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Serving Today
Officiant: Pastor Paul Winterstein
First Reading: Merlean Locke
Second Reading: Ron Stephens
Assisting Minister: Clato Barnes
Musician: Anita Tucker
September 19, 2021
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
WELCOME to our worship service! May we hear in our worship the summons to follow Jesus in the way we live.
Scripture theme: Being a child of God and living by God’s standards have never been easy. In our First Reading today, Jeremiah is persecuted for doing what God asks, yet continues to trust in God. James, in the Second Reading, reminds readers that the ways of God are not self-centered. Jesus teaches the same thing in the Gospel. We need to learn.
The Eucharist: All baptized Christians who believe that Jesus Christ is truly present in the bread and wine of the Holy Communion are welcome at the Lord’s Table.
In the Name of Jesus
Directions: P – Pastor, C – Congregation, AM – Assisting Minister, R − Reader
Gathering
Welcome
We begin with silence. (For those online, we will mute all.
For phone participants, please toggle *6 to mute or unmute.)
Confession and Forgiveness
P: Blessed be the holy Trinity, ✝one God, whose teaching is life, whose presence is sure, and whose love is endless.
C: Amen.
P: Let us confess our sins to the one who welcomes us with an open heart.
Silence for reflection.
God, our comforter:
C: 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. Amen.
P: All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. By the gift of grace in ✝Christ Jesus, God makes you righteous. Receive with glad hearts the forgiveness of all your sins.
C: Amen.
Hymn: Have Thine Own Way, Lord TFF 152
Words: Adelaide A. Pollard, 1862-193
Music: Adelaide, George C. Stebbins, 1846-1945
Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way.
Thou art the potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way.
Search me and try me, Master, today.
Purer than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
as in thy presence humbly I bow.
Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way.
Wounded and weary, help me, I pray.
Power, all power surely is thine.
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.
Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way.
Hold o’er my being absolute sway.
Fill with thy Spirit till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me.
Greeting
P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C: And also with you.
Prayer of the Day
P: Let us pray. O God, our teacher and guide,
C: you draw us to yourself and welcome us as beloved children. Help us to lay aside all envy and selfish ambition that we may walk in your ways of wisdom and understanding as servants of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
Word
First Reading: Jeremiah 11:18‒20
18 It was the Lord who made it known to me, and I knew;
then you showed me their evil deeds.
19 But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter.
And I did not know it was against me
that they devised schemes, saying,
"Let us destroy the tree with its fruit,
let us cut him off from the land of the living,
so that his name will no longer be remembered!"
20 But you, O Lord of hosts, who judge righteously,
who try the heart and the mind,
let me see your retribution upon them,
for to you I have committed my cause.
R: The Word of the Lord
C: Thanks be to God
Psalm of Response Psalm 54
P: Save me, O God, by your name,
C: and vindicate me by your might.
P: Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.
C: For the insolent have risen against me,
the ruthless seek my life;
they do not set God before them.
P: But surely, God is my helper;
the Lord is the upholder of my life.
C: He will repay my enemies for their evil.
In your faithfulness, put an end to them.
P: With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you;
I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good.
C: For he has delivered me from every trouble,
and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies.
Second Reading: James 3:13‒4:3, 7‒8a
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. 15 Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. 16 For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.
4:1 Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? 2 You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
R: The Word of the Lord
C: Thanks be to God
Pause to contemplate the Word
In preparation for the Gospel, please sing:
Gospel Acclamation: TFF, p. 32
Alleluia. Lord to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
Alleluia.
Gospel : Introduced as follows:
P: The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the 9th chapter.
C: Glory to you, O Lord!
Mark 9:30‒37
30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; 31 for 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.
33 Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the way?" 34 But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. 35 He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all." 36 Then 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."
P: The Gospel of our Lord
C: Praise to you, O Christ!
Sermon
Hymn of the Day: All Are Welcome ELW 641
Words: Marty Haugen, b. 1950
Music: Two Oaks, Marty Haugen
Let us build a house where love can dwell
and all can safely live,
a place where saints and children tell
how hearts learn to forgive.
