WEdnesday November 8, 2023

Fruit of the Spirit: Generosity Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Welcome to worship this evening with Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. Our theme for this fall is A Harvest of Generosity. Through the Holy Spirit, God is continually growing diverse fruits of love, faithfulness, and many other varieties through us.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23a) We are confident that God has planted Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Midtown so that others may taste bountiful life in Jesus. May God nurture you through this worship service so you may bear good and beautiful fruit in Midtown and beyond.

GATHERING The Holy Spirit gathers us into a community of prayer.

Standing CALL TO WORSHIP Come, rest from your labors in the vineyard Let the vineyards be fruitful, Lord Come, let us gather the hopes and dreams and longing of all Let the vineyards be fruitful, Lord Come, receive a foretaste of the feast to come We come to the abundant presence of the Lord HYMN 427

For All Your Saints, O Lord

OPENING PRAYER Let us pray.

Almighty God, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to you forever and ever! Lift our voices to sing songs of praise as we await the coming of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. | Amen.

WORD

God speaks to us in scripture reading, silence, reflection, and song.

Seated Revelation 7:9-17 After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!"

And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, singing, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen."

Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?" I said to him, "Sir, you are the one that knows." Then he said to me, "These are they who have come out of the great ordeal ;they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

AN INTERVIEW WITH PASTOR MARK LARSON Wanda Cook Who has been a saint towards you? Who do you imagine singing praises to the Lord in his heavenly throne room?

Kneeling or remain seated PRAYER As vines lift their leaves to the sun, let us lift our hearts in prayer to the Lord.

We confess to you, Oh Lord, that we have consumed excessively to the edge and beyond. Stay our hands in the reaping of resources. May we take only what we need, leaving gleanings for the poor and foreigners among us. Strengthen us to work in the fields of justice so that all may have enough.

What else do we confess to God? [you may speak your own prayers and petitions] Lord in your mercy, | Hear our prayer.

We ask you, O Lord, to cultivate compassion, healing, and mercy in our community. Tend the sick, give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, comfort the afflicted.

For whom do we ask for God’s tender mercy? [you may speak your own prayers and petitions]

Lord in your mercy, | Hear our prayer.

We give you thanks, Oh Lord, for the bounty of your grace and love! For your word of forgiveness and life, for the universal church, for this faith community through Redeemer, for all the blessings you generously provide.

For what else do we give God praise? [you may speak your own prayers and petitions] Lord in your mercy, | Hear our prayer.

We ask you, O Lord, that these prayers take root in us and bear fruit in your name. Harvest a season of generosity so that through Redeemer, the world may see Jesus and give glory to his name above all names. | Amen.

Standing PEACE The peace of Christ be with you always | And also with you.

MEAL

GREAT THANKSGIVING The Lord be with you. | And also with you.

Lift up your hearts! | We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. | It is right to give our thanks and praise.

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER Holy God, mighty and merciful, your people praise you, saying: Your mercy endures forever.

Your mercy endures forever.

By your promise you bound yourself to earth and all its creatures, granting them life and calling them to flourish, setting the sign of your bow in the clouds, the colors of your love and faithfulness.

Your mercy endures forever.

Your mercy endures forever.

By your promise you bound yourself to your people of old, blessing them with family outnumbering the stars and calling them to be a blessing to others, showing them steadfast love in every generation and calling them to be a light to the nations. Your mercy endures forever.

Your mercy endures forever.

By your promise you joined us to Jesus, your Beloved, grafting us into your living Vine, and calling us to bear the fruit of your self-giving love.

In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you.

Do this for the remembrance of me.

Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.

Do this for the remembrance of me.

With this bread and cup we remember his life laid down and lifted up as we proclaim the mystery of faith.

Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

Send your Holy Spirit upon us and these gifts of bread and wine. Bless us to be a blessing.

Make us a sign of your faithfulness. Send us to tend and cherish the earth and to serve the world with mercy and love.

With all the saints in light, with the earth and all its creatures, with sun and moon and stars, we praise you, O God, through Christ Jesus, in your Spirit, now and forever. | Amen.

LORD’S PRAYER Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

INVITATION TO COMMUNION All people are called to Christ’s table. Come, eat what is good.

Seated All who seek to meet the Risen Christ in the bread and wine are invited to receive Holy Communion.

Standing The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace. | Amen BLESSING Creating God, Sower, Grower, and Reaper, bless you now and forever. | Amen.

HYMN 628

Jerusalem, My Happy Home

SENDING Live by the Spirit, guided by God. Thanks be to God. From sundaysandseasons.com.

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