The Season of Pentecost 2023
—focus on Gratitude (Sept 17)
This Liturgy of Growth is drawn from many sources, edited by Dr DJ Cheek.
Prelude
*** Love, Pray, Gather, Serve ***
stand Welcome
P: We begin our worship grateful that God has called us by name and made us his sons and daughters.
C: We begin in the Name of Yahweh: Father, Son +, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
Baptism of Benjamin Bradley Kline
P: God, who is rich in mercy and love, gives us new birth into a living hope through the sacrament of baptism. By water and the Word God delivers us from sin and death and raises us to new life in Jesus Christ. We are united with all the baptized in the one Body of Christ, anointed with the gift of the Holy Spirit, and joined to God’s mission for the life of the world.
We give you thanks, Father, for in the beginning your Spirit moved over the waters, and you created the world, calling forth life in which you took delight. Through the waters of the Mlood you delivered Noah and his family, and through the sea you led your people Israel from slavery into freedom. At the river your Son was baptized by John and anointed with the Holy Spirit. By the baptism of Jesus’ death and resurrection you set us free from the power of sin and death and raise us up to live in you.
Pour out your Holy Spirit, the power of your living Word, that those who are washed in the waters of baptism may be given new life. To you be given honor and praise through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
P: Benjamin receive the sign of the Holy Cross both upon your forehead + and upon your heart + marking you as one redeemed by Christ the cruciMied.
P: Hear how our Lord Jesus Christ has opened the Kingdom of God to little children: “People were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them; and when the disciples saw it, they sternly ordered them not to do it. But Jesus called for them and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it." (Luke 18:15-17)
P: Trusting in the grace and love of God, do you desire to have your son baptized into Christ?
FM: We do.
Words to the Godparents
P: Andrew and Adam, it is your task as Godparents to confess with the whole Church the faith in our God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in whose name this child is to be baptized. After Benjamin has been baptized you are at all times to remember him in your prayers, and ensure he be brought up in the knowledge and worship of God, be taught the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer. You are to urge him to come to the Sacrament of the Lord’s Table and, abide in his Baptismal grace, and in communion with the Church, and grow up to lead a godly life to the praise and honor of Jesus Christ. This, then, you intend to do with the help of God? If so answer it is…
S: It is
P: The Lord preserve your coming in, and your going out, from this day forth and even forevermore.
C: Amen.
Profession of Faith
P: We shall all together speak in testimony of the forgiveness of sin and the life of faith which God our Father bestows in and through Baptism.
Do you renounce the devil and all his works and all his ways?
C: We do renounce them.
P: Do you believe in God the Father Almighty?
C: We believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
P: Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son?
C: We believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was cruciMied, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
P: Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?
C: We believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
The Baptism
P: Benjamin Bradley I baptize you in the name of the Father +, and of the Son +, and of the Holy Spirit +.
C: Amen.
P: You belong to Christ, in whom you have been baptized. Alleluia!
C: Amen.
P: You are sealed by the Holy Spirit, and marked as Christ’s own forever. May his power Mill you and heal you in body, soul, and spirit according to his perfect will; you are a son of God Almighty.
C: Amen.
P: Through Baptism God has added Benjamin to his own people to declare the wonderful deeds of our Savior, who has called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.
C: We welcome you into the Lord’s family. We receive you as a fellow member of the Body of Christ, a child of the same heavenly Father, to work with us in his Kingdom.
P: Let your light shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
C: Amen.
A Thanksgiving Liturgy
P: Eternal and righteous Father, you created the heavens and the earth, and we give you thanks:
C: For breath that Mills us with life,
P: for love that softens our hearts,
C: for the beauty all around us.
P: Christ, redeeming and forgiving Son, you are always faithful and merciful to us.
C: We give you thanks, for resurrection power, transforming our lives,
P: For peace calming our souls,
C: For hope that restores our faith.
P: Spirit, sustaining and compassionate, you ever call us to Life in the living God.
C: We give you thanks, for caring when our hearts ache,
P: For consoling us, when we don’t know what to say, or how to pray,
C: for your generosity, lavish and overMlowing!
P: God who created the earth and the heavens, we gather together to give you thanks,
C: We are full of gratitude, and we give you thanks…
(especially for…all are invited to speak their thanks)
P: For the universe immense and unknown, for the earth, for humanity bearing your image.
C: Thanks and praise to you, Eternal Father our creator.
P: For entering human history as one of us, for the sacriMice of the cross, for rising anew so we could live.
C: Thanks and praise to you, Christ our redeemer,
P: For your indwelling presence, for your guidance and direction, for drawing us together as one body.
C: Thanks and praise to you, Holy Spirit our sustainer.
P: Through your love we are renewed, through your abiding presence we become one community.
