Lectionary Readings
Semicontinuous
Amos 8:1–12
The end has come; the Lord condemns those who prey on the needy.
Psalm 52
Why do you boast of your evil? God will uproot and destroy you.
Complementary
Genesis 18:1–10a
Three visitors appear to Abraham; soon Sarah will have a son.
Psalm 15
Who may abide in God’s tent? Only those who do what is right.
Colossians 1:15–28
Christ is the image of the invisible God; now the mystery is revealed.
Luke 10:38–42
Mary sits and listens to Jesus, while Martha is busy with many tasks.
— Gathering —
Opening Sentences
In Christ the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.
Through Christ
God reconciled all things to Godself.
In Christ we find our beginning,
our purpose, and our own being.
We are Christ’s body, eager to serve.
Prayer of the Day
O God of the unimaginable,
you come to us as the hungry visitor
in need of shelter
and the woman sitting at your feet,
craving to learn more.
You make yourself at home among us,
learning our names and our stories,
dwelling with us wherever we lay our head,
and making miracles out of the mundane
and saints out of the ordinary.
Thank you for showing up
in the holy spaces and the unexpected places.
May we show up in this world like you. Amen.
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:
In Christ, all the fullness of God
was pleased to dwell,
and through him God was pleased
to reconcile all things.
Trusting in Christ,
let us seek God’s forgiveness.
Merciful Savior,
you stand beside us,
yet we prefer to stand on our own.
You choose us,
yet we choose worry.
You attend to us,
yet we attend to our work.
Forgive us, gentle Teacher.
Call us by name and visit us once more
that we might find at your feet
our joy, our purpose, and our hope.
Lifting water from the font:
Listen, I will tell you a mystery!
By his body and his cross,
Jesus reconciles all who were once estranged.
Christ in you is the glory of God.
Believe the 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:
The Word of God is near.
Deuteronomy 30:14
After the readings:
The Word of God is with us,
on our lips and in our hearts
for us to observe.
Thanks be to God.
Deuteronomy 30:14
Sermon
Ascription of Praise
After the sermon:
In the name of Christ, our all in all. Amen.
Colossians 3:11
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
Surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses,
we pray for the fulfillment of God’s promise,
saying: In faith, O God, we seek your grace.
We pray for the church . . .
Hold us together as the body of Christ,
and let us know the mind of Christ our head,
so that we may seek your will on earth.
In faith, O God, we seek your grace.
We pray for the world . . .
Stop the destructive tracks of those
who trample upon the poor and needy
and bring ruin to your good creation.
In faith, O God, we seek your grace.
We pray for this community . . .
Help us to show your hospitality
to the visitors and strangers among us,
feeding and serving them with love.
In faith, O God, we seek your grace.
We pray for loved ones . . .
Help us to bear the burdens of those
who are weary from their life and labor.
Let them find rest and peace in you.
In faith, O God, we seek your grace.
Strengthen us to run the race that is before us,
laying aside the heavy burdens
of sin and death
and following the pioneer
and perfecter of our faith:
Jesus Christ,
our crucified and risen Lord. 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:
Generous God, we give you thanks
for all your blessings to us.
Use these gifts we offer
as a sign of your great love for the world,
so that all may know and share
the abundance of your grace;
in your holy name we pray. Amen.
2 Corinthians 8:12–15
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 bless us with your great faithfulness.
Even when we were lost in our wicked ways
you have never passed us by or forsaken us.
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 calls us to work and to rest in him.
When we are caught up
in worry and distraction
he shows us a better way of life and peace.
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.
Keep us steadfast in our faith,
never wavering from the hope of the gospel,
and help us to proclaim this hope to all.
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:
Holy Spirit,
you have filled us with your life.
Christ our Savior,
you have embraced us in your love.
God our Mother,
you have fed us with your grace.
Now send us out into your beloved world
to share your life,
your love, your grace with all.
Blessing and honor and glory to you,
holy, holy, holy Lord. Amen.
— Sending —
Hymn, Psalm, or Spiritual Song
Blessing and Charge
At the doors of the church:
The kingdom of God,
the power of Christ,
and the glory of the Spirit
be with you forever. Alleluia!
Luke 11:2
Go in peace to love the Lord your God
and love your neighbor as yourself. Amen.