Built of hopes and dreams and visions,
rock of faith and vault of grace;
here the love of Christ shall end divisions:
All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.
Let us build a house where prophets speak,
and words are strong and true,
where all God's children dare to seek
to dream God's reign anew.
Here the cross shall stand as witness
and as symbol of God's grace;
here as one we claim the faith of Jesus:
All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.
Let us build a house where love is found
in water, wine and wheat:
a banquet hall on holy ground
where peace and justice meet.
Here the love of God, through Jesus,
is revealed in time and space;
as we share in Christ the feast that frees us:
All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.
Let us build a house where hands will reach
beyond the wood and stone
to heal and strengthen, serve and teach,
and live the Word they’ve known.
Here the outcast and the stranger
bear the image of God’s face;
let us bring an end to fear and danger:
All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.
Let us build a house where all are named,
their songs and visions heard
and loved and treasured, taught and claimed
as words within the Word.
Built of tears and cries and laughter,
prayers of faith and songs of grace,
let this house proclaim from floor to rafter:
All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended into hell. 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 again 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 the Congregation
P: With confidence in God’s compassion and generosity, let us pray for the church, the world, and all of God’s creation.
A brief silence.
Generous God, we pray for the church in its many expressions.
C: Give it the gift of discernment to know what is needed and the humility to ask for what is necessary.
P: We give thanks for another year of harvests, for farmers, gardeners, farmers’ markets, and community gardens.
C: Teach us to share the earth’s abundance with all who hunger.
P: We pray for the leaders of all nations, especially our own with so much division and strife.
C: Take away selfish ambition, conflicts, and disputes, and guide leaders to work for the good of all people.
P: We pray for those affected by shortened daylight hours, for those who suffer from impulses that are at war within them.
C: We pray for all those in any kind of need—from arthritis and strokes to heart disease and COVID.
P: We pray for members of this congregation and community: Wanda, Joy, Alcine, Ella, Ruby, Sharee, Orelia, Jerelene, Jeanie, and Rosa.
C: Give them compassionate and patient families, caregivers, mentors, teachers, and friends. Assure them that Jesus is always with them and loves them.
P: As once again hospitals are filled to overflowing with COVID – 19 cases, and some areas of our land dealing with hurricanes, flooding, and disease, bless those who work in hospitals and keep them safe.
C: Encompass tired hands and bodies with your strength, endurance, and compassion.
P: For what else do the people of God pray?
After the petitions:
Lord, in your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: We give thanks for the saints and all those who have seasoned our lives of faith.
C: Preserve us in faith until we join them in your eternal kingdom.
P: Into your hands, gracious God, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Savior.
C: Amen.
Meal
Peace
P: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C: And also with you.
(If there are others with you, greet one another with: Peace be with you.)
Great Thanksgiving
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
P: 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. And so, with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
Holy, Holy, Holy: TFF, p.38
Holy, holy, holy Lord, 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.
P: God of our weary years, God of our silent tears,
C: you have brought us this far along the way.
P: In times of bitterness you did not abandon us, but guided us into the path of love and light.
C: In every age you sent prophets to make known your loving will for all humanity.
P: The cry of the poor has become your own cry;
C: our hunger and thirst for justice is your own desire.
P: In the fullness of time, you sent your chosen servant to preach good news to the afflicted,
C: to break bread with the outcast and despised, and to ransom those in bondage to prejudice and sin.
P: 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.
C: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
P: Remembering, therefore, his death and resurrection, we await the day when Jesus shall return to free all the earth from the bonds of slavery and death. Come, Lord Jesus! And let the church say:
C: Amen.
P: Send your Holy Spirit, our advocate, to fill the hearts of all who share this bread and cup with courage and wisdom to pursue love and justice in all the world. Come, Spirit of freedom! And let the church say:
C: Amen.
P: Join our prayers and praise with your prophets and martyrs of every age,
C: that, rejoicing in the hope of the resurrection, we might live in the freedom and hope of your Son.
P: Through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, almighty Father, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Lord’s Prayer
P: Let us pray with confidence in the words our Savior gave us:
C: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever.
Amen.
