Eighteenth SUNDAY after PENTECOST
October 9, 2022
The Rev. Joshua Heimbuck, Pastor
WELCOME
Welcome to Grace Lutheran Church! This is a place of prayer for all who love and serve the Lord. We pray that through this hour of prayer and praise you will be strengthened in faith and life as you serve the Lord. May today’s worship be a blessing to you as he reveals his love for you and assures you of his presence in your life. Guests and visitors, please honor us by signing our Guest Book located on the table in the entrance hall of the church as you leave. The fellowship of this morning continues with a Coffee/Fellowship Hour following worship. Do join us and let us become better acquainted with you as you get to know us better. If you have no church home of your own in the area, we invite you to make Grace Lutheran Church the center of your worship, learning, fellowship, and service. Pastor Josh or the lay assistant for the day will be happy to answer any questions you may have concerning our parish. Come to worship with us again and often!
AS WE GATHER Returning Thanks
God cares for his people with unwavering faithfulness. Even when we are faithless, he still remains faithful. God’s deliverance is our stronghold—the constant hope that diminishes fear and swells our confession, “Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise.” Still, we are too easily distracted by our responsibilities. In worship, we are immersed in God’s Word and Sacraments. But during the week, we often treat God’s grace as a once-a-week prescription—too easily forgotten. The Gospel for today, which records the faith of the Samaritan leper, encourages our own fervent gratitude to God for the life of faith his Word creates and nourishes within us.
PRAYER BEFORE WORSHIP
God our Father, you see how busy we are with many things. Turn us to listen to your teachings and lead us to choose the one right thing which will not be taken away from us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
+ THE ORDER of CELEBRATING +
With One Voice Setting
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC
CHIMES
WELCOME
PRELUDE Hymn of Our Protector — By Donna J. Krieger, Tatsiana Asheichyk, Piano
SONG Shout to the Lord
INVOCATION & CONFESSION
In the Name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins,
and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Let us therefore make confession of our sins, attentive to the gracious word of our God.
+ A Brief Silence for Reflection +
Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in our thinking, our speaking, and our doing. We truly deserve your wrath and punishment. Have mercy on us, O Lord. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, make us clean, that we may rise to live before you in righteousness and true holiness.
If we have died with Christ, we shall also live with him. For his sake and by his authority, I declare to you the full forgiveness of all your sins in the Name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Forgiven and reconciled by God, let us be reconciled with one another and share the peace of our Lord as we greet one another.
SHARING of PEACE
[The congregation is encouraged to share the peace of Christ and greet one another with the words: “The Lord’s peace be with you.” The response: “And also with you.”]
KYRIE
Refrain: Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison
Lord Jesus, you came to gather the nations into the peace of
God’s Kingdom.
Refrain
You came in Word and Sacrament to strengthen us in holiness.
Refrain
You will come in glory with salvation for your people.
Refrain
You will come in glory with salvation for your people.
Refrain
PRAYER of THE DAY
Almighty and merciful God, your bountiful goodness fills all creation. Keep us safe from all that may hurt us, that, whole and well in body and spirit, we may with grateful hearts accomplish all that you would have us do, through Jesus Christ, your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
FIRST LESSON 2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15
[Naaman, a Syrian general, suffers from leprosy. In this passage Elisha miraculously cures his illness, but only after Naaman realizes, with the help of his servants, that he also needs healing for his pride. This foreign general then acknowledges the sovereignty of the God of Israel.]
Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor
with his master, because by him the LORD had given victory to Aram. The man, though
a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy. Now the Arameans on one of their raids had
taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She
said to her mistress, “If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”
When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to give
death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look
and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me.”
But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he
sent a message to the king, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me,
that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel.” So Naaman came with his horses
and chariots and halted at the entrance of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger to
him, saying, “Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and
you shall be clean.” But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, “I thought that
for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God,
and would wave his hand over the spot and cure the leprosy! Are not Abana and
Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?” He turned and went away in a rage. But his servants approached
him and said to him, “Father, if the prophet commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, ‘Wash and be clean?’” So, he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean.
Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company; he came and stood before
him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel.”
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
GRACE CHOIR One Faith, One Hope, One Lord — By Craig Courtney
Tatsiana Asheichyk, Piano
SECOND LESSON 2 Timothy 2:8-15
[Though Paul is chained as a prisoner, he reminds Timothy that the word of God is never shackled or confined. He encourages his young friend to proclaim the word of freedom in an honest and upright life as well as in his teaching and preaching.]
Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David—that is my gospel,
for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. Therefore, I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we
will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.
Remind them of this and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth.
The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Celtic Alleluia
GOSPEL Luke 17:11-19
The holy Gospel is written in the 17th chapter of Luke.
Glory to You, O Lord
[Jesus’ mission includes making the unclean clean again. Unexpectedly, a cleansed Samaritan leper becomes a model for those who would praise and worship God and give thanks for God’s mercy.]
On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”
The gospel of our Lord.
Praise to You, O Christ!