C: Thanks and praise to God, Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer now and evermore. Amen.
Psalm 95:1-7
AM: Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
C: We come into his presence with thanksgiving; we make a joyful noise to him!
AM: For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
C: In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also.
AM: The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.
C: Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!
The Prayer of Thanksgiving
AM: Let us join our hearts in gratitude on this day for all God has given us. We remember all of those who do not have enough, who are afraid, who are lonely, and who suffer.
C: We wish for the abundance of this world to be shared, for fear to become love, for the lonely to feel welcomed, and for the suffering to know rest and joy.
AM: For the work, the love, the care that gave us the delights of this and every day, we say “Thanks!”
C: For the nourishment of our spirit, the challenges that strengthen us, and the friends we have on the journey, we say “Thanks!”
AM: For all that is ours, we say, “Thanks!”
C: Amen. (adapted from Naomi King)
Confession and Absolution
P: Gracious Creator, you have given us so much, but too often we take those gifts for granted.
C: You call us to live in caring community, but too often we place our wants and needs Mirst, with those of others a distant second.
P: You call us to share your gifts with those around us, but we are worried that there may not be enough, and our worrying gets in the way of our sharing.
C: For all the times when we mistreat and misuse your gifts, for all the times we assume that we get what we have by ourselves, forgive us and lead us back to the path of wisdom.
…silent prayer…
P: God is a gracious giver. God is generous in his forgiveness. He calls us to new life. You are forgiven in the Holy Name of Yahweh, generous and merciful: Father, Son +, and Holy Spirit!
C: Thanks be to God! Amen.
Prayer of the Day
LP: Through the waters of oppression and death, Lord God, you led a people into the burning presence of your love. As you fed them in the desert, now feed us with the Minest of wheat, that we may know the liberating power of the paschal feast.
C: Amen.
Readings
L: The Old Testament reading is from: Exodus 14 Pray, watch, and be thankful. (Col 4:2)
L: The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and took its place behind them. It came between the army of Egypt and the army of Israel. And so the cloud was there with the darkness, and it lit up the night; one did not come near the other all night. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The LORD drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land; and the waters were divided. The Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. The Egyptians pursued, and went into the sea after them, all of Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and chariot drivers. At the morning watch the LORD in the pillar of Mire and cloud looked down upon the Egyptian army, and threw the Egyptian army into panic. He clogged their chariot wheels so that they turned with difMiculty. The Egyptians said, "Let us Mlee from the Israelites, for the LORD is Mighting for them against Egypt." Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and chariot drivers." So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at dawn the sea returned to its normal depth. As the Egyptians Mled before it, the LORD tossed the Egyptians into the sea. The waters returned and covered the chariots and the chariot drivers, the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea; not one of them remained. But the Israelites walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great work that the LORD did against the Egyptians. So the people feared the LORD and believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses. …This is the Word of the Lord. C: Thanks be to God.
Psalm 114
Hallelujah! When Israel came | out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people | of strange speech, Judah became God’s | sanctuary and Israel | God’s dominion. The sea beheld | it and Mled; Jordan turned | and went back. The mountains | skipped like rams, and the little hills | like young sheep. What ailed you, O sea, | that you Mled, O Jordan, that | you turned back, you mountains, that you | skipped like rams, you little hills | like young sheep?
Tremble, O earth, at the presence | of the Lord, at the presence of the | God of Jacob, who turned the hard rock into a | pool of water and Mlint-stone into a | Mlowing spring.
L: The New Testament reading is from: Romans 14 Pray, watch, and be thankful. (Col 4:2)
L: Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand. Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own
minds. Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God. We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God." So then, each of us will be accountable to God. …This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
stand The Gospel
P: The Gospel reading is from Matthew chapter 18
C: Glory to you, O Lord
P: Jesus says: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matt 11:28)
Then Peter came and said to [Jesus], "Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times. "For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him $20.6 Billion {10,000 talents} was brought to him; and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a $22,500 {100 denarii}; and seizing him by the throat, he said, 'Pay what you owe.' Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?' And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart." …This is the Gospel of the Lord
C: Glory to you, O Christ! sit
AM: We stand to declare our faith in God.
C: We are not alone, we live in God's world.
We believe in God: who has created and is creating, who has come in Jesus, the Word made Mlesh, to reconcile and make new, who works in us and others by the Spirit. We trust in God.
We are called to be the Church: to celebrate God's presence, to live with respect in Creation, to love and serve others, to seek justice and resist evil, to proclaim Jesus, cruciMied and risen, our judge and our hope.
In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to God. Amen.
The Prayers of the People (Stand or sit as you prefer.)
AM: Remembering the caring and generous works of God, we pray for the church, creation, and the needs of our neighbors.
A brief silence.
