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8th Sunday after Pentecost Eucharist for Extraordinary Times Christ the Servant Lutheran Church July 26, 2020 WELCOME CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God, whose steadfast love is everlasting, whose faithfulness endures from generation to generation. Amen. Trusting in the mercy of God, let us confess our sin. Reconciling God, we confess that we do not trust your abundance, and we deny your presence in our lives. We place our hope in ourselves and rely on our own efforts. We fail to believe that you provide enough for all. We abuse your good creation for our own benefit. We fear difference and do not welcome others as you have welcomed us. We sin in thought, word, and deed. By your grace, forgive us; through your love, renew us; and in your Spirit, lead us; so that we may live and serve you in newness of life. Amen. Beloved of God, by the radical abundance of divine mercy we have peace with God through ☩ Christ Jesus, through whom we have obtained grace upon grace. Our sins are forgiven. Let us live now in hope. For hope does not disappoint, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Amen. HYMN Seek Ye First WOV 783 / W&P 122 1. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and its righteousness, and all these things shall be added onto you, Allelu, alleluia! 2. Ask and it shall be given unto you, seek and you shall find. Knock and the door shall be opened unto you, Allelu, alleluia! PRAYER OF THE DAY The Lord be with you. And also with you. Let us pray: Saving God, help us to live fully in you. You are the God of salvation. Fill us with the Holy Spirit that we may turn away from all distracts us from you that we might have life. In Jesus’ name. Amen SCRIPTURE 1 Thessalonians 4:13 – 5:11 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words. Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When they say, ‘There is peace and security’, then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So then, let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing. Word of God, Word of Life. Mark 13:32-33 ‘But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. Word of God, Word of Life. MESSAGE HYMN We Walk by Faith v 1-3 ELW 635 1. We walk by faith and not by sight; with gracious words draw near, O Christ, who spoke as none e’er spoke; “My peace be with you here.” 2. We may not touch your hands and side, not follow where you trod; but in your promise we rejoice, and cry, “My Lord and God!” 3. Help then, O Lord, our unbelief; and may our faith abound to call on you when you are near and seek where you are found: PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE Merciful God, you are revealed to us in common things of life. Help your church witness to the surprising yet common ways you encounter us daily; in the presence of others, in bread and wine, in water and word. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. When your word is opened, it gives light and understanding. Increase our understanding and awe of your creation; guide the work of scientists and researchers. Treasuring the earth, may we live as grateful and healing caretakers of our home. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Gather the nations of the world into the welcoming and loving arms of mercy and peace. Direct leaders of nations to build trust with each other and walk in the way of justice. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Your Spirit helps us in our weakness and intercedes for the saints according to your will. Help us when we do not know how to pray. Give comfort to the dying, refuge to the weary, justice to those who are oppressed, and healing to the sick, and those we name now…. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. You show steadfast love and direct us to ask for what we need. Help this congregation ask boldly for what is most needed. Refresh us with new dreams of being your people in this place and time. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. In you our lives are never lost. Strengthen us by the inspiring witness of your people in all times and places. Embolden our witness now and one day gather us with all your saints in light. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Receive these prayers, O God, and those too deep for words; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. EUCHARIST FOR EXTRAORDINARY TIMES The Lord be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord Let us give thanks and praise to God. It is right to give God thanks and praise. Holy God, throughout all generations you come, and are present with us at our tables, turning ordinary meals into holy moments for us to experience your grace in tangible ways. When thousands who followed Jesus were hungry in a deserted place, he took a few loaves and fishes to feed the multitudes. After walking the road to Emmaus, the risen Christ dined with his disciples around the table in the home of Cleopas and his wife, breaking bread and making his presence known. On the shores of the Sea of Tiberias, once again the risen Christ broke bread with his disciples, turning an ordinary breakfast into a resurrection feast. In an upper room of a guest house, in the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me. Again after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in remembrance of me. Together as the body of Christ, trusting that the distance that separates us is bridged by the Holy Spirit who makes us one, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. Christ is risen! The tomb is empty! Over and over again, you have shown nothing is impossible with you. So, come, make your presence known to us now, as we share in this meal of Holy Communion. Send your Holy Spirit to bridge this table and the tables in our homes, this bread, and all the bread you have made ready, this wine and all the wine out poured. Prepare our hearts to receive you in the bread and wine, Christ’s body and blood that we share. Amen THE LORD’S PRAYER Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us. 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 Friends of Jesus, come to the table. Receive nourishment for your journey. You are now invited to share the sacrament with one another, and with yourself using these or similar words: The body of Christ, broken for you. The blood of Christ, shed for you. HYMN ELW 635 We Walk by Faith (vs. 4-5) 4. For you, O resurrected Lord, are found in means divine: beneath the water and the word, beneath the bread and wine. 5. And when our life of faith is done, in realms of clearer light may we behold you as you are, with full and endless sight. BLESSING God, source of all life, God, the Word of love, God the Spirit of truth + bless you all, now and forever. Amen DISMISSAL Go forth into the world to serve God with gladness; be of good courage; hold fast to that which is good; render to no one evil for evil; strengthen the fainthearted; support the weak; help the afflicted; honor all people; love and serve God, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit. Thanks be to God. Financial contributions may also be made using electronic giving through Vanco; please go to christtheservant.org/contribute to learn more. Contributions by check may be made out and sent to "Christ the Servant" 2016 Center Road, Waukesha, WI 53189. Thank you for your generosity. Music and Liturgy from the ELW and Liturgy adapted from Sundays & Seasons used with permission: Augsburg Fortress License #42073, and OneLicense #A-719363 for text, streaming and podcast. Eucharist for Extraordinary Times adapted and used with permission. Thank you to Pastor Kelesey for the original text.