18th Sunday after Pentecost

It’s a miracle! Multiple miracles! The waters of holy baptism have healed us. The body and blood of Jesus in holy communion have made us clean. We have died with Christ and been raised with him. For all this we have returned to offer thanks. From this place we are sent on our way rejoicing to share the good news.

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: “For the Beauty of the Earth” ~ Burkhardt

*GATHERING SONG: “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven” ELW #865

+ GATHERING +

BRIEF ORDER FOR CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS:

P Blessed be the holy Trinity, + one God, who is eager to forgive and who loves us beyond our days.

C Amen.

P Dear friends, together let us acknowledge our failure to love this world as Jesus does.

Silence is kept for reflection.

God of mercy and forgiveness,

C we confess that sin still has a hold on us. We have harmed your good creation. We have failed to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with you. Turn us in a new direction. Show us the path that leads to life. Be our refuge and strength on the journey, through Jesus Christ, our redeemer and friend. Amen.

P Beloved of God: your sins are forgiven + and you are made whole. God points the way to new life in Christ, who meets us on the road. Journey now in God’s abiding love through the power of the Holy Spirit.

C Amen.

*GREETING:

A The grace given to us in Christ Jesus, the power of God who calls us with a holy calling, and the help of the Holy Spirit living in us be with you all.

C And also with you.

PRAYER OF THE DAY:

A Almighty and most merciful God, your bountiful goodness fills all creation. Keep us safe from all that may hurt us, that, whole and well in body and spirit, we may with grateful hearts accomplish all that you would have us do, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

C Amen

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

10 unclean and nowhere to go

10 men cleansed as clean as the snow

One returned to give God thanks

But 9 went away

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

+ WORD +

FIRST READING: 2 Kings 5:1–3, 7–15c

Naaman, a Syrian general, suffers from leprosy. In this passage Elisha miraculously cures his illness, but only after Naaman realizes, with the help of his servants, that he also needs healing for his pride. This foreign general then acknowledges the sovereignty of the God of Israel.

Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master, because by him the LORD had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy. ²Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. ³She said to her mistress, "If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy."

⁷When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me."

⁸But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, "Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel." ⁹So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha's house. ¹⁰Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean." ¹¹But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, "I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy! ¹²Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?" He turned and went away in a rage. ¹³But his servants approached and said to him, "Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, 'Wash, and be clean'?" ¹⁴So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean.

¹⁵Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company; he came and stood before him and said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel."

PSALM: Psalm 111, Read Responsively

I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart. (Ps. 111:1)

¹Hallelujah! I will give thanks to the LORD with ^| my whole heart,

in the assembly of the upright, in the ^| congregation.

²Great are your ^| works, O LORD,

pondered by all who de- ^| light in them.

³Majesty and splendor ^| mark your deeds,

and your righteousness en- ^| dures forever.

⁴You cause your wonders to ^| be remembered;

you are gracious and full ^| of compassion.

⁵You give food to ^| those who fear you,

remembering forev- ^| er your covenant.

⁶You have shown your people the power ^| of your works

in giving them the lands ^| of the nations.

⁷The works of your hands are faithful- ^| ness and justice;

all of your pre- ^| cepts are sure.

⁸They stand fast forev- ^| er and ever,

because they are done in ^| truth and equity.

⁹You sent redemption to your people and commanded your cove- ^| nant forever;

holy and awesome ^| is your name.

¹⁰The fear of the LORD is the begin- ^| ning of wisdom;

all who practice this have a good understanding.

God's praise en- ^| dures forever.

SECOND READING: 2 Timothy 2:8–15

Though Paul is chained as a prisoner, he reminds Timothy that the word of God is never shackled or confined. He encourages his young friend to proclaim that word of freedom in an honest and upright life as well as in his teaching and preaching.

Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David—that is my gospel, ⁹for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. ¹⁰Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. ¹¹The saying is sure:

If we have died with him, we will also live with him;

¹²if we endure, we will also reign with him;

if we deny him, he will also deny us;

¹³if we are faithless, he remains faithful—

for he cannot deny himself.

¹⁴Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening. ¹⁵Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth.

*HOLY GOSPEL: Luke 17:11–19

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

C Glory to you, O Lord

Jesus' mission includes making the unclean clean again. Unexpectedly, a cleansed Samaritan leper becomes a model for those who would praise and worship God and give thanks for God's mercy.

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. ¹²As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, ¹³they called out, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" ¹⁴When he saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were made clean. ¹⁵Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. ¹⁶He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. ¹⁷Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? ¹⁸Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" ¹⁹Then he said to him, "Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well."

P The Gospel of the Lord.

C Praise to you, O Christ

SERMON: Pastor Dennis Hickman

HYMN OF THE DAY: “Baptized in Water” ELW #456

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: “Be Thou My Vision” ~ Bober

(Download Vanco Mobile app to give via your phone)

*OFFERTORY: “We Give Thee but ThinnE Own” ELW # 818 vs. 1

We give thee but thine own, whate’er the gift may be;

all that we have is thine alone, a trust, O Lord, from thee.

*OFFERTORY PRAYER:

A Gracious God, in your great love you richly provide for our needs. Make of these gifts a banquet of blessing, and make us ready to share with all in need; through Jesus Christ, who sets a table for all.

C Amen.

+ PRAYERS +

A God hears the cry of the poor and is near to all in need. Let us pray for our neighbors, our world, and ourselves, trusting in God's mercy and love.

Prayer Petitions...

P All this we ask, gracious God, together with all that is known to you alone, in the name of your risen and anointed Son, through the power of your life-giving Spirit.

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:

P Lord, remember us in your kingdom, and teach us to pray:

C 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 #829

*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 God of the abundant table, you have refreshed our hearts in this meal with bread for the journey. Give us your grace on the road that we might serve our neighbors with joy; for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

C Amen.

+ SENDING +

*BLESSING:

P God, who gives life to all things and frees us from despair, bless you with truth and peace. And may the holy Trinity, + one God, guide you always in faith, hope, and love.

C Amen.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

*SENDING SONG: “Give to Our God Immortal Praise” ELW # 848

DISMISSAL:

A Go in peace. Remember the poor.

C Thanks be to God.

*POSTLUDE: “God is our Refuge and Strength” ~ Powell