All Saints Sunday
Sunday, November 7, 2021
PRELUDE “Behold a Host” arr. J. Ferguson. Congregation is encouraged to follow the text of ELW 425.
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
LITANY OF COMMITMENT
Today we remember that each and every one of us — young and old — is called by God to be saints and stewards: stewards of justice, stewards of creation, stewards of peace, stewards of this family of faith. Stewards give from all aspects of their lives. As we accept this call to be stewards, we each become a living example of Christ’s gospel, proclaiming faith through all that we do and all that we give. As it is written in I Peter, “Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.” (I Peter 4:10)
(Invite the congregation to stand.)
Gracious God, you have made a world for us and given us incomparable gifts: air and water, family and friends, your steadfast love and forgiveness, and your son Jesus the Christ. For all the gifts and wonders you have bestowed on us.
We thank you and worship you with renewed gratitude.
O God, you created us to love one another as Christ has loved us. We are concerned about all your children, those who live near us, and those who live far away. We are eager to participate in the work of the whole church and to further the ministry and service of this congregation.
We are called to be your stewards. We thoughtfully shoulder our personal share of responsibility, and we pledge to witness to the good news of Christ with our hearts and hands and voices.
We are confident in your love and care for us.
We gladly give back to our Gracious God our whole lives, our time, our talents, and our financial resources.
O God, throughout the ages you have challenged your people to step out in faith and follow you. You have put purpose and direction in the lives of your people. You have set our feet on the pathway. Be our guide. Whisper in our ears when we need to make decisions. Hold us up if we start to stumble. May your Holy Spirit lead us in joyful song and fill us with eager anticipation. You are our vision, O God; lead us on our journey. Amen.
GATHERING SONG 422 For All the Saints stanzas 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.
THIS IS THE FEAST
PRAYER OF THE DAY
The Lord be with you
And also with you.
Let us pray: Almighty God, you have knit your people together in one communion in the mystical body of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Grant us grace to follow your blessed saints in lives of faith and commitment, and to know the inexpressible joys you have prepared for those who love you, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
CHILDREN’S TIME
FIRST READING: Isaiah 25:6-9
PSALM: Psalm 24
Glory to you, O Lord.
32When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35Jesus began to weep. 36So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
38Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” 40Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” 41So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” 43When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
SERMON
HYMN OF THE DAY 422 For All the Saints stanzas 4 – 7
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
Each portion of the prayers ends with these or similar words:
Response: Your mercy is great.
We give you thanks for the saints of this congregation who have inspired, challenged, loved, and taught us. We particularly entrust into your arms today:
Michael (Mike) Meany
Janet Paul
Anne Otto
Louise Houseknecht
Elise Korman
Comfort all who grieve and lead us by their example until you gather us in your heavenly home. Hear us, O God.
Response: Your mercy is great.
God our hope and strength, we entrust to you all for whom we pray. Remain with us always, through Jesus Christ, our Savior.
Amen.
PEACE
The presiding misinter and the assembly greet each other in the peaces 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.
MOMENT FOR MISSION New Jersey Council of Churches
Our offering is a form of worship, taking part in God’s transforming mission in this world. Each dollar we give contributes to changing lives. Each week we will take a moment to remember one way that our offerings do that.
This week, we remember the New Jersey Council of Churches. The New Jersey Council of Churches is a community of Christian communions that seeks ways to do together what we are not able to do separately. This includes recognition of outreach, ministry, programs and assisting in identification of areas of commonality in theological traditions which might provide a foundation for shared life and witness. We will now receive our offering.
OFFERING PRAYER – invite congregation to stand
Let us pray.
God of mercy and grace, the eyes of all wait upon you, and you open your hand in blessing. Fill us with good things at your table, that we may come to the help of all in need, through Jesus Christ, our redeemer and Lord. Amen.
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,
through our Savior Jesus Christ;
who on this day overcame death and the grave,
and by his glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life.
And so, with all the choirs of angels,
with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven,
we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
THANKSGIVING AT THE TABLE
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.
For as often as we eat of this bread and drink from this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
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.
INVITATION TO COMMUNION
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
LAMB OF GOD (sung)
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
grant us peace, grant us peace.
ANTHEM Jesus, Son of Mary – J. Banksen
COMMUNION HYMNS
422 Shall We Gather at the River
628 Jerusalem, My Happy Home
POST COMMUNION BLESSING
May the body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in God’s grace. Amen.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Let us pray.
O God, we give you thanks that you have set before us this feast, the body and blood of your Son. By your Spirit strengthen us to serve all in need and to give ourselves away as bread for the hungry, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
BLESSING
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord’s face shine on you with grace and mercy.
The Lord look upon you with favor and ☩ give you peace.
Amen.
SENDING SONG – 427 For All Your Saints, O Lord
DISMISSAL
Go in peace. Christ is with you.
Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE For All Your Saints, O Lord arr. W. Wold.
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