TWENTIETH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
CALL TO WORSHIP - PSALM 90:12–17
So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.
Return, O LORD; how long will you tarry? Be gracious to your servants.
Satisfy us by your steadfast love in the morning; so shall we rejoice and be glad all our days.
Make us glad as many days as you afflicted us
and as many years as we suffered adversity.
Show your servants your works, and your splendor to their children.
May the graciousness of the Lord our God be upon us;
prosper the work of our hands; prosper our handiwork.
GATHERING SONG “Will You Come and Follow Me” ELW #798
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God, whose name is majestic in all the earth,
who rescues and heals in every time of trouble, who does all things well. Amen.
Let us come before God, seeking forgiveness and life.
Silence is kept for reflection.
Steadfast and saving God,
have mercy on us.
We confess to you all the ways
we turn from you and harm one another.
In your compassion,
forgive our sins and heal our hurts.
Bring forth from us a harvest of righteousness,
the fruits of gentleness and peacemaking,
the sheaves of wisdom and justice;
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
In the name of ☩ Jesus, the Son of God, receive mercy and find grace in your time of need.
Your transgressions are forgiven; God’s love is healing balm for your wounds.
Rejoice, for God raises you up to new life in Christ. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Let us pray. Almighty and ever-living God, increase in us your gift of faith, that, forsaking what lies behind and reaching out to what lies ahead, we may follow the way of your commandments and receive the crown of everlasting joy, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
THE LESSON: Hebrews 4:12–16
Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.
Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Word of God, word of life. Thanks be to God.
THE GOSPEL FOR THE DAY: Mark 10:17–31
The holy gospel according to Saint Mark. Glory to you, O Lord.
As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: 'You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.'" He said to him, "Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth." Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." They were greatly astounded and said to one another, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible." Peter began to say to him, "Look, we have left everything and followed you." Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age — houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions — and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first."
The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
SERMON “Jesus Loved Him” Pastor Phil Wold
HYMN OF THE DAY “Jesus Loves Me!” ELW #595
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
Merciful Lord,
You are so gracious to us
And we thank you for that.
Strengthen us as we live
Out our lives as your disciples.
Empower this your church to
Embody your love in our
witness and in our missions.
Build up your compassion in us
For those we know in need
and those we do not know in need.
Hear and answer the cry of the needy, Lord
And do not turn away from them.
Lead and guide those who govern the nations
With wisdom and justice.
Help us to heed your call to help the needy,
Those who are ill, in distress and grief.
In your mercy and love
Hear our prayers. Amen. - from RevGalBlogPals - https://revgalblogpals.org/2012/10/13/prayer-for-sunday-proper-23bordinary-28bpentecost-20/
THE SIGN OF PEACE IS SHARED
The peace of Christ be with you always. And also with you.
THE OFFERING AND OFFERING PRAYER
Let us pray. Blessed are you, O God, maker of all things. Through your goodness you have blessed us with these gifts: our selves, our time, and our possessions. Use us, and what we have gathered, in feeding the world with your love, through the one who gave himself for us, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
THANKSGIVING FOR THE WORD
Let us pray.
Praise and thanks to you, holy God, for by your Word you made all things:
you spoke light into darkness,
called forth beauty from chaos, and brought life into being.
For your Word of life, O God,
we give you thanks and praise.
By your Word you called your people Israel to tell of your wonderful gifts:
freedom from captivity, water on the desert journey,
a pathway home from exile, wisdom for life with you.
For your Word of life, O God,
we give you thanks and praise.
Through Jesus, your Word made flesh, you speak to us and call us to witness:
forgiveness through the cross,
life to those entombed by death, the way of your self-giving love.
For your Word of life, O God,
we give you thanks and praise.
Send your Spirit of truth, O God; rekindle your gifts within us:
renew our faith, increase our hope,
and deepen our love, for the sake of a world in need.
Faithful to your Word, O God, draw near to all who call on you; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory forever. Amen.
THE LORD'S PRAYER
Lord, remember us in your kingdom, and teach us to pray:
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
SENDING SONG “The Church of Christ, In Every Age” ELW #729
SENDING Go in peace. Share the good news. Thanks be to God.
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