November 5 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

Almighty God, you have knit your people together into one holy Church, the body of Christ our Lord. Grant us grace to follow the example of your blessed saints in lives of faith and willing service and with them at last inherit the inexpressible joys that you have prepared for those who love you; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

LESSON – REVELATION 7:9-17

⁹After these things I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing in front of the throne and of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and with palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰They called out with a loud voice and said: Salvation comes from our God, who sits on the throne, and from the Lamb.  ¹¹All the angels stood around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures. They fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, ¹²saying: Amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen.  ¹³One of the elders spoke to me and said, “These people dressed in white robes, who are they and where did they come from?”  And I answered him, “Sir, you know.”  ¹⁴And he said to me: These are the ones who are coming out of the great tribulation.  They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.  ¹⁵Because of this they are in front of the throne of God, and they serve him day and night in his temple.  He who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.  ¹⁶They will never be hungry or thirsty ever again.  The sun will never beat upon them, nor will any scorching heat, ¹⁷for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd.  He will lead them to springs of living water.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

GOSPEL – MATTHEW 5:1-12

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up onto a mountain. When he sat down, his disciples came to him. ²He opened his mouth and began to teach them. He said these things: ³“Blessed are the poor in spirit, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  ⁴Blessed are those who mourn,

because they will be comforted.  ⁵Blessed are the gentle, because they will inherit the earth.  ⁶Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they will be filled.  ⁷Blessed are the merciful, because they will receive mercy.  ⁸Blessed are the pure in heart, because they will see God.  ⁹Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called sons of God.  ¹⁰Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  ¹¹“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹²Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven. In fact, that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

DEVOTION – 1 JOHN 3:1-3

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

O Lord, faithful God, we commend ourselves, our bodies and souls, and all things into Your keeping.

Deliver us in Your righteousness from all that would harm the body or assault the soul.

Gentle Lord, visit the homes of Your people, that they may be places where faith is nurtured and where we learn to live our new lives in holiness and righteousness.

Bless the persecuted who suffer for Your sake and whose witness calls all to faithfulness. Bring peace to the nations around the world.

Heavenly Father, comfort us by Your abiding presence and satisfy all who call on You in need.

Grant them patience in the midst of suffering and, according to Your will, release them from their afflictions.

O Lord, be with Your Church and all her members who belong to You by Baptism and faith.  At the bidding of the Lamb, our Shepherd, give us ears to hear Your Word. 

Grant that we may be brought to everlasting life with the faithful who have gone before us who now rest from their labors.

Lord Jesus, we praise you for redeeming us, making us part of your church, and giving us the privilege of sharing the good news of your salvation from sin. Thank you for the growth in enrollment in our Lutheran schools.

We pray that you would help us find more teachers to serve the additional students.

Almighty Father, we give You thanks that You have washed us in the blood of the Lamb, written our names in the Book of Life, and made us a royal priesthood and heirs of an eternal inheritance. Though we are unworthy of Your saving grace, we pray You to hear us in the name of 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.

We give you thanks, O Lord, for the foretaste of the heavenly banquet that you have given us to eat and to drink in this sacrament.  Through this gift you have fed our faith, nourished our hope, and strengthened our love.  By your Spirit help us to live as your holy people until that day when you will receive us as your guests at the wedding supper of the Lamb, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

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 T give you peace.

Amen.

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