Lectionary Readings
Semicontinuous
Genesis 12:1–9
The Lord will bless Abram and Sarai and make them a blessing.
Psalm 33:1–12
Rejoice in the Lord; happy are those who are chosen as God’s own.
Complementary
Hosea 5:15–6:6
On the third day God will raise us up; God desires steadfast love.
Psalm 50:7–15
Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving; call on God in trouble.
Romans 4:13–25
The example of Abraham; righteousness comes from faith.
Matthew 9:9–13, 18–26
Jesus calls sinners; he heals a woman and raises a dead girl to life.
— Gathering —
Opening Sentences
O give thanks to the Lord, for God is judge.
Let us offer God a sacrifice of thanksgiving.
Prayer of the Day
God of all, thank you for your many blessings.
Your mercies are new every morning,
your grace is sufficient,
and you remain present in times of trouble.
Your words alone can heal us,
your love saves us, and your name makes us whole.
Revive our faith,
resurrect our hope,
and renew our commitment to love one another,
that we may offer you gratitude. 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:
Christ came for us in the midst of our sins.
Knowing that Jesus meets us where we are,
let us offer our prayers of confession.
we acknowledge our guilt,
and seek your face and your forgiveness.
For we have not offered steadfast love
to you or each other.
We have not moved forward in faith,
but have allowed ourselves to be stifled by fear.
Revive us, raise us up, that we might live before you,
rejoicing in the knowledge of your love.
People of God,
hear and believe the good news:
Christ came to bring healing, forgiveness, and new life
to all who sin and suffer.
In the name of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven!
— Word —
Prayer for Illumination
At the lectern or pulpit:
Holy, Holy, Holy One,
guide us by the Spirit of truth
to hear the Word of life you speak,
and to give all glory, honor, and praise
to your threefold name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Scripture
Before the readings:
The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
Listen to the word of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 6:4
After the readings:
Keep these words in your heart.
The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
Thanks be to God.
Deuteronomy 6:6
Sermon
Ascription of Praise
After the sermon:
To the Lord our God, Alpha and Omega,
be all glory and honor forever. Amen.
Revelation 21:6
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
Let us pray in the Spirit, who helps us in our weakness,
interceding with sighs too deep for words.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
In the Spirit, we pray for the church . . .
Through the power of your Holy Spirit,
fill us with the hope of the gospel—
the hope that will never disappoint us.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
In the Spirit, we pray for the earth . . .
Let all the earth make a joyful noise to you,
for your steadfast love endures forever
and your faithfulness is for all generations.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
In the Spirit, we pray for all nations . . .
Teach the leaders of this and every nation
to keep their promises and follow your way,
so that all may have fullness of life in you.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
In the Spirit, we pray for this community . . .
Let us be laborers in the field of your harvest,
proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ
and helping those who are suffering.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
In the Spirit, we pray for loved ones . . .
Incline your ear to those who cry for help.
Pour out your saving, life-giving power
for those who call upon your holy name.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
In the Spirit, we pray to you, O God,
confident that all things work together for good
for those who love you
and are called according to your purpose.
Above all, we give you thanks, O God,
that nothing can separate us from your love
in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Romans 8:26, 28, 39
— 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:
God of unending gifts,
we praise you for your abundant goodness.
As you are generous, we want to be generous too.
May the gifts we bring
extend your generosity into the world,
so that all people may be made whole
by your goodness and grace. Amen.
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 shared a meal with Abraham and Sarah
and promised them that in due season
they would become the ancestors of a great people.
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 sends us out as laborers in the harvest
to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out what is evil,
and to proclaim that his kingdom has come near.
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.
Through the Spirit you have poured into our hearts,
fill us with your love, and give us the power to proclaim
the good news of Jesus Christ who died for 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:
May the blessing of the Trinity—
holy, holy, holy Lord—
be with you now and always. Alleluia!
Isaiah 6:3
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here I am; send me!” Amen.
