All Saints Sunday

In holy baptism God makes saints out of sinners. In holy communion God forgives the sins of all the saints. In the assembly today we give thanks for all the saints "who from their labors rest," who have fought the good fight, who have gained the crown. In the same breath we petition our God for the strength to hear and to heed the admonitions of the Lord Jesus in today’s gospel. Recalling that we have been sealed by the Spirit and sustained by the Savior’s body and blood, we keep on keeping on as God gives us breath, to the praise of God’s glory.

Today the church commemorates the missionaries John Christian Frederick Heyer, Bartholomaeus Ziegenbalg, and Ludwig Nommensen.

Welcome to All Our Guests and Visitors: The people of First Lutheran Church extend a very sincere welcome to you. For this morning’s worship we will be using the Red Book (Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW)).

P: Pastor A: Assisting Minister C: Congregation * Please stand as you are able

Per CDC Guidelines: facemasks are now optional indoors (this may change). It’s never inappropriate to wear a mask. Please do what makes you feel comfortable.

PRELUDE:

*GATHERING SONG: “For All the Saints” ELW #422 vs. 1-3 & 7

+ GATHERING +

BRIEF ORDER FOR CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS:

P Blessed be the holy Trinity, + one God, who forgives all our sin, whose mercy endures forever.

C Amen.

P Let us confess our sin in the presence of God, the whole company of heaven, and our sisters and brothers in this community.

Silence is kept for reflection.

Holy and gracious God,

C we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed. We have lived only for the present, without regard for generations to come. We have sought the realms of this world, rather than your promised reign of justice and peace. Have mercy on us, forgive our sins, and bring us to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

P How blessed are those whose sins are forgiven. In the mercy of almighty God, I announce to you the entire forgiveness of your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

*GREETING:

A Beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace, mercy, and peace be with you all.

C And also with you.

PRAYER OF THE DAY:

A 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.

C Amen

JUST FOR KIDS — Kids please meet up front with Pastor Dennis

Sunday School ~ all children age 3 on up may go with the teacher to the classroom.

+ WORD +

FIRST READING: Daniel 7:1–3, 15–18

The book of Daniel was written in the second century B.C.E., when the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes was severely persecuting the Jews. Daniel's vision of the four beasts serves to proclaim the message that human kings will come and go, but the kingdom will ultimately belong to God and to God's people.

In the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head as he lay in bed. Then he wrote down the dream: ²I, Daniel, saw in my vision by night the four winds of heaven stirring up the great sea, ³and four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another.

¹⁵As for me, Daniel, my spirit was troubled within me, and the visions of my head terrified me. ¹⁶I approached one of the attendants to ask him the truth concerning all this. So he said that he would disclose to me the interpretation of the matter: ¹⁷"As for these four great beasts, four kings shall arise out of the earth. ¹⁸But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever—forever and ever."

PSALM: Psalm 149, Read Responsively

Sing the Lord's praise in the assembly of the faithful. (Ps. 149:1)

Hallelujah! Sing to the LORD ^| a new song,

God's praise in the assembly ^| of the faithful.

²Let Israel rejoice ^| in their maker;

let the children of Zion be joyful ^| in their ruler.

³Let them praise their maker's ^| name with dancing;

let them sing praise with tambou- ^| rine and harp.

⁴For the LORD takes pleasure ^| in the people

and adorns the ^| poor with victory.

⁵Let the faithful re- ^| joice in triumph;

let them sing for joy ^| on their beds.

⁶Let the praises of God be ^| in their throat

and a two-edged sword ^| in their hand,

⁷to wreak vengeance ^| on the nations

and punishment ^| on the peoples,

⁸to bind their ^| kings in chains

and their nobles with ^| links of iron,

⁹to inflict on them the judg- ^| ment decreed;

this is glory for all God's faithful people. ^| Hallelujah!

SECOND READING: Ephesians 1:11–23

After giving thanks for the faith of the Ephesians, Paul prays that they might understand the wisdom, hope, and power of God that is embodied in Jesus Christ.

