Holy Trinity Lutheran Church September 23, 2018 38801 Blacow Road 8:45 AM, 18 th Sunday after Pentecost Fremont, CA 94536 Ministers: The People of Holy Trinity Church: (510) 793-6285 Web Site: holytrinityfremont.org Today we hear James warn against selfish ambition, while the disciples quarrel over which one of them is the greatest. Jesus tells them the way to be great is to serve. Then, to make it concrete, he puts in front of them an actual flesh-and-blood child. We are called to welcome the particular children God puts in front of us, to make room for them in daily interaction, and to give them a place of honor in the assembly. WE GATHER TO WORSHIP All invitations to stand or kneel are for those who are able. Singing Bowl During the ringing of the bowl, you are encouraged to center your thoughts on God the Creator, Christ the Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit our Comforter. PRELUDE... Leilani Camara and Michael Keating WELCOME September 23, 2018 SHARING OF THE PEACE P: The peace of Christ is with you. All: And also with you. 2
CALL TO WORSHIP L: We are an Open and Affirming church. Together, let us worship God, rejoicing in the good news which we celebrate this day! All: There is a place in God s heart, there is a place at Christ s table, there is a place here and in every welcoming church for all people. L: Christ who gathers us, bids us follow in the ways of love and justice. All: May our hearts be open to Christ s leading in our worship and our living, this day and always. P: God hears our cry and sends the Spirit to change us and to empower our lives in the world. Our sins are forgiven, God s love is unconditional, All: and we are raised up as God s people who will always be made new, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. OPENING HYMN... God Is Here! vs. 1, 3 Text: Fred Pratt Green - Tune: Cyril V. Taylor - ELW #526 CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS All may make the sign of the cross, the sign marked at baptism. P: Blessed be the holy Trinity, the one who fashions us, the one who heals us, the one who reforms us again and again. All: Amen. P: Let us confess our sin, calling for God's transforming power. Silence is kept for reflection. P: Source of all life, All: we confess that we have not allowed your grace to set us free. We fear that we are not good enough. We hear your word of love freely given to us, yet we expect others to earn it. We turn the church inward, rather than moving it outward. Forgive us. Stir us. Reform us to be a church powered by love, willing to speak for what is right, act for what is just, and seek the healing of your whole creation. Amen. 3 GREETING P: God of hosts most gracious, God the Son who saves us, God the Spirit placed upon us, is with you all. All: And also with you. 4
KYRIE NOW THE FEAST AND CELEBRATION 5 6
THE PRAYER OF THE DAY L: O God, our teacher and guide, you draw us to yourself and welcome us as beloved children. All: Help us to lay aside all envy and selfish ambition, that we may walk in your ways of wisdom and understanding as servants of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. Be Seated CHOIR ANTHEM... A Servant s Heart WE LISTEN AND THINK READING... James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a The wisdom God gives unites our hearts and minds. Instead of living to satisfy our own wants and desires, we manifest this wisdom in peace, gentleness, mercy, and impartiality toward others. Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in 7 8
your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace. Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. L: Word of God, word of life. All: Thanks be to God. ALLELUIA VERSE P: The Holy Gospel according to Mark, the ninth chapter All: Glory to You, O Lord. GOSPEL... Mark 9:30-37 Jesus teaching and action in this text are directed to the church whenever it is seduced by the world s definition of greatness: prestige, power, influence, and money. The antidote to such a concern for greatness is servanthood. [Jesus and the disciples went on] and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again. But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him. Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, What were you arguing about on the way? But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all. Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me. P: The Gospel of the Lord. All: Thanks be to Christ. Be Seated CHILDREN S TIME... Pastor Tim 9 10
