**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
Every gathering for worship has elements of thanksgiving. When we are nourished with God’s bounty in holy communion, when we partake of Jesus’ word that gives life to the world, and even when two or three of us simply join our hearts in prayer to make our requests known to God, we do so “with thanksgiving.” Let us give thanks to God, who is good and whose mercy endures forever.
Confession
and Forgiveness
Blessed
be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God,
who
is eager to forgive
and
who loves us beyond our days.
Amen.
Dear
friends, together let us acknowledge
our
failure to love this world as Jesus does.
God
of mercy and forgiveness,
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.
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.
Amen.
Gathering
Song – Come, Ye Thankful People, Come (ELW #693)
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
Canticle
of Praise
Prayer
of the Day
Let
us pray.
Almighty God, your generous goodness come to us new every day. By the work of your Spirit lead us to acknowledge your goodness, give thanks for your benefits, and serve you in willing obedience, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.
Amen.
Readings
A
reading from the Book of Deuteronomy (26:1-11)
When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it, you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time, and say to him, ‘Today I declare to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.’ When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the Lord your God, you shall make this response before the Lord your God: ‘A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labour on us, we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me.’ You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God. Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.
The
word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm
100
Make
a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come into his presence with singing.
Know
that the Lord is God.
It is he that made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his
pasture.
Enter
his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him, bless his name.
For
the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures for ever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
A
reading from the Second Letter of Paul to Philippians (4:4-9)
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.
The
word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Gospel
Acclamation
The
Lord be with you.
And
also with you.
The Holy
Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John. (6:25-35)
Glory
to you, O Lord.
When they found him on the other side of the lake, they said
to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Very truly, I
tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you
ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for
the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For
it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.’ Then they said to him,
‘What must we do to perform the works of God?’ Jesus answered them, ‘This is
the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’ So they said to
him, ‘What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and
believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the
wilderness; as it is written, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”’ Then
Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the
bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from
heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives
life to the world.’ They said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’
Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
The Gospel
of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon
I come to you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
“Jesus
said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be
hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
What
a powerful final verse to our reading today, the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend,
a time where most of us will gather with family, eating to our hearts content.
Turkey,
stuffing, gravy, pie, and, of course, bread.
For
thousands of years, bread has been the symbol of necessary food and the
sustenance of life. It is easy to understand why. It is nutritious, providing
carbohydrates, starch, and protein to the body.
Bread
is essential.
Bread
is more than nutrition. It’s comfort. The texture, the weight, the taste, all
combine to make bread both the staff of life and the number one comfort food.
And
yet, so many people lack access even to a small amount of bread.
Based
on the latest data from Statistics Canada’s Canadian Income Survey, 5.8 million
Canadians, including 1.4 million children, lived in food-insecure homes in
2021.
That’s
about 15% of our population wondering where their next loaf of bread will come
from.
The
Bible is unambiguous about our duty as Christians to feed the hungry. In the
Hebrew Bible, God provides manna from heaven to feed the Israelites in the
wilderness (Exodus 16).
The
prophet Isaiah exhorts his listeners to respond to God’s abundance with acts of
justice and compassion, including sharing our food with all who hunger and
dismantling systems that produce hunger in the first place (58:7).
Perhaps
most significant of all is Jesus’ instruction in Matthew 25 that how we treat
people suffering from hunger, thirst, and other vulnerable situations is how we
treat Christ himself (31-46).
As
we sit down to our dinners over the weekend, let us remember those who won’t
have that same opportunity and ponder what we, as Christians, can do to live up
to our duty to protect our neighbour.
We
will be talking about this more next week as we celebrate World Food Day.
For
today, let us ponder once again that final gospel verse, “Jesus said to them,
“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever
believes in me will never be thirsty.”
Every
culture has bread in one or many forms. There’s white bread, wheat bread,
pumpernickel, French, Italian, pita, tortilla, sour dough, and the list goes on
and on. Say the word “bread” and chances are some good image, or taste, or
smell, or texture is bound to pop up in our heads.
All
of those other breads will grow stale and inedible in a fairly short period of
time. Even the manna from heaven that fed the Hebrews in the wilderness was
temporary.
But
Jesus came offering a new kind of bread, one that doesn’t go bad, one that isn’t
temporary, one that nourishes perpetually and lasts forever, one that sustains
relationships and bolsters hope.
Jesus
is pure love and compassion for all people on this earth. Jesus is God’s love.
Jesus is eternal love.
Jesus
is the source of life, the source of eternal life, the source of the values of
our daily lives, the pattern of love for our daily lives.
Jesus
is never just regular old bread. Jesus is the bread of life.
As
we consume physical bread, it gives us nourishment and energy for our physical
lives.
As
we consume Jesus into our lives, his indwelling presence becomes the source for
compassionate energy without our lives. He becomes the nourishment and energy
for our spiritual, emotional, and moral lives.
When
we absorb Christ into our daily lives, we take in the Mind and Heart of God who
loves all people as God's children. That is what it means to be filled with the
Holy Spirit.
It
means to have the Spirit of Jesus living inside of you.
It
means to have the heart and mind of God living inside of you.
Jesus
is the Bread of life and whoever eats of Christ will never hunger again.
When
we eat and absorb Jesus’ words, spirit, and love into our lives, Jesus lives in
us, and we never die.
The
basic food staple of the world is bread and Jesus is the basic spiritual staple
of the world. There is a shortage of physical bread in this world of ours, but
there will never be a shortage of spiritual bread.
