Prelude
Announcements
Call to Worship and Confession and Forgiveness
Each person gathered here today is someone’s child.
People of God: We praise God for the women who gave us life.
For mothers brave, strong, compassionate, full of wisdom and grace,
People of God: We give God thanks and praise.
For mothers vulnerable, worried, frustrated, and hurried,
People of God: We pray for peace.
For relationships that are strained and are not a source of joy,
People of God: We pray for healing.
For mothers who have died and are no longer with us, but whose lights shine in our hearts and memories,
People of God: We pray for those who mourn, and give God thanks for life eternal.
For mothers who grieve, who have lost children born or unborn,
People of God: We weep with those with broken hearts.
For those who are struggling to raise children, who are tired and weary,
People of God: We pray that we may be their village, offering real help in hard times.
For those who are preparing emptier nests,
People of God: We both celebrate and mourn with you, and hope their wings are as strong as their roots are deep.
For stepmothers who are navigating the pitfalls and joys of creating a new family,
People of God: We pray for wisdom and patience.
For grandmothers who are doing the hard work of raising children again,
People of God: We pray all caregivers have those who care for them.
For those who are waiting and sometimes struggling with the biological process to bring new life, and for those who are waiting for adoptive processes to be fulfilled,
People of God: We wait eagerly with you, and offer you our hands to hold in the meantime.
For women who do not have children, but instead teach, lead, care for, support, and guide the children of others,
People of God: We give God thanks and praise.
For the mothers, sisters, daughters in our midst and around the world. For the women who, created in the image of God, give not just life, but abundant life. For women fighting, struggling, and sweating for the sake of others. For women caring, compassionate, and crying with the heart of Christ. For the caregivers, prophets, preachers, teachers, leaders, shepherds, healers. For moms, in their wide varieties and many forms,
People of God: We give God thanks and praise.
Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God, by whose hand we are given new birth, by whose speaking we are given new life. People of God: Amen
Joined to Christ in the waters of baptism, we are welcomed, restored, and supported as citizens of the new creation.
Let us give thanks for the gift of baptism. Holy God, holy and merciful, holy and mighty, you are the river of life, you are the everlasting wellspring. In mercy and might you have freed us from death and raised us with Jesus, the firstborn of the dead. In baptismal waters our old life is washed away, and in them we are born anew.
Water may be poured into the font as the presiding minister continues.
Glory to you for oceans and lakes, for rivers and streams. Honor to you for waters that wash us clean, quench our thirst, and nurture both crops and creatures. Praise to you for the life-giving water of baptism, the outpouring of the Spirit of the new creation.
People of God: Wash away our sin and all that separates us from you. Empower our witness to your resurrection. Strengthen our resolve in seeking justice for all.
Satisfy the world’s need through this living water. Where drought dries the earth, bring refreshment. Where despair prevails, grant hope. Where chaos reigns, bring peace. We ask this through Christ, who with you and the Spirit reigns forever. People of God: Amen
Gathering Hymn
ELW #765 Lord of all Hopefulness
Prayer of the Day
Assisting Minister: Let us pray. Gracious God, you have welcomed all people into your kingdom. Remove from us the barriers that we build to keep people from you, so that all might live in your grace and peace. We pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. People of God: Amen
Reading Romans 3:28 and 5:1-11
Assisting Minister: For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law. Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. The word of the Lord. People of God: Thanks be to God
Sermon Rev. Sarah Wilson
Hymn
ELW #723 Canticle of the Turning
Prayers of the People
Assisting Minister: Let us pray for the needs of the church and the world to God who raised Jesus to new life.
A brief silence.
Assisting Minister: Pour your love on the church, O God; and make us bold in our proclamation of reconciliation found in the blood of Christ. Lord, in your mercy, People of God: hear our prayer.
Assisting Minister: Pour your love on fields and streams, oceans and mountains, O God; and move us to work for the healing of all creation. Lord, in your mercy, People of God: hear our prayer.