SONG... Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service vs. 1, 4 Text: Albert F. Bayly - Tune: The Sacred Harp - ELW #712 again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come 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. INVITATION TO OFFERING L: Children of God, we have received much from God grace, mercy, abundance, the love of Christ, and the gift of life itself. All: In our worship, we praise God and give God thanks for these gifts. Let us now offer what we can as a way of saying, Thank you. In gratitude for God s generosity, let us share God s abundance with one another. THANKFUL OFFERING MESSAGE... Pastor Tim Be Seated WE SHARE THE LORD S SUPPER OFFERTORY APOSTLE S CREED L: Let us confess our faith in the words of the Apostle s Creed: All: I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose 11 12
L: Welcoming God, you place children among us. Teach us to honor the children in our midst and to pay attention to what they can teach us about who you are. God, in your mercy, All: hear our prayer. L: God of all, hear now the prayers of our heart said silently or aloud. OFFERTORY PRAYER L: Gracious and loving God, we thank you for these gifts and ask that they be used to help the needy in our community and throughout the world. All: As we offer you these gifts, we offer ourselves as well, that together we might transform the world with your grace and love. Amen. THE PRAYER OF THE CHURCH L: Freed by God in Christ to live and love and serve, we pray for the church, those in need, and all of God s beloved creation. Gracious God, you gather congregations together by the power of your word. Bless leaders with the gifts of wisdom and discernment as they seek to make your church the community for which you long. God, in your mercy, All: hear our prayer. L: Sovereign God, you raise up governments to protect the widow and orphan. Bless citizens with wisdom and discernment as they choose leaders. Inspire leaders to always seek the common good. God, in your mercy, All: hear our prayer. L: Loving God, you desire health and wholeness. Reconcile the conflicts and disputes among us. Teach us to heal the trauma of racism and poverty. Break our hearts open to all those who suffer and mourn. God, in your mercy, All: hear our prayer. 13 Here other prayers may be offered. L: God, in your mercy, All: hear our prayers. L: Into your wide embrace, gracious God, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your boundless mercy through Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. All: Amen. THE GREAT THANKSGIVING 14
WORDS OF INSTITUTION P: In the night in which he was betrayed our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me. Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me. With thanksgiving we take this bread and this cup and proclaim the mystery of faith. All: Christ has died. Christ has risen. Christ will come again. P: Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us that this meal may be a communion in the body and blood of our Lord. Make us one with Christ and with all who share this feast. Unite us in faith, encourage us with hope, and inspire us to love, that we may serve as your faithful disciples until we feast at your table in glory. THE LORD S PRAYER P: Let us pray with confidence in the words our Risen Savior gave us: All: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen. FRACTION RITE P: Come to the table and taste God s mercy and grace. Come to the table and drink Christ s living water. All: We come to the table to share in a meal overflowing with God s love. P: Come, children of God, All: for all are welcome here! LAMB OF GOD Be Seated Holy Communion is open to all. Grape juice is white, wine is red. If you desire communion brought to you, please let an usher know. 15 16
COMMUNION HYMN... I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light Text &Tune: Kathleen Thomerson ELW #815 COMMUNION HYMN... Children of the Heavenly Father Text: Carolina Sandell Berg - Tune: Swedish folk tune - ELW #781 Singing Bowl POST COMMUNION BLESSING P: O God, you are Hospitality. You are Welcome. You are the Invitation, the Table, the Feast. By your spirit may we learn to receive and offer grace, to share from the sustenance of our lives and not simply its crumbs. All: Embolden us as we serve as the voice of those who continue to ask the church for justice and bread. In Christ we pray. Amen. POST COMMUNION THANKS 17 18
SENDING OUT... Go, My Children, with My Blessing vs. 1, 3 Text: Jaroslav J. Vajda - Tune: Welsh traditional ELW #543 Be Seated COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS DISMISSAL L: Go in peace. Share the Good News. All: Thanks be to God. WE CARRY GOD S CARING LOVE TO THE WORLD BENEDICTION P: We leave this church, O God, with songs of new life on our lips. All: With a message of hope in our hearts, with a determination to serve on our minds, with the love of Jesus Christ binding us together in faith community. Amen. 19 Now the Feast and Celebration Musical setting by Marty Haugen Used by permission GIA Publications, Inc. Chicago 20