Created, saved and gifted by God, we seek, serve and share Jesus Christ.
Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost
November 6, 2022
10:30 a.m.
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
901 East Stroop Road
Kettering, OH 45429-4688
(937) 298-0136
Introduction
We worship on the first day of the week because our Savior was raised on that day. Every Sunday is a little Easter. This Sunday feels more like Easter than many as the appointed texts celebrate the reality of the resurrection. Live it up this Lord’s day. Our God is the God of the living.
Beyond Our Wildest Imagination
Countless books and movies have offered creative and varied visions of the afterlife, por- traying how it might look, sound, and feel for those experiencing it. Yet Jesus’ words in this exchange with the Sadducees imply that even our wildest imaginings will prove too narrow. Resurrection life, Jesus says, is so qualitatively different from the life we know now that we can’t even begin to comprehend it.
The Sadducees were prominent religious authorities in Jesus’ day. As the gospel writer speci- fies, they did not believe in the concept of resurrection, and they wanted to catch Jesus in a theological trap that would force him also to deny resurrection. Jesus evaded their trap, and his response to them is a warning to anyone who would limit what God can do. God truly can make the impossible possible—even life beyond death. According to Jesus, that new life will be so radically different that everything from physical bodies to human relationships will be transformed.
One thing will not change in the resurrection life, however: each and every person will still be uniquely precious to God. The Sadducees tried to use Mosaic law to fool Jesus, but he pointed instead to a moment in Moses’ own life that defied imagination. When Moses saw the incred- ible sight of the burning bush, he heard the voice of God call to him and declare his ancestors by name: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Though dead long before Moses’ time, those ancestors were not in the past tense to God. They were all alive and held in God’s infinite love, as are all the faithful who have died.
We can only begin to imagine what resurrection life will be like and how it will change us, but we can trust that no matter what, it will be a celebration of God’s unchangeable love for all of creation, including each one of God’s beloved children.
GATHERING
The Holy Spirit calls us together as the people of God.
WELCOME
ANNOUNCEMENTS
CONFESSION & FORGIVENESS
All may make the sign of the cross, the sign that is marked at baptism, as the presiding minister begins.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.
Most merciful God,
we confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name. Amen.
In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
GATHERING SONG “For All the Saints
For all the saints who from their labors rest,
who thee by faith before the world confessed,
thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou wast their rock, their fortress, and their might;
thou, Lord, their captain in the well-fought fight;
thou, in the darkness drear, their one true light.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Oh, blest communion, fellowship divine,
we feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
yet all are one in thee, for all are thine.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
and hearts are brave again and arms are strong.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
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
In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the peace from above, and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
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.
Lord, have mercy.
for this holy house, and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
Amen.
CANTICLE OF PRAISE
Glory to God in the highest, and peace to God’s people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.
Glory to God in the highest, and peace to God’s people on earth.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.
Glory to God in the highest, and peace to God’s people on earth.
For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Glory to God in the highest, and peace to God’s people on earth.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
O God, our eternal redeemer,
by the presence of your Spirit you renew and direct our hearts. Keep always in our mind the end of all things and the day of judgment. Inspire us for a holy life here, and bring us to the joy of the resurrection, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
WORD
God speaks to us in scripture reading, preaching, and song.
FIRST READING Job 19:23-27a
Job suffers the loss of children, wealth, and health. Accused by his companions of wrongdoing, he knows himself to be innocent. Here, in the midst of his suffering, Job clings to the radical hope that his vindicator, his redeemer, lives; and that one day he himself will see God.
A reading from the book of Job.
O that my words were written down! O that they were inscribed in a book!
O that with an iron pen and with lead they were engraved on a rock forever!
For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand upon the earth; and after my skin has been thus destroyed, then in my flesh I shall see God,
whom I shall see on my side, and my eyes shall behold, and not another.
Word of God, word of life.
Thanks be to God.
SECOND READING 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
This portion of the letter provides encouragement for the church at Thessalonica during a time of confusion and opposition, as some allowed their concern over Jesus’ imminent return to divert them from the central teachings of the gospel.
A reading from Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians.
As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God. Do you not remember that I told you these things when I was still with you?
But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. For this purpose he called you through our proclamation of the good news, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter.
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.
Word of God, word of life.
Thanks be to God.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
GOSPEL READING Luke 20:27-38
Some Sadducees, who do not believe in the resurrection of the dead, try to trap Jesus. They formulate the convoluted case of a serial widow who marries a succession of seven brothers. Jesus responds by teaching about God to whom all are alive and in whom all relationships are fulfilled.
The Holy Gospel according to Luke.
Glory to you, O Lord.
Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to [Jesus] and asked him a question, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; then the second and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.”
Jesus said to them, “Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
YOUTH MESSAGE
MESSAGE
HYMN OF THE DAY “I Will Rise”
There’s a peace I’ve come to know,
Though my heart and flesh may fail;
There’s an anchor for my soul;
I can say, “it is well.”
Jesus has overcome,
And the grave is overwhelmed.
The victory is won.
He is risen from the dead.
And I will rise when he calls my name:
No more sorrow, no more pain.
I will rise on eagle’s wings,
Before my God fall on my knees,
And rise, I will rise.
There’s a day that’s drawing near,
When this darkness breaks to light,
And the shadows disappear,
And my faith shall be my eyes.
