**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
The end is near. There is no doubt about it. The warnings are dire. The tone of today’s texts is ominous. But the baptized know how to live in the meantime. The baptized are strengthened for the living of these days in word and sacrament. The baptized rally around the invitation of the apostle: “Do not be weary in doing what is right.”
Confession
and Forgiveness
Blessed
be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God,
who
redeems us in Christ Jesus,
whose
steadfast love endures forever.
Amen.
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of
one another.
Most
merciful God,
we
confess that we have sinned against you
and
our neighbors.
We
have ignored voices
that
call for your justice.
We
have neglected actions
that
witness to your righteousness.
We
have spoken and acted
in
ways that disrupt your beloved community.
We
truly repent of things we have done
and
left undone.
For
the sake of Jesus Christ, have mercy on us.
Restore
our troubled spirits,
so
that we may live in newness,
follow
the way of the Spirit,
and
build up the body of Christ.
Amen.
Rejoice
and be glad!
God
hears the prayers of all who cry out,
and
restores us to life through the death
and
resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Therefore,
I declare to you the forgiveness of all your sins,
in
the name of the Father,
and
of the ☩ Son,
and
of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Gathering
Song – This
Is My Song (ELW #887)
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.
O
God, the protector of all who trust in you, without you nothing is strong,
nothing is holy. Embrace us with your mercy, that with you as our ruler and
guide, we may live through what is temporary without losing what is eternal,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
Readings
A
reading from the Book of Isaiah. (65:17-25)
For I am about to create new heavens
and a new earth;
the former things shall not be remembered
or come to mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I am creating;
for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy,
and its people as a delight.
I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
and delight in my people;
no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it,
or the cry of distress.
No more shall there be in it
an infant that lives but a few days,
or an old person who does not live out a lifetime;
for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth,
and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed.
They shall build houses and inhabit them;
they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
They shall not build and another inhabit;
they shall not plant and another eat;
for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
They shall not labor in vain,
or bear children for calamity;
for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord—
and their descendants as well.
Before they call I will answer,
while they are yet speaking I will hear.
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
the lion shall eat straw like the ox;
but the serpent—its food shall be dust!
They shall not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain,
says the Lord.
The
word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Canticle
3: Song of Thanksgiving
Surely
God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid,
for the Lord God is my strength
and my might, and has become my salvation.
With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.
And you will say in that day: Give thanks to the Lord, call on God’s name;
make known the deeds of the Lord
among the nations; proclaim that this name is exalted.
Sing praises to the Lord,
for he has done gloriously;
let this be known in all the earth.
Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
A
reading from the Second Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians. (3:6-13)
Now we command you, beloved, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from believers who are living in idleness and not according to the tradition that they received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you, and we did not eat anyone’s bread without paying for it; but with toil and labor we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you. This was not because we do not have that right, but in order to give you an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: Anyone unwilling to work should not eat. For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right.
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 Luke. (21:5-19)
Glory
to you, O Lord.
When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned
with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, [Jesus] said, “As for these
things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon
another; all will be thrown down.”
They asked him, “Teacher, when
will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” And
he said, “Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and
say, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them.
“When you hear of wars and
insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but
the end will not follow immediately.” Then he said to them, “Nation will rise
against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes,
and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents
and great signs from heaven.
“But before all this occurs, they
will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and
prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name.
This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to
prepare your defense in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that
none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be
betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will
put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not
a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls.”
The Gospel
of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon
Let the
words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord.
Amen.
You would have noticed that there was something different where
the psalm is usually read. In the Anglican tradition, this little reading from
Isaiah is called a canticle.
A canticle is a Christian song of praise with lyrics taken
from biblical or holy texts other than the Psalms.
Not all of the psalms in the Bible are located in the Book
of Psalms. And not all of the good news in the Bible is located in the New
Testament. Today’s “psalm” is a song of good news located in the Scroll of
Isaiah. It’s called the Song of Thanksgiving.
