A Service of Prayer for October 28, 202

 But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. 

Malachi 4:2

Today we reflect on the predicament we find ourselves in as the people of God. Our readings give us guidance on how to live as Jesus’ disciples. It is through Jesus we live and move and have our being. So, cheer up little flock and be Christ in this dreary world. Have hope that this pandemic will pass. And in the meantime, allow God to move you to serve others in. any way you can.

DIALOGUE

O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall declare your praise.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amens

Alleluia.

PSALMODY

Give glory to God, our light and our life.
Oh, come, let us worship him.
Oh, come, let us sing to the Lord; let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God and a great king above all gods.
In his hand are the caverns of the earth; the heights of the hills are also his.
The sea is his, for he made it; and his hands have molded the dry land.
Oh, come, let us bow down and bend the knee, and kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen

Give glory to God, our light and our life. 
Oh, come, let us worship him.

Psalm 119:41-48

Let your steadfast love come to me, O LORD,
your salvation according to your promise.
Then I shall have an answer for those who taunt me,
for I trust in your word.
Do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,
for my hope is in your ordinances.
I will keep your law continually,
forever and ever.
I shall walk at liberty,
for I have sought your precepts.
I will also speak of your decrees before kings,
and shall not be put to shame;
I find my delight in your commandments,
because I love them.
I revere your commandments, which I love,
and I will meditate on your statutes.

 HYMN
Rise, O Sun of Righteousness

Halifax Lutheran Church

I really get a kick out of this guy!!
This rendition will certainly wake you up!!

1. Rise, O Sun of righteousness;
with your might creation bless.
Shine upon your church today,
showing all your gentle way.
Have mercy, Lord.

2. Rouse our hearts from slumber deep;
may your word within us leap.
Give us voices to proclaim
praises to your holy name.
Have mercy, Lord.

3. Gather in your scattered flock;
give us water from the rock.
Bless the unity we share
in our shepherd's loving care. 
Have mercy, Lord.

4. Burst the bars of stubborn pride;
make the heav'nly pathway wide.
Raise us up from sin and death
with your Spirit's living breath.
Have mercy, Lord.

5. Honor, praise, and glory be
to the holy Trinity!
May your gracious will be done:
make us one, as you are one.
Have mercy, Lord. 

Text: Christian David, et al.; tr. Frank W. Stoldt, b. 1958
Text © 2003 Augsburg Fortress.

READINGS
Proverbs 16:1-20

The plans of the mind belong to mortals,
but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.
  All one’s ways may be pure in one’s own eyes,
but the LORD weighs the spirit.
  Commit your work to the LORD,
and your plans will be established.
  The LORD has made everything for its purpose,
even the wicked for the day of trouble.
All those who are arrogant are an abomination to the LORD;
be assured, they will not go unpunished.
  By loyalty and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for,
and by the fear of the LORD one avoids evil.
  When the ways of people please the LORD,
he causes even their enemies to be at peace with them.
  Better is a little with righteousness
than large income with injustice.
  The human mind plans the way,
but the LORD directs the steps.
Inspired decisions are on the lips of a king;
his mouth does not sin in judgment.
  Honest balances and scales are the LORD’S;
all the weights in the bag are his work.
It is an abomination to kings to do evil,
for the throne is established by righteousness.
  Righteous lips are the delight of a king,
and he loves those who speak what is right.
A king’s wrath is a messenger of death,
and whoever is wise will appease it.
  In the light of a king’s face there is life,
and his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain.
How much better to get wisdom than gold!
To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
The highway of the upright avoids evil;
those who guard their way preserve their lives.
  Pride goes before destruction,
and a haughty spirit before a fall.
It is better to be of a lowly spirit among the poor
than to divide the spoil with the proud.
  Those who are attentive to a matter will prosper,
and happy are those who trust in the LORD. 

Silence for meditation.

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets,
but in these last days God has spoken to us by the Son.

GOSPEL
Matthew 19:16-22

Then someone came to him and said, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness;  Honor your father and mother; also, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “I have kept all these; what do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

Silence for meditation.

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets,
but in these last days God has spoken to us by the Son.

MESSAGE

Just a few reflections. Today we opened with a jazzy rendition of Rise, O Sun of Righteousness. Ever since the COVID pandemic it has felt strange. It has been strange spending so much time alone; strange having COVID tests, even for simple routine tests; strange not having the congregation altogether for worship; strange doing everything over Zoom. So, it was the third verse of the hymn especially spoke to me:

Gather in your scattered flock;
give us water from the rock.
Bless the unity we share
in our shepherd's loving care. 
Have mercy, Lord.

