Announcements
Confession and Forgiveness
Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
the Word who spoke life into being,
the Wind stirring the waters.
Amen.
Let us turn in confession to the one who knows us completely.
Silence is kept for reflection.
Mighty God, lover of justice,
you call us to life in community,
but we have served our own interests
at the expense of our neighbors.
We have sown deceit where honesty was needed.
We say the right words,
but our hearts are far from you.
Turn us to seek your face.
Knit us together and give us the mind of Christ,
that we may do justice, love mercy,
and walk humbly with you, our God.
Amen.
The former things have passed away,
and new things God now declares:
Like a spring of water that never fails,
God covers you in the righteousness of Christ,
and forgives your sin in ☩ Jesus’ name.
May the Spirit give you strength to live for others,
and bless you with the gift of peace.
Amen.
Opening Hymn
ELW 423 - Shall We Gather at the River (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
O God our Father, at the baptism of Jesus you proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit. Make all who are baptized into Christ faithful to their calling to be your daughters and sons, and empower us all with your Spirit, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
First Reading:Isaiah 42:1-9
1 Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
2 He will not cry out or lift up his voice
or make it heard in the street;
3 a bruised reed he will not break,
and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
4 He will not grow faint or be crushed
until he has established justice in the earth,
and the coastlands wait for his teaching.
5 Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people upon it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
6 I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;
I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,
a light to the nations,
7 to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
8 I am the Lord; that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to idols.
9 See, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth,
I tell you of them.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 29
The voice of the Lord is upon the waters. (Ps. 29:3)
1 Ascribe to the | Lord, you gods,
ascribe to the Lord glo- | ry and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory | due God’s name;
worship the Lord in the beau- | ty of holiness.
3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of | glory thunders;
the Lord is upon the | mighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is a pow- | erful voice;
the voice of the Lord is a | voice of splendor. R
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the | cedar trees;
the Lord breaks the ce- | dars of Lebanon;
6 the Lord makes Lebanon skip | like a calf,
and Mount Hermon like a | young wild ox.
7 The voice | of the Lord
bursts forth in | lightning flashes.
8 The voice of the Lord | shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilder- | ness of Kadesh. R
9 The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe and strips the | forests bare.
And in the temple of the Lord all are | crying, “Glory!”
10 The Lord sits enthroned a- | bove the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned as king for- | evermore.
11 O Lord, give strength | to your people;
give them, O Lord, the bless- | ings of peace. R
Second Reading: Acts 10:34-43
34 Peter began to speak to [Cornelius and his household]: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every people anyone who fears him and practices righteousness is acceptable to him. 36 You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. 37 That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation
ELW Setting 8
Gospel: Matthew 3:13-17
This is the holy gospel according to Matthew the 3rd chapter.
Glory to you, O Lord.
13 Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw God’s Spirit descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from the heavens said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon
Hymn of the Day
ELW 304 - Christ, When for Us You Were Baptized (vs. 1, 2, 4)
The Apostle's Creed
Prayers of Intercession
As God’s beloved children united in Christ, let us pray for the church, the whole human community, and the well-being of the earth, our home.
A brief silence.
Steadfast God, give courage to your servant church. Heal our divisions and unite us in mission. Uphold our lay leaders, missionaries, pastors, and bishops, and all who proclaim hope in a broken world. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
Restoring God, cleanse the life-giving waters of rivers, seas, and springs (local water sources may be named). Create in us an urgent desire to preserve the beauty and bounty of your good creation. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
Righteous God, you guide the nations. Reconcile warring enemies and end cycles of violent retribution. Defend the rights of prisoners, detainees, and all who flee from persecution. Sustain international aid workers and peacemakers. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
Compassionate God, you care for all in distress. Provide safety and support for those seeking asylum or in need of shelter. Be near to the dying, and comfort all who are grieving or ill (especially). Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
Loving God, awaken the gifts of the Spirit in this congregation, that we may serve Christ by loving one another, our neighbors, and our enemies. We pray for travelers and those who are homebound. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
Here other intercessions may be offered.
Promising God, in baptism we die and rise with Christ. We give thanks for those who have gone before us, and we trust that we will join them in your everlasting peace. Merciful God,
receive our prayer.
Confident that the Holy Spirit receives our prayers and answers us, we commend all for whom we pray to God’s loving-kindness made known to us in Christ Jesus our Savior.
Amen.
The Passing of Peace
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
And also with you.
Anthem
Give Thanks (Henry Smith)
Offertory Hymn
ELW 296 - What Child is This (vs. 3)
Offertory Prayer
God of majesty,
no eye has seen, no ear has heard
what you have prepared for those who love you,
yet in this meal you reveal the wideness of your mercy.
Use what we have gathered
to feed us with the reign of God come near,
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:
WOV 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 Maker, Redeemer, and Healer, in the harmonious
world of your creation, the plants and animals, the seas and stars
were whole and well in your praise.
When sin had scarred the world, you sent your Son to heal our ills
and to form us again into one.
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 acts of healing, his body given up,
and his victory over death, we await that day when all the
peoples of the earth will come to the river to enjoy the tree of
life.
Send your Spirit upon us and this meal: as grains scattered on
the hillside become one bread, so let your Church be gathered
from the ends of the earth, that all may be fed with the Bread of
life, 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 466 - In the Singing
ELW 396 - Spirit of Gentleness
ELW 801 - Change My Heart, O God
The Table Blessing
Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Come to the table; taste and see.
Post Communion
ELW 200 - Now, Lord
Prayer After Communion
Radiant God,
we have seen your glory in the face of Jesus Christ.
In the sacrament of his body and blood
you have drawn us to your heart.
Send us from this table with delight,
that our lives may reflect the beauty of your love,
and bear witness to all we have seen and heard,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
Blessing
May the triune God,
who has put a new song in your mouth
and tuned your heart for praise
☩ bless you now and forever.
Amen.
Sending Hymn
ELW 448 - This Is the Spirit's Entry Now (vs. 1, 3, 4)
Dismissal
Go in peace. Do justice. Love mercy.
Thanks be to God.
Photo by Erika Giraud on Unsplash
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