Luke 10:27
Symbol of the Gospel of Luke
Stained Glass, Corning, Ohio
Additional Materials
Congregational Song
GATHERING
-
Rejoice in God’s Saints (P) OLD 104TH GTG 732
-
Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise (E) ST. DENIO GTG 12
-
The God of Abraham Praise (O) LEONI GTG 49
WORD
-
Lord, Who May Dwell within Your House (P) RIDGEMOOR GTG 419
-
Dream On, Dream On (E) DREAM ON GTG 383
-
For All the Faithful Women (G) NYLAND GTG 324
EUCHARIST
-
Feed Us, Lord (G) FEED US GTG 501
-
Be Known to Us in Breaking Bread (E) ST. FLAVIAN GTG 500
SENDING
-
May the Love of the Lord (P) SOON TI GTG 549
-
Go, My Children, with My Blessing (G) AR HYD Y NOS GTG 547
-
Rise, O Church, like Christ Arisen (E) SURGE ECCLESIA GTG 536
Psalms and Canticles
Psalm 52
Metrical
-
God, Let Me Like a Spreading Tree (You Cunning Liar) [BACA]; LUYH 30, PAS 52A
-
Why Do You Boast? [BIG SHOT]; TAP2 97
Responsorial
-
But I Am Like a Green Olive Tree; PAS 52B
-
Lord, You Are My Strength; PSA 50
-
We Will Trust in God’s Great Mercy [CHARLESTOWN]; HTP2 153
Psalm 15
Metrical
-
Lord, Who May Dwell within Your House [RIDGEMOOR, CRIMOND]; GTG 419, PAS 15D, LUYH 612
-
Lord, Who Are They That May Dwell [STELLA CARMEL]; PAS 15A
Responsorial
-
Lord, Who May Be Welcome in Your Tent; PAS 15B
-
I’m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me; PAS 15C
-
Those Who Do Justice Will Live (Gelineau); PSA 9
-
The Righteous Shall Abide [FESTAL SONG]; HTP2 154
Organ Music
-
Peal on DARWALL’S 148TH, Oxford Hymn Settings for Organists: Autumn Festivals, James Biery, OUP (M)
-
Chorale Prelude on DIVINUM MYSTERIUM, Galaxy of Hymn-Tune Preludes, John Blackburn, GMC (ME)
-
Interlude on BUNESSAN, Oxford Hymn Settings for Organists: Autumn Festivals, Alan Bullard, OUP (ME)
-
Intrada or Postlude on LEONI, Oxford Hymn Settings for Organists: Pentecost and Trinity, Pamela Decker, OUP (M)
Piano Music
-
“Be Thou My Vision,” SLANE, Sunday Solos for Piano, HAL (M)
-
“Morning Has Broken,” BUNESSAN, Celtic Hymn Settings for Piano, Larry Shackley, HOPE (MA)
Anthems for Adult Choirs
-
“For Love Shall Be Our Song,” Douglas E. Wagner, CGA, uni, keybd, fl (E)
-
“What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” Charles McCartha, AF, SAB, keybd (E)
-
“God and Only God,” Pattie Drennan, LOR, SATB, keybd (ME)
-
“Give Me Jesus,” arr. Rollo Dilworth, HAL, SAT, keybd (M)
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“Let All the World in Every Corner Sing,” Andrea Ramsey, AMP, SSA, keybd (MA)
Vocal Solos
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“Give Me Jesus,” Ten Spirituals for Solo Voice, Mark Hayes, ALF, low/medium/high (M)
-
“Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee,” Sacred Songs of Howard Helvey, Howard Helvey, BP, medium, opt cl or C inst (MA)
-
“The Perfect Wisdom of Our God,” Stuart Townend and Keith Getty, musicnotes.com (ME)
Art
-
Abraham Entertaining the Three Angels, attributed to Francesco Lamarra, 1710–80 (PD)
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For You, Tracey Emin, 2008 (VCS)
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Abraham and the Three Angels, Marc Chagall, 1960–66 (VCS)
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Abraham and the Angels, Roger Wagner, 2002 (VCS)
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Mary, Martha and Jesus, Kathleen Peterson, 21st century (VDL)
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Martha and Mary, JESUS MAFA, 1973 (VDL)
