**Please note this service is based on the format of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church of Canada. Unless otherwise indicated, all prayers come from
Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW). Hymns and other prayers have been sourced
to give appropriate credit.
**NRSV translation used for the readings, unless otherwise stated.
Introduction to the Day
God’s glory is revealed in the reading of scripture. People stand at attention. People weep. People prostrate themselves in prayer. The unity of the church is another reflection of God’s glory. Most gloriously, the promises of God are fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. Gather round. Listen up. Glimpse the glory of God.
Thanksgiving for Baptism
Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God, the fountain
of living water, the rock who gave us birth, our light and our salvation.
Amen.
Joined to Christ in the waters of baptism, we are clothed with God’s
mercy and forgiveness. Let us give thanks for the gift of baptism.
We give you thanks, O God,
for in the beginning your Spirit moved over the waters
and by your Word you created the world,
calling forth life in which you took delight.
Through the waters of the flood, you delivered Noah and his family.
Through the sea you led your people Israel from slavery into freedom.
At the river your Son was baptized by John and anointed with the Holy
Spirit.
By water and your Word, you claim us as daughters and sons,
making us heirs of your promise and servants of all.
We praise you for the gift of water that sustains life,
and above all we praise you for the gift of new life in Jesus Christ.
Shower us with your Spirit,
and renew our lives with your forgiveness, grace, and love.
To you be given honour and praise
through Jesus Christ our Lord
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and forever.
Amen.
Gathering Song – Brightest and Best
of the Stars (ELW #303)
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 – Kyrie Eleison
Canticle of Praise
– Glory to God
Prayer of the Day
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
Blessed Lord God, you have caused the holy scriptures to be written for
the nourishment of your people. Grant that we may hear them, read, mark, learn,
and inwardly digest them, that, comforted by your promises, we may embrace and
forever hold fast to the hope of eternal life, through your Son, Jesus Christ
our Lord.
Amen.
Readings
A reading from the Book of Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
all the people gathered together into
the square before the Water Gate. They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book
of the law of Moses, which the Lord had given to Israel. Accordingly, the
priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who
could hear with understanding. This was on the first day of the seventh month.
He read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning
until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could
understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law.
And Ezra opened the book in the sight
of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened
it, all the people stood up. Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all
the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. Then they bowed
their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
So they read from the book, from the
law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people
understood the reading.
And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and
Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all
the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For
all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Then he said to them,
“Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to
those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord; and do
not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 19
The heavens are telling the glory of God;
and
the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours
forth speech,
and night to night declares knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words;
their voice is not heard;
yet their voice goes
out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,
which comes out like a bridegroom from his
wedding canopy,
and
like a strong man runs its course with joy.
Its rising is from
the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them;
and nothing is hid from its heat.
The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the decrees of the
Lord are sure,
making wise the simple;
the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of
the Lord is clear,
enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever;
the ordinances of the
Lord are true
and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
even
much fine gold;
sweeter also than
honey,
and drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover by them is your servant warned;
in
keeping them there is great reward.
But who can detect
their errors?
Clear me from hidden faults.
Keep back your servant also from the insolent;
do
not let them have dominion over me.
Then I shall be
blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation
of my heart
be
acceptable to you,
O
Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
A reading from the First Letter from Paul to the Corinthians 12:12-31a
For just as the body is one and has
many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it
is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews
or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
Indeed, the body does not consist of
one member but of many. If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do
not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.
And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the
body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body
were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where
would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the
body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would
the body be? As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say
to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have
no need of you.” On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be
weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less
honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are
treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need
this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the
inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the
members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all
suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with
it.
Now you are the body of Christ and
individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles,
second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing,
forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. Are all
apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all
possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But strive
for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation – Alleluia
The Holy Gospel according to Luke 4:14-21
Glory to you, O Lord.
Then Jesus, filled with the power of
the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the
surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by
everyone.
When he came to Nazareth, where he had
been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his
custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to
him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to
the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s
favor.”
And he rolled up the scroll, gave it
back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were
fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been
fulfilled in your hearing.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O
Christ.
Sermon
By Craig Condon
Do you know that you have spiritual gifts from God?
That’s right. Each and every one of us has spiritual gifts from God. These gifts come in many different forms. Some are greater than others, but they are equally important. Each gift is essential for the benefit of all believers. The danger is that someone who possesses a public and “impressive” gift might lord it over the one who possesses a private gift of service. Those who have the gift of helping others rarely seek recognition or attention. Their instincts are to reach out and serve other without reward or recognition.
The
theme of Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians is unity. The church in Corinth
had many issues, but the greatest problem was the lack of unity within the
church. In the section of First Corinthians that is just before the reading we
heard today, the diversity of the body illustrated the diversity of the gifts
within the body of believers. In this section of the Letter, attention is cast
on the fact that many members are required to make up one body.
The
church today sometimes finds itself in a similar situation. Sometimes there is
fighting about who is most important in the church body. This wastes time that
would be better spent demonstrating unity and unity to a world that needs a
model of genuine community and unity.
One
sign of unity is when all members equally care for one another. Spiritual gifts
are not just a matter of figuring out what one is good at so he/she can be
satisfied in serving. Spiritual gifts are intended to promote unity and working
together to share the Good News.
