Description
Luke 17:11-19
The Samaritans had a bad reputation. When Jesus healed ten lepers, only one of them returned to thank Him. This man happened to be a Samaritan. Over and over, Jesus crosses social and physical boundaries to reach the unreached. He looks past the outward appearances and deep into the hearts and souls of people no matter who they are.
We Lift Our Hearts in Worship
[Preservice options include video countdowns, worship song videos, welcomes), CDs, or live music.]
Welcome & Time of Greeting
Time of Praise and Worship
I Will Lift My Eyes
Bebo Norman | Jason Ingram, ©2006 Appstreet Music (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.) New Spring (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.) Peertunes, Ltd. (Admin. by peermusic) Windsor Way Music (Admin. by peermusic)
O Come to the Altar
Chris Brown. Mack Brock, Steven Futick, Wade Joye, ©2015 Music by Elevation Worship Publishing (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC)
God You’re So Good
Brett Younker, Brooke Ligertwood, Kristian Stanfill, Scott Ligertwood, © SHOUT! Music Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) sixsteps Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
worshiptogether.com songs (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
[Traditional Options]
O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
BH 75 69; BH 91 216; CH 21; CHH 5; EH 493; ELW 886; HWC 76; HPW 7; HFG 349; HLC 90; HGP 32; HSP 19; LBW 559; LSB 528; LW 276; NCH 42; PH 466; RH 51; STTL 147; WC 130; UMH 57; WAR 96; WHM 46; WIS 12
Entrust Your Days & Burdens
LSB 754; LW 427
From God Can Nothing Move Me
LBW 468; LSB 713; LW 409
Invocation
Pastor / Worship Leader
We welcome the Holy Spirit into this place today. As you enter, may you feel the warmth of His presence. The Lord loves you and we urge you to come as you are, to take off the masks, and to break down the walls that you hide behind. The Lord sees you, and He loves you. Greet one another today and spread the love of Jesus Christ.
Worshipers
(Greet one another)
Opening Prayer / Theme Introduction
Pastor / Worship Leader
As you find your way back to your seats, may you be reminded that the Lord is the One who leads us. He shows us the way. Let us pray. Father of All,
Worshipers
We thank you, Lord, for letting us come as we are.
Pastor / Worship Leader
We can try to hide like Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden after they had sinned, but You know exactly where and who we are.
Worshipers
You’ve known us since we were knitted together in the womb.
Pastor / Worship Leader
So, we come to You, Lord, as ourselves and thank You for accepting us, for loving us, and for dying to save us. We focus our attention on You, Jesus. Amen.
Time of Confession and Forgiveness
[Alternate location: following Message]
Pastor / Worship Leader
Too many times we are distracted by the outward appearances and material possessions. We make rash judgments according to what our eyes see. We don’t necessarily treat others poorly, but perhaps differently, depending on their emotional, physical, or spiritual state. Lord, we need You.
Worshipers
We confess of judging one another, treating each other with racism, social injustice, or unkind words or actions. Forgive us, Lord.
Pastor / Worship Leader
May we learn from You, Jesus, who boldly crossed social borders to reach the lost and who followed the law of love rather than the laws of men. We want to be more like You, Jesus.
Worshipers
Forgive us, Jesus. We ask You to heal the hearts here that have been victims of these injustices. We ask you to give courage to us to do what’s right in Your eyes. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
We Hear God’s Word
[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]
First Reading Ruth 1:1-19a
After the tragedy of losing her husband and both of her sons, Naomi told her daughters-in-law to return home. Ruth pledged to go wherever Naomi went and to stay wherever she stayed.
In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. 2 The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there. 3 Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband. 6 When Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there. 7 With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah. 8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. 9 May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.” Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud 10 and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? 12 Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— 13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me!” 14 At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her. 15 “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.” 16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her. 19 So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”