The
food of God is contrasted with the food of old, or, to put it a different way,
God's nourishment is being defined in a new way – not the old bread of life
which fed some, but the new bread of life who feeds all.
The
true bread is the bread of God that has now come down from Heaven in the person
of Jesus.
Jesus
points to bread beyond bread, to that gift from God which not only comes to the
world through Jesus but is in fact Jesus himself.
The
bread which endures to eternal life is this relationship which has been made
possible by the incarnation of the Son. In fact, the bread which endures is the
Son himself, whom God gives for the world.
As
we absorb the spirit of Jesus Christ and his love, justice and compassion,
these qualities live more fully in us.
While
we celebrate this weekend, let us not muddle our understand of thanks as
praising God for material possessions.
Jesus’
greatest gift to us is not the clothing, cars, computers, all the other
physical gifts we earn or receive that are temporary.
As
wonderful as all of that is, it is Him, His teachings, His example, and His
undying love that leads to eternal life…that is the greatest gift.
If
we want eternal life, we must eat the food only God can give. We need to
believe that Jesus was the One sent down from heaven, by God, to show us the
way to eternal life.
This
good news of Jesus’ life and teachings is enacted in the Lord’s Supper – where
bread and wine become our way of connecting again and again with Christ, the
Son of God.
We
are to then go live out that example and that connection, and to be grateful
for the gifts of nature and neighbour.
So,
we are invited to come to Him, to study His word, and follow His teaching, and
put our trust in Him.
We
are hungry for so many things in life. We are impatient in our hunger and want
to satisfy our perceived needs as quickly as we can. Yet so much of what we
hunger for doesn't last. When we eat food, we are hungry again, right away.
Do
not allow yourself to seek only spoiled earthly bread but come to Jesus and
receive the best and finest 100% whole wheat, the top of the line, the ‘staff
of life’ that will keep you going forever!
As
we turn toward Jesus in our hunger for life, we find forgiveness, we find hope
and we find love. We are fed something that doesn't perish but rather something
that flourishes – if we nurture it.
In
our everyday lives, we have seen it: the gift of bread, of mercy, of beauty, of
healing.
What
can we possibly say, except thank you?
For all that is, for all that has been, for all that still will be, O God our God, be above all and in all and through all, we give thanks for providing us with the bread of life, your Son, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Hymn
of the Day
– We Plow the Fields and Scatter (ELW #681)
Apostles’
Creed
Let us declare the faith of our baptism as we say together
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
United with your saints across time and place, we pray for our shared world.
Silence
We give thanks for the church in every land. Sustain the
faithful with your living word. Inspire radical hospitality toward all who are searching
and call us into a more generous way of living.
Lord, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
We give thanks for the earth. Bring forth plentiful harvests
and renew our commitment to share abundantly. Preserve the lands and waters
that bring nourishment.
Lord, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
We give thanks for leaders in our communities. Kindle a
passion for justice and peace in every national and local elected official.
Curb selfish impulses and guide us toward collaborative solutions.
Lord, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
We give thanks for all who provide for others. Sustain
caregivers, social workers, and volunteers in their efforts. Provide homes,
food, employment, and medical care to all who are struggling.
Lord, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
We give thanks for the congregations in the IRSM and those who plan worship. Guide deacons, pastors, musicians, and lay leaders in their creation of meaningful experiences. Instill in us a sense of joy and wonder when we come to worship you. We pray for the National Lutheran Bishop Susan Johnson, the Anglican Primate Linda Nicholls, the Interim Indigenous Archbishop Sidney Black, the MNO Synod Bishop Jason Zinko, the Diocese of Rupert’s Land Bishop Geoff Woodcroft, and all clergy and lay leaders within our parishes. Inspire leaders of the church to proclaim your mighty deeds, that your saving faith may be known to all.
Lord, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
We give thanks for the faithful who now rest in you. Teach
us by their example and bring us with them into your loving embrace.
Lord, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
Accept these prayers, gracious God, and those known only to
you; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
Peace
The
peace of Christ be with you always.
And also with you.
Offering
Hymn – Sing to the Lord of the Harvest (ELW #694)
Offering
Prayer
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.
Amen.
Dialogue
The
Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift
up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let
us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Preface
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;
who
on this day overcame death and the grave,
and
by his glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life.
And
so, with all the choirs of angels,
with
the church on earth and the hosts of heaven,
we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
Holy, Holy, Holy
Thanksgiving at
the Table
Holy
God,
our Bread of life, our Table, and our Food,
you created a world in which all might be satisfied by your
abundance.
You
dined with Abraham and Sarah, promising them life,
and fed your people Israel with manna from heaven.
You
sent your Son to eat with sinners
and to become food for the world.
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.
Remembering,
therefore,
his life given for us
and his rising from the grave,
we await his coming again to share with us the everlasting
feast.
By
your Spirit nurture and sustain us with this meal:
strengthen us to serve all in hunger and want,
and by this bread and cup make of us the body of your Son.
Through
him all glory and honor is yours,
Almighty Father, with the Holy Spirit,
in your holy Church,
both now and 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.
Invitation to Communion
Christ
invites you to this table.
Come, taste and see.
Sharing of the Eucharist
Table
Blessing
The
body and blood of our Lord
Jesus
Christ strengthen you
and
keep you in his grace.
Amen.
Prayer
After Communion
As
we have feasted around the table, let us pray.
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.
Amen.
Blessing
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.
Amen.
Sending
Song – Now
Thank We All Our God (ELW #840)
Dismissal
Go
in peace, with Christ beside you.
Thanks be to God.
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