In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, ¹²so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. ¹³In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; ¹⁴this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people, to the praise of his glory.

¹⁵I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason ¹⁶I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. ¹⁷I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, ¹⁸so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, ¹⁹and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. ²⁰God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. ²²And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, ²³which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

*HOLY GOSPEL: Luke 6:20–31

P The Holy Gospel according to Luke, the sixth chapter.

C Glory to you, O Lord

In echoes of the prophet Isaiah and Mary's song of praise, Jesus reveals surprising things about who enjoys blessing and who endures woe. He invites his disciples to shower radical love, blessing, forgiveness, generosity, and trust, even to enemies and outsiders.

Then [Jesus] looked up at his disciples and said:

"Blessed are you who are poor,

for yours is the kingdom of God.

²¹"Blessed are you who are hungry now,

for you will be filled.

"Blessed are you who weep now,

for you will laugh.

²²"Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. ²³Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.

²⁴"But woe to you who are rich,

for you have received your consolation.

²⁵"Woe to you who are full now,

for you will be hungry.

"Woe to you who are laughing now,

for you will mourn and weep.

²⁶"Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

²⁷"But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. ²⁹If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. ³⁰Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. ³¹Do to others as you would have them do to you."

P The Gospel of the Lord.

C Praise to you, O Christ

SERMON: Pastor Dennis Hickman

HYMN OF THE DAY: “Shall We Gather at the River” ELW #423

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 power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He 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, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. 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

* catholic means universal

SHARING OF THE PEACE:

P The peace of the Lord be with you always.

C And also with you.

(The congregation greets one another in the name of the Lord: “Peace be with you.”)

OFFERING:

(Download Vanco Mobile app to give via your phone)

*OFFERTORY: “For All Your Saints, O Lord” ELW # 427 vs. 1

For all your saints, O Lord, who strove in you to live,

who followed you, obeyed , adored, our grateful hymn receive.

*OFFERTORY PRAYER:

A God of our salvation, your faithfulness extends from generation to generation. Receive these gifts, signs of your gracious love, give us a foretaste of the feast to come, and lead us to the eternal banquet of Jesus Christ our Lord.

C Amen.

+ PRAYERS +

A In communion with the holy ones of every time and place, let us pray for the church on earth, the stewardship of creation, and all in need.

Prayer Petitions...

P You are the hope of all creation, merciful God, and we lift our prayers to you, trusting in the name that is above every name, Jesus Christ, our Savior.

C Amen

+ THE LORD’S SUPPER +

*THE 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... we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

THE WORDS of INSTITUTION

THE LORD’S PRAYER:

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

COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION

The Lord invites to His table to receive his Body and Blood those who are baptized and believe the words, “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sin.” Children who have not yet received their first Holy Communion are invited forward for a blessing. Children who do receive the bread and wine, please hold out your hands so we know to serve you. We are aware that alcohol is not a choice for some people; therefore, we offer white grape juice as an alternative choice. The white grape juice is in the center of each tray of glasses, the wine is red. Feel free to stand if kneeling is a hardship for you. Communion assistants please come forward also and kneel at the altar rail. Pre-sealed cups are still available on the little table in the center.

OTHER HYMNS DURING DISTRIBUTION: ELW #472 2x, #473 2x

*POST-COMMUNION BLESSING:

P The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.

C Amen.

*POST-COMMUNION PRAYER:

A Remember us, and all the faithful, when you come into your kingdom, O Lord. As you have fed us with holy food and drink, send us into the world to live as your holy people, until we come to the full vision of your glory, for you are Lord, now and forever.

C Amen.

+ SENDING +

*BLESSING:

P The church is surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. May you find strength and courage in their presence. Almighty God, Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever.

C Amen.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

*SENDING SONG: “Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones” ELW #424

DISMISSAL:

A Go in peace. Christ is with you.

C Thanks be to God.

*POSTLUDE: