GATHERING SONG “Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness” # 843
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God, full of compassion and mercy, abounding in steadfast love.
Amen.
Trusting God’s promise of forgiveness, let us confess our sin against God and one another.
Silence for reflection and self-examination.
Eternal God our creator, in you we live and move and have our being.
Look upon us, your children, the work of your hands.
Forgive us all our offenses, and cleanse us from proud thoughts and empty desires.
By your grace draw us near to you, our refuge and our strength;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us.
In the mercy of almighty God, Christ died for us while we still were sinners;
and for his sake, God ☩ forgives you all your sins. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Let us pray. O God, our teacher and guide, you draw us to yourself and welcome us as beloved children. Help us to lay aside all envy and selfish ambition, that we may walk in your ways of wisdom and understanding as servants of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
THE FIRST LESSON: Jeremiah 11:18–20
It was the LORD who made it known to me, and I knew; then you showed me their evil deeds.
But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. And I did not know it was against me that they devised schemes, saying, "Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name will no longer be remembered!" But you, O LORD of hosts, who judge righteously, who try the heart and the mind, let me see your retribution upon them, for to you I have committed my cause.
Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.
PSALM 1
Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked,
nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seats of the scornful!
Their delight is in the law of the LORD,
and they meditate on God's teaching day and night.
They are like trees planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in due season,
with leaves that do not wither;
everything they do shall prosper.
THE SECOND LESSON: James 3:13—4:3; 4:7–8a
Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.
Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.
THE GOSPEL FOR THE DAY: Mark 9:30–37
The holy gospel according to Saint Mark. Glory to you, O Lord.
They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again." But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.
Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the way?" But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all." Then he took a little child and put him among them; and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.” The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
SERMON “First, Last and a Little Child” Pastor Phil Wold
HYMN OF THE DAY “Children of the Heavenly Father” #781
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 PEACE IS SHARED
The peace of Christ be with you always. And also with you.
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
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be 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
BLESSING
People of God,
you are Christ’s body,
bringing new life to a suffering world.
The holy Trinity, ☩ one God,
bless you now and forever.
Amen.
SENDING SONG “Christ Is Alive! Let Christians Sing” # 389
SENDING
Go in peace. Share the good news. Thanks be to God.
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