Citation preview
Hill Lutheran Church - Salem Lutheran Church - St. James Lutheran
Church
Rev. Robert Ierien - Rev. Kristal Smith
lebanonlutherans.org
www.lebanonlutherans.org
Our Congregations
Hill Lutheran Church St. James Lutheran Church Salem Lutheran
Church 998 N. Mill Street 53 Chestnut Street 119 N. 8th Street
Lebanon, PA 17046 Lebanon, PA 17042 Lebanon, PA 17046 Sunday School
9 am Worship 8:45 am Worship 9 am
Our purpose: to share resources and opportunities for mission and
ministry, to grow disciples of Jesus Christ, to discern a shared
vision for God’s mission in the Lebanon area, and to share the good
news of God’s love in Jesus Christ with our community and with the
world.
Our priorities: Spiritual Renewal – growing deeper in a loving
relationship with Jesus Christ Faith Formation – growing in our
understanding of faith and the world Evangelical Outreach – sharing
the good news of God’s love with those around us
Important Worship Notes Due to current public health and safety
guidelines: Masks are required. Disposable masks are available if
you do not have one.
A physical distance of at least six feet between family groups must
be maintained.
We ask that you please refrain from singing. Lyrics to the hymns
are included and
you are encouraged to follow along silently, or hum softly.
Thank you for your cooperation.
October 18, 2020 ANNOUNCEMENTS
P Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God,
whose steadfast love is everlasting, whose faithfulness endures
from generation to generation.
C Amen.
P Trusting in the mercy of God, let us confess our sin.
Silence is kept for reflection.
P Reconciling God, C we confess that we do not trust your
abundance,
and we deny your presence in our lives. We place our hope in
ourselves and rely on our own efforts. We fail to believe that you
provide enough for all. We abuse your good creation for our own
benefit. We fear difference and do not welcome others as you have
welcomed us. We sin in thought, word, and deed. By your grace,
forgive us; through your love, renew us; and in your Spirit, lead
us; so that we may live and serve you in newness of life.
Amen.
P Beloved of God, by the radical abundance of divine mercy
we have peace with God through Christ Jesus,
through whom we have obtained grace upon grace. Our sins are
forgiven. Let us live now in hope. For hope does not disappoint,
because God’s love has been poured into our
hearts through the Holy Spirit. C Amen.
OPENING HYMN: God Is Here!
Text: Fred Pratt Green, 1903-2000. Text © 1979 Hope Publishing
Company, Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved. Used by
permission. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE, License
#A-730797. All rights reserved.
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.
KYRIE P In peace, let us pray to the Lord. C Lord, have
mercy.
P For the peace from above, and for our salvation, let us pray to
the Lord. C Lord, have mercy.
1 God is here! As we your people meet to offer praise and prayer,
may we find in fuller measure what it is in Christ we share. Here,
as in the world around us, all our varied skills and arts wait the
coming of the Spirit into open minds and hearts. 2 Here are symbols
to remind us of our lifelong need of grace; here are table, font,
and pulpit; here the cross has central place. Here in honesty of
preaching, here in silence, as in speech, here, in newness and
renewal, God the Spirit comes to each.
3 Here our children find a welcome in the Shepherd's flock and
fold; here as bread and wine are taken, Christ sustains us as of
old. Here the servants of the Servant seek in worship to explore
what it means in daily living to believe and to adore. 4 Lord of
all, of church and kingdom, in an age of change and doubt, keep us
faithful to the gospel; help us work your purpose out. Here, in
this day's dedication, all we have to give, receive; we, who cannot
live without you, we adore you! We believe!
P For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the
Church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord. C
Lord, have mercy. P For this holy house, and for all who offer here
their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord. C Lord, have
mercy. P Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord. C
Amen
HYMN OF PRAISE P Glory to God in the highest, and peace to God’s
people on earth! C You we praise and glorify, O Lord, you we
worship and adore; P For in great love you have created us, C and
in great mercy you have redeemed us. P Blessing and honor and glory
and might C be to God and the Lamb forever! Amen!
All This is the feast of victory for our God! Alleluia!
Alleluia!
