Description
Luke 17:11-19
The story of the grateful leper offers us an image of who and what matters to Jesus. We discover that the response of this doubly marginalized Samaritan leper was to praise God and fall at the feet of Jesus in thanksgiving. We learn from the tenth leper who turned back that true stewardship, worship, and thanksgiving reflect true Christian living.
Author’s notes:
This service is an interactive time of worship for the congregation and lends itself well to being a youth worship or lay-led. Predetermine different readers of all ages.
We Lift Our Hearts in Worship
[Preservice options include video countdowns, worship song videos, welcomes), CDs, or live music.]
Welcome & Time of Greeting
Younger Reader
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ who is worthy of our praise and thanksgiving!
Worshipers
Worthy is the Lord our God Who reigns supreme!
Younger Reader
Holy Spirit, You are welcome in this place right here, right now.
Worshipers
Come Lord, Jesus, we invite You into our hearts as we honor You with our hearts, minds, souls, and lips.
Time of Praise and Worship
Grateful
Chris Brown | Matthews Ntlele | Stefan Green | Steven Furtick, © SHOUT! Music Publishing Australia (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing) Music by Elevation Worship Publishing (Admin. by Essential Music Publishing LLC)
Great Things
Jonas Myrin, Phil Wickham, Phil Wickham Music, Simply Global Songs, Sing My Songs (Admin by Essential Music Publishing LLC) Son Of The Lion, Capitol CMG Paragon (Admin by Capitol CMG Publishing)
We Gather Together / We Praise You, O God
Stan Loyd & Theodore Baker, ©Public Domain / Julia Bulkley Cady Cor, ©Public Domain
[Traditional Options]
We Praise You, O God, Our Redeemer, Creator
BH 75 15; BH 91 19; CH 68; ELW 870; HWC 16; HFG 334; HGP 19; LBW 241; LSB 785; LW 494; NCH 420; RH 16; STTL 40; WAR 726; WHM 62
Now Thank We All Our God
BH 75 234; BH 91 638; CH 788; CHH 715; EH 396,397; ELW 839,840; HWC 556; HFG 525; HLC 564; HGP 13; LBW 533,534; LSB 895; LW 443; NCH 419; PH 555; RH 717; STTL 766; WC 374; UMH 102; WAR 14; WHM 333; WIS 88
Invocation
Reader 1
In the sixteenth century, Martin Luther was once asked to describe the nature of true worship.
Reader 2
Martin Luther pondered his answer amid the ethical, ecclesial, and liturgical reforms.
ALL
What was his answer? What did he say?
Reader 3
His answer was the tenth leper turning back- a salute to his act of thanksgiving and praise of which we should all replicate in honor of our Lord Jesus Christ and all that He has done for us.
ALL
Amen!
Opening Prayer / Theme Introduction
Pastor / Worship Leader
Gracious and generous God, You provide for our every need. You make a way where there seems to be no way. You provide streams in the deserts, food in the famine, and eternal life where there’s death. You have been faithful through and through, and we bless You.
Worshipers
We fall at Your beautiful feet in worship and thanksgiving. Amen.
Time of Confession and Forgiveness
[Alternate location: following Message]
Parent
We must be careful to obey the Lord’s commands and all that He asks of us. We must heed His voice and trust God’s wisdom, justice, and love and turn away from our own thoughts.
Teen
But we must admit that obedience doesn’t come easy. Even when we don’t feel like obeying, we know that according to God’s Word, He blesses those who obey His commands.
Child
Even though we can’t see God with our eyes, we must remember all that He has done for us. We must remember to thank Him for everything. Don’t forget to thank Jesus!
Grandparent
Generations have come and gone, and the end isn’t here quite yet. But Jesus will return one day, and our hearts must be soft for the Lord. Let’s live out in obedience to confess our sins freely to the Father who is faithful and just and will forgive us. He will wipe away our sins and impurities, casting them out to the sea. We will remember to thank Him, but He will remember our sins no more.
Worshipers
In Christ’s name, we are forgiven! We give thanks to You Lord, for You are good. Hallelujah, Amen!
We Hear God’s Word
[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]
First Reading Deuteronomy 8:1-10
The Israelites needed to follow God’s commands so that they could enter the Promised Land. God reminded them of His past provision, guidance, testing, and future promise to dwell in a flourishing land.
Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. 2 Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. 5 Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you. 6 Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in obedience to him and revering him. 7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills; 8 a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; 9 a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills. 10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.
