart and life.

C: Sin makes me waste away from within.

P: My heart cries out for forgiveness and healing.

C: Lord, have mercy! Christ, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

(Please silently reflect on the fact that Jesus heals us from sin and disease.)

P: Our healer, Christ Jesus, has good news! The healing mercy of Jesus is stronger than sin and disease. Our Savior, Servant, Friend brings healing to us through the cross and the empty tomb. Jesus forgives all of our sins, and applies a healing balm to our hearts, souls and all of life. Because of our friend Jesus, we are forgiven. Amen.

C: What a friend we have in Jesus.

Redeemer’s Mission is to Grow in Faith.

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

SALUTATION AND PRAYER OF THE DAY

P: The Lord be with you.

C: And also with you.

P: Almighty and everlasting God, you created us for life and flourishing, not for death and disease. Turn our hearts from all that is contrary to you, and bring us back to your healing ways. Let us seek you and the eternal healing that you alone provide. Let us desire friendship with you so that we are healed by love. We pray through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: Amen.

Please be seated.

Redeemer’s Mission is to Proclaim Jesus Christ.

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

FIRST READING Malachi 4: 1-3

See, 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. But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.

SECOND READING 1 Peter 2:23-25

When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

The reader concludes: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

Please stand, if able, to welcome the Gospel.

GOSPEL Matthew 8:14-17

When Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever; he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve him. That evening they brought to him many who were possessed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and cured all who were sick. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah, “He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.”

P: The Gospel of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

Please be seated.

MESSAGE David Allman, Pastor

HYMN When Peace Like a River ELW 785

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

There are hurts everywhere. This world hurts. And we hurt. We pray that the healing hands of Jesus would be placed upon us and all our hurts. Jesus, in your great love, place your healing hands on us. You know where it hurts—come and bring healing, Jesus. Lord, hear our prayer.

Heal the hurts festering in our hearts and souls so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. Lord, hear our prayer.

Heal the hurts of this world as you bring peace to war-torn places, protection to innocent lives and integrity to leaders and rulers. Lord, hear our prayer.

Heal the hurts of failing bodies and aching bones, work through the hands and feet of medical practitioners and draw near to all in their times of illness and physical hurt. Lord, hear our prayer.

Heal the pain of loneliness and despair, anxiety, and fear. Lord, hear our prayer.

Heal any strife that threatens to break apart your church, and replace it with friendship and unity. Lord, hear our prayer.

Heal us from all ungodly apathy or indifference so that we can be passionate for your kingdom work. Lord, hear our prayer.

Jesus, heal us by means of your body and blood.

Jesus, place your healing hands on all our hurts. Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

BENEDICTION

P: Go now into this world of hurts knowing what a healer you have in Jesus! May the healing power of Jesus bless you and keep you; may the healing hands of Jesus be placed upon you in faith and give you peace.

C: Amen. What a friend we have in Jesus!

HYMN Jesus, Grant us Balm and Healing

P: Go in peace and serve the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

March 9, 2025 – First Sunday in Lent

These forty days called Lent are like no other. It is our opportune time to return to the God who rescues, to receive the gifts of God’s grace, to believe with the heart and confess with the mouth the wonder of God’s love in Jesus, and to resist temptation at every turn. This is no small pilgrimage on which we have just embarked. It is a struggle Jesus knew. It is a struggle Jesus shares. The nearness of the Lord, in bread and wine, water and word, will uphold and sustain us.

PRELUDE

PROCESSIONAL Lamb of God Redeemer Choir

GREETINGS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

CALL TO WORSHIP The Steadfast Love 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 the holy Trinity, one God, who forgives all our sin, whose mercy endures forever.

C: Amen.

P: Let us return to God, confessing our sin in the assurance of God’s abiding love.

Silence is kept for reflection.

P: Compassionate One,

P: Beloved in Christ, God’s arms are always stretched open wide to welcome the wandering ones home. In Christ your sins are forgiven. You have a place in God’s house forever.

C: Amen.

GATHERING HYMN What a Fellowship, What a Joy Divine ELW 774

SALUTATION AND PRAYER OF THE DAY

P: The Lord be with you.

C: And also with you.

