A Service of Thanksgiving and Praise Prince of Peace Lutheran Church - CLC - Hecla, SD Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 200 9 Serving Us Today: Nathan Pfeiffer, Pastor Scott Hansen, Usher Accompanists: Gweneth Hansen, Cindy Odenbach Tamar Pfeiffer, Nikki Reim Welcome: We welcome everyone joining us for our special thanksgiving service this morning. It is our prayer that your faith is strengthened by the preaching of our Lord s pure Word, that you may live lives of thanksgiving knowing what great things God has done for you. If you are visiting us this morning please sign our guest register at the back of the church, and we invite you to come and join us again! Thanksgiving Confession (To be read and pondered silently upon entering church) I thank Thee, Lord, because on every adverse day And lonely night Thou hast in love remembered me; O er bygone years I blush with shame as I recall How little thought I ve entertained, dear Lord of Thee. I thank Thee, Lord, because Thy gentle providence Has tempered the boist rous, wintry wind for me; But, O my Lord, my heart doth sink for very shame My life has been so poor in thoughts and thanks for Thee. I thank Thee, Lord, because from every fowler s snare And sin Thy tender hand has safely guided me; But, dearest Lord, my soul is swept with burning shame Because in pleasant ways I have forgotten Thee. ~ Call to Worship ~ P: We conduct this service of thanksgiving and praise in the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. C: (spoken) Amen. P: The LORD be with you. C: (spoken) And also with you. ~ Responsive ~ Psalm 116:12-13, 17-19 P: What shall I render to the LORD C: For all His benefits toward me? P: I will take up the cup of salvation, C: And call upon the name of the LORD. P: I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, C: And will call upon the name of the LORD. P: I will pay my vows to the LORD C: Now in the presence of all His people, P: In the courts of the LORD's house, C: In the midst of you, O Jerusalem. ALL: Praise the LORD! Hymn: 44 Ye Lands, to the Lord Make a Jubilant Noise ~ Confession of Sins and Absolution ~ P: Dear friends in Christ, aware of God s providence and grace, let us come before Him to confess our sins and look to Him in repentance and faith for forgiveness: C: Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against You in our thoughts, our desires, our words and our actions. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We beg You to have mercy on us, and for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ forgive our wrongs. Help us to delight in Your will and to walk in Your ways, giving thanks in all circumstances through Jesus Christ our Lord. Thanksgiving Order of Worship - 1- Thanksgiving Order of Worship - 2-
P: God, our heavenly Father, has been merciful to us and has given His only Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. As Christ has given to you the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven and you have called me to administer the same, even so by the command of our Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all Your sins in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Be of good cheer! God for Jesus sake has removed your transgressions from you as far as east is from west. You are His own dear child. May God give you strength to live according to His will. Response: Hymn 27:1, 3 (sung) ALL: Oh, bless the Lord, my soul! Let all within me join And aid my tongue to bless His name Whose favors are divine. Tis He forgives thy sins; Tis He relieves thy pain Tis He that heals thy sicknesses And makes thee young again. P: LET US PRAY - Almighty God, whose mercies are new every morning and whose goodness, though undeserved, still abundantly provides for all our wants of body and soul, grant us, we humbly pray, your Holy Spirit, that we may heartily acknowledge Your merciful goodness toward us, give thanks for all Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. ALL: (Sung) Amen. First Reading: Philippians 4:10-20 - But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. 14 Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction. 15 Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only. 16 For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. 17 Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. 18 But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God. 19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 20 Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. ~ Children s Choir ~ Give Thanks ~ Psalm for the Day ~ Psalm 111 P: Praise the LORD! I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, C: In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation. P: The works of the LORD are great, C: Studied by all who have pleasure in them. P: His work is honorable and glorious, C: And His righteousness endures forever. P: He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; C: The LORD is gracious and full of compassion. P: He has given food to those who fear Him; C: He will ever be mindful of His covenant. P: He has declared to His people the power of His works, C: In giving them the heritage of the nations. P: The works of His hands are verity and justice; C: All His precepts are sure. P: They stand fast forever and ever, C: And are done in truth and uprightness. P: He has sent redemption to His people; C: He has commanded His covenant forever: Holy and awesome is His name. P: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; C: A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. ALL: His praise endures forever! Thanksgiving Order of Worship - 3- Thanksgiving Order of Worship - 4-