Jesus has overcome,
And the grave is overwhelmed.
The victory is won.
He is risen from the dead.
And I will rise when he calls my name:
No more sorrow, no more pain.
I will rise on eagle’s wings,
Before my God fall on my knees,
And rise, I will rise.
And I hear the voice of many angels sing,
“Worthy is the Lamb!”
And I hear the cry of every longing heart,
“Worthy is the Lamb!”
And I hear the voice of many angels sing,
“Worthy is the Lamb!”
And I hear the cry of every longing heart,
“Worthy is the Lamb, worthy is the Lamb!”
I will rise when he calls my name:
No more sorrow, no more pain.
I will rise on eagle’s wings,
Before my God fall on my knees,
And rise, I will rise.
I will rise!
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 power of the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended into hell.
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.
A brief silence.
Each intercession concludes:
Lord in your mercy,
receive our prayer.
Accept these prayers, gracious God, and those known only to you; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
MEAL
God feeds us with the presence of Jesus Christ.
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.
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. You comforted your people with the promise of the Redeemer, through whom you will also make all things new in the day when he comes to judge the world in righteousness. 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 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. Hosanna in the highest.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
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.
Let us proclaim the mystery of faith:
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
With this bread and cup we remember your Word dwelling among us, full of grace and truth. We remember our new birth in his death and resurrection. We look with hope for his coming.
Come, Lord Jesus.
Holy God, we long for your Spirit. Come among us. Bless this meal. May your Word take flesh in us. Awaken your people. Fill us with your light. Bring the gift of peace on earth.
Come, Holy Spirit.
All praise and glory are yours, Holy One of Israel, Word of God incarnate, Power of the Most High, one God, now and forever.
Amen, amen. Amen, amen.
LORD’S PRAYER
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.
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
Christ spreads a table before you. Gather here with all the saints.
COMMUNION
The body of Christ, given for you. The blood of Christ, shed for you. Amen.
LAMB OF GOD
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.
COMMUNION HYMN ““Forever”
Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King;
His love endures forever!
For he is good, he is above all things;
His love endures forever!
Sing praise, sing praise.
With a mighty hand and an outstretched arm,
His love endures forever!
For the life that’s been reborn,
His love endures forever!
Sing praise, sing praise,
Sing praise, sing praise.
Forever God is faithful,
Forever God is strong,
Forever God is with us,
Forever, forever!
From the rising to the setting sun,
His love endures forever!
And by the grace of God, we will carry on.
His love endures forever!
Sing praise, sing praise,
Sing praise, sing praise.
Forever God is faithful,
Forever God is strong,
Forever God is with us,
Forever, forever!
TABLE BLESSING
The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bless you and always keep you in God’s grace.
Amen.
SONG AFTER COMMUNION: The Canticle of Simeon
Now, Lord, you let your servant go in peace: your word has been fulfilled. My own own eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the sight of ev’ry people: a light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
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.
SENDING
God blesses us and sends us in mission to the world.
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 “Oh, When the Saints Go Marching In
Oh, when the saints go marching in,
oh, when the saints go marching in,
O Lord, I want to be in that number
when the saints go marching in.
Oh, when the Lord in glory comes,
oh, when the Lord in glory comes,
O Lord, I want to be in that number
when the Lord in glory comes.
Oh, when the new world is revealed,
oh, when the new world is revealed,
O Lord, I want to be in that number
when the new world is revealed.
Oh, when they gather round the throne,
oh, when they gather round the throne,
O Lord, I want to be in that number
when they gather round the throne.
DISMISSAL
Go in peace. Be a blessing in the world.
Created, saved and gifted by God, we seek, serve and share Jesus Christ.
Hallelujah, thanks be to God!
“W + 2” = Worship Plus Two
Make a commitment to not only worship each week but also try to find a way to serve in the congregation and seek out a way to serve our community.
YOU ARE NOW ENTERING THE MISSION FIELD
Upcoming Commemorations
John Christian Frederick Heyer, died 1873;
Bartholomaeus Ziegenbalg, died 1719;
Ludwig Nommensen, died 1918; missionaries
Monday, November 7, 2022
Heyer was the first missionary sent out by American Lutherans. After teaching at Gettysburg College and Seminary he was assigned to the Andhra region of India. A worker among the Tamil people on the southeast coast of India, Ziegenbalg was opposed both by local Hindus and by Danish authorities who favored a different missionary style. He was known for caring about the welfare of the whole person. Nommensen was born in northern Germany and was sent to Sumatra as a Lutheran missionary. Working among the Batak people, he translated the scriptures into their language, and honored their native culture.
Martin, Bishop of Tours, died 397
Friday, November 11, 2022
Martin’s pagan father enlisted him in the Roman army. Approached by a beggar, Martin cut his cloak in half and gave part to the man, whom he later understood as representing Christ. He asked to leave the army, but was jailed instead. After his release, he became a preacher, and later a bishop.
Søren Aabye Kierkegaard, teacher, died 1855
Friday, November 11, 2022
Kierkegaard was a Danish theologian whose writings also gave rise to the modern philosophy of existentialism. He frequently attacked the complacency of the state church of his day, as well as its desire to be accepted by polite society rather than be a stumbling block.
From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2014 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved.
Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #22920.
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.