~ Mark 10:52

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Looking ahead, beginning Sunday, November 7, we will move to one service each Sunday at 9:30. We will continue to celebrate Holy Communion each week, and Adult Sunday School will follow worship. Please plan to join us in person or online each Sunday at 9:30.

Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God, who looks upon us in compassion, forgives our sin, and heals our lives.

Let us confess our sins to the one who welcomes us with an open heart.

Have mercy, O God,

As tender as parent to child, so deep is God’s compassion for you. As high as heaven is above earth, so vast is God’s love for you. As far as east is from west, so far God removes your sin from you, renewing your life through Jesus Christ. Blessed be God who crowns us with mercy and love.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Hymn of Praise verses 1, 3, and 5

The Lord be with you.

Let us pray. Almighty and ever-living God, increase in us your gift of faith, that, forsaking what lies behind and reaching out to what lies ahead, we may follow the way of your commandments and receive the crown of everlasting joy, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

First Reading Jeremiah 31:7-9   

⁷Thus says the Lord:

Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob,

and raise shouts for the chief of the nations;

proclaim, give praise, and say,

“Save, O Lord, your people,

the remnant of Israel.”

⁸See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north,

and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth,

among them the blind and the lame,

those with child and those in labor, together;

a great company, they shall return here.

⁹With weeping they shall come,

and with consolations I will lead them back,

I will let them walk by brooks of water,

in a straight path in which they shall not stumble;

for I have become a father to Israel,

and Ephraim is my firstborn.

Word of God. Word of life.

¹When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,

then were we like those who dream.

²Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy.

Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” 

³The Lord has done great things for us,

and we are glad indeed.

⁴Restore our fortunes, O Lord,

like the watercourses of the Negeb.

⁵Those who sowed with tears

will reap with songs of joy.

⁶Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed,

will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves. 

Gospel   Mark 10:46-52

⁴⁶As [Jesus] and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. ⁴⁷When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁸Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁹Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” ⁵⁰So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. ⁵¹Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” ⁵²Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

The peace of Christ be with you always.

Anthem The Morn of Gladness - arr. Earl R. Larson

God of abundance,

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... we praise your name and join in their unending hymn:

hallowed be thy name,

thy kingdom come,

thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

as we forgive those

who trespass against us;

but deliver us from evil.

and the power, and the glory,

The body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.

Let us pray. O God, in this holy communion you have welcomed us into your presence, nourished us with words of mercy, and fed us at your table. Amid the cares of this life, strengthen us to love you with all our heart, serve our neighbors with a willing spirit, and honor the earth you have made; through Christ our Lord.

Go in peace. You are the body of Christ.

Postlude

Next Sunday, October 31, we celebrate Reformation. When Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenburg, Germany on this date in 1517, he never imagined that it would lead to a whole new church! Likewise, on Reformation we don't celebrate the establishment of the Lutheran Church - we celebrate that God's Word always comes to us in new ways, comforting us, leading us, challenging us, and calling us. Come and wear red as we celebrate this wonderful day!

Join the conversation today at 9:30. The class will continue the study, Introduction to the Gospels. Even if you didn’t participated in the spring, you are welcome to join the class—each gospel overview stands on its own. We will be starting with an overview of the gospel of Matthew, sharing the background and context for the writing of that gospel.

Join us on Sundays at 9:30, in person in the fellowship hall. Bring your favorite version of the Bible. Should you be more comfortable joining remotely, Zoom log-in is:

Meeting ID: 892 4142 0205

Passcode: 891269

or click the link below.

Wednesday morning Bible Study is in full swing again Wednesday mornings at 9:00. Each week we talk about the upcoming lessons for Sunday, digging more deeply into God’s story of love and grace. No prior bible study experience is necessary. Our mornings are filled with conversation, laughter, questions, and fun. Plan to be a part of this wonderful way to grow in our faith! We meet on Zoom.

Meeting ID: 854 6566 1417

Passcode: 987872

or click the link below:

The Spirit Sends Us Forth to Serve, Text © 1993 Delores Dufner, admin. OCP Publications.  Reprinted by permission under OneLicense #A-714459.