Line 2 says: "I will trust, and will not be
afraid". These words were spoken by the prophet Isaiah to the people of
Judah and Jerusalem more than 2700 years ago, when the Assyrian Empire was the
dominant power, and Judah lived in the shadow of its might.
Foreign invaders, political instability, and crises of one
kind or another formed the context of Isaiah's proclamation. The people to whom
he was sent and those for whom this book was originally composed lived in a
world that was unpredictable and out of their control.
Not much has changed, in my opinion. While the headlines
are different now than almost 3 millennia ago, the news of the day reminds us
that always there are events happening on a scale far beyond our reach and our
ability to control them.
Whether the threat is widespread, such as the worldwide
economic crisis, or whether it is personal, such as illness, the loss of a job
or the death of a loved one, it is no small thing to stare the menace in the
face and say, "I will trust, and will not be afraid."
I don’t know about you, but one thing that I tend to do
when I’m afraid is sing. The palms can be a great source for prayer and strength
during times of fear. And I absolutely love it when the psalms are sung or chanted.
The reason today’s canticle is called the Song of
Thanksgiving is because Isaiah is calling the people to sing praises of
thanksgiving to the Lord.
The first song in this passage is sung by an individual,
offering thanksgiving for deliverance by the God who is "my
salvation".
Although the individual is not identified, the end of the
song hearkens back to the deliverance from Egypt, quoting Exodus 15:2:
"The Lord God is my strength and my might; he has become my
salvation".
The image is one of a great warrior, one who is strong
enough to defeat even the armies of Pharaoh in order to free the people from
slavery in Egypt.
To anyone who is caught up in fear, this echo from the
Exodus and all the events attending it is a reminder that earthly powers cannot
defeat the power of God.
The second song offers a refrain of Thanksgiving to the
"Holy One of Israel", the one whose "name is exalted", and
who "has done gloriously".
Isaiah calls on the people to lift their voices in praise
to God: "Give thanks...sing praises...shout aloud and sing for joy!"
This is a communal song, as if a whole choir has joined
voices with the soloist who sang in the first two verses. No longer is there a
lone voice singing out against fear, as though whistling in the dark, but
rather a chorus of voices offering praise for all that the Lord has done.
"Make known his deeds among the nations," they
will sing, and "[the Lord] has done gloriously; let this be known in all
the earth".
This reminder of past experience with God, how the Lord has
already acted for the benefit of God's people, is a strong defense against the
grip of fear.
So, also, is our association with a community of faith that
witnesses to God's saving deeds. How much easier it is to "trust and not
be afraid" when a whole community is present to join together in the
refrain!
The verse that ties these two songs together is addressed
to the gathered community: "With joy you will draw water from the wells of
salvation".
In its historical setting, the verse probably refers to a
ritual activity, most notably during the Feast of Tabernacles.
As it connects the two songs, however, the verse is a
reminder that God's salvation is fundamental to life, as basic to survival as
the water that falls from the sky and springs forth from the earth.
God's offer of salvation is what the Lord "has done
gloriously" to be made "known in all the earth"; it is this
saving power that makes it possible for God's people to choose a stance of
trust instead of fear when the day brings situations and events beyond their
control.
The "wells of salvation" suggest an abundant
supply, spilling over to soothe tongues that are parched from fright,
moistening lips so that they might sing melodies of praise to "proclaim
that [the Lord's] name is exalted".
Next Sunday brings an end to the Christian calendar and
moves us into the season of Advent.
As dark nights grow longer and our fears of what’s
happening in our lives grow stronger, we wait – like the people of Isaiah's
time – for "that day" when God's salvation will come to us in all its
fullness.
"Do not be afraid," the angel will say, "I
am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people; to you is born this
day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord".
We are drawn toward that future, ready to "shout aloud
and sing for joy" together with the whole people of God who will proclaim,
"Great in [our] midst is the Holy One of Israel".
Ask yourself this: Is it easier to say to a person who is
struggling with their faith, “You just have to believe.” Or is it easier to
say, “Let’s pray.”
Is it more effective to say to someone, “Trust in God with
all your heart, and all your soul, and all your strength!” Or is it more
effective to say, “Let’s sing Amazing Grace together.”