It does seem Good Shepherd’s flock is a bit scattered. What I mean is, although I know we are still are the church, many of us are either afraid or unable to worship together;  in-house worship is limited; and the church doors are locked during the day. Yes, we can ring the bell and wait to be let in, but it just isn’t the same. We offer virtual worship, but that isn’t the same as being together, we offer Zoom experiences and while it is fun to see and talk to each other, it just isn’t the same.

But what is a delight to me are the few times when we can get together—Worship in the Park, Oktoberfest, and in-house worship—even if attendance is limited or has been a fraction of it once was. Yes, we still are the church, unified by Christ our Lord. We know we are under our Good Shepherd’s care and by His love for us.

Love is what stood out to me about these lessons. Loving the Lord by the way we live our lives, obey God’s commandments, and by conducting our ways in the upside-down way Jesus taught us to be—with humility, not pride, with righteousness not greed or wealth, wisdom rather than power or money; trusting in the Lord rather than the ways of the world. 

In the gospel reading it says, someone approached Jesus and asked him, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good.”  We have the commandments to guide into the way of love—love of God and love for others. And as Martin Luther realized, no one can be completely good. It is by God’s grace we are saved. To be a follower of Jesus means that we choose to and learn to live in the upside-down kingdom of God. In other words to choose life, love, humility, wisdom, trust, and righteousness. With our loving Lord Jesus living in and through us we give others glimpses of heaven on earth. Being a disciple of Jesus is a life-journey of learning, growing, and living out our faith.

I know these long days of living with the pandemic are depressing for many. We still do not have an end in sight, but if we can tap into some way we as a congregation can come together by reaching out to members we haven’t seen or talked to in a long time, perhaps Jesus’ light and love will enlighten the lives of others, as well as, our own. So, have no fear,  little flock…which reminds me of another hymn:

Have no fear, little flock;
have no fear, little flock,
for the Father has chosen
to give you the kingdom;
have no fear, little flock!

And it goes on to say, for the Father will keep you in his love forever; he stoops down to heal you, uplift and restore you; and, he stays close beside you, in all things works with you. These are comforting words. Which brings me back to the last verse of our opening hymn which is our prayer:

Honor, praise, and glory be
to the holy Trinity!
May your gracious will be done:
make us one, as you are one.
Have mercy, Lord. 

In Christ,
Pastor Harkness

THE GOSPEL CANTICLE

Refrain:

In the tender compassion of our God the Dawn from on high shall break upon us.

Blessed are you, Lord, the God of Israel,
you have come to your people and set them free.
You have raised up for us a mighty Savior,
born of the house of your servant David. Refrain

Through your holy prophets, you promised of old
to save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us;
you promised to show mercy to our forebears
and to remember your holy covenant. Refrain

This was the oath you swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship you without fear,
holy and righteous before you, all the days of our life. Refrain

And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
For you will go before the Lord to prepare the way,
to give God's people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins. Refrain

In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace. Refrain

PRAYERS

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

Let us pray,
Mighty God of mercy, we thank you for the resurrection dawn, bringing the glory of our risen Lord who makes every day new.
Especially we thank you—
for the sustaining goodness of your creation . . .
for the new creation in Christ and all gifts of healing and forgiveness . . .
for the gifts of relationship with others . . .
for the communion of faith in your church . . .

Merciful God of might, renew this weary world, heal the hurts of all your children, and bring about your peace for all in Christ Jesus, the living Lord.
Especially we pray—
for those who govern nations of the world especially our president and governors . . .
for the people of our country, for the restoration of peace, and for justice . . .
for the people in countries ravaged by strife or warfare . . .
for all who work for peace and international harmony . . .
for all who strive to save the earth from carelessness and destruction . . .
for the church of Jesus Christ in every land . . .

Almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us in safety to this new day. Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor be overcome in adversity. In all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

LORD’S PRAYER

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

Let us bless the Lord
Thanks be to God.

BENEDICTION

Almighty God, the Father,  ☩  the Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless and preserve us. Amen

HYMN
In the Morning When I Rise
Give Me Jesus (Verses 1-4)

1. In the morning when I rise,
in the morning when I rise,
in the morning when I rise,
give me Jesus.

Refrain
Give me Jesus,
give me Jesus.
You may have all the rest,
give me Jesus.

2. Dark midnight was my cry,
dark midnight was my cry,
dark midnight was my cry,
give me Jesus.  Refrain

3. Just about the break of day,
just about the break of day,
just about the break of day,
give me Jesus.  Refrain

4. Oh, when I come to die,
oh, when I come to die,
oh, when I come to die,
give me Jesus.  Refrain

5. And when I want to sing,
and when I want to sing,
and when I want to sing,
give me Jesus.  Refrain

Text: African American spiritual

Copyright © 2020 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #SB125183.