Rev. Barbara Bruneau, a retired pastor from La Crescent, Minnesota is leading worship today.
PRESERVICE MUSIC
WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS
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.
GATHERING HYMN: 583 Take My Life, That I May Be
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 (Read in unison)
God among us, we gather in the name of your Son to learn love for one another. Keep our feet from evil paths. Turn our minds to your wisdom and our hearts to the grace revealed in your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
READINGS
Amos 8:4-7
4Hear this, you that trample on the needy, and bring to ruin the poor of the land, 5saying, “When will the new moon be over so that we may sell grain; and the sabbath, so that we may offer wheat for sale? We will make the ephah small and the shekel great, and practice deceit with false balances, 6buying the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, and selling the sweepings of the wheat.” 7The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.
Psalm 113 (Read responsively)
1Hallelujah! Give praise, you servants of the Lord; praise the name of the Lord. 2Let the name of the Lord be blessed, from this time forth forevermore. 3From the rising of the sun to its going down let the name of the Lord be praised. 4The Lord is high above all nations; God’s glory above the heavens. 5Who is like the Lord our God, who sits enthroned on high, 6but stoops to behold the heavens and the earth? 7The Lord takes up the weak out of the dust and lifts up the poor from the ashes, 8enthroning them with the rulers, with the rulers of the people. 9The Lord makes the woman of a childless house to be a joyful mother of children. Hallelujah!
1 Timothy 2:1-7
1First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, 2for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. 3This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, 6who gave himself a ransom for all —this was attested at the right time.7For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
Luke 16:1-13
P: The Holy Gospel according to Luke.
C: Glory to you O Lord.
1Then Jesus said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. 2So he summoned him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.’ 3Then the manager said to himself, ‘What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 4I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.’ 5So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6He answered, ‘A hundred jugs of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.’ 7Then he asked another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘A hundred containers of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill and make it eighty.’ 8And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. 9And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes. 10“Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. 11If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? 13No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”
P: The Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to You, O Christ.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
SERMON
HYMN OF THE DAY: 655 Son of God, Eternal Savior
STATEMENT OF FAITH: THE 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, and 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 life everlasting. Amen.
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
P: God of grace,
C: hear our prayer.
PEACE
Please share a sign of peace with those around in whatever way you are most comfortable.
P: The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C: And also with you.
OFFERING
If you have brought your offering with you today, please place it in the basket in the back as you leave. You may send your giving to the church office or give through the link on our website.
P: Let us pray.
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
HOLY COMMUNION
P: All who hunger and thirst, come. The table is ready.
C: We are here because Jesus Christ has died; Jesus Christ has risen; and Jesus Christ will come again.
P: The risen Christ is present in bread and wine.
C: We are the body of Christ who wish to celebrate his resurrection presence among us. Holy God, we thank you for your perfect plan to save all humankind from death and sin. We praise you for the saving action of Jesus Christ and his gift of forgiveness.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION (In the night in which he was betrayed . . . )
P: Come, Holy Spirit, and gather us together as your forgiven people who feast together in resurrection celebration of the One who has come among us and the One who will come again.
C: Amen!
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.
INVITATION TO COMMUNION
P: Christ invites you to this table. Come, taste and see.
COMMUNION HYMN: 793 Be Thou My Vision
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
P: 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.
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.
SENDING HYMN: 669 Rise Up, O Saints of God
BENEDICTION
P: Go in peace, with Christ beside you.
C: Thanks be to God.
The flowers are given in memory of Sandy Wilson by her family.
Sunday School has resumed at Grace. It is not too late to bring your children to Sunday School. Sunday School begins with breakfast at 8:30 am; class begins at 9 am and ends at 10 am.
THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH. Thursday: 1 pm Regular Food Pantry Distribution at Grace; Friday and Saturday Garage Sale; Sunday, September 25: 10:10 am Communion Worship at Grace
WE PRAY FOR: Holly and Harry Hinzpeter, Calvin Nelson, Kandy Hagen, Suzanne Soltvedt, John Thompson, Bob Brod, Sue Ann Preuss, Barb Nofsinger, Dorothy Klipstein, Ethel Mae Baldwin, LaVera Miller, Eileen Miller
+ Come Grow in Grace +
Church Office: 226 Erickson Street, Elroy WI 53929 Parish E-mail: grace013@centurytel.net Phone: (608)462-5398 Sunday Organist: Heather Vlasak
Parish Secretary: Kris Stauffacher; Grace Custodian: Dave Clark
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