This Week's Bulletin

 Announcements 

Confession and Forgiveness

Let us confess our sin in the presence of God

 

Opening Hymn
  ELW 438 - My Lord, What a Morning (vs. 1 & 3)

Greeting
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.

Prayer of the Day
O God of justice and love, you illumine our way through life with the words of your Son. Give us the light we need, and awaken us to the needs of others, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.

Hymn of Praise

ELW 525 - You Are Holy

First Reading: Amos 5:18-24

18 Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord!
  Why do you want the day of the Lord?
 It is darkness, not light,
  19 as if someone fled from a lion
  and was met by a bear
 or went into the house and rested a hand against the wall
  and was bitten by a snake.
 20 Is not the day of the Lord darkness, not light,
  and gloom with no brightness in it?

 21 I hate, I despise your festivals,
  and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
 22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
  I will not accept them,
 and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals
  I will not look upon.
 23 Take away from me the noise of your songs;
  I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
 24 But let justice roll down like water
  and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Psalm 70

You are my helper and my deliverer; O Lord, do not tarry. (Ps. 70:5)
 1 Be pleased, O God, to de- | liver me;
  O Lord, make | haste to help me.
 2 Let those who seek my life be put to shame | and confounded;
  let those who take pleasure in my misfortune draw back and | be disgraced. R
 3 Let those who say to me “Aha!” and gloat | over me
  turn back because | of their shame.
 4 Let all who seek you rejoice and be | glad in you;
  let those who love your salvation say forever, “Great | is the Lord!”
 5 But as for me, I am poor and needy; come to me quick- | ly, O God.
  You are my helper and my deliverer; O Lord, | do not tarry. R

Second Reading:  1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

13 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. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. 15 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. 16 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. 17 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. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation
 ELW Setting 8

Gospel:     Matthew 25:1-13
This is the holy gospel according toMatthew the 25th chapter.
Glory to you, O Lord.

[Jesus said to the disciples:] 1 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten young women took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those young women got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. 11 Later the other young women came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ 13 Keep awake, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

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

Sermon 

Hymn of the Day
 ELW 244 - Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers (vs. 1 & 4)

The Apostle's Creed

Prayers of Intercession

United with the great cloud of witnesses, we offer our prayers for the church, the world, and all of creation.

A brief silence.

You illumine the church with the hope of your new day. Prepare our hearts and minds for the inbreaking of your kingdom, that we might awaken to your transforming love at work all around us. God, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

You create and sustain the earth’s natural rhythms so that all life might thrive. Show us the wisdom and wonder of nature’s balance; make us careful stewards of our common home. God, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

You make justice roll down in all places and among all nations. Encourage all who protect vulnerable communities and help rebuild in the aftermath of conflict (relief ministries or organizations may be named). Uphold veterans and those who care for them. God, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

You hasten to heal our wounds and make whole what is broken. Comfort individuals facing a difficult diagnosis, receiving palliative care, or facing uncertain treatment options. (We pray especially for . . .) God, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

You give rest to weary hearts and bodies. As the days grow shorter in the north, help us to move more slowly and intentionally through our days, honoring the need for quiet and stillness. God, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Here other intercessions may be offered.

You welcome those who have come before us in faith into the joys of heaven. Sustain us by your grace and guide us into the promise of everlasting life. God, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Into your steadfast love, faithful God, we entrust all for whom we pray, in the name of Jesus, your beloved.
Amen.

The Passing of Peace
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
And also with you.

Anthem

  Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise (Gordon Young)

Offertory Hymn 
 ELW 466 - In the Singing (vs. 1)

Offertory Prayer 

Eternal God,
our time, talents, and treasures are gifts from you.
Receive what we offer,
and all that you entrust to us,
until hungry no more, all the world is fed,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.

The 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.

It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all
times and in all places give thanks and praise to you, almighty
and merciful God, for the glorious resurrection of our Savior Jesus
Christ, the true Paschal Lamb who gave himself to take away our
sin; who in dying has destroyed death, and in rising has brought
us to eternal life.

And so, with Mary Magdalene and Peter and all the witnesses of
the resurrection, with earth and sea and all their creatures, and
with angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim, we praise
your name and join their unending hymn:

ELW Setting 8
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of pow’r and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory, full of your glory.
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.

Thanksgiving at the Table

Holy, living, and loving God, we praise you for creating the
heavens and the earth.
We bless you for bringing Noah and his family through the waters
of the flood, for freeing your people Israel from the bonds of
slavery, and for sending your Son to be our Redeemer.
We give you thanks for Jesus who, living among us, healed the
sick, fed the hungry, and with a love stronger than death, gave
his life for others.
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, given for you.
Do this for the 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 sin.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
Remembering, therefore, his life-giving death and glorious
resurrection, we await your promised life for all this dying world.
Breathe your Spirit on us and on this bread and cup: carry us in
your arms from death to life, that we may live as your chosen
ones, clothed in the righteousness of Christ.
Through him all glory and honor is yours, Almighty Father,
with the Holy Spirit, in your holy Church, both now and forever.
Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer 
Lord remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Our Father, Who art in heaven,
Hollowed by 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.

Heaven has come near.
Come, share in the feast!

Lamb of God
ELW Setting 8

Communion Hymns

ELW 785 - When Peace like a River
ELW 689 - Praise and Thanksgiving
 ELW 492 - Eat This Bread, Drink This Cup

The Table Blessing
In bread and cup the reign of Christ is breaking in.
Come, receive what Christ has prepared.

Post Communion
ELW 801 - Change My Heart, O God

Prayer After Communion 
Holy God,
we have received your never-ending mercy in this meal.
You continuously seek the lost,
bind the injured,
and feed your people abundantly.
Now send us out,
awake to your presence,
now and forever.
Amen.

Blessing

The holy Trinity,
Father, ☩ Son, and Holy Spirit,
bless you with wisdom to welcome the reign of God,
today and always.
Amen.

Sending Hymn
ELW 638 - Blessed Assurance (vs. 1 & 3)

Dismissal

Go in peace. Encourage one another.
Thanks be to God.