Virtual Worship Service for November 24, 2021

   Thanksgiving Eve

Worship at 7:00 p.m. 

Congregation reads the bold print. 

PRELUDE

For the Beauty of the Earth - Folliott S. Pierpoint 

Please stand as you are able. 

OPENING LITANY

W= Women    M= Men    A=All

W: Let us give thanks to the God of our help.
M: To the God who dwells among us, let us open our hearts.
A: Let us rejoice in the presence of the Lord!
W: Sing out with thanksgiving!
M: Shout for joy!
A: For God has blessed us in all things:
W: For our faith and lives 
A: We praise the Lord.
M: For our homes and goods.
A: We praise the Lord
W: For our family and friends
C: We praise the Lord.
M: For our community and nation
A: We praise the Lord.
W: For all nations and peoples of the world
A: We praise the Lord.
M: For our mother earth and all creation
A: We praise the Lord now and always! Amen!

HYMN
Come, You Thankful People, Come (LBW 407)

1.   Come, you thankful people, come;
      raise the song of harvest home.
      All is safely gathered in
     ere the winter storms begin.
      God, our maker, does provide
      for our wants to be supplied.
      Come to God’s own temple, come,
      raise the song of harvest home. 

2.   All the world is God’s own field,
      fruit unto his praise to yield.
      Wheat and tares together sown,
      unto joy or sorrow grown.
      First the blade, and then the ear,
      then the full corn shall appear.
      Lord of harvest, grant that we
      wholesome grain and pure may be. 

3.   For the Lord our God shall come
      and shall take his harvest home.
      From his field shall in that day
      all offenses purge away,
      give his angels charge at last
      in the fire the tares to cast,
      but the fruitful ears to store
      in his garner evermore.

4.   Even so, Lord, quickly come
      to your final harvest home.
      Gather all your people in,
      free from sorrow, free from sin,
      there, forever purified,
      in your garner to abide.
      Come, with all your angels, come,
      raise the glorious harvest home! 

Text: Henry Alford, 1810-1871, alt.

 GREETING

The Lord be with you. And also with you.

PRAYER OF THE DAY 

 Let us pray. Almighty God, our Father, your generous goodness comes to us new every day. By the work of your Spirit lead us to acknowledge your goodness, give thanks for your benefits, and serve you in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Please be seated. 

WORD
We Praise You, O God (LBW 241) 

1. We praise You, o God, our Redeemer, Creator;
in grateful devotion our tribute we bring.
We lay it before You; we kneel and adore You;
we bless Your Holy Name; glad praises we sing. 

Reading: Genesis 1:1-19 

2. We worship You, God of our fathers, we bless You;
through trial and tempest our guide You have been.
When perils o’er take us, You will not forsake us,
and with Your help, o Lord, our struggles we win. 

Reading: Genesis 1:20-2:3 

3. With voices united our praises we offer,
and gladly our songs of thanksgiving we raise.
With You, Lord, beside us, Your strong arm will guide us.
To You, our great Redeemer, forever be praise! 

Reading: Luke 12:22-31 

4. For eyes that can see You, for ears that can hear You,
for voices that sing highest anthems of praise,
with happiest duty we thank You for beauty,
with joyful hearts we bless You, O Lord, endless days!

MESSAGE

Pastor Brown 

Please stand as you are able. 

HYMN 
God is So Good 

God is so good, God is so good,
 God is so good, He’s so good to me. 

God cares for me, God cares for me,
 God cares for me, He’s so good to me. 

God loves me so, God loves me so, 
God loves me so, He’s so good to me. 

He’s all I need, He’s all I need, 
He’s all I need, He’s so good to me. 

God is so good, God is so good,
God is so good, He’s so good to me. 

PRAYER 

L:   Dear God: We want to thank You for what you have already done.
C:  We are not going to wait until we see results or receive rewards; we are thanking You right now.

L:   We are not going to wait until we feel better or things look better;
C:  until people say they are sorry or until they stop talking about us; 

L:   until the pain in our bodies disappear; until our financial situation improves; until the grandchildren have gone home; 
C:  until we have the perfect day or until we get our way; we are going to thank You right now.

L:   We are not going to wait until we understand every experience in our lives that has caused us pain or grief; 
C:  we are not going to wait until the journey gets easier or the challenges are removed; we are thanking You right now.

L:   We are thanking You because we are alive. We are thanking You because we made it through yesterday's difficulties. We are thanking You because we have walked around the obstacles. 
C:  We are thanking You because we have the ability and the opportunity to do more and do better.  We’re thanking You because, oh God, you haven't given up on us: in Jesus’ Name, Amen! 

Please be seated.

OFFERING

OFFERTORY
Forever - Chris Tomlin
Robert Prester 

Please stand as you are able. 

OFFERTORY PRAYER 

Let us pray. God of all creation, thank you for the wonderful things you have made. Thank you for the universe full of stars and planets. Thank you for our world, full of life. Thank you for making each one of us. Thank you for loving each one of us. Take these gifts we now offer back to you. May they be used to the glory of your name.  We offer you ourselves and all the gifts you have blessed us with. Take us and use us to share your love with the world. 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.

BENEDICTION 

HYMN
Let All Things Now Living (LBW 557) 

Let all things now living a song of thanksgiving to God the Creator triumphantly raise,
Who fashioned and made us, protected and stayed us, who still guides us on to the end of our days.
God’s banners are o’er us, His light goes before us, a pillar of fire shining forth in the night,
Till shadows have vanished and darkness is banished, as forward we travel from light into light. 

His law he enforces, the stars in their courses and sun in its orbit obediently shine; 
the hills and the mountains, the rivers and fountains, the deeps of the ocean proclaim Him divine. 
We too should be voicing our love and rejoicing; with glad adoration a song let us raise
Till all things now living unite in thanksgiving: “To God in the highest, hosanna and praise!” 

DISMISSAL 

POSTLUDE
Now Thank We All Our God - Johann Sebastian Bach & Johann Crüger 

PIE! 

Join us Friday at 9:00 a.m. to help put up the Christmas tree and decorate the sanctuary.
And don’t forget to return in person or virtually on Sunday as we begin a new church year. 

From sundaysandseasons.com. Copyright © 2021 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #SB125183. 

Permission to reprint, podcast, and / or stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with license #A-738200. All rights reserved. 

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