Description
Luke 20: 27-40
What’s in a name? Although our parents chose our given names, most of us have spent time contemplating and formulating names for social media and the like. Names can say a lot about someone. Moreover, how someone is introduced is even a bigger deal. How would you like to be introduced?
Today in our Gospel reading, Jesus recalls the scene at the burning bush from Exodus. Moses finds out what God’s name is and how He wants to be introduced. Many generations later, we hear Jesus silence ridiculous questions meant to distract His ministry by talking about that very introduction God spoke to Moses. Our God is the God of the living – and that includes all who have died in faith and now rest with Him.
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
Your Name
Glenn Packiam & Paul Baloche, ©2006 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music; Vertical Worship Songs (Admin. by Integrity Music, Inc.)
How Great Is Our God
Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash, & Jesse Reeves ©2004 worshiiptogether.com songs/Sixsteps Music/ASCAP
Forever Reign
Jason Ingram & Reuben Morgan, ©2009 SHOUT! Music Publishing (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) Sony/ATV Timber Publishing (Admin. by Sony/ATV Sounds LLC) Windsor Hill Music (Admin. by Sony/ATV Sounds LLC) West Main Music (Admin. by Sony/ATV Sounds LLC)
[Traditional Options]
Alleluia! Jesus is Risen
ELW 377; LSB 474; WOV 674; WAR 306
Jesus! Name of Wondrous Love
BH75 74; EH 252; LSB 900; LW 182
O Savior, Precious Savior
ELW 820; HLC 98; LBW 514; LSB 527; LW 282
Invocation
Deuteronomy 6:4
Pastor We gather together in the name of the great I AM!
ALL Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
Opening Prayer
Pastor Lord God Heavenly Father, we praise you for gathering us this day in your presence. This is holy ground because you have come to us and called out, “Here I am.” We pray that you would remove distractions from us during this time together, that we may fully enjoy and grow in your presence.
ALL Guide us and bless us Lord. Amen.
Time of Greeting
Time of Confession and Forgiveness
Pastor Our Holy Lord is in our midst! It is just at this moment when we realize that we are not worthy to stand on His holy ground. Our sin separates us from His holiness and prevents us from living in His glorious light. Yet our Lord still comes to us, seeking us, desiring to be among us. Let us then confess our sins to our Merciful Lord. Take a moment to recall who you are in the midst of our Holy God.
(A time of personal reflection and confession)
Lord God, Merciful Father,
All I don’t deserve to be in your presence. I shouldn’t even be allowed to speak your name. I have sinned against you and not loved my neighbor as I should. I have ignored your love for me and presence in my life. But you have come to me this day and I trust in your promises. Forgive me Lord, have mercy on me for the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ.
Pastor The apostle Paul says in Ephesians:
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.
Jesus proclaims in our Gospel lesson today that our God is a God of the Living. Although we were dead in our sin, our Lord has raised us to new life. In the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, Lord of the Living, I forgive you all your sins in the name of The Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
All Amen! Praise be to God!
We Hear God’s Word
[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]
First Reading Job 19:23-27a
Job, amidst the trials and tribulations of his life, speak words of perfect truth: our Redeemer lives! We will see this, and be a part of the resurrection one day.
23 “Oh, that my words were recorded, that they were written on a scroll, 24 that they were inscribed with an iron tool on lead, or engraved in rock forever! 25 I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; 27 I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!
Second Reading 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8, 13-17
The apostle Paul continues to encourage and lift up the church in Thessalonica.
He calls all of us to stand firm in what we have been taught by our Lord.
1 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming.
13 But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14 He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings[b] we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. 16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.
