Description
Mark 9:30-37
Trying to attain as much as possible and amass more than our neighbors, seems to be what secular reasoning and rationale is about in our society. Hoarders abound all around us. Jesus, however, teaches us to share our lives, share our belongings, and share our gifts with those in need. By doing so, we are rewarded. It truly is “more blessed to give than to receive”. Missionary Jim Elliot said, “”He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”
We Lift Our Hearts in Worship
[Preservice options include videos (countdowns, worship music, welcomes), worship music CD, or live music by worship band.]
Time of Praise and Worship
Until The Whole World Hears
Bernie Herms, Jason McArthur, Mark Hall, Roger Glidewell, ©2009 BanaHama Tunes (Admin. by Word Music Group, Inc.) Word Music, LLC (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.) My Refuge Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) Sony/ATV Tree Publishing (Admin. by Sony/ATV Songs LLC) Unknown MGE Songs (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.)
Beautiful News
Matt Redman, ©2006 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
[Traditional Options]
God of Grace and God of Glory
BH 75 265; BH 91 395; CH 435; CHH 464; EH 594,595; ELW 705; HWC 292; WFG 528; HLC 466; LBW 415; LSB 850; LW 398; NCH 436; PH 420; STTL 720;; WC 669; UMH 577; WAR 569; WHM 332
Son of God, Eternal Savior
ELW 655; LBW 364; LSB 842; LW 394; NCH 542
Invocation and Introduction of Today’s Theme
Pastor Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord
ALL Let the name of the Lord be praised; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit be praised!
Pastor One triune God enthroned on high.
ALL We Praise the name of the Lord. Praise You, Lord!
Opening Prayer
O God, from whom all we possess derives, we gather to worship You and to hear Your Word this day. As we consider Your majesty and yet Your generous love to us mere humans, we ask You to create a fresh sense of thankfulness and devotion in our hearts to You. May we be moved by Your message today to be an example of Jesus’ life. May we be His charitable hands and feet to the world around us. In His Name we pray. Amen.
Time of Greeting
[This would be a fitting time to share the peace of the Lord]
Time of Confession and Forgiveness
[Alternate location: following Message]
Our God is righteous. His Word tells us that He opposes the proud but shows favor to the meek. We come to Him to confess our sins. Realizing that our lives are so filled with imperfection, we have reason to humbly approach the throne of our Almighty God and seek His forgiveness.
Pastor O righteous and loving God, our sin separates us from fellowship with You. Reveal to us in these moments where we have fallen short. Bring to mind our shortcomings as we silent reflect on our thoughts, words and deeds.
Lord, help us inspect our wrongful attitudes. . . [ personal reflection time]
Help us to remember our spoken words that have been hurtful to You and others. . .
Reveal to us our sinful actions. . .
Together we pray:
All Forgive, us Lord, for the thoughts, words and deeds done intentionally and unintentionally in our lives. Only by Your grace can we lay to rest our sinful past and leave it in Your hands. Only by the faith You give us can we trust Your forgiving promises and lean on You more. Cleanse our hearts and minds. By the power of Your Holy Spirit in us we may delight to walk in the ways of Jesus Christ, our Perfect Savior and Lord. It is in His Name we pray. Amen.
Pastor As you have drawn near to God, He has drawn near to you. As you have humbled yourself before Him, He has forgiven you. As far as the east is from the west, so your sinfulness is removed from view. There is no longer punishment for your sin, and God remembers it no more. In the name of Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven.
ALL Thanks be to God the Father, who turns our mourning into joy.
Thanks be to Jesus Christ, our Savior and our Lord.
Thanks be to the Holy Spirit, our Comfort and our Guide.
Amen
We Hear God’s Word
[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]
First Reading Jeremiah 11:18-20
The prophet Jeremiah tells much concerning himself, the times he lived in being very troublesome. Those of his own city plotted how they might cause his death. God knows all the secrets. God’s justice is a terror to the wicked, but a comfort to the godly. When we are wronged, we have a God to commit our cause to.
18 Because the Lord revealed their plot to me, I knew it, for at that time he showed me what they were doing. 19 I had been like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter; I did not realize that they had plotted against me, saying, “Let us destroy the tree and its fruit; let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more.” 20 But you, Lord Almighty, who judge righteously and test the heart and mind,
let me see your vengeance on them, for to you I have committed my cause.
