17TH Sunday After Pentecost
Sunday, September 19, 2021
PRELUDE Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service Callahan/Chapin
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
Please stand as able
Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God, whose teaching is life, whose presence is sure, and whose love is endless. Amen.
Let us confess our sins to the one who welcomes us with an open heart.
Silence for reflection.
God our comforter: like lost sheep, we have gone astray. We gaze upon abundance and see scarcity, we turn our faces away from injustice and oppression. We exploit the earth with our apathy and greed. Free us from our sin, gracious God. Listen when we call out to you for help. Lead us by your love to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Gracious God,
have mercy on us. We confess that we have turned from you and given ourselves into the power of sin. We are truly sorry and humbly repent. In your compassion forgive us our sins, known and unknown, things we have done and things we have failed to do. Turn us again to you, and uphold us by your Spirit, so that we may live and serve you in newness of life through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
People of God, hear the Good News: by the gift of grace ☩ in Christ, God makes you righteous. Receive with glad hearts the forgiveness of all your sins. Amen.
GATHERING SONG 731 Earth and All Stars
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
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Let us pray.
O God, through suffering and rejection you bring forth our salvation, and by the glory of the cross you transform our lives. Grant that for the sake of the gospel we may turn from the lure of evil, take up our cross, and follow your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
CHILDREN’S TIME
FIRST READING: Jeremiah 11:18-20
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM: Psalm 54
1Save me, O God, by your name;
in your might, defend my cause.
2Hear my prayer, O God;
give ear to the words of my mouth.
3For strangers have risen up against me, and the ruthless have sought my life,
those who have no regard for God.
4Behold, God is my helper;
it is the Lord who sustains my life. R
5Render evil to those who spy on me;
in your faithfulness, destroy them.
6I will offer you a freewill sacrifice
and praise your name, O Lord, for it is good.
7For you have rescued me from every trouble,
and my eye looks down on my enemies. R
SECOND READING: James 3:13–4:3, 7-8a
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL: Mark 9:30-37 The holy gospel according to Mark.
Glory to you, O Lord.
30[Jesus and the disciples went on] and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it;31for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” 32But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.
33Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” 34But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. 35He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” 36Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, 37“Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”
The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
SERMON
HYMN OF THE DAY – 712 Lord, Whose Love In Humble Service
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
Response: Hear our prayer.
PEACE
The peace of Christ be with you always.
And also with you.
MOMENT FOR MISSION
Moorestown Food Pantry – /Moorestown Ministerium
Our offering is not simply giving money to keep the lights on. 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 Moorestown Food Pantry. Saint Matthew houses this food pantry on behalf of the Moorestown Ministerium. It provides bags of food for those who have need. It is open every other Monday at midday.
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 Gracious Spirit, Dwell with Me arr. K.L. Scott
COMMUNION HYMNS
444 Cradling Children In His Arms
595 Jesus Loves Me
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 – 389 Christ Is Alive, Let Christians Sing
DISMISSAL
Go in peace. Christ is with you.
Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE Fanfare J. Lemmens
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