AM: Almighty God, we come in gratitude for our faith. We pray for people who work to ease suffering and restore dignity in the world. We pray for Bishop Eaton, Bishop Hazelwood, Pastor Derek, and others leading us to extend hands of reconciliation and care. We ask for blessings on our Jewish neighbors as they celebrate Rosh Hashanah. Lord, in your mercy,
C: Hear our prayer.
AM: Creator God, your handiwork is magniMicent. We pray for leaders of all nations to implement solutions to the environmental crisis causing severe storms, wildMires, and heat waves. Give us the intelligence to understand our personal responsibility for restoring and protecting our damaged environment. Lord, in your mercy,
C: Hear our prayer.
AM: God of justice, we praise you. Encourage those in positions of power to solve world problems with reason, forgiveness, and a regard for life rather than hatred and aggression. We pray for an end to gun violence and hate crimes in this country. We ask for peace in Ukraine and Russia, Palestine and Israel, and all other war-torn places. Lord, in your mercy,
C: Hear our prayer.
AM: Loving God, you hold our hand during times of suffering. We pray for the people of Libya after devastating Mlooding and Morocco after the earthquake. We ask you to bless the people who died in those disasters and those who are struggling to survive. We ask you to be with communities in Massachusetts that have experienced Mlooding. O Lord, also comfort our friends who are ill or troubled, especially Paul, Hannah, Nostradamus, Ryan, Al, Jeanne, John, Kelly, Pat, Carol, Tina, Amanda, Judy, Prudence, Peter, Jessica, and those we now name out loud or in the silence of our hearts Pause. We pray for those who have no one to pray for them. Lord, in your mercy,
C: Hear our prayer.
AM: Everlasting God, we glorify your name as we worship together. As we pass the peace this morning we are making a sign of forgiveness to each other. Bless our encounter with you in the Holy Meal. We thank you for the children in our congregation. Lord, in your mercy,
C: Hear our prayer.
AM: Eternal God, you have shown us the spirit of the resurrection through your son. We thank you for the saints whose lives inspire us to live in loving service to others, as Christ taught us. We ask you to comfort all who mourn. Lord, in your mercy,
C: Hear our prayer.
P: Remember us according to your steadfast love as we offer these and the prayers of our heart, trusting in your compassion made known through Jesus Christ.
C: Amen.
stand The Peace
P: The peace of our bountiful God be with you.
C: And also with you. Amen!
We Greet one another with the Peace of Christ
The Children’s collection is donated to a speciTic ministry or mission which will be announced; If you have a gift for the church please place it in the plate in the Narthex, not the kid’s globe.
The Holy Eucharist
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give eucharist: thanksgiving, to our God.
C: It is right to give him our thanks and praise.
P: It is our joy to give you thanks and praise, O God, for at creation you Milled the Void with light and life, with planets and stars, with seas and mountains, with beasts of Mield and air and water, with men and women. You called those people to heed your voice, and at times they did, and at times they did not. So in the fullness of time you came to us in the man Jesus, who called women and men to follow him.
C: We follow him this day and lift our voices in praise for all your generous gifts to us. And so with all the saints and angels, we join our voices singing: 11
P: We give you thanks that our Lord Jesus, on the night before he died, took bread, he blessed it, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take, eat. This is my body, given for you. Do this in memory of me.
C: Thank you Lord for facing our greatest enemy: Death.
P: In the same way he took the cup, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, remember me.
C: Thank you Lord that because of your death and resurrection we will live forever.
The Lord’s Prayer
P: O God, send your Spirit upon our hearts and on these gifts of bread and wine, transforming them into a sacred meal. Satisfy our hunger and thirst, and send us into the world to bear the burdens of others. We join our hearts in praying as Jesus taught us…
C: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.
AM: Remembering all your mighty and merciful acts, we take this bread and this wine, and celebrate with joy the redemption won for us in Jesus Christ. Accept our sacriMice of praise as a holy offering, that our lives may proclaim Jesus Christ.
C: Dying you destroyed our death, rising you restored our life. Lord Jesus, come in glory. Amen.
AM: All things are ready. We welcome all who are grateful for God’s gifts. Come, receive yet more blessing from his holy hands.
If you have need of gluten free bread please come Tirst to receive
Please form a “circle” on the transition between the two shades of carpet
The wine is offered both for intinction (dipping), or in a common chalice for drinking. You are welcome to light a candle in the middle window after you have received Communion
Prayer after Communion
AM: Lord, we give you thanks for all your blessings. We have been Milled with this bread and wine, our hearts overMlow with gratefulness for your love and mercy.
C: Thank you Lord, Amen.
Benediction
P: Brothers and sisters, rejoice! Comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. (2Co13:11)
C: Amen.
Announcements
AM: Depart in the Peace of God.
C: Thanks be to God!
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