November 8th, 23rd Sunday After Pentecost

PRELUDE 
Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying (ELW 436)

Gathering 
The Holy Spirit calls us together as people of God. 

WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS 
For safety reasons, we ask that the congregation follow along with all spoken and sung responses silently.
The Assisting Minister and the Cantor will respond for the congregation to all spoken and sung responses.

CONFESSION 
Let us confess our sin. 
Silence for self-reflection 

Most merciful God, We confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. 
We have sinned against you in thought word and deed, 
By what we have done and by what we have left undone. 
We have not loved you with our whole heart; 
We have not loved our neighbors or families or friends as ourselves. 
For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, Have mercy on us. 
Forgive us, renew us, and lead us. Free us from the urge to speak with 
haste, offending those we fail to fully understand. Let our words always 
honor your wondrous love so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, 
to the glory of your holy name. Amen 

ABSOLUTION 
In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us; and for his sake God forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the church of Christ, and by his authority I therefore declare to each of you the entire forgiveness of all your sins; In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen 

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. 

KYRIE 
Lord, Have Mercy. Christ, Have Mercy. Lord, Have Mercy. 

PRAYER OF THE DAY 
The presiding minister leads the prayer of the day. 
Let us pray,… 

Word 
God speaks to us in scripture, preaching and song. 

SACRAMENT OF HOLY BAPTISM

Presentation 

Pastor: God, who is rich in mercy and love, gives us a new birth into a living hope through the sacrament of baptism. By water and the Word God delivers us from sin and death and raises us to new life in Jesus Christ. We are united with all the baptized in the one body of Christ, anointed with the gift of the Holy Spirit, and joined in God’s mission for the life of the world.
Sponsors Response: I present Rose Alexandra Kulpa for baptism. 

Pastor: Called by the Holy Spirit, trusting in the grace and love of God, do you desire to have Rose baptized into Christ?
Parents Response: I do. 

Pastor: As you bring Rose to receive the gift of baptism, you are entrusted with responsi-bilities: to live with her among God’s faithful people, bring her to the word of God and the holy supper, teach her the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments, place in her hands the holy scriptures, and nurture her in faith and prayer, so that your child may learn to trust God, proclaim Christ through word and deed, care for others and the world God made, and work for justice and peace. 

Do you promise to help Rose grow in the Christian faith and life?
Parents Response: I do. 

Sponsors, do you promise to nurture Rose in the Christian faith as you are empowered by God’s Spirit, and to help them live in the covenant of baptism and in communion with the church?
Sponsors Response: I do. 

People of God, do you promise to support Rose and pray for her in her new life in Christ?
We do. (silently) 

I ask you to profess your faith in Christ Jesus, reject sin, and confess the faith of the church. Do you renounce the devil and all the forces that defy God, the powers of this world that rebel against God, and the ways of sin that draw you from God?
Parents & Sponsors Response: I renounce them 

Do you believe in God the Father? (Parents, Sponsors, Assisting Minister respond)
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. 

Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?
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. 

Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?
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. 

Baptism 

Rose Alexandra, I baptize you in the name of the Father,* and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

Let us pray. 

We give you thanks, O God, that through water and the Holy Spirit you give your daugh-ters and sons new birth, cleanse them from sin, and raise them to eternal life. Sustain Rose with the gift of your Holy Spirit: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, the spirit of joy in your presence, both now and forever. Amen. 

Rose Alexandra, child of God, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever. Amen. 

Welcome 

Assisting Minister: Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. Let us welcome the newly baptized. We welcome you into the body of Christ and into the mission we share: join us in giving thanks and praise to God and bearing God’s creative and redeeming word to all the world. 

FIRST READING Amos 5:18-24
Response after the conclusion: Thanks be to God. 

18Alas for you who desire the day of the Lord! Why do you want the day of the Lord? It is darkness, not light; 19as 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. 20Is not the day of the Lord darkness, not light, and gloom with no brightness in it? 21I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. 22Even 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. 23Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. 24But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. 

PSALM PSALM 70  

1Be pleased, O God, to de- | liver me; O Lord, make | haste to help me. 2Let 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 3Let those who say to me “Aha!” and gloat | over me turn back because | of their shame. 4Let all who seek you rejoice and be | glad in you; let those who love your salvation say forever, “Great | is the Lord!” 5But 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 
Response after the conclusion: Thanks be to God. 

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

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION 
GOSPEL  Matthew 25:1-13
Response after the announcement: Glory to you, O Lord. 
Response after the conclusion: Praise to you, O Christ. 

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

SERMON PASTOR ERIC

HYMN OF THE DAY 
Blessed Assurance (ELW 638) 

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION 
Each portion of the prayers ends with these or similar words: 
Hear us, O God…Your mercy is great

PEACE
The presiding minister and the assembly greet each other in the peace of the risen Christ.

The peace of Christ be with you always.
And also with you.

The people may greet one another using their cell phones texting “Peace be with you” or similar words. The assembly is then seated.

THE LORD’S PRAYER 
Together as Jesus taught us using the more familiar words 

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.

SENDING
God blesses us and sends us into the world to serve our neighbor. 

BLESSING 
Live your lives in Christ, rooted and built up in him, and abound in thanksgiving; and the blessing of the Holy Trinity + one God, be upon you and remain with you forever. Amen. 

DISMISSAL 
Go in peace. Christ is with you. Thanks be to God. Alleluia. 

POSTLUDE
Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers (ELW 244)

What’s Happening! 

Worship Assistants 

  • Pastor: The Reverend Dr. Eric J. Trozzo 
  • Assisting Minister: Mike Rieker
  • Cantor: David D. Harp
  • Soloist: Ethan Geehr
  • Greeter: Pam Bowen
  • Usher: John Terpak

Zoom Events 
For more info, please refer to November Messenger 

  • Sunday, 9:30AM Live Stream Worship followed by Zoom Coffee Hour & Adult Forum New Way to Partner Bridge of Peace & our Youth Group 
  • Sunday, 11AM  Confirmation (7th & 8th Grades) 
  • Sunday, 11:15AM  Virtual Sunday School with Cross Roads 
  • Monday 10:30am Monday Morning Bible Study (MMBSF)
  • Thursday 10:30am Tea & Talk