PRAYER OF THE DAY P Let us pray. Sovereign God, C raise your throne
in our hearts. Created by you, let us live in your image; created
for you, let us act for your glory; redeemed by you, let us give
you what is yours, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
FIRST READING Isaiah 45:1-7 The prophet announces that Cyrus the
Persian emperor is the one the Lord has anointed to end Israel’s
exile. The Lord makes this choice so that the whole world will
recognize this Lord as the only God. Persia had a god of light and
a god of darkness; the Lord claims sovereignty over both light and
darkness.
1Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I
have grasped to subdue nations before him and strip kings of their
robes, to open doors before him— and the gates shall not be closed:
2I will go before you and level the mountains, I will break in
pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron, 3I
will give you the treasures of darkness and riches hidden in secret
places, so that you may know that it is I, the Lord, the God of
Israel, who call you by your name. 4For the sake of my servant
Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I surname
you, though you do not know me. 5I am the Lord, and there is no
other; besides me there is no god. I arm you, though you do not
know me, 6so that they may know, from the rising of the sun and
from the west, that there is no one besides me; I am the Lord, and
there is no other. 7I form light and create darkness, I make weal
and create woe; I the Lord do all these things.
PSALM Psalm 96:1-13 Ascribe to the Lord honor and power. 1Sing to
the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. 2Sing to the
Lord, bless the name of the Lord; proclaim God’s salvation from day
to day. 3Declare God’s glory among the nations and God’s wonders
among all peoples. 4For great is the Lord and greatly to be
praised, more to be feared than all gods. 5As for all the gods of
the nations, they are but idols; but you, O Lord, have made the
heavens. 6Majesty and magnificence are in your presence; power and
splendor are in your sanctuary. 7Ascribe to the Lord, you families
of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord honor and power. 8Ascribe to
the Lord the honor due the holy name; bring offerings and enter the
courts of the Lord. 9Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;
tremble before the Lord, all the earth. 10Tell it out among the
nations: “The Lord is king! The one who made the world so firm that
it cannot be moved will judge the peoples with equity.”
11Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea
thunder and all that is in it; let the field be joyful and all that
is therein. 12Then shall all the trees of the wood shout for joy at
your coming, O Lord, for you come to judge the earth. 13You will
judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with your
truth.
SECOND READING 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 Most likely this letter is
the first written by Paul. Paul gives pastoral encouragement and
reassurances to new Christians living in an antagonistic
environment. Their commitment of faith, love, and hope makes them a
model for other new Christian communities.
1Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in
God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.
2We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our
prayers, constantly 3remembering before our God and Father your
work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our
Lord Jesus Christ. 4For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by
God, that he has chosen you, 5because our message of the gospel
came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy
Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of
persons we proved to be among you for your sake. 6And you became
imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you
received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, 7so that
you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in
Achaia. 8For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not
only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith in God
has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it. 9For
the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we
had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a
living and true God, 10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he
raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is
coming. GOSPEL ACCLAMATION After Jesus begins teaching in the
temple, religious leaders try to trap him with questions. First
they ask if God’s people should pay taxes to an earthly tyrant like
Caesar.
Alleluia. Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal
life. Alleluia. Alleluia. GOSPEL READING Matthew 22:15-22 P The
Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew. C Glory to you, O Lord.
15Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap [Jesus] in what he
said. 16So they sent their disciples to him, along with the
Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and
teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference
to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. 17Tell us,
then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or
not?” 18But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you
putting me to the test, you hypocrites? 19Show me the coin used for
the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20Then he said to them,
“Whose head is this, and whose title?” 21They answered, “The
emperor’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to the emperor
the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are
God’s.” 22When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him
and went away.
P This is the Gospel of our Lord. C Praise to you, O Christ. SERMON
HYMN: Lift Every Voice and Sing
Text: James W. Johnson, 1871-1938 Reprinted with permission under
ONE LICENSE, License #A-730797. All rights reserved.
1 Lift ev'ry voice and sing till earth and heaven ring, ring with
the harmonies of liberty.
Let our rejoicing rise high as the list'ning skies, let it resound
loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us;
sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
facing the rising sun of our new day begun, let us march on till
victory is won. 2 Stony the road we trod, bitter the
chast'ning
rod, felt in the days when hope unborn had died; yet with a steady
beat, have not our weary feet come to the place for which our
parents sighed? We have come over a way that with tears has been
watered; we have come, treading our path through the blood of the
slaughtered, out from the gloomy past, till now we stand at last
where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.