Assisting Minister: Pour your love on the nations, O God; and bring your love to bear on our systems of justice and government that all might know peace and prosperity. Lord, in your mercy, People of God: hear our prayer.
Assisting Minister: Pour your love on those who are despairing, O God; and show us how best to offer comfort and hope. Lord, in your mercy, People of God: hear our prayer.
Assisting Minister: Pour your love on the sick, O God, especially Trish, Susan, Grace, Alice, Gus, Faith, Denise, Leslie, Norma, Brian, Scott, Jessica, Alicia, Jeanne, Barb, Cecil, Stan, Marlene, Ryleigh, Dylan, Sandy, Hopie, the Bredemus family, Allen, Bunny, the Vogt family, Patricia, Michael, Nicholas and his family, Beth, Betty, Tom, Kara, and those we name silently or aloud; and bring peace and comfort to the dying. Lord, in your mercy, People of God: hear our prayer.
Assisting Minister: Pour your love on this assembly, O God; and deepen our faith and trust in your eternal promises of life and salvation. Lord, in your mercy, People of God: hear our prayer.
Please offer your own prayers of joy or concern, ending with “Lord, in your mercy,”
We respond with “hear our prayer.”
Assisting Minister: Pour your love on all the saints, O God; and keep us on the path they have trod, the path that leads to light eternal with them and with you. Lord, in your mercy, People of God: hear our prayer.
Through the resurrection of your son, O God, you destroy the power of death and remove your people’s shame. By the power of the Spirit, raise us from sin and seat us at the paschal feast, that we may rejoice in the gift of salvation Jesus has won for us. People of God: Amen.
Children’s Sermon Mike Parmele
The Peace (Please share peace by waving or showing the peace sign.)
The peace of Christ be with you always. People of God: And also with you.
Offering
Let us pray. Generous God, in this meal you offer your very self. We give thanks for these gifts of the earth. In the breaking of this bread, reveal to us the Risen One. In the pouring of this wine, pour us out in service to the world; through Christ our Lord. People of God: Amen
Communion
The Lord be with you.
People of God: And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
People of God: We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People of God: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread and gave thanks; he 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.
And now let us pray with confidence in the words that Jesus taught us:
People of God: 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
Assisting Minister: Come and know Christ, broken and poured out for you.
For our at-home worshippers, you may take communion using these words:
The body of Christ, given for you.
The blood of Christ, shed for you.
Communion Songs
ELW #485 I am the Bread of Life
ELW #759 My Faith looks up to Thee
ELW #482 I Come with Joy
ELW #860 I’m so Glad Jesus Lifted Me
Table Blessing
And now may the body and blood of our ☩ Lord, Jesus Christ, strengthen you and keep you in his grace. People of God: Amen
Prayer after Communion
Assisting Minister: Let us pray. Gracious God, in you we live and move and have our being. With your word and this meal of grace, you have nourished our life together. Strengthen us to show your love and serve the world in Jesus’ name. People of God: Amen
Blessing The God of all, who raised ☩ Jesus from the dead, bless you by the power of the Holy Spirit to live in the new creation. People of God: Amen
Sending Hymn
ELW#787 On Eagle’s Wings
Dismissal
Assisting Minister: Go in peace. Serve the Risen One. People of God: Thanks be to God.
Thank you to those serving us today
Pastor: Rev. Sarah Wilson
Worship Assistant: Janet Dorn
Acolyte: Daniel Whyte
Music: Gloria Peetz ~ Song Leader: Jordan Devine
Altar Guild: Dianne Brooks
Usher/Greeter: Andy Taylor & Bob Kubas
Sound Board: Nancy Rochford
Producer: Mark Gates ~ Graphics: Dawna Gates
Counters: Marianne Barstow & Denise Ulaszek
From sundaysandseasons.com. Copyright © 2023 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved
Gathering litany written by Rev. Robb McCoy at https://fatpastor.me/2015/05/06/mothers-day-litany/