Lectionary Readings
Semicontinuous
Jeremiah 2:4–13
The people are cracked cisterns; they forsake the fountain of life.
Psalm 81:1, 10–16
God laments: I deliver and feed you, but you do not listen to me.
Complementary
Proverbs 25:6–7
Do not put yourself in the place of honor; wait for an invitation.
Psalm 112
Happy and prosperous are those who give generously and trust God.
Hebrews 13:1–8, 15–16
Show hospitality and share what you have; praise God through Jesus.
Luke 14:1, 7–14
Jesus teaches lessons at a banquet: the humble will be exalted.
— Gathering —
Opening Sentences
Happy are those who fear the Lord,
who delight in God’s commandments.
They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright.
Those who love God are gracious,
merciful, and righteous.
They are generous,
sharing freely what they have received.
It is well with those who live in justice.
Their hearts are steady; they will not be afraid.
Let us praise the Lord!
Prayer of the Day
Lord of Hosts, King of Kings,
you sit in the place of honor.
We pray that we might have a seat near you today,
not to boost our egos or build ourselves up,
but so that we might draw closer
to the hopes you have for us,
so that we might gain understanding
of the kin-dom1 you desire.
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
1. Kin-dom is a term coined by mujerista theologian Ada María Isasi-Díaz to describe the liberation that comes from God by referencing the interconnectedness of a family and the importance of relationship.
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Thanksgiving for Baptism
At the baptismal font:
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
O Lord our God, we give you thanks
for the grace that is at work in us
through the gift of our baptism—
the sign of your threefold name,
the communion of your faithful people,
the promise of your glorious realm.
By the power of your Holy Spirit,
poured out upon us in baptism,
let your grace and peace grow in us,
until we gather at your heavenly throne
to give you thanks and praise forever;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Confession and Pardon
At the baptismal font:
We turn away from God,
often not knowing any better.
Yet God keeps inviting us
and keeps reaching to us in love.
In penitence and faith,
let us turn towards God and seek forgiveness.
Merciful God,
in Jesus you show us a way that is humble
and that seeks the good of others.
We confess that we go our own way;
we elevate ourselves
and ignore the needs of others.
Free us from the temptation
to pursue our own pleasure only.
Help us to live in harmony
with all your people,
sharing one world
and eating around one table,
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Savior.
Lifting water from the font:
With abundant grace and mercy that reaches wide,
God gathers us and cleanses us,
making us new, making us whole.
This is good news!
In Jesus Christ we are forgiven!
— Word —
Prayer for Illumination
At the lectern or pulpit:
Faithful God, how blessed are those
who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
Sanctify us by your Word and Spirit
so that we may glorify you
in the company of the faithful;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Scripture
Before the readings:
Sacred writings, our instruction in salvation
through faith in Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 3:15
After the readings:
The words of Scripture, inspired by God.
Thanks be to God.
2 Timothy 3:16
Sermon
Ascription of Praise
After the sermon:
Blessed be the Lord our God. Amen.
Luke 1:68
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Affirmation of Faith
The life, death, resurrection,
and promised coming of Jesus Christ
has set the pattern for the church’s mission.
His human life involves the church
in the common life of all people.
His service to men and women
commits the church
to work for every form of human well-being.
His suffering makes the church sensitive
to all human suffering
so that it sees the face of Christ
in the faces of persons in every kind of need.
His crucifixion discloses to the church
God’s judgment on the inhumanity
that marks human relations,
and the awful consequences
of the church’s own complicity in injustice.
In the power of the risen Christ
and the hope of his coming,
the church sees the promise
of God’s renewal of human life in society
and of God’s victory over all wrong.
The church follows this pattern
in the form of its life
and in the method of its action.
So to live and serve
is to confess Christ as Lord.
Adapted from the Confession of 1967, 9.32–33
Prayers of Intercession
Trusting in the power of God to deliver us,
let us make our prayers of intercession for all,
saying: God our Savior, hear our prayer.
We pray for the church . . .
Let our life together be a song of praise
and an offering of great thanksgiving,
bearing witness to Jesus Christ our Lord.
God our Savior, hear our prayer.
We pray for the world . . .
Show your faithfulness and love
for nations and leaders that deal generously
and conduct their affairs with justice.
God our Savior, hear our prayer.
We pray for this community . . .
Help us to love one another,
show hospitality to strangers,
and visit those who are in prison.
God our Savior, hear our prayer.
We pray for loved ones . . .
Strengthen those who are weak,
deliver those who are in trouble,
and fill the hungry with good things.
God our Savior, hear our prayer.
Merciful and mighty God, as you are one,
make us one with you through Jesus Christ,
whom you have sent to redeem us,
and in whose holy name we pray. Amen.
— Eucharist —
Invitation to Offering
At the communion table:
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,
to present yourselves as a living sacrifice,
holy and acceptable to God.
Let us offer our lives to the Lord.
Romans 12:1
Prayer of Dedication
At the communion table:
We give you thanks and praise, O God,
for you have chosen the poverty of the world
to make your people rich in faith.
Help us to put our faith into practice
through the offering of our lives—
giving food to the hungry,
clothes to the naked,
and shelter to the poor;
all for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord,
your Word made flesh. Amen.
James 2:5, 14–17
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.
Blessed are you, O Lord our God:
You are exalted above the highest heavens,
yet you chose to take a place among the lowly,
coming to dwell among us in Christ our Lord.
Therefore we praise you, joining the song
of the universal church
and the heavenly choir:
A Sanctus (“Holy, holy, holy”) is sung.
Blessed is Jesus Christ, our Savior:
Jesus challenges our ideas and assumptions
about what it means to have honor
in your realm,
exalting the humble and humbling the exalted.
