Everything you need for October 4 online worship.
Preparations for Worship:
- Do your best to eliminate distractions like the phone, TV, etc.
- Worship actively! Whether you are by yourself or with others, try reading the parts of the service aloud (responses, lessons, and prayers).
- This service is for children too. Help them participate. Ask those who have that ability to read a prayer or lesson aloud. Take a moment to describe what’s happening. Ask questions. Encourage little ones to draw what they are hearing while you all listen. Unlike our more typical Sunday worship at church, you can pause at any time for questions and discussion.
- Before you begin, load each of the videos below. (You might first have to get past a distracting ad.)
- Pause for a moment of quiet meditation. Then pray:
“Heavenly Father, I have come to worship you. Draw near to me in your gracious Word, and assure me of your loving kindness. Curb my wandering thoughts, that with undivided attention I may hear your voice and speak your praise. Through Jesus Christ. Amen.”
CONFESSION OF SINS
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear friends, let us approach God with a true heart and confess our sins, asking him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to forgive us.
Lord of life, I confess that I am by nature dead in sin. For faithless worrying and selfish pride, For sins of habit and sins of choice, For the evil I have done and the good I have failed to do, You should cast me away from your presence forever. O Lord, I am sorry for my sins. Forgive me, for Jesus’ sake.
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. In his great mercy, God made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in our sins. Hear the word of Christ through his called servant: I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In peace, let us pray to the Lord. For the well-being of all people everywhere, that they may receive from you all they need to sustain body and life, hear our prayer, O Lord. Lord, have mercy.
For the spread of your life-giving gospel throughout the world, that all who are lost in sin may be brought to faith in you, hear our prayer, O Christ. Christ, have mercy.
For patience and perseverance in this life, that we may not lose the hope of heaven as we await your return, hear our prayer, O Lord. Lord, have mercy.
Lord of life, live in us that we may live for you. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Lord God, you call us to work in your kingdom and leave no one standing idle. Help us to order our lives by your wisdom and to serve you in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
LESSON – JONAH 4:5-11
5Jonah went out of the city and sat down east of the city. He made a shelter for himself there and sat under it in the shade, until he would see what would happen in the city. 6Then the Lord God provided a plant and made it grow up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to deliver him from his discomfort. So Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, and it attacked the plant so that it withered. 8When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind. The sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” 9But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” He said, “I am right to be angry—enough to die!” 10So the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant. You did not work for it or make it grow. It grew up in a night and perished in a night. 11Should I not be concerned for Nineveh, the great city, in which there are more than one hundred twenty thousand people who do not know the difference between their right hand and their left—and also many animals?”
LESSON – ROMANS 9:6-16
6This does not mean that God’s word has failed, because not all who are descended from Israel are really Israel, 7and not all who are descended from Abraham are really his children. On the contrary, “Your line of descent will be traced through Isaac.” 8This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are counted as his descendants. 9For this is what the promise said: “I will arrive at this set time, and Sarah will have a son.” 10Not only that, but Rebekah also had children by one man, our forefather, Isaac. 11Even before the twins were born or did anything good or bad, in order that God’s purpose in election might continue— 12not by works but because of him who calls us—it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger.” 13Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” 14What will we say then? Does this mean that God is unjust? Absolutely not! 15For God says to Moses: I will show mercy to whom I show mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. 16So then, it does not depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.
DEVOTION – MATTHEW 20:1-16
CONFESSION OF FAITH – NICENE CREED
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation, he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and became fully human. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who in unity with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
OFFERING
Offerings may be given on-line at tithe.ly/risensavior, mailed to the church, or dropped off at the church.
Our members have joined together in faith and love to do the Lord’s work in this community and around the world. Guests need not feel obligated to participate in this offering which supports our ministry.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
Merciful Lord, You have planted us as Your own vineyard, that we might bear good fruit for Your glory.
Grant to us grace, that we may be faithful and show forth in our lives the good works that glorify You and serve Your purpose.
Everlasting Father, guide husbands and wives to love and forgive each other and strengthen them in their life together. Bless the homes in which Your people dwell.
Help parents to be faithful examples for their children, and give room in their hearts and homes so that orphans may know the joy of a place and a home to call their own.
God of love, deliver the sick from their illnesses, especially we pray for Marin Kunkle granddaughter of Anita Heckman who is dealing at one year old with a diagnosis of IBS and is waiting on medication to help. Give relief to the suffering, help the troubled to know peace of mind, and be with the grieving and those in their final days.
Guide all health care professionals to serve those in need, and give patience to those who must bear with their infirmities, disabilities and infertility.
Holy Spirit, thank you for the enthusiasm you give the young men and women who are training to be our pastors, teachers, staff ministers, and missionaries.. Guide them as they learn to teach and preach your Word in all situations.. We also ask that you bless the efforts of our church body to limit the costs of ministerial education so that graduates can begin serving without the burden of student debt..
To that end, Lord, we ask that you move us to generously support the tuition assistance efforts of our congregation and church body.
Blessed Lord, keep us from resentful hearts that would begrudge Your mercy or live selfishly for ourselves and teach us to live for You the life that You have given us.
Help us treasure in our hearts all that is good and wise and seek after these things.
Hear us, O Lord, and give answer to the prayers of Your people prayed in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray…
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.
THE LORD’S BLESSING
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look on you with favor and give you peace. Amen.