Description

Luke 17:11-19

Ten lepers desiring healing encountered Jesus during his travels to Jerusalem. Jesus commanded them to obey the law by going to the priests who could declare them clean.  On their way to the priests, the lepers experienced a miraculous healing.  One leper, a Samaritan, was filled with praise and gratitude and returned to Jesus, falling prostrate in worshipful thanksgiving.  Jesus asked him in verse 17, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?  Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” During this day, Samaritans were viewed as unwanted outsiders.  This man had two strikes against him.  He was a Samaritan and a leper.  Lepers had to keep their distance as leprosy was highly contagious.  Yet, this outcast was the only one out of ten who stopped to thank his loving healer.  Who in your life is an unwanted outsider?  How can you extend love and mercy to that person like Jesus did to this leper?

 

… 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

Here I Am To Worship

Tim Hughes, ©2001 Kingsway’s Thankyou Music

(*consider altering text from “gladly choose You now” to “gladly serve You now”)

 

You’re Worthy Of My Praise

Daniel Ruis, ©1991 Maranatha Praise, Inc. (Admin. by Maranatha! Music) Shade Tree Music (Admin. by Maranatha! Music)

Jesus Friend of Sinners

Mark Hall & Matthew West, ©2011 My Refuge Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing), Sony/ATV Tree Publishing (Admin. by Sony/ATV Songs LLC), External Combustion Music

[Traditional Options]

Your Hand, O Lord, In Days Of Old                 

LBW 431; LSB 846; LW 399

Sing Praise To God, the Highest Good

ELW 871; LBW 542; LSB 819; LW 452

How Wide the Love of Christ

LSB 535

  

Invocation and Introduction of Today’s Theme 

Pastor              Gracious Lord, we quiet our hearts before you now and remember all the wonderful

                        works of your hands.

 

ALL                  Thank you, Lord, for your many blessings.

 

Pastor              You are good and worthy of our praise.

 

ALL                  Praise be to you, O God!

 

Pastor              It’s in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit that we come

together now.

 

ALL                  Yes, Lord.

 

 

Opening Prayer

 

Pastor              Father God, we are grateful to be called your children.  You are mighty in all of your ways.  Thank you for your faithfulness to a people who are many times so faithless.  Thank you for giving us the gift of salvation through your Son, Jesus Christ.  Thank you for sending your Holy Spirit to counsel and guide us in the way of righteousness.  Your goodness and mercy overflows and we are eternally grateful.  It’s in the name of Jesus we pray.

 

ALL                  Amen!

 

 

Time of Greeting

  

Time of Confession and Forgiveness

[Alternate location:  following Message]

 

Pastor              God of mercy, truth, and grace, we confess our sins both thoughtless and intentional.

 

ALL                  We confess our sins and thank you for Your mercy, Lord.

 

                                    (A time of personal confession and reflection)

 

Pastor              We are grateful for your kindness that leads us to repentance.

 

ALL                  Thank you for your kindness, Lord.

 

Pastor              We are cleansed of our sins because of the blood that was shed by your one and only Son, Jesus.

ALL                  Thank you for your forgiveness, Lord.

 

Pastor              Your forgiveness, Lord, is underserving, yet you freely give it.  We sing praises to you with our lips, then speak curses on those you love.  We thank you for our blessings, yet we forget to bless others in return.  We are thankful for the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, yet we continue to nail Him to the cross every time we choose to sin.  Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”   Because of your great unending love and the blood sacrifice of your Son Jesus that made atonement for our sins, we are forgiven.  Thank you, Lord, and praise your holy name!

 

ALL                  Praise God and Amen!  

 

 

… We Hear God’s Word …

[Read aloud both the introduction and Scripture]

 

First Reading                      2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c

 

Naaman is commanded by the prophet Elisha to dip in the Jordan River seven times to be cured of leprosy.  Naaman hesitates at first, but then complies.  After completing the washing, Naaman is healed and strengthened in his faith.

 

Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. 2 Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

 

7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!” 8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.”9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.” 11 But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage. 13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. 15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”