SONG of THE DAY Give Thanks
HOMILY Give Thanks With a Grateful Heart Pr. Josh Text: The Gospel Lesson
APOSTOLIC CREED
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His 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 into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence 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 THE CHURCH
OFFERINGS are BROUGHT FORWARD
OFFERTORY PRAYER
Gracious God, you open your hand, filling our lives with all good things
and renewing the face of the earth. We offer the first-fruit gifts of all that
we have and are in thanksgiving for the many blessings we have received
from your bounty. Accept them for the sake of him who offered his life for
us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
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 him thanks and praise.
Holy God, mighty Lord, gracious Father, endless is your mercy and
eternal is your reign. You have filled all creation with light and life;
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
When sin scarred the world, you sent your Son to heal our ills and
to form us again as one.
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 which is given
for you. Do this in 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 in remembrance of me.
Remembering his life and death, his resurrection and ascension, and his
command to love one another, we pray for his coming again.
Come, Lord Jesus, live in us that we may live in you.
Send now, we pray, your Spirit, that all of your promises may come to us
and your whole creation.
Amen. Come, Holy Spirit.
Through him all glory and honor are yours, Almighty Father, with the Holy
Spirit, in your holy Church, both now and forever. Amen
Lord, remember us in your kingdom and teach 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
PAX DOMINI
The peace of the Lord be with you always. And also with you.
SONG
DISTRIBUTION of THE LORD’S SUPPER
COMMUNION HYMN What Is This Bread
DISMISSAL
PRAYER of THANKSGIVING
We give thanks to you, faithful God, for feeding us with this one heavenly food. Transform us through this meal into the likeness of your Son, and unite us in love for one another, that we may be your body in the world as we seek the lost; in Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen
BLESSING
SONG Sent Forth by God’s Blessing
DISMISSAL
Go in peace. Serve the Lord. Thanks be to God.
+ The Worship is Over. Let the Service Begin! +
ACKNOWLEGEMENTS: Shout to the Lord, Text: Darlene Zschech, Text & Music copyright 1993 Darlene Zschech/Hillsong Australia, admin. Integrity Music, Inc.; Kyrie eleison, Text & Music: Larry Olson, Text & Music copyright 1989 Dakota Road Music ; Bless his holy name, Text & Music: Andrae Crouch, Text & Music copyright 1973 Bud John Songs, Inc., admin. EMI Christian Music Publishing; Canticle of the turning, Text: Rory Cooney, Music: Irish traditional, adapt. Rory Cooney, Text & Music copyright 1990, GIA Publications; The trees of the field, Text: Steffi Geiser Rubin, Music: Stuart Dauermann, Text & Music copyright 1975 Lillenas Publishing Co., admin. The Copyright Company. ccli license 540181
Grace Notes
THE PRESENCE of CHRIST is celebrated in The Lord’s Supper. He comes to us in a real and present way with his life-giving body and blood in the bread and wine to assure us of our forgiveness and to strengthen our faith and service. All who trust and believe the words “given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins” are welcome. Come, receive Christ’s presence in the meal prepared for you. Enjoy his presence.
JOB OPENING — Grace Lutheran Church has an opening for an Administrative Assistant. The position is part time, 15 — 20 hours per week, Tuesday through Thursday, 9:30 am to 3:00 pm with a half hour lunch. Please request job description and/or send resumes to gracelutheranashland@gmail.com.
CELEBRITY ALL-STAR 2022 CLASSIC — The ROC Recovery Center is holding a fundraiser on Saturday, October 15th at the Harry & David ballpark. The ROC is a faith-based charitable organization that is committed to meet the needs of those struggling with addiction behavior, mental illness, domestic violence, homelessness or emotional trauma in our community. Watch the All-Star Celebrity Softball Game “Battle of the Badge” where hometown celebrities such as NBA Kyle Singler (Detroit Pistons), NFL Chad Coda (Carolina Panthers), NBA EJ Singler (Portland Trailblazers), Race Car Driver Derek Deboer, join the fun as Medford vs. the Central Point Police Department. More information is posted on the bulletin board in the Administration Wing hallway, or go to rocrecoverycenter.org.
Annual fundraising Banquet — On Friday, October 21st the Pregnancy Center will hold their Annual Fundraising Banquet at the Jacksonville Presbyterian Church. More information is posted on the bulletin board in the Administration Wing hallway, or go to banquet2022.planningpod.com. Please make your reservations by October 13th.
This Week at Grace
MONDAY the 10th: Lay Ministry Meeting 1:00 pm
TUESDAY the 11th: Women’s Bible Study 10:00 am
Council Meeting 12:30 pm
WEDNESDAY the 12th: Choir Rehearsal 7:00 pm
SUNDAY, October 16th: Mite Box Sunday
Bible Discussions — Racism 8:45 am
Sunday School for All Ages 9:00 am
Worship 10:00 am
Coffee Connection 11:00 am
Grace Lutheran Church
660 Frances Lane
Ashland, OR 97520
541-482-1661
Pastor Joshua Heimbuck — heimbuck@me.com