+ Oh, bless the Lord, my soul, Nor let His mercies lie Forgotten in unthankfulness And without praises die! Amen (TLH 27:2) Second Reading: Luke 17:11-19 -And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole. ~ Adult Choir ~ A Thanksgiving Prayer Thanksgiving Confession of Faith Martin Luther s Explanation to the First Article I believe that God has made me with all creatures, giving me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my faculties; And that He still preserves me; therefore richly and daily providing clothing and shoes, meat and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, cattle, and all my goods, and all that I need to keep my body and life; defending me against all danger, and guarding and protecting me from all evil; And all this purely out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me; For all of which it is my duty to thank and praise, and to serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true. Hymn: 567 O Lord, Whose Bounteous Hand Again ~ The Sermon ~ Deuteronomy 8:10-18 "When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you. 11 " Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, 12 "lest -- when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; 13 "and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; 14 "when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; 15 "who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; 16 "who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end -- 17 "then you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.' 18 "And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. REMEMBER THE LORD YOUR GOD! - Why we need to remember - What we need to remember - How we remember Thanksgiving Order of Worship - 5- Thanksgiving Order of Worship - 6-
P: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen (Philippians 4:6-7) + All praise and thanks to God The Father now be given, The Son, and Him who reigns With them in highest heaven: The one eternal God, Whom earth and heaven adore! For thus it was, is now, And shall be evermore. Amen (TLH 36:3) Offering Hymn: 438 Almighty Father, Heaven and Earth ~ Offering of Thankful Hearts ~ ~ Our Thanksgiving Prayer ~ P: Lord of heaven and earth, You made all things beautiful. You have provided green forests and refreshing streams. You have arranged the orderly procession of day and night for our work and rest. ALL: Thank You for the mountains and the prairies, the roaring sea, and the gentle breeze. P: Thank You for the roofs that shelter us, for clothing that protects us, and for food and drink. Thank You for our work, for projects that are done well, and for the approval of supervisors and teachers. Thank You for all who serve at night to make our days more pleasant. ALL: Thank You for associates at work, for their encouragement and praise, and for the joys of human friendships. P: Thank You for our cities and our countrysides, for farms and factories, for streets and highways, and for all of life that flows so swiftly before us. ALL: Thank You for children at play, their boundless energy, and their shouts of joy and laughter. P: Thank You for the greetings we receive, and for all the smiles that come from faces loved by You. ALL: Thank You for Christian parents, for their affection and their care. P: But most of all, thank You for Your Son Jesus Christ, for His coming to us in Word and Sacraments, for His giving and forgiving, and for listening to our prayers. Receive our gifts and offerings as our sacrifice of praise. ALL: Lead us in thankful living today and always. Amen. P: Our Father, who art in heaven; ALL: from whom comes every good and perfect gift, and in whom we trust, P: Hallowed by Thy name; ALL: blessed be Your name; may we treasure it in our hearts, P: Thy kingdom come; ALL: we treasure Your Word and Gospel above all things You have given us. P: Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, ALL: for Your will is always good. You open Your hand; You satisfy the desire of every living thing. P: Give us this day our daily bread ALL: as You have always provided for us. Teach us to come to You each day for our needs and to be truly rich in You. P: And forgive us our trespasses, ALL: for if we are in our sins we only pervert Your blessings, but with Your grace all things are made new. P: as we forgive those who trespass against us; ALL: so let us thank You by forgiveness and kindness to our neighbors; P: And lead us not into temptation, ALL: that we may not abuse Your gifts, P: But deliver us from evil, ALL: that we may enjoy the better blessings of eternity with You, P: For Thine is the kingdom ALL: where You bestow life and salvation, P: and the power, ALL: for all things are in Your hand, P: and the glory, ALL: for the eyes of all wait on You. Thanks be to You, O God, P: forever and ever. ALL: Never shall we look to another! P: Amen. ALL: Giving thanks to You for the past, we trust in You for the future and give You thanks in advance. Thanksgiving Order of Worship - 7- Thanksgiving Order of Worship - 8-
~ The Benediction ~ P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, The love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. C: (sung) Amen, amen, a-amen. Closing Hymn: A Thanksgiving Prayer Author Unknown Melody: TLH #370 I thank Thee, God, for daily bread; I thank Thee for my cozy bed; I thank Thee for the great, blue sky, For sun and moon and stars on high; I thank Thee for my parents dear, For all the blessings of the year; I thank Thee for the frost and rain, For flowers and fruits and fields of grain; I thank Thee for Thy holy Word, - For this I thank Thee most, dear Lord; - I thank Thee for the mind and heart With which I learn the Christian art Of owning Jesus as my Friend, And keeping Him unto the end. I thank Thee that He died for me That I a child of His may be. Oh, keep me faithful unto Thee Until I come to live with Thee! AMEN. Announcements: A reminder that Sunday following Bible Class and Sunday School will be our church decorating and potluck dinner. We hope your schedule will allow you to participate! Thanksgiving Order of Worship - 9-