Announcements
Confession and Forgiveness
Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God,
who forgives all our sin,
whose mercy endures forever.
Amen.
Let us confess our sin and come to God for healing.
Gracious God,
have mercy on us.
We confess that we have honored you with our lips,
but have harmed our neighbors with our tongues.
The cravings at war within us
cause conflicts and disputes.
In our desire to be first
we make distinctions among ourselves.
We place the needs of the poor and the suffering last.
In your great mercy, forgive us our sins.
Draw near to us with grace in time of need,
and turn us to follow in the way of Jesus Christ,
our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
God promises to forgive our iniquity
and to remember our sin no more.
By grace you have been saved.
In the name of ☩ Jesus Christ,
the source of eternal healing,
your sins are forgiven.
Amen.
Opening Hymn
ELW 673 - God, Whose Almighty Word (vs. 1 & 2)
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
Gracious God, throughout the ages you transform sickness into health and death into life. Open us to the power of your presence, and make us a people ready to proclaim your promises to the whole world, through Jesus Christ, our healer and Lord.
Amen.
First Reading: Isaiah 35:4-7a
4Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
“Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
He will come and save you.”
5Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
6then the lame shall leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
7athe burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 146
I will praise the Lord as long as I live. (Ps. 146:2)
1Hal- | lelujah!
Praise the Lord, | O my soul!
2I will praise the Lord as long | as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I | have my being.
3Put not your | trust in rulers,
in mortals in whom there | is no help.
4When they breathe their last, they re- | turn to earth,
and in that day | their thoughts perish. R
5Happy are they who have the God of Jacob | for their help,
whose hope is in the | Lord their God;
6who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that | is in them;
who keeps promis- | es forever;
7who gives justice to those who are oppressed, and food to | those who hunger.
The Lord sets the | captive free.
8The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; the Lord lifts up those who | are bowed down;
the Lord | loves the righteous. R
9The Lord cares | for the stranger;
the Lord sustains the orphan and widow, but frustrates the way | of the wicked.
10The Lord shall | reign forever,
your God, O Zion, throughout all generations. | Hallelujah! R
Second Reading: James 2:1-10,14-17
1My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? 2For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, 3and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Have a seat here, please,” while to the one who is poor you say, “Stand there,” or, “Sit at my feet,” 4have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? 5Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? 6But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? 7Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you?
8You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 9But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.
14What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? 15If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, 16and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? 17So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation
ELW Setting 8
Gospel: Mark 7:24-37
This is the holy gospel according to Mark the 7th chapter.
Glory to you, O Lord.
24[Jesus] set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice,25but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. 26Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27He said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” 28But she answered him, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29Then he said to her, “For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.” 30So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
31Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 32They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 33He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. 34Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 35And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37They were astounded beyond measure, saying, “He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon
Hymn of the Day
ELW 612 - Healer of Our Every Ill (vs. 1 & 3)
The Apostle's Creed
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 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.
Prayers of Intercession
Drawn together in the power of the Holy Spirit, we pray with confidence for the church, God’s good creation, and all who are in need.
A brief silence.
Awaken in our communities of faith a spirit of radical hospitality. Encourage our churches to celebrate and embrace people of diverse backgrounds, experiences, and abilities. Deepen our commitment to ecumenical and interreligious partnerships (local partners may be named). Hear us, O God.
your mercy is great.
Bring forth water to nourish plants and animals in places suffering from drought. Renew our commitments to protect rivers, lakes, and streams, and make us good stewards of water in our homes and communities. Preserve wetland habitats and the creatures that make their homes there. Hear us, O God.
your mercy is great.
Inspire leaders of cities, nations, and tribes to lead with wisdom and humility. Bring peace among peoples in conflict (especially) and strengthen global commitments to nonviolent solutions. Guide all who seek refuge from war to a safe haven. Hear us, O God.
your mercy is great.
Comfort all who live with chronic illness. Surround them in your tender embrace and sustain all who provide ongoing care and support. Bring hope and healing to people struggling with addiction and nourish the spirits of all who are in recovery. Hear us, O God.
your mercy is great.
Nurture in all people the gift of your creating Spirit. Inspire artists and musicians, woodworkers and quilters, poets and dancers. Revive those whose artistic wells have run dry and enliven all who doubt their creative talents. Hear us, O God.
your mercy is great.
We give you thanks for all who have died and now find their rest in you. May their faithful witness guide us in our daily life with you. Hear us, O God.
your mercy is great.
We entrust these and all our prayers to you, holy God, in the name of your beloved child, Jesus Christ, our Savior.
Amen.
The Passing of Peace
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
And also with you.
Anthem
Go Ye Into All the World (Eugene Butler)
Offertory Hymn
ELW 181 - Let the Vineyards Be Fruitful
Offertory Prayer
Blessed are you, O God,
source of every gift of your creation.
By these gifts and with our lives,
help us to serve one another and all in need,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
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.
At Jesus’ table, heaven and earth are joined as one.
Come and see.
Lamb of God
ELW Setting 8
Communion Hymns
ELW 726 - Light Dawns on a Weary World
ELW 496 - One Bread, One Body
ELW 492 - Eat This Bread, Drink This Cup
The Table Blessing
Jesus welcomes you to this table.
Come, here is your God.
Post Communion
ELW 801 - Change My Heart, O God
Prayer After Communion
Holy God,
you have welcomed us to this meal
and fed us with dignity at your table.
Send us now to welcome others
and to be at peace with one another,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Blessing
God all mighty,
God most merciful
☩ bless you, keep you,
and give you peace.
Amen.
Sending Hymn
ELW 886 - Oh, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing (vs. 1, 2, 4)
Dismissal
Go in peace. Follow Jesus.
Thanks be to God.
Photo by Erika Giraud on Unsplash
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