The words of institution are included here.
Remembering your goodness and grace,
we offer ourselves to you with gratitude
as we share this joyful feast.
A Memorial Acclamation
(e.g., “Christ has died”) is sung.
Pour out your Holy Spirit upon us
and upon this bread and cup;
make us one in the body and blood
of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Let our love for one another honor you—
showing hospitality to strangers,
visiting captives,
living faithfully,
and sharing with those in need.
Through the Lord Jesus Christ,
in the unity of the Spirit,
we bless you, God of glory,
now and forever.
An Amen is sung.
Lord’s Prayer
Breaking the Bread
Communion of the People
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Prayer after Communion
At the communion table:
God of glory, in this holy feast
you have made us one with Christ
and with that great multitude of the faithful—those who hunger and thirst no more
and worship night and day in your temple.
Lead us in the paths of righteousness
and guide us to the springs of the water of life,
until we join the choir of the redeemed,
singing: Salvation belongs to our God
who is seated on the throne,
and to the Lamb:
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
— Sending —
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Blessing and Charge
At the doors of the church:
The Lord bless and keep
your going out
and your coming in
from this time on
and forevermore. Alleluia!
Psalm 121:8
Proclaim the message,
be persistent in prayer,
do the work of the gospel,
and carry out the ministry
of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
2 Timothy 4:2, 5; Luke 18:1
Symbol of the Gospel of Luke
Stained Glass, Corning, Ohio
Additional Materials
Congregational Song
GATHERING
-
Sing Out with Joy to God Our Strength (P) SHEPHERDS’ PIPES GTG 56
-
Brethren, We Have Met to Worship (E) HOLY MANNA GTG 396
-
O Lord, Our Lord (O) HOW MAJESTIC GTG 613
WORD
-
Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us with Your Love (G) CHEREPONI GTG 203
-
Alleluia! Laud and Blessing (P) WEISSE FLAGGEN GTG 755
-
Come to Me, O Weary Traveler (O) AUSTIN GTG 183
EUCHARIST
-
Before I Take the Body of My Lord (O) LAYING DOWN GTG 428
-
Come and Seek the Ways of Wisdom (O) MADELEINE GTG 174
-
Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life (G) GERMANY GTG 343
SENDING
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Blest Be the Tie That Binds (E) DENNIS GTG 306
-
Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee (P) HYMN TO JOY GTG 611
-
Ho, All Who Thirst (O) JACOB’S WELL GTG 479
Psalms and Canticles
Psalm 81:1, 10–16
Metrical
-
Sing Out with Joy to God Our Strength [SHEPHERDS’ PIPES]; GTG 56
-
Sing a Psalm of Joy! [GENEVAN 81]; PAS 81C, LUYH 717
-
O Sing to God, Our Strength [LEONI/YIGDAL]; PCW 81, PP 148 (with refrain)
Responsorial
-
Strike Up the Music!; PAS 81B
-
You Satisfy the Hungry Heart [BICENTENNIAL]; PAS 81A
-
Sing with Joy to God Our Strength [GOTT SEI DANK]; HTP2 166
Psalm 112
Metrical
-
How Blest Are Those Who Fear You, Lord [LM with refrain]; SGP 164
-
Alleluia! Laud and Blessing [WEISSE FLAGGEN]; GTG 755, PAS 111B
-
How Blest Are Those Who Fear the Lord [MELCOMBE]; PAS 112A, LUYH 301
Responsorial
-
Happy Are They Who Trust in the Lord; PP 210
-
Happy Are They Who Fear the Lord [GELOBT SEI GOTT]; HTP2 167
-
Happy Are They Who Delight in the Law of God; PAS 112B
Organ Music
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“RESIGNATION,” Augsburg Organ Library: Baptism and Communion, David Evan Thomas, AF (ME)
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“FOUNDATION,” 7 Settings of American Folk Hymns (downloadable), Wilbur Held, CON (ME)
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“Chorale Chaconne on MIT FREUDEN ZART,” Three for Easter, James Biery, MSM (M)
-
“Sicilienne” and “Menuet,” A Time to Dance: Settings for Organ, David Evan Thomas, AF (M)
Piano Music
-
“Today We All Are Called to Be Disciples,” KINGSFOLD, Morning Has Broken, Penny Rodriguez, LOR (M)
-
“Brethren, We Have Met to Worship,” HOLY MANNA, What Can I Play on Sunday, Book 4, Cindy Berry, ALF (M)
Anthems for Adult Choirs
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“Sweet By and By,” Marianne Kim, LOR, SATB, keybd, opt solo (ME)
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“Guide My Feet,” Tawn B. Thomas, AMP, SATB, acap (M)
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“Guide My Wayfaring Feet,” Ruth Elaine Schram, LOR, SA(T)B, keybd (E)
-
“The Lord Is a Mighty God,” Mendelssohn / Michael Burkhardt, MSM, 2 pt, org (ME)
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“My Jesus, I Love Thee,” Molly Ijames, SFP, SATB/SAB, keybd (ME)
Vocal Solos
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“For Everyone Born,” Still All My Song Shall Be, Tom Trenney, MSM, opt vc (MA)
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“Ubi Caritas,” Sacred Songs, vol. 2, Gwyneth Walker, ECS, high (M)
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“Love Bade Me Welcome,” Five Mystical Songs, Ralph Vaughan Williams, GMC, bari (MA)
Art
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Hospitality to Strangers, Gustave Van de Woestyne, 1920 (PD)
-
The Poor Invited to the Feast, JESUS MAFA, 1973 (VDL)
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A Parable—Where to Sit, Cara B. Hochhalter, 2019 (VDL)
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Hebrews 13:8, Timothy Botts, 2016 (EYE)