P: O Lord God, you led your people through the wilderness and brought them to the promised land. Guide us now, so that, following your Son, we may walk safely through the wilderness of this world toward the life you alone can give, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

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 Deuteronomy 26:1-11

The annual harvest festival, called the Feast of Weeks, provides the setting for this reading. This festival celebrates the first fruits of the produce of the land offered back to God in thanks. In this text, worshipers announce God’s gracious acts on behalf of Israel.

¹ When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it, ² you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. ³ You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time, and say to him, “Today I declare to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.” ⁴ When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the Lord your God, ⁵ you shall make this response before the Lord your God: “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. ⁶ When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, ⁷ we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. ⁸ The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; ⁹ and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. ¹⁰ So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me.” You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God. ¹¹ Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.

The reader concludes: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

PSALM (responsively) Psalm 91:1-2,9-16

¹ You who dwell in the shelter of ^| the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of ^| the Almighty—
² you will say to the Lord, “My refuge ^| and my stronghold,
my God in whom I ^| put my trust.”
⁹ Because you have made the ^| Lord your refuge,
and the Most High your ^| habitation,
¹⁰ no evil ^| will befall you,
nor shall affliction come ^| near your dwelling.
¹¹ For God will give the angels charge ^| over you,
to guard you in ^| all your ways.
¹² Upon their hands they will ^| bear you up,
lest you strike your foot a- ^| gainst a stone.
¹³ You will tread upon the lion ^| cub and viper;
you will trample down the lion ^| and the serpent.
¹⁴ I will deliver those who ^| cling to me;
I will uphold them, because they ^| know my name.
¹⁵ They will call me, and I will ^| answer them;
I will be with them in trouble; I will rescue and ^| honor them.
¹⁶ With long life will I ^| satisfy them,
and show them ^| my salvation.

SECOND READING Romans 10:8b-13

Paul reminds the Christians at Rome of the foundation of their creed, the confession of faith in the risen Christ as Lord.

^8b “The word is near you,

on your lips and in your heart”

(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); ⁹ because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. ¹¹ The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” ¹² For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. ¹³ For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

The reader concludes: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

Please stand, if able, to welcome the Gospel.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION FOR LENT Return to the Lord, Your God

P: The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the fourth chapter.

GOSPEL Luke 4:1-13

After being filled with the Holy Spirit at his baptism, Jesus is led in the wilderness. Through his responses to the temptations of the devil, he defines what it means to be called “the Son of God.”

¹ Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, ² where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. ³ The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” ⁴ Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’ ”

⁵ Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. ⁶ And the devil said to him, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. ⁷ If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” ⁸ Jesus answered him, “It is written,

‘Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.’ ”

⁹ Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, ¹⁰ for it is written,

‘He will command his angels concerning you,

to protect you,’
¹¹ and
‘On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’ ”

¹² Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” ¹³ When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

P: The Gospel of the Lord.

Please be seated.

MESSAGE David Allman, Pastor

HYMN OF THE DAY From the River to the Desert sheet

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.

OFFERING/ ANTHEM The Garden Path Redeemer Choir

Please join in singing the offertory response.

OFFERTORY RESPONSE – Create In Me a Clean Heart

OFFERING PRAYER

C: Amen.

Redeemer’s Mission is to Love All People.

Prayers on behalf of others.

Led by the Spirit, let us turn to God in prayer for the church, the world, and all those in need.

A brief silence.

Gracious God, speak your word anew among your church. Strengthen it to withstand the temptation to turn inward in fear or complacency. Embolden church institutions to turn from self-preservation toward the self-giving love of Jesus. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

Mothering God, speak the word of life into wilderness places and fertile fields. Grant wisdom to your people, that we may quell the urge to strip lands of their resources and instead preserve first fruits for future generations. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

Almighty God, speak a word of wisdom to people in positions of power: mayors, councils, and tribal leaders, legislators, judges and juries, presidents, and monarchs. Help them discern your voice and follow your guidance, resisting the temptations of the evil one. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

Steadfast God, speak words of courage to your people in the wilderness. Protect migrants and refugees on perilous journeys, that they find safe refuge and a portion in the bounty you have given humanity to share. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

Loving God, speak gently to all who are alone. Bless lay ministers, home communion teams, and others who attend to those who are overlooked, vulnerable, or lonely, that all find belonging in your love. We pray for all who are ill. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

Here other intercessions may be offered.

