MICHAEL + ALL ANGELS Worship Bulletin | 9-29-24

09-29-2024     10:00AM “Hybrid” Worship

+ We Gather in God’s Presence +

THE OPENING RITE:

L   Bless the Lord, all you multitude of angels!

C Bless the Lord, O inhabitants of earth!

L   God sends forth his angels for divine service:

C To serve those who are to inherit salvation.

L   The Lord commands his angels concerning you:

C To watch and guard us in all our ways.

L   When the Son of Man comes with the clouds:

C He will order his angels to gather the elect.

L   Then ‘round the throne we shall all gather:

C And sing with the heavenly host: “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord!”

OPENING SONG: “HOLY GOD, WE PRAISE YOUR NAME”                     Green #535

THE APOSTOLIC GREETING by the Pastor.   

THE PRAYER OF THE DAY (together):

   O God our Creator and Lord, in a wonderful way you guide the work of both angels and humans.

        May those who serve you in heaven and who battle against the cosmic forces of evil help and defend us

        here on earth.

        May we, who share the faith of the angels while here on earth, someday also share their peace in heaven.

        We celebrate the victory that comes through the death and Jesus Christ our savior and our Lord.  Amen.

+ We Proclaim God’s Saving Word +

FIRST READING:   DANIEL 10:10-14 and 12:1-3
[The prophet Daniel, faithful to God in captivity and exile, trembles in the presence of an angel as he receives a vision The angel tells him about the good and terrible future when the dead will be resurrected and the archangel Michael will usher in the deliverance of the nation. Good news in troubled times!]

10:10-14
10 
A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees.
11 He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling.

12 Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. 14 Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.”

12:1-3
12 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise[a] will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.

SONG SELECTION: ALL SAINTS CHOIR

SECOND READING:   REVELATION 12:7-12  
[Armed with the power of God, Michael and the angels of God fight those who are armed with the power of evil, the devil (the ancient serpent, the great dragon) and the devil’s angels. The “blood of the Lamb”, our crucified Lord Jesus, gives Michael the power to force the devil from a place in heaven. God’s strength ultimately prevails!]

Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:

“Now have come the salvation and the power
    and the kingdom of our God,
    and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
    who accuses them before our God day and night,
    has been hurled down.
11 They triumphed over him
    by the blood of the Lamb
    and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
    as to shrink from death.
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens
    and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
    because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
    because he knows that his time is short.”

GOSPEL VERSE

“There is strength in the name of the Lord… There is power in the name of the Lord… There is             hope in the name of the Lord… Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”     [repeat]

THE HOLY GOSPEL:   LUKE 10:17-20
[Don’t get a “big head” over the power God grants you to endure and to triumph over evil on earth… have a “happy heart” over the gift of salvation and a place in heaven! Even death doesn’t have the final word!]

17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”

18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

THE SERMON:    Pastor Gwen or Pastor Neil

SONG RESPONSE: “YE WATCHERS AND YE HOLY ONES”                     Green #175

THE PRAYERS  We pray prayers of intercession as we remember MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS today.

L     In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth and all the orders of creation. God created humankind to have dominion upon the earth, and God created the angels to serve as guardians and messengers of his holy word of love and salvation. Let us pray to the Lord of the angels for all our needs and the needs of people everywhere.

L   Almighty God, we thank you for the wonder of your creation and for the variety of orders within it. We thank you for your servants, the angels, whom you send to us on our behalf.

C Above all, we thank you for your Son Jesus enthroned above the cherubim, 

for the salvation which he bought us by his blood. We praise you, O God!

L   As you sent angels to visit Jacob and Joseph with messages of your will…

C help us also to know your will for our lives and lead us to do it.

Lord, send us your holy angels!

L   As you sent angels to rescue Lot and his family in Sodom and to save Hagar and Ishmael in the wilderness…

C rescue us in our times of need and adversity.

Lord, send us your holy angels!

L   As the angel of the Lord stood between the people of Israel and the Egyptians at the Red Sea…

C stand between us and our enemies, and lend us your guard and protection.

Lord, send us your holy angels!

L   As the angel went before the Israelites to lead them through the wilderness into the promised land…

C send an angel before us that we might follow your path of righteousness into your promised kingdom.

Lord, send us your holy angels!

L   Make us welcoming of strangers as Abraham and Sarah, who entertained angels unaware.

C Lord, send us your holy angels!

L   Give us eyes that are as open as Balaam and his donkey to see the warning of your angels standing before us to block the path that we had intended to travel.

C Lord, send us your holy angels!

L   As you sent angels to Zechariah, to Mary, to Joseph, and to poor shepherds to announce the great good news of God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ…

C surprise us and stir us again with the miracle of his birth and his life among us.

  Lord, send us your holy angels!

L   As you sent an angel to warn the Holy Family to flee from Herod, as you sent angels to attend to Jesus at his temptation, as you sent angels to comfort grieving women at the tomb of Jesus…

C deliver us from danger, desperation, despair, and death.

Lord, send us your holy angels!

L   As you sent an angel to the followers of Christ – in order to send Philip, and to enlarge Peter’s understanding, and to free Peter from prison, and to encourage Paul in a shipwreck…

C give your Church today what it needs to be faithful to the Gospel.

Lord, send us your holy angels!

L   Send holy Michael, the archangel, great defender of the faithful, to be our defender in times of trial and temptation…

C to fight that battle against the cosmic forces of evil, every devil, every trouble here on earth.

Holy God, save us!

L   Send your archangel Gabriel, holy bearer of glad tidings, to bring us your word and to help us understand it…

  prepare us for the end of the world and for the new beginning you promise.

  Good Lord, encourage us!

L   Send your archangel Raphael, great healer of your people, to bring healing and health to our diseases and distresses…

C and protect all who travel, in journeys great and small.

  Good Lord, watch over us!

L   God of heaven and earth, let your holy angels have charge of us, that the wicked one have no power over us.

C Let your holy angels watch over us in our sleeping and our daily living.

L   Let your holy angels be a source of faith and strength as we seek to love and to live for Christ and his cross.

C Let you holy angels give us courage in our final hours as we face death, 

then gently carry us to heaven and to greater life.

L   We worship and praise you, mighty and loving God, with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven…

and with our sisters and brothers in this sanctuary and online…

and with all your living saints here on earth…

C in the name, spirit, and mission of Jesus Christ, AMEN and AMEN and AMEN again!

+ We Share God’s Nourishing Meal +

TITHES (10% giving) AND GIFTS…  We faithfully accept the responsibility of OUR DISCIPLESHIP and GOD’S MISSION!

Those in the Sanctuary can put their offering in the offering plate to share their gratitude and their generosity in response to Christ’s love. Those who are farther away might: mail a check or money  order to St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2169 74th Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19138… contribute online through bit.ly/stpetersgiving and set up a one-time donation or a recurring weekly gift to selected categories… or text Give+ at 833-914-0896 and follow the instructions to register and record your contribution. God has blessed us to be a blessing! 

 

SONG SELECTION:     ALL SAINTS CHOIR

THE OFFERTORY SONG:     “More about Jesus would I know, more of his grace to others show,               (Tan #565)

More of his saving fullness see, more of his love who died for me.

MORE, MORE ABOUT JESUS… MORE, MORE ABOUT JESUS…

MORE OF HIS SAVING FULLNESS SEE, MORE OF HIS LOVE WHO DIED FOR ME.

More about Jesus let me learn, more of his holy will discern;

Spirit of God, my Teacher be, showing the things of Christ to me.”

OFFERING PRAYER led by the Communion Assistant:    [see PHILIPPIANS 3:10-11]

  Dear God, I want to know Christ inside and out. I want to experience the power of his resurrection and join him

     in his suffering. I want to be like him in his death and be raised like him from death. As I grow in the grace of

     Christ, make me strong in my faith, bold in my witness, and fervent in my servant-love. There is no better life

     than life in Christ!   Amen.

THE PREFACE:

        L   The Lord be with you.             C   And also with you. 

        L   Lift up your hearts!       C   We lift them up in love for God!

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

        L   We are the Body of Christ!       C   His Spirit is in us! Alleluia!

        L   [continues the Preface]… we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

C   [singing…]   “Holy, holy, holy, holy, 

    holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!

    and we lift our hearts before you as a token of our love,

    holy, holy, holy, holy.

    Precious Jesus, precious Jesus, 

    We’re so glad that you redeemed us, precious Jesus…

    Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit, 

    come and fill our hearts anew, O Holy Spirit…”

THE EUCHARISTIC WORDS by the Celebrant, who recalls and re-enacts Jesus’ Holy Meal.

THE LORD’S PRAYER  (spoken)

COMMUNION AND BLESSINGSAll believers in Jesus Christ are welcome at the Lord’s Table! The wine may be received from the pouring chalice; we also have grape juice on the tray. Praise the Lord for this community meal that unites us together, renews our spirits, powers our faith, and reminds us of the future heavenly banquet that awaits us! 

 

COMMUNION SONG: “BLESSED ASSURANCE”           

  • Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!

Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.

THIS IS MY STORY, THIS IS MY SONG, PRAISING MY SAVIOR ALL THE DAY LONG!   [repeat]

  • Perfect submission, perfect delight, visions of rapture now burst on my sight;

Angels descending bring from above echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

  1. Perfect submission, all is at rest, I in my Savior am happy and blest;

Watching and waiting, looking above, filled with his goodness, lost in his love.


COMMUNION SONG
:   “SWING LOW, SWEET CHARIOT”                                     Brown #171

Swing low, sweet chariot, coming for to carry me home.

Swing low, sweet chariot, coming for to carry me home.

  1. I looked over Jordan, and what did I see, coming for to carry me home?

A band of angels coming after me, coming for to carry me home.

  • If you get there before I do, coming for to carry me home;

Tell all my friends I’m coming too, coming for to carry me home.

  1. The brightest day that ever I saw, coming for to carry me home;

When Jesus washed my sins away, coming for to carry me home.

 I’m sometimes up, I’m sometimes down, coming for to carry me home;

But still my soul feels heavenly bound, coming for to carry me home.

THE COMMUNION BLESSING by the Celebrant after all have communed.

POST-COMMUNION PRAYER by the Communion Assistant.  

 

+ We Go Forth in Mission +

THE BENEDICTION by the Pastor… God sends us forth TO LIVE faithfully and TO LOVE fervently!

CLOSING SONG: “REJOICE, O PILGRIM THRONG!”                     Green #553