We sing of the coming of the Immanuel, of joy to the world,
of the baby tucked away in the manger, of shepherds keeping watch by night, and
angels from the realms of glory.
And in the singing, we can come to believe the words "I will trust, and will not be afraid".
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Hymn
of the Day
– Oh, Sing to the Lord (ELW #822)
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
Reviving
God, keep your church active in its mission and ministry. We pray especially 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 the IRSM. Help them to live by faith and walk by
the light of your gospel. Encourage them to risk boldly in their proclamation
and fill them with wisdom and endurance for challenging times.
Lord,
in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
Renewing
God, as the northern hemisphere prepares for winter, make us mindful of the
ordered beauty of your creation. Teach us to treasure cycles of rest and new
life. Help us care for what you have made.
Lord,
in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
Loving
God, accompany all who make sacrifices for the sake of others. Safeguard first
responders and active duty military personnel. Grant peace to veterans and heal
any wounds in body, mind, or spirit.
Lord,
in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
Healing
God, your people cry out to you. Sustain doctors, nurses, and hospital
personnel in their tireless work. Uphold mental health professionals, spiritual
care workers, and those in their care. May the sun of righteousness rise on all
who are sick.
Lord,
in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
Uniting
God, unite this assembly in its shared mission and ministry for the sake of the
gospel. Highlight ways we can better work together and give us patience to work
through disagreement.
Lord,
in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
Consoling
God, abide with all who grieve for loved ones who have died. Comfort us with
the promise of resurrection and new life with you.
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 – Let
Streams of Living Justice (ELW #710)
Offering
Prayer
Let
us pray.
Blessed
are you, Maker of all things.
As
you have entrusted us with all that you have created,
now
gather our gifts,
nourish
us with this sacrament,
and
send us to those who hunger and thirst,
for
the sake of Jesus Christ our Savior.
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
With
all the saints of Africa and Asia, India and the islands, Europe and the
Americas,
we praise you, O God, for you create the worlds.
With
all the baptized, the old and the young, the weak and the strong, the famous
and the forgotten,
we bless you, O God, for you provide us with water and food.
With
all the faithful in cities and on farms, in mansions and huts, past and
present,
we worship you, O God, for you shelter the generations.
With
all your holy people, those who ministered in the church, those who served the
poor,
and all who walked the way of the cross,
we glorify you, O God, for in Jesus you journeyed with us on
earth.
With
Paul and the evangelists, we remember the meal of your Son:
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.
With
Peter and all the martyrs, we honor Christ’s death, saying Amen. Amen!
With
Mary Magdalene and all the apostles, we proclaim his resurrection, shouting
Amen. Amen!
With
John and all the theologians and mystics, we look for his returning, pleading
Amen. Amen!
With
the Virgin Mary and all who sang of your greatness,
we pray for the power of the Spirit.
Visit
this gathering, this bread and this cup,
with the presence of the body and blood of Christ.
Form
us into a communion of service,
and infuse your earth with the wholeness we seek.
With
grandparents and godparents, with the church universal,
lead us to a future we cannot yet see,
and at the end draw all humanity to yourself.
Now
with all of the family you saved by your love,
we shout blessing blessing, glory glory,
wisdom wisdom, thanksgiving thanksgiving,
honor honor, power power, might might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen. 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
This is the table of Christ. It is made ready for those who love him, and for those who want to love him more. Come, whether you have much faith or little, have tried to follow, or are afraid that you have failed. Come. Because it is Christ's will that those who want to meet him, might meet him here.
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.
We
give you thanks, most gracious God,
that
you have fed us with the bread of heaven
and
given us a foretaste of Paradise.
Enliven
us to be your body in the world
and
to serve those who are in need;
through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Blessing
The
God of peace,
who
creates all things and calls them good,
who makes
us alive in Jesus,
and
who breathes on us the Spirit of hope,
☩ bless you now and forever.
Amen.
Sending
Song – Mine
Eyes Have Seen the Glory (ELW #890)
Go
in peace. Be a blessing in the world.
Thanks be to God.
