This Week's Bulletin

 Announcements 

Confession and Forgiveness

Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God,
our creator,
our protector,
our wellspring of life.
Amen.

Trusting that God receives our words and the meditations of our hearts, let us confess our sin.

Silence is kept for reflection.

Merciful God,
you speak blessing and compassion into the world.
Forgive us for the ways we act
with judgment, cruelty, or indifference.
We ignore the needs of our neighbors;
we resist your call to oppose injustice;
we give in to scarcity and fear;
we assume the worst about one another.
Cleanse us from our faults
and release us from their grasp.
Show us your lovingkindness.
Restore our hearts and repair your world,
that we may live in Christ’s ways.
Amen.

God proclaims these words of assurance:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you.
I have called you by name. You are mine.”
In ☩ Christ, you are forgiven.
In the Spirit, you are made free.
Refreshed by the waters of mercy,
live anew as beloved children of God.
Amen.

Opening Hymn 
ELW 656 - Blest Be the Tie that Binds (vs. 1, 3, 4)

Greeting
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.

Prayer of the Day
O Lord Jesus, make us instruments of your peace, that where there is hatred, we may sow love, where there is injury, pardon, and where there is despair, hope. Grant, O divine master, that we may seek to console, to understand, and to love in your name, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

First Reading:   Genesis 45:3-11, 15

3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence.
  4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me.” And they came closer. He said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7 God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9 Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. 10 You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. 11 I will provide for you there—since there are five more years of famine to come—so that you and your household, and all that you have, will not come to poverty.’ ” 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Psalm  37

The lowly shall possess the land; they will delight in abundance of peace. (Ps. 37:11)

 1 Do not be provoked by | evildoers;
  do not be jealous of those | who do wrong.
 2 For they shall soon wither | like the grass,
  and like the green grass | fade away.
 3 Put your trust in the Lord | and do good;
  dwell in the land and | find safe pasture.
 4 Take delight | in the Lord,
  who shall give you your | heart’s desire. R
 5 Commit your way to the Lord; put your trust | in the Lord,
  and see what | God will do.
 6 The Lord will make your vindication as clear | as the light
  and the justice of your case like the | noonday sun.
 7 Be still before the Lord and wait | patiently.
  Do not be provoked by the one who prospers, the one who succeeds in | evil schemes.
 8 Refrain from anger, leave | rage alone;
  do not be provoked; it leads on- | ly to evil. R
 9 For evildoers shall | be cut off,
  but those who hope in the Lord shall pos- | sess the land.
 10 In a little while the wicked shall | be no more;
  even if you search out their place, they will | not be there.
 11 But the lowly shall pos- | sess the land;
  they will delight in abun- | dance of peace.
 39 But the deliverance of the righteous comes from | you, O Lord;
  you are their stronghold in | time of trouble.
 40 You, O Lord, will help them and | rescue them;
  you will rescue them from the wicked and deliver them, because in you | they seek refuge. R

Second Reading:   1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50

35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36 Fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And as for what you sow, you do not sow the body that is to be, but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body.
  42 So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven.
  50 What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation
ELW Setting 8

Gospel:     Luke 6:27-38
This is the holy gospel according to Luke the 6th chapter.
Glory to you, O Lord.

[Jesus said:] 27 “But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
  32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
  37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon 

Hymn of the Day
ELW 603 - God, When Human Bonds Are Broken (vs. 1, 2, 5)

Prayers of Intercession
With the Spirit of Christ shining upon us, let us boldly pray for the church, the world, and all of creation.

A brief silence.

Surprising God, you call us to love our enemies and to show kindness in the face of cruelty. Let our actions be a shining witness of your overwhelming grace for all. God of grace,
hear our prayer.

As animals hibernate and fields lay dormant, let them be a reminder that life and faith are not static but always changing and growing. May we, with all creation, trust that the ending of one thing promises life in a new way. God of grace,
hear our prayer.

We pray for leaders and policymakers who work to reduce violence in our nations, cities, and towns. Give your wisdom and discernment amid heated arguments and differing viewpoints. God of grace,
hear our prayer.

We pray for the victims of abuse and violence. Provide safe shelter and new beginnings to those experiencing domestic violence and dangerous situations. Enfold with love all who seek your healing care (especially). God of grace,
hear our prayer.

Empower our faith communities to be signs of your gracious love. Bless the local ministries of parish nursing and caregiving, that they will be a voice for those in need in our communities (other ministries may be named). God of grace,
hear our prayer.

Here other intercessions may be offered.

We give thanks for the enduring witness of those who have died before us (especially Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna). May their lives in you provide a witness of your everlasting grace. God of grace,
hear our prayer.

We entrust our prayers to you, O God, in the sure and certain hope that your promise is revealed among the people.
Amen.

The Passing of Peace
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
And also with you.

Anthem

 The Lord’s Prayer (Albert Hay Malotte)

Offertory Hymn 
  ELW 296 - What Child is This (vs. 3)

Offertory Prayer 

God of grace, your love reaches to the heavens,

and your abundance to the depths of the seas.
Bless what we offer to your service:
our gifts, our abilities, and our hearts.
Let us overflow with gratitude and generosity,
now and always.
Amen.

The Great Thanksgiving
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all
times and in all places give thanks and praise to you, almighty
and merciful God, through our Savior Jesus Christ. Fulfilling the
promise of the resurrection, you pour out the fire of your Spirit,
uniting in one body people of every nation and tongue.

And so, with Mary Magdalene and Peter and all the witnesses of
the resurrection, with earth and sea and all their creatures, and
with angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim, we praise
your name and join their unending hymn:

ELW Setting 8
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of pow’r and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory, full of your glory.
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.

Thanksgiving at the Table
Holy God, our Bread of life, our Table, and our Food, you created
a world in which all might be satisfied by your abundance.
You dined with Abraham and Sarah, promising them life, and fed
your people Israel with manna from heaven. You sent your Son to
eat with sinners and to become food for the world.
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.
Remembering, therefore, his life given for us and his rising from
the grave, we await his coming again to share with us the
everlasting feast.
By your Spirit nurture and sustain us with this meal: strengthen
us to serve all in hunger and want, and by this bread and cup
make of us the body of your Son.
Through him all glory and honor is yours, Almighty Father,
with the Holy Spirit, in your holy Church, both now and forever.Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer 
Lord remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Our Father, Who art in heaven,
Hollowed by 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.

God feeds us with tender mercy.
Come to the table.

Lamb of God
 ELW Setting 8

Communion Hymns

 ELW 494 - For the Bread Which You Have Broken
 ELW 707 - Lord of Glory, You Have Bought Us
 ELW 496 - One Bread, One Body

The Table Blessing
The joy of the Lord is our strength.
Come, eat this meal of gladness.

Post Communion
ELW 200 - Now, Lord

Prayer After Communion 
Nourishing God,
at this table you have refreshed us
with holy gifts of food and drink.
Strengthen us for service,
and send us out to embody your good news
of liberation and healing for the sake of the world.
In the name of Christ we pray,
Amen.

Blessing
The Spirit of the triune God
☩ bless you with joy,
anoint you with compassion,
and send you in love.
Amen.

Sending Hymn
 ELW 608 - Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling (vs. 1 & 3)

Dismissal
Go in peace. Live in hope.
Thanks be to God.