Communion Hymn: Lamb of God TFF, p. 39
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of world;
have mercy on us, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of world;
have mercy on us, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of world;
grant us peace, grant us peace.
Communion
After all have communed. . .
P: The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
C: Amen.
Prayer
P: Let us pray. Lord of life,
C: in the gift of your body and blood you turn the crumbs of our faith into a feast of salvation. Send us forth into the world with shouts of joy, bearing witness to the abundance of your love in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
Sending
Blessing
P: People of God, you are Christ’s body, bringing new life to a suffering world.
The holy Trinity, ✝ one God, bless you now and forever.
C: Amen.
Sending Hymn: Children of the Heavenly Father ELW 781
Words: Carolina Sandell Berg, 1832-1903; tr. Ernst W. Olson, 1870-1958
Music: tryggare kan ingen vara, Swedish folk tune
Children of the heav’nly Father safely in his bosom gather;
nestling bird or star in heaven such a refuge e’er was given.
God his own doth tend and nourish, in his holy courts they flourish.
From all evil things he spares them, in his mighty arms he bears them.
Neither life nor death shall ever from the Lord his children sever;
unto them his grace he showeth, and their sorrows all he knoweth.
Though he giveth or he taketh, God his children ne’er forsaketh;
his the loving purpose solely to preserve them pure and holy.
Announcements of Our Life Together
Dismissal
P: Go in peace. Remember the poor.
C: Thanks be to God!
To God Alone Be Glory
Acknowledgements: The Confession and Forgiveness, Prayer after Communion, and Blessing are from p. 258, Sundays & Seasons copyright © 2020 Augsburg Fortress. The Great Thanksgiving is adapted from p. 84, of This Far by Faith, copyright © 1999, Augsburg Fortress publishers. The hymns, All Are Welcome, words and music 8 1994 GIA Publications, Inc.; and Children of the Heavenly Father, copyright 8 1925 Augsburg Fortress; are reprinted with permission under OneLicense.net # A-738102. All Scripture passages are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States.
Announcements
Readings for next Sunday: Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29; James 5:13-20; Mark 9: 38-50
Bible Study Wednesday 10:30 call in 712-770-4995 participant code 287179
Happy Birthday to our September babies; Gene-Allen Marshall 11th, Ruby Buxton 17th, Rosa McFollie 18th, Boots Winterstein 23rd, Shannon Cannon 25th, James Cannon and Clato Barnes 26th, and Aujanique Star 30th.
God bless you all on your special day and always.
A Thank You on behalf of Wanda Allen to The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd:
“Thank you for the beautiful flowers that were delivered for her 100th birthday. She was delighted and enjoyed them very much. The orchid is still in bloom and is gorgeous.
Thank you for holding her in prayers and celebrating and sharing her 100th birthday. Thank you for staying in touch with her.
With a grateful heart, Char Bell-Younger (niece)”
Stewardship: Offerings and Donations NA Attendance 30
We are saddened to hear of the passing of Eddie Davis on Friday September 3rd. Please remember Marlene Davis and all of Eddie’s family in your prayers. Eddie’s grandparents were one of the founding families of our congregation and led many of us to Good Shepherd. Eddie and his kind spirit will be missed. The service for Eddie is scheduled for September 24th at the Sunset Hills Funeral Home in Bellevue.
Sick and Shut-In Members
Please remember in your prayers;
Wanda Allen 222 25th Ave., Sea 98122
Joy Bauer, 1061 Shelton Ave. NE Renton 98056
Alcine Wyatt 11536 7th Ave. NE 98125, 360-228-1385
Ella Smith, 4831 35th Ave. SW Sea 98126
Ruby Buxton 315 31st Ave., Sea 98122
Sharee Daniels, 6731 N 17th Street, Tacoma 98406
Orelia Jarrow 3621 33rd Ave. S. #335 Sea 98144
Jerelene Armstead 5145 S. Fountain Sea 98178
Rosa McFollie 1103 Tacoma Str. Ave. NE, Renton WA
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Our Mission Statement:
Led by the Holy Spirit, the mission of the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd
is to give glory to God for the building of His Kingdom, by proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ,
worshipping the Triune God, and reaching out in love to the community.