3 God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, thou who hast
brought us thus far on the way; thou who hast by thy might led us
into the light, keep us forever in the path, we pray. Lest our feet
stray from the places, our God, where we met thee;
lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee;
shadowed beneath thy hand may we forever stand,
true to our God, true to our native land.
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
With confidence in God’s grace and mercy, let us pray for the
church, the world, and all those in need. A brief silence.
Gracious God, you call us by name and invite us to share your good
news. Send your Holy Spirit among preachers, missionaries, and
evangelists. We give thanks for the witness of your servant Luke,
the evangelist, whom the church commemorates today. Lord, in your
mercy, hear our prayer.
God of praise, the heavens and all creation declare your salvation.
From the rising of the sun to its setting, may the whole universe
show forth your goodness. Raise up devoted stewards of all that you
have made. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. God of all, may
your word of justice sound forth in every place. Restore divided
nations and communities with reconciling truth. Lord, in your
mercy, hear our prayer. God of light, we pray for those living with
pain, illness, isolation, grief, anger, or doubt. Join their voices
in a new song, assuring them that you call them each by name. Lord,
in your mercy, hear our prayer. God of truth, you show no
partiality. May your spirit guide the work of justices,
magistrates, court officials, and all vocations of the law, that
your promise of restoration may be known. Lord, in your mercy, hear
our prayer. Here other intercessions may be offered.
Living God, as you raised Jesus from the dead, so raise up those
who have died in you. We give thanks for their witness, confident
of your rescuing welcome for all. Lord, in your mercy, hear our
prayer. Listen as we call on you, O God, and enfold in your loving
arms all for whom we pray, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
OFFERING There are a number of ways of making your offerings to God
during this time. One is to give online at
www.lebanonlutherans.org/give . If you prefer not to give online,
you may of course mail a check to your congregation. If you are not
able to give monetarily during this time, know that your prayers
and praise are a pleasing offering to God. If you are able to give
a little more during this time, please consider doing so as a way
of supporting your fellow disciples who are not able to.
OFFERTORY PRAYER P Blessed are you, O God, maker of all
things.
Through your goodness you have blessed us with these gifts: our
selves, our time, and our possessions. Use us, and what we have
gathered, in feeding the world with your love, through the one who
gave himself for us, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
C Amen.
DIALOGUE 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.
PREFACE P 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: SANCTUS C
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are
full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
THANKSGIVING AT THE TABLE P Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and
immortal: you we praise and glorify, you we worship and adore. You
formed the earth from chaos; you encircled the globe with air; you
created fire for warmth and light; you nourish the lands with
water. You molded us in your image, and with mercy higher than the
mountains, with grace deeper than the seas, you blessed the
Israelites and cherished them as your own. That also we, estranged
and dying, might be adopted to live in your Spirit, you called to
us through the life and death of Jesus. 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. Together as the body of Christ, we proclaim the
Lord’s death until he comes: C Christ has died. Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
P With this bread and cup we remember your Son, the first-born of
your new creation. We remember his life lived for others, and his
death and resurrection, which renews the face of the earth. We
await his coming, when, with the world made perfect through your
wisdom, all our sins and sorrows will be no more. C Amen. Come,
Lord Jesus. P Holy God, holy and merciful one, holy and
compassionate, send upon us and this meal your Holy Spirit, whose
breath revives us for life, whose fire rouses us to love. Enfold in
your arms all who share this holy food. Nurture in us the fruits of
the Spirit, that we may be a living tree, sharing your bounty with
all the world. C Amen. Come, Holy Spirit. P Holy and benevolent
God, receive our praise and petitions, as Jesus received the cry of
the needy, and fill us with your blessing, until, needy no longer
and bound to you in love, we feast forever in the triumph of the
Lamb: through whom all glory and honor is yours, O God, O Living
One, with the Holy Spirit, in your holy church, now and forever. C
Amen. 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.
INVITATION TO COMMUNION Come to the feast, for all is now
ready.
AGNUS DEI (SPOKEN) C Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the
world; have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on
us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; grant us peace,
grant us peace.
COMMUNION
When giving the bread and cup, the communion ministers say The body
of Christ, given for you. The blood of Christ, shed for you.
and each person may respond Amen.
POST-COMMUNION BLESSING
P The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and
keep you
in his grace.
