St Ansgar Lutheran Church, London

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Sunday Morning

We invite you to join us for the following worship services:

Sundays
10:30 a.m. Worship service

Hand sanitizer will be available at the entrance and other locations in the church for
your use.

Washrooms will be available for use.

In the service: The service will be shown on the screen. The offering will not be gathered and presented, but there will be an offering plate at the back of the sanctuary where you can put your offering as you enter or leave. Pastor David distributes the communion wafers and an Assisting Minister distributes wine or grape juice in individual glasses.

We have coffee and fellowship time available again in Luther Hall after the service.

We will continue to evaluate our worship service procedures on a monthly basis.

TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY OF PENTECOST, OCTOBER 20, 2024

St. Ansgar Lutheran Church, Outline for Worship (with sermon)
Sunday, October 20, 2024 – Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost
Based on ELW Setting Four

GATHERING

WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS

BRIEF ORDER FOR CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
P: Blessed be the holy Trinity, + one God, who forgives all our sin, whose mercy
endures forever.
C: Amen.

P: Let us confess our sin and come to God for healing.

Silence is kept for reflection.

P: Gracious God,
C: have mercy on us. We confess that we have honoured you with our lips,
but have harmed our neighbours with our tongues.
The cravings at war within us cause conflicts and disputes.
In our desire to be first we make distinctions among ourselves.
We place the needs of the poor and the suffering last.
In your great mercy, forgive us our sins.
Draw near to us with grace in time of need, and turn us to follow in the way
of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.
Amen.

P: God promises to forgive our iniquity and to remember our sin no more. By
grace you have been saved. In the name of + Jesus Christ, the source of eternal
healing, your sins are forgiven.
C: Amen.

ENTRANCE HYMN - Lord, You Give the Great Commission (ELW #579)

GREETING
P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion
of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C: And also with you

KYRIE
A: In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.

A: For the peace from above, and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.

A: 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.
C: Lord, have mercy.

A: For this holy house, and for all who offer here their worship and praise,
let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.

A: Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
C: Amen.

HYMN OF PRAISE (sung) (ELW p. 149)
P: This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia.
C: Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain,
whose blood set us free to be people of God.
Power and riches and wisdom and strength,
and honour and blessing and glory are his.
This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia.
Sing with all the people of God
and join in the hymn of all creation:
Blessing and honour and glory and might
be to God and the Lamb forever. Amen.
This is the feast of victory for our God,
for the Lamb who was slain has begun his reign.
Alleluia. Alleluia.

PRAYER OF THE DAY
P: Let us pray.
P: Sovereign God, you turn your greatness into goodness for all the peoples
on earth. Shape us into willing servants of your kingdom, and make us desire
always and only your will, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.
Amen

WORD

FIRST READING: Isaiah 53:4-12
4 Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we
accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was
wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was
the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way,
and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed,
and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to
the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not
open his mouth. 8 By a perversion of justice he was taken away. Who could
have imagined his future? For he was cut off from the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people. 9 They made his grave with the
wicked and his tomb with the rich, although he had done no violence, and there
was no deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him
with pain. When you make his life an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring,
and shall prolong his days; through him the will of the LORD shall prosper.
11 Out of his anguish he shall see light; he shall find satisfaction through his
knowledge. The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous, and he
shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out himself
to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.

A: The word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.

PSALM 91: 9-16
9 Because you have made the Lord your refuge,
and the Most High your habitation,
10 no evil will befall you,
nor shall affliction come near your dwelling.
11 For God will give the angels charge over you,
to guard you in all your ways.
12 Upon their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion cub and viper,
you will trample down the lion and the serpent.
14 I will deliver those who cling to me;
I will uphold them, because they know my name.
15 They will call me, and I will answer them;
I will be with them in trouble; I will rescue and honour them.
16 With long life will I satisfy them,
and show them my salvation.

SECOND READING: Hebrews 5:1-10
1 Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things
pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
2 He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself
is subject to weakness; 3 and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his
own sins as well as for those of the people. 4 And one does not presume to
take this honour, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was.
5 So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was
appointed by the one who said to him, "You are my Son, today I have
begotten you"; 6 as he says also in another place, "You are a priest forever,
according to the order of Melchizedek." 7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus
offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one
who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his
reverent submission. 8 Although he was a Son, he learned obedience
through what he suffered 9 and having been made perfect, he became the
source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 10 having been designated
by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

A: The word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
C: Alleluia. Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
P: The Holy Gospel according to Mark 10:35-45
C: Glory to you, O Lord.

35 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him,
"Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." 36 And he said
to them, "What is it you want me to do for you?" 37 And they said to him,
"Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory."
38 But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you
able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am
baptized with?" 39 They replied, "We are able." Then Jesus said to them,
"The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am
baptized, you will be baptized; 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not
mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared." 41 When the
ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. 42 So Jesus
called them and said to them, "You know that among the Gentiles those whom
they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants
over them. 43 But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great
among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wishes to be first among
you must be slave of all. 45 For the Son of Man came not to be served but
to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."

P: The Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to you, O Christ.

SERMON
Mark 10:35-45
Let us pray: May the words of my mouth, and the prayers of our hearts,
always be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, our Strength, and our Redeemer.
AMEN
As parents, we look at our children with love and pride and want to give
them almost anything they ask for if we have the means to provide it.
And there are times when we must say, “No.” We don’t do it to be mean,
to be disagreeable, or simply to exert authority. We say “No” because we
love our children, because their health and safety are dependent upon us,
especially when they are young. All of this is in the unwritten job
description of parenthood.
Let us consider for a few minutes this morning that God sometimes says,
“No,” to us for the very same reasons. Not because God is mean,
or because God wants to exert God’s authority, but rather, because God
loves all the ones in God’s care. Our very lives are dependent upon God.
Wherever we are in life’s journey today, may we know God’s tender touch
upon our life, in days when prayers are answered, and in those days when
we think our prayers are not answered.
A good prayer would be: “Lord Jesus, we go through this life thinking that
we know what is good for us. May you interrupt such self-sufficient thought
and guide us to those things that are not simply good for us, but to those
things that are the best for us. In your name we pray. AMEN”
In our Gospel lesson this morning, Jesus is continuing on his way to
Jerusalem, where he would soon die on the cross. But the disciples did
not get it. The disciples never seemed to get it. And maybe that is why
two of Jesus’ closest disciples, James and John, felt comfortable enough
to approach Jesus and say to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us
whatever we ask of you.” Such boldness! Such self-centredness on the
part of these two disciples. In other words, they are saying, “Jesus,
we want a blank cheque. We want what we want, and we want it now!”
If our children would have said this to us, we surely would have sent them to
“time out” in their bedrooms. But Jesus was so patient with James and John.
“What is it you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. And the two disciples said,
“Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.”
They did not realize the sacrifice that awaited them in the near future.
The disciples could not see the big picture, so they settled for the narrow one.
But Jesus knew better, and he told them so. “You do not know what you
are asking,” Jesus said. Jesus concludes his response to this request saying,
“...to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those
for whom it has been prepared.” In other words, the answer is, “No.” I am
sure James and John were upset with Jesus for denying their request,
but I am also sure that it all made sense to them on that first Good Friday,
when they realized that Jesus was merely protecting them.
And it seems to be the same with our children as well. As they grow older,
they, too, begin to realize the value of the way we disciