Pentecost Twenty-Five Worship Service | 11-10-24
+ We Gather to Worship +
OPENING SONG: “PRAISE TO THE LORD, THE ALMIGHTY” Green #543
THE OPENING RITE:
L Friends, let us approach God with a true and honest heart, in full assurance of God’s power and desire to heal and to
forgive us.
C Righteous and Almighty God,
Forgive us when we strut too high into your presence with our pride,
certain that we deserve privilege and honor,
and confused by what the world preaches and pimps as the good life.
Forgive us when we feel too low to even think about approaching you,
convinced that we are worthless in your eyes,
and calculating that we have nothing to give and little to share.
Lord, help us to come to you humble and thankful, faithful and generous. Amen.
L May you accept (+) Christ’s sacrifice on your behalf, that sin may cease to dominate your life.
Go out into the world with courage, trusting God.
Give what you have, without counting the cost.
Keep the faith by giving it away.
Find your life by losing it for the sake of Jesus Christ. HALLELUJAH!
THE PRAYER OF THE DAY (together):
Almighty God, you surprise us with your mercy and your grace, and you give us the courage to live faithfully and to love generously.
By the power of your Holy Spirit, let Jesus Christ be our way, our truth, and our life.
We want to be ready when the trumpet sounds, when the saints go marching in. Amen.
+ We Open Ears and Hearts to God’s Word +
FIRST READING: 1 KINGS 17:8-16
[The widow of Zarephath – showing hospitality to the point of reckless risk. Why are some people so giving in their living? ]
17:8 Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying,
17:9 “Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there, for I have commanded a widow there to feed you.”
17:10 So he set out and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink.”
17:11 As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”
17:12 But she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.”
17:13 Elijah said to her, “Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said, but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son.
17:14 For thus says the LORD the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the LORD sends rain on the earth.”
17:15 She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days.
17:16 The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah.
RESPONSIVE READING: PSALM 146
[An appropriate post-election Psalm – praise and trust in God’s help.]
146:1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!
146:2 I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
146:3 Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help.
146:4 When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.
146:5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God,
146:6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever;
146:7 who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free;
146:8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.
146:9 The LORD watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
146:10 The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD!
SECOND READING: HEBREWS 9:24-28
[Christ the High Priest – who willingly “cut his own throat” in sacrifice – once for all — to save us.]
9:24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.
9:25 Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high priest enters the holy place year after year with blood that is not his own;
9:26 for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself.
9:27 And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once and after that the judgment,
9:28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
GOSPEL VERSE:
“Victory is mine, victory is mine, victory today is mine!
I TOLD SATAN ‘GET THEE BEHIND!’… victory today is mine!
(2) Joy is mine…
(3) Peace is mine…”
HOLY GOSPEL: MARK 12:38-44
[The poor widow in the Temple – humbly offering 100%. It wasn’t “for show”.]
12:38 As he taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces
12:39 and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets!
12:40 They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
12:41 He sat down opposite the treasury and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums.
12:42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny.
12:43 Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury.
12:44 For all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
SONG SELECTION ALL SAINTS CHOIR
THE SERMON: Pastor Gwen or Pastor Neil
SONG RESPONSE: “TAKE MY LIFE, THAT I MAY BE” Green #40
THE APOSTLES’ CREED (together):
I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s 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 crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
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.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
THE PRAYERS… We pray for NEW LIFE in the Spirit and the MISSION of the Church to the world!
+ We Share God’s Holy Meal +
OFFERING OF TITHES (10% giving) AND GIFTS… Faithful to God with more than our lips, we offer our TIME, ABILITIES, and MONEY! Widows in today’s Bible readings are showing us how to be humble and trusting in our giving.
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: “Thank you, Lord… thank you, Lord… thank you, Lord… I just want to thank you, Lord!
(2) Been so good…
(3) Love you, Lord…”
OFFERING PRAYER led by the Communion Assistant:
God of grace and glory, we thank you for the gift of creation and the gift of our lives,
for the gift of salvation and the gift of Jesus Christ,
for the gift of your Holy Spirit and the gift of your Church.
Take our attitude of gratitude and transform it into caring and sharing towards the least, the lost,
and the lonely all over the face of this earth.
Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream. 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 Almighty God, you have set us free from fear and filled us with good things… you continue to surprise us with your grace and give us all that we need… and, in Christ, you have saved us from our sin and washed away our failings. With humble gratitude for your love, remembering and rejoicing in the saints who have gone before us, and seeking
to be faithful in our living and fervent on our loving, we sing with joy…
C [singing]… (1) “O when the saints go marching in… O when the saints go marching in…
O Lord, I want to be in that number – when the saints go marching in!
(2) O when they gather ‘round that throne…
(3) O when they crown him King of kings…
(4) And on that hallelujah day…”
THE EUCHARISTIC WORDS by the Celebrant, who recalls and re-enacts Jesus’ Holy Meal.
THE LORD’S PRAYER (spoken)
COMMUNION AND BLESSINGS… All 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 SONGS: “NOW THANK WE ALL OUR GOD” Green #534
“LORD, WHOSE LOVE IN HUMBLE SERVICE” Green #423
THE COMMUNION BLESSING by the Celebrant after all have communed.
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER by the Communion Assistant.
+ We Rejoice in Our Mission +
THE BENEDICTION by the Pastor…We are sent forth to be and become the BODY OF CHRIST for the world!
CLOSING SONG: “RISE UP, O SAINTS OF GOD” Green #38