Living God, we give thanks for all the faithful who have crossed the threshold from death to life. Guide us who are living to learn from their wisdom and follow their example. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

P: Receive the prayers of your people and draw all things together in your love, in the name of Jesus, who leads us from death to life.

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 A Mighty Fortress ELW 504

Redeemer’s Mission is to Proclaim Jesus Christ.

P: Go in peace. Care for others as God cares for you.

C: Thanks be to God.

March 5, 2025- Ash Wednesday

I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15

PRELUDE

PROCESSIONAL Lamb of God Redeemer Choir

GREETINGS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

CALL TO WORSHIP Lord Jesus Think on Me 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 the holy Trinity, one God, who forgives all our sin, whose mercy endures forever.

C: Amen.

P: Let us return to God, confessing our sin in the assurance of God’s abiding love.

Silence is kept for reflection.

P: Compassionate One,

P: Beloved in Christ, God’s arms are always stretched open wide to welcome the wandering ones home. In Christ your sins are forgiven. You have a place in God’s house forever.

C: Amen.

THE IMPOSITION OF ASHES

C: We receive a cross of ashes on our foreheads on this day. For we are dust, and to dust we shall return, but in the cross of Christ, we have a future.

Please be seated.

Those who desire to receive ashes, please come forward and there will be a continuous line before the altar. Ashes will be applied to the forehead of each person in a continuous fashion.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

P: Almighty and ever-living God, you hate nothing you have made, and you forgive the sins of all who are penitent. Create in us new and honest hearts, so that, truly repenting of our sins, we may receive from you, the God of all mercy, full pardon and forgiveness through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: Amen.

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 Joel 2:12-17

¹² Yet even now, says the Lord,
return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
¹³ rend your hearts and not your clothing.
Return to the Lord, your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love,
and relents from punishing.
¹⁴ Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
and leave a blessing behind him,
a grain offering and a drink offering
for the Lord, your God?
¹⁵ Blow the trumpet in Zion;
sanctify a fast;
call a solemn assembly;
¹⁶ gather the people.
Sanctify the congregation;
assemble the aged;
gather the children,
even infants at the breast.
Let the bridegroom leave his room,
and the bride her canopy.
¹⁷ Between the vestibule and the altar
let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep.
Let them say, “Spare your people, O Lord,
and do not make your heritage a mockery,
a byword among the nations.
Why should it be said among the peoples,
‘Where is their God?’ ”

SECOND READING Colossians 1:9-14

⁹For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. ¹¹May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully ¹²giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. ¹³He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, ¹⁴in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The reader concludes: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

Please stand for the reading of the Gospel.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION FOR LENT Return to the Lord, Your God

P: The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the seventh chapter.

GOSPEL Luke 7:36-49

⁶One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. ³⁷And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. ³⁸She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. ³⁹Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him — that she is a sinner.” ⁴⁰Jesus spoke up and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Teacher,” he replied, “speak.” ⁴¹A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. ⁴²When they could not pay, he canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?” ⁴³Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the greater debt.” And Jesus said to him, “You have judged rightly.” ⁴⁴Then turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. ⁴⁵You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. ⁴⁷Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” ⁴⁸Then he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” ⁴⁹But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”

P: The Gospel of the Lord.

Please be seated.

MESSAGE David Allman, Pastor

HYMN OF THE DAY Blessed Now, O God, the Journey ELW 326

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

Led by the Spirit, let us turn to God in prayer for the church, the world, and all those in need.

A brief silence.

God of our journeys, we pray for the church as the season of Lent begins. Guide your people in spiritual practices and preparation for baptism. Strengthen communities of faith in discipleship and witness for the sake of the gospel. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

God of creation, we pray for the earth. As you once brought forth life from the dust, breathe healing and renewal into all places where ecosystems are stretched and strained. Nurture organic cycles of life, death, and rebirth. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

God of the nations, we pray for an end to wars and occupations that reduce communities to ash. Turn leaders away from fearful decision-making, and lead all people into the justice and compassion of your reign. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

God of the suffering, we pray for all who live with any pain. Comfort people living with chronic or terminal illnesses, addictions, or anxiety. Grant that all who dwell in the dust of grief may know your presence there. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

God of community, we pray for those who accompany the dying: for first responders, health care and hospice workers, chaplains, and those who facilitate burials of the dead. Sustain them as they serve their neighbors in life and death with dignity and care. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

Here other intercessions may be offered.