One
example of spiritual gifts is the gift of prophecy. Prophets in Old Testament
times were those who proclaimed the very words of God before there was a
written text. A prophet today is one who proclaims the very words of God as
revealed in the Scriptures. Paul listed apostles first and speaking in tongues
last. The Corinthians were putting speaking in tongues first and casting
aspersions on the apostles, especially since the apostles were acting in a
similar manner to Old Testament prophets.
Some
believers have the gift of preaching while others have the gift of leadership.
Not everyone has the same gift, and not everything we do will satisfy us 100%
of the time. Not all roles or gifts are equally exciting, but they are equally
important. Everyone works together and they are firmly planted on the
foundation of their faith in God.
Being
a Christian is like being a part of a human body. Each Christian is unique, but
each Christian is part of something bigger, namely, the Body of Christ. If we
aren’t connected to the church, we won’t know the purpose of our lives. We
won’t know our role or our function. We won’t know our value or our meaning. We
need to be in relationships with other people. We have to learn from others if
we want to fulfill our potential and our role within the Body of Christ.
God
creates people to carry out specific kinds of work in order to meet human
needs. God uniquely designs each of us. He fits each of us for certain tasks.
He distributes skills, abilities, interests and personalities among us so that
we can carry out his work in the world. That work includes spiritual tasks and
secular tasks such as health, education, business, law and so on.
In
light of what has gone before within the Corinthian church, Paul’s exhortation
to desire the best gifts may seem contradictory. As the following verses will
reveal, what Paul considers the best gifts will be quite different from that
the Corinthians had been pursuing. The best gifts are those that glorify God
the most.
The
church is the body of Christ. Every believer is part of that body, so every
believer should make the church a priority. When church isn’t a priority,
believers deprive themselves and fellow believers. That foundation helps us
work together, especially when one member is suffering. Believer are encouraged
to come together to help fellow believers when they suffer. The best way to
help is for each believer to use his/her gifts. When we use our gifts to do
God’s work, we strengthen each other and the Church as a whole.
We
need to be connected to a church family so that we can fulfill our calling to
serve other believers in practical ways. We need the church and the church
needs us. There are no insignificant roles to play in either the church or the
body of believers. Every role is of equal importance, because all of the roles
are connected. This is something for us to seriously consider at this time of
year. It is time for church and parish annual meetings, and during these
meetings people are elected to various positions of leadership within a church
or the parish. If you are asked to consider running for a position, it means
that the people who are asking you think that you have gifts that are
especially suitable for the position.
Most
of us will never be in a position to influence a lot of people. When we act or
speak, only those who are close to us will notice, but our actions will ripple
outward to affect an entire community. When we serve God and others, we steady
the whole body as we support each other. We must always look for needs that God
can meet through us. We don’t have to depend on our own personality or powers
of persuasion. Christ will work through us. We are his eyes, ears, hands and
feet in the world.
Amen.
Hymn of the Day – The Lorica by Steve Bell
Creed
Let us confess the faith of our baptism, as we
say 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,
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
The Spirit of the Lord is poured out upon us in abundance; so we are
bold to pray for the church, the world, and all that God has made.
Silence
You reveal yourself to us in the reading of scripture. Fulfill your word
through the faithful witness of your church. Send us out to bring your
liberating good news to all people.
God of grace,
Hear our prayer.
All creation proclaims your handiwork. Teach us to love the intricate
and beautiful
bodies that you have created. Bless tiny insects, enormous whales, and
every creature in between. Sustain species at risk of extinction.
God of grace,
Hear our prayer.
You desire that there be no dissension among us. Where we are divided in
our society, nation, or world, come quickly to reunite us into one body. Ease
conflict, dispel violence, and bring an end to war.
God of grace,
Hear our prayer.
Anoint with your Spirit all who seek your favor. Grant provision and
justice for people living in poverty, people living with disability, those
living with pain, or those living under oppression.
God of grace,
Hear our prayer.
Build up the body of Christ in this place. Bless the variety of
ministries in this congregation. Empower us to freely welcome and deeply value
each person who enters into worship and ministry among us.
God of grace,
Hear our prayer.
Please take time to offer your own intercessions or pray in silence.
In thanksgiving we lift before you the saints for whom the promise of
salvation has now been fulfilled. Tend to those who mourn. Bring us together in
your everlasting glory.
God of grace,
Hear our prayer.
Since we have such great hope in your promises, O God, we lift these and
all of our prayers to you in confidence and faith; through Jesus Christ our
Saviour.
Amen.
Peace
The peace of Christ be with you always.
And also with you.
Hymn
of Thanksgiving – Songs of Thankfulness and Praise (ELW #310)
**Although
not physically at our church buildings to share our offering together I would
encourage you to set your offering of money aside so that it can be dropped off
or placed in the church once services resume, to mail your offering to the
church, or to make donations online. Please remember ministry is still taking
place.
Thanksgiving for the Word
Let us pray.
O God of justice and love, we give thanks to you that you illumine our
way through life with the words of your Son. Give us the light we need, awaken
us to the needs of others, and at the end bring all the world to your feast;
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy
Spirit, be honor and glory forever.
Amen.
Lord’s Prayer
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.
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.
Blessing
God, who leads you in pathways of
righteousness, who rejoices over you, and who calls you by name, ☩
bless your going out and your coming in, today and forever.
Amen.
Sending Song – O Lord, Now Let
Your Servant (ELW #313)
Dismissal
Go with Christ into a weary world. Share the good news.
Thanks be to God.
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