POST-COMMUNION CANTICLE (SPOKEN)
C Thank the Lord and sing his praise; Tell everyone what God has
done! Let all who seek the Lord rejoice And bear Christ’s holy
name. He recalls his promises And leads his people forth in joy
With shouts of thanksgiving! Alleluia! Alleluia! PRAYER AFTER
COMMUNION P Let us pray. God of abundance, with this bread of life
and cup of salvation you have united us with Christ, making us one
with all your people. Now send us forth in the power of your
Spirit, that we may proclaim your redeeming love to the world and
continue forever in the risen life of Jesus Christ, our Lord. C
Amen. BENEDICTION
P Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you now and
forever.
C Amen.
Text: Charles Wesley, 1707-1788, alt. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE, License #A-730797. All
rights reserved.
DISMISSAL
P Go in peace. Serve the Lord. C Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE
From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2020 Augsburg Fortress. All
rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress
Liturgies Annual License #43183. New Revised Standard Version
Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of
America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Permission to
podcast / stream the music in this service obtained from ONE
LICENSE with license #A-730797. All rights reserved.
1 You servants of God, your Master proclaim, and publish abroad his
wonderful name; the name, all- victorious, of Jesus extol; his
kingdom is glorious and rules over all!
2 Ascended on high, almighty to save, yet still he is nigh, his
presence we
have. The great congregation his triumph shall sing, ascribing
salvation to Jesus, our king!
3 Salvation to God who sits on the throne! Let all cry aloud and
honor the Son. The praises of Jesus the angels proclaim, fall down
on their faces, and worship the Lamb.
4 Then let us adore and give him his
right, all glory and pow'r and wisdom and might, all honor and
blessing, with angels above, and thanks never ceasing, and infinite
love!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
JOINT WORSHIP SERVICE On Reformation Sunday, October 25th, the
Co-op will hold a single joint worship service at 10:00 am at Hill
Lutheran Church. While it will not be possible to live stream this
service, the service will be recorded and made available on YouTube
that afternoon. If you have any questions, please contact the Co-op
office at 717-273-3001.
NEW WORSHIP SCHEDULE The new worship schedule of the Co-op will be
as follows: 1st and 3rd Sunday, 9 am at Salem 2nd and 4th Sunday, 9
am at Saint James Every Sunday, 10:30 service at Hill 9 am service
to be livestreamed every Sunday, regardless of location. Also, the
COVID protocols will be relaxed from a limit of 25 people per
service to a limit of 25% of the capacity of the given location.
Reservations will still need to be made by phone or online.
PHONE-IN WORSHIP STREAM In order to make our worship services as
accessible as possible to as many people as possible, we are
beginning a phone-in worship stream via Zoom. Simply dial
301-715-8592 at 9 am, and when prompted, key in Meeting ID 844 0774
1557 and Passcode 819083. At the moment, this option is only
available for the 9 am worship service.
LEBANON COMMUNITY LIBRARY - WATER MINISTRY The Lebanon Community
Library has a need for bottled water. Due to COVID-19 restrictions
they have had to turn off their water fountains. Members of the
Co-op have been donating water and this ministry will continue. You
can purchase water and drop it off at the Library when it is open.
You can also drop off cases of water at Salem’s Parish Bldg. on
Wednesday mornings. Or contribute checks, payable to Salem, ‘Water
Ministry’ on the memo line, or cash. Thank you! - Shirley
McGowan
GREATER LEBANON CROP WALK The Greater Lebanon CROP Hunger Walk will
take place during the month of October. It will be a virtual walk
and this means you can walk, run, jog, or ride bike anytime during
the month of October. If you are interested in participating,
please register for the walk. You may receive money through online
donations or by cash or check. You will find all the needed
information on how to do these things in Salem's and St. James'
October Journals. If you have any questions about the walk, please
contact Sharon Martin at Salem or Joe and Robin at St. James.
Please let us know if you are planning on participating in the CROP
Walk. The needs of people are even greater now with all that is
happening. Please consider walking or generously sponsoring a
walker. Thank you!
To register and donate online, go to crophungerwalk.org. At the top
of the screen on the right click on Search, then type in Greater
Lebanon Crop Hunger Walk, this takes you right to our local
website. It is very easy to register your team or donate online. If
you prefer, checks can be made payable to CWS/CROP and sent to your
church, or put in the collection plate, clearly marked CROP Walk.
Thank you for your support.