God of the cross, we give thanks for those who have completed their lives on earth and have returned to you. Strengthen us with the promise that within the ashes of death are the seeds of resurrection life. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

God of the suffering, we pray that you 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. God, in your mercy, receive our prayer.

P: Receive the prayers of your people and draw all things together in your love, in the name of Jesus, who leads us from death to life.

C: Amen.

Please be seated.

OFFERING Lenten Meditation Redeemer Choir

OFFERTORY RESPONSE – Create In Me a Clean Heart

LENT OFFERING PRAYER

P: Holy and generous host,

C: you set a table where we feast as friends. Prepare us to witness to your goodness with every gift you have given us to share, that all people may know your peace through Jesus Christ, now and forever.

The Meal

God feeds us with the presence of Jesus Christ. All baptized Christians are invited to receive Holy Communion.

INVITATION TO COMMUNION

Speak to us, O Lord, in the breaking of the bread, and make us one with you.

WORDS OF INSTITUTION

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Please be seated.

Hymn during communion Just as I Am ELW 592

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: Almighty God, you gave us your Son both as a sacrifice for sin and a model of the godly life. Enable us to receive him always with thanksgiving and to conform our lives to his, through 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 Oh Lord, throughout These Forty Days LBW 99

Redeemer’s Mission is to Proclaim Jesus Christ.

P: Go in peace. Care for others as God cares for you.

C: Thanks be to God.

March 2, 2025 – Transfiguration Of Our Lord

Witnesses to the glory of God in the face of Jesus reflect that glory in the world. It was true for Moses. It was doubtless true for Peter, James, and John. We pray that it will be true of all of us who see God’s glory in the word and in the supper and who are being “transformed into the same image” by God’s Spirit.

PRELUDE

PROCESSIONAL All People that on Earth Do Dwell Redeemer Choir

Please join the choir in singing.

GREETINGS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

CALL TO WORSHIP Holy Ground 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 the holy Trinity, one God, our creator, our protector, our wellspring of life.

C: Amen.

P: Trusting that God receives our words and the meditations of our hearts, let us confess our sin.

Silence is kept for reflection.

P: Merciful God,

C: you speak blessing and compassion into the world. Forgive us for the ways we act with judgment, cruelty, or indifference. We ignore the needs of our neighbors; we resist your call to oppose injustice; we give in to scarcity and fear; we assume the worst about one another. Cleanse us from our faults and release us from their grasp. Show us your lovingkindness. Restore our hearts and repair your world, that we may live in Christ’s ways. Amen.

P: God proclaims these words of assurance: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine.” In Christ, you are forgiven. In the Spirit, you are made free. Refreshed by the waters of mercy, live anew as beloved children of God.

C: Amen.

GATHERING HYMN How Good, Lord to Be Here! ELW 315

SALUTATION AND PRAYER OF THE DAY

P: The Lord be with you.

C: And also with you.

P: Holy God, mighty and immortal, you are beyond our knowing, yet we see your glory in the face of Jesus Christ. Transform us into the likeness of your Son, who renewed our humanity so that we may share in his divinity, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

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 Exodus 34:29-35

Moses’ face shone with the reflected glory of God after he received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. The sight caused the Israelites to be afraid, so Moses wore a veil to mask the radiance of God’s glory, taking it off when he spoke directly with God.

²⁹ Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. ³⁰ When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him. ³¹ But Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke with them. ³² Afterward all the Israelites came near, and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. ³³ When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face; ³⁴ but whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would take the veil off, until he came out; and when he came out, and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, ³⁵ the Israelites would see the face of Moses, that the skin of his face was shining; and Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

The reader concludes: The Word of the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God.

PSALM (responsively) Psalm 99

¹ The Lord is king; let the ^| people tremble.
The Lord is enthroned upon the cherubim; let ^| the earth shake.
² The Lord, ^| great in Zion,
is high a- ^| bove all peoples.
³ Let them confess God’s name, which is ^| great and awesome;
God is the ^| Holy One.
⁴ O mighty king, lover of justice, you have es- ^| tablished equity;
you have executed justice and righteous- ^| ness in Jacob.
⁵ Proclaim the greatness of the Lord and fall down be- ^| fore God’s footstool;
God is the ^| Holy One.
⁶ Moses and Aaron among your priests, and Samuel among those who call upon your ^| name, O Lord,
they called upon you, and you ^| answered them,
⁷ you spoke to them out of the pil- ^| lar of cloud;
they kept your testimonies and the decree ^| that you gave them.
⁸ O Lord our God, you answered ^| them indeed;
you were a God who forgave them, yet punished them for their ^| evil deeds.
⁹ Proclaim the greatness of the Lord and worship upon God’s ^| holy hill;
for the Lord our God is the ^| Holy One.

