The Virtual Service for September 13, 2020
Worship for Sunday, September 13, 2020
15th Sunday after Pentecost
GATHERING
10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)
Jonas Myrin | Matt Redman
© 2011 Atlas Mountain Songs (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
Covered by Robert Prester & Adriana Samargia
Bless the Lord O, my soul O my soul
Worship God’s holy name
Sing like never before O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name
The sun comes up it's a new day dawning
It's time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes
You're rich in love and You're slow to anger
Your name is great and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find
Bless the Lord O my soul O my soul
Worship God’s holy name
Sing like never before O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name
And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore
Sing like never before O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name
Oh I’ll Worship Your holy name
I Worship Your holy name
Introduction to the day
In today’s reading Paul questions why we judge one another, since we all stand before the judgment of God. Yet we do sin against one another, and Jesus’ challenge that we forgive seventy-seven times reveals God’s boundless mercy. When we hear the words of forgiveness in worship and sign ourselves with the cross, we are renewed in baptism to be signs of reconciliation in the world.
GATHERING SONG
Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise (ELW 834)
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God,
who creates, redeems, and sustains us and all of creation.
Amen.
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.
Faithful God,
have mercy on us.
We confess that we are captive to sin
and cannot free ourselves.
We turn from your loving embrace
and go our own ways.
We pass judgment on one another
before examining ourselves.
We place our own needs before those of our neighbors.
We keep your gift of salvation to ourselves.
Make us humble, cast away our transgressions,
and turn us again to life in you
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
God hears the cries of all who call out in need,
and through his death and resurrection,
Christ has made us his own.
Hear the truth that God proclaims:
Your sins are forgiven in the name of ☩ Jesus Christ.
Led by the Holy Spirit, live in freedom and newness
to do God’s work in the world.
GREETING
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.
KYRIE
Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way,
Kyrie eleison, ev’ry day.
For peace in the world, for the health of the church, for the unity of all;
for this holy house, for all who worship and praise,
let us pray to the Lord, let us pray to the Lord
Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way,
Kyrie eleison, ev’ry day.
That we may live out your impassioned response to the hungry and the poor;
that we may live out truth and justice and grace,
let us pray to the Lord, let us pray to the Lord
Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way,
Kyrie eleison, ev’ry day.
For peace in our hearts, for peace in our homes, for friends and family;
for life and for love, for our work and our play,
let us pray to the Lord, let us pray to the Lord
Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way,
Kyrie eleison, ev’ry day.
For your Spirit to guide; that you center our lives in the water and the Word;
that you nourish our souls with your body and blood,
let us pray to the Lord, let us pray to the Lord
Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way,
Kyrie eleison, ev’ry day.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Let us pray. O Lord God, merciful judge, you are the inexhaustible fountain of forgiveness. Replace our hearts of stone with hearts that love and adore you, that we may delight in doing your will, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
WORD
THE READING Romans 14:1-12
A reading from Romans.
This Christian community has significant struggles with diversity. Here Paul helps us understand that despite different practices in worship and personal piety, we do not judge one another. All Christians belong to the Lord Jesus Christ who died for all of us and will judge each of us.
1Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. 2Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. 3Those 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. 4Who 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.5Some 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. 6Those 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.7We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. 8If 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. 9For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.10Why 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. 11For it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall give praise to God.”12So then, each of us will be accountable to God.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
MUSICAL MEDITATION
Love Never Fails
Johann Sebastian Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major
arr. Jim BrickmanCovered by Robert Prester & Adriana Samargia
Love, love is patient, love is kind
Love, does not worry, does not boast
It is not proud, it is not rude, it is not easily angered
Love keeps no record of wrongs
Love never fails, never fails
I promise you, my love will never fail
And I will give to you
Faith, hope and love
Love does not delight in evil
Love always protects
Always trusts and always hopes and it will persevere
Love rejoices in truth
Love never fails, never fails
I promise you, my love will never fail
And I will give to you
Faith, hope and love
Love never fails, never fails
I promise you, my love will never fail
And I will give to you
Faith, hope and love
But the greatest of these is love
Oh I'll give you love
GOSPEL: Matthew 18:21-35
The holy gospel according to Matthew.
Glory to you, O Lord.
21Peter 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?” 22Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.
23“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.24When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; 25and, 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. 26So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. 28But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. 31When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. 32Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ 34And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. 35So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
The gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
SERMON
Why Forgiveness Matters to God
Pastor Carlson
HYMN OF THE DAY Forgive
Our Sins As We Forgive (ELW 605)
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
Drawn together in the compassion of God, we pray for the church, the world, and all those in need.
A brief silence.
The response to “Lord, in your mercy,” is, ”Hear our Prayer.”
The Prayers conclude:
All these things and whatever else you see that we need, we entrust to your mercy; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
OFFERING
ANTHEM
Take God By the Hand
Auslander & Hammerman
Linda Dillinger, solo
OFFERING PRAYER
Blessed are you, O God, maker of all things.
You have set before us these gifts of your good creation.
Prepare us for your heavenly banquet,
nourish us with this rich food and drink,
and send us forth to set tables in the midst of a suffering world,
through the bread of life, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER
BENEDICTION
Mothering God,
Father, ☩ Son, and Holy Spirit,
bless you and lead you into the way of truth and life. Amen.
DISMISSAL
Go in peace. Remember the poor.
Thanks be to God.
SENDING SONG
Rise, Shine, You People! (ELW 665)
SENDING
There is No Greater Love
Isham Jones
Performed and arranged by Robert Prester & Adriana Samargia
You have blessed my soul
With sacred word enthroned
And with you I’ll never be alone
There is no greater love than what I feel for you
No greater love
No heart so true
There are no greater gifts
Than what you bring to me
No sweeter song than what you sing to me
You have blessed my soul
With sacred word enthroned
And with you I’ll never be alone
There is no greater love in all the world
It's true
No greater love than what I feel for you
love than what I feel for you
There is no greater love than you
You have blessed my soul
With sacred word enthroned
And with you I’ll never be alone
There is no greater love in all the world
It's true
No greater love than what I feel for you
love than what I feel for you
There is no greater love than you
_____
From sundaysandseasons.com.
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