Isaiah 6:8
“Saint Matthew”
Additional Materials
Congregational Song
GATHERING
- Sing to God, with Joy and Gladness (OcE) GLENDON GTG 657
- God of the Ages, Whose Almighty Hand (Os) NATIONAL HYMN GTG 331
- The God of Abraham Praise (Os) LEONI GTG 49
- Life in Abundance / Vida Abundante (G) VIDA ABUNDANTE SSS 123
WORD
- To Abraham and Sarah (Os) LLANFYLLIN GTG 51
- All Hail to God’s Anointed (Oc) ROCKPORT GTG 149
- Standing on the Promises (E) PROMISES GTG 838
- You Walk along Our Shoreline (G) WIE LIEBLICH IST DER MAIEN GTG 170
- Healer of Our Every Ill (OcG) HEALER OF OUR EVERY ILL GTG 795
- Faith Begins by Letting Go (E) LUX PRIMA GTG 684
- He Touched Me (G) HE TOUCHED ME OLOF 532
EUCHARIST
- I Come with Joy (G) DOVE OF PEACE GTG 515
- Woman in the Night (G) NEW DISCIPLES (Fedak) GTG 161
- Shepherd Me, O God (OcE) SHEPHERD ME GTG 473
- Give Thanks to God Who Hears Our Cries (Oc) MORNING SONG GTG 653
- Draw Us in the Spirit’s Tether (G) UNION SEMINARY GTG 529
SENDING
- Sing Praise to God, Whose Mighty Acts (Oc) SALVATION GTG 356
- Deep in the Shadows of the Past (OsE) SHEPHERDS’ PIPES GTG 50
- We’ve Come This Far by Faith (E) THIS FAR BY FAITH GTG 656, TFF 197 (with verses)
- The Church of Christ Cannot Be Bound (EG) MC KEE GTG 766
- I Will Be Your God (Os) NYLAND LUYH 40
Psalms and Canticles
Psalm 33:1–12
Metrical
- God’s Word is Upright (La palabra del Señor) [NELSON]; GTG 40
- Rejoice, You Righteous, in the Lord [ELLACOMBE]; PAS 33B
Responsorial
- Psalm 33, A Responsorial Setting; PAS 33A
- Lord, in You I Trust; PP 64
Psalm 50:7–15
Metrical
- The Mighty God with Power Speaks [KINGSFOLD]; GTG 13
- Let the Giving of Thanks Be Our Sacrifice [GREYFRIARS]; PAS 50C
Responsorial
- To the Upright I Will Show the Saving Pow’r of God; PRCL 102
- O Lord, You Have the Words of Life; PP 98
Organ Music
- “Guide Me Ever, Great Redeemer,” CWM RHONDDA, Augsburg Organ Library: Autumn, J. Bert Carlson, AF (ME)
- “My Shepherd Will Supply My Need,” Pastoral Psalms for Organ: Eleven Settings of Psalm 23, Franklin D. Ashdown, AF (MA)
- “Petit Chorale,” 100 Processionals and Recessionals, Robert Fielding, KM (ME)
- “Praise and Thanksgiving,” John A. Behnke: The Essential Organ Preludes, John A. Behnke, CON (ME)
Piano Music
- “Prelude No. 2 in C-sharp Minor,” Preludes for Piano, George Gershwin, HEN (M)
- “Praeludium from Partita No. 1 in B-flat Major,” Partitas, Johann Sebastian Bach, HEN (M)
Anthems for Adult Choirs
- “You Shall Have a Song,” Harriet Ziegenhals, HOPE, 2 pt, pno, opt fl (E)
- “Touch That Soothes and Heals,” Thomas Keesecker, AF, SAB, pno (E)
- “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” Rollo Dilworth, HAL, SATB or SAB, pno (ME)
- “Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy,” Katheryn Bonner, LOR, SATB, pno or hb (ME)
- “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” Dan Forrest, BP, SATB div, org, opt orch (MA)
- “Psalm 50, Offer unto God,” F. Melius Christiansen, AF, SATB div, acap (A)
Art
- Healing of a Woman with an Issue of Blood, manuscript illumination, 1400–1410 (VDL) (PD)
- Woman with the Flow of Blood, Frank Wesley, 1923–2002 (VDL)
- Christ and the Woman with the Issue of Blood, unknown artist, 3rd century (VCS) (PD)
- Covenant with Abraham, Chris Stoffel Overvoorde, 2016 (EYE)
- Psalm 33:12, Timothy Botts, 2016 (EYE)
