CALL TO WORSHIP

PSALM 113

Hallelujah! Give praise, you servants of the LORD; praise the name of the LORD.

Let the name of the LORD be blessed, from this time forth forevermore.

From the rising of the sun to its going down let the name of the LORD be praised.

The LORD is high above all nations, God's glory above the heavens.

Who is like the LORD our God, who sits enthroned on high,

but stoops to behold the heavens and the earth?

The LORD takes up the weak out of the dust and lifts up the poor from the ashes,

enthroning them with the rulers, with the rulers of the people.

The LORD makes the woman of a childless house to be a joyful mother of children.

Hallelujah!

GATHERING SONG “Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds” #367

CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

Blessed be the holy Trinity,☩ one God,

whose steadfast love endures forever.

Amen.

Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.

Silence is kept for reflection.

Merciful God,

we confess that we have not followed your path

but have chosen our own way.

Instead of putting others before ourselves,

we long to take the best seats at the table.

When met by those in need,

we have too often passed by on the other side.

Set us again on the path of life.

Save us from ourselves

and free us to love our neighbors.

Amen.

Hear the good news!

God does not deal with us according to our sins

but delights in granting pardon and mercy.

In the name of ☩ Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven.

You are free to love as God loves.

Amen.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Let us pray. God among us, we gather in the name of your Son to learn love for one another. Keep our feet from evil paths. Turn our minds to your wisdom and our hearts to the grace revealed in your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

THE FIRST LESSON: Amos 8:4-7

Hear this, you that trample on the needy, and bring to ruin the poor of the land, saying, "When will the new moon be over so that we may sell grain; and the sabbath, so that we may offer wheat for sale? We will make the ephah small and the shekel great, and practice deceit with false balances, buying the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, and selling the sweepings of the wheat." The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob: Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.

Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.

THE SECOND LESSON: 1 Timothy 2:1-7

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all –this was attested at the right time. For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.

THE GOSPEL FOR THE DAY: Luke 16:1-13

The holy gospel according to Saint Luke. Glory to you, O Lord.

Then Jesus said to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. So he summoned him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.’ Then the manager said to himself, ‘What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.’ So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He answered, ‘A hundred jugs of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.’ Then he asked another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘A hundred containers of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill and make it eighty.’ And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes. "Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."

The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.

SERMON “Account Management” Pastor Phil Wold

HYMN OF THE DAY “O Jesus, I Have Promised” #810

THE APOSTLES’ 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

THE SIGN OF PEACE IS SHARED

THE OFFERING AND OFFERING PRAYER

Let Us Pray. Risen Christ, receive these gifts, with our hopes, dreams, and prayers. Reveal yourself to us in the breaking of the bread, that our eyes may be opened to see your presence among us, and our lives filled with the new life of your resurrection. Amen

THE LORD'S PRAYER

BLESSING

SENDING SONG “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty” #858

SENDING

Go in peace. Share the good news. Thanks be to God.

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