SECOND READING 2 Corinthians 3:12—4:2

In his debates with the Corinthians, Paul contrasts the glory of Moses with the glory of Christ. The Israelites could not see Moses’ face because of the veil. But in Christ we see the unveiled glory of God and are transformed into Christ’s likeness.

¹² Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness, ¹³ not like Moses, who put a veil over his face to keep the people of Israel from gazing at the end of the glory that was being set aside. ¹⁴ But their minds were hardened. Indeed, to this very day, when they hear the reading of the old covenant, that same veil is still there, since only in Christ is it set aside. ¹⁵ Indeed, to this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds; ¹⁶ but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. ¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.

^4:1 Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart. ² We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God’s word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of 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. Luke, the ninth chapter.

GOSPEL Luke 9:28-43a

The conversation about Jesus’ suffering and death is enclosed in a dazzling foreshadowing of the resurrection. God affirms Jesus’ identity, the disciples are stunned speechless, and Jesus resumes his mission with a demonstration of his power over evil.

²⁸ Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. ²⁹ And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. ³⁰ Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. ³¹ They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. ³² Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. ³³ Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. ³⁴ While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. ³⁵ Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” ³⁶ When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

³⁷ On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. ³⁸ Just then a man from the crowd shouted, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son; he is my only child. ³⁹ Suddenly a spirit seizes him, and all at once he shrieks. It convulses him until he foams at the mouth; it mauls him and will scarcely leave him. ⁴⁰ I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.” ⁴¹ Jesus answered, “You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.” ⁴² While he was coming, the demon dashed him to the ground in convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. ^43a And all were astounded at the greatness of God.

P: The Gospel of the Lord.

Please be seated.

MESSAGE David Allman, Pastor

HYMN Jesus, Take Us to the Mountain Sheet

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.

With the Spirit of Christ shining upon us, let us boldly pray for the church, the world, and all of creation.

A brief silence.

Transfiguring God, through the glory of your presence, you transform us. Move the church from complacency to boldness in sharing the good news with others. God of grace, hear our prayer.

We pray for your creation. As seasons change, give patience and skill to all who tend to animals giving birth. Grant nourishing weather for the growing of crops. God of grace, hear our prayer.

We pray for all in leadership, especially for those who lead states, counties, and town councils. Give them wisdom to protect local resources so that all will flourish both now and in the years to come. God of grace, hear our prayer.

Bring your healing grace to those who feel distant from you. Speak comfort to those who need your words of mercy. We pray for those close to our communities and in our hearts. God of grace, hear our prayer.

God of our past, present, and future, lead us into new beginnings, trusting in the promise of new life in Christ. Accompany congregations needing to close, and give courage to congregations starting new ministries. God of grace, hear our prayer.

Here other intercessions may be offered.

Renewing God, the saints who have gone before us witnessed to the ways you transform your church and people. We give thanks for their example and pray we carry it forward. God of grace, hear our prayer.

P: We entrust our prayers to you, O God, in the sure and certain hope that your promise is revealed among the people.

C: Amen.

Please be seated.

OFFERING/ ANTHEM Shine on Great Savior Redeemer Choir

OFFERTORY RESPONSE – Create In Me a Clean Heart

OFFERING PRAYER

P: God of grace, your love reaches to the heavens, and your abundance to the depths of the seas. Bless what we offer to your service: our gifts, our abilities, and our hearts. Let us overflow with gratitude and generosity, now and always.

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

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 Alleluia, Song of Gladness ELW 318

Redeemer’s Mission is to Proclaim Jesus Christ.

Alleluia. Enclose and seal up the word, alleluia. Let it remain in the secret of your heart, alleluia, until the appointed time. You shall say it with great joy when that day comes. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

P: Go in peace. Live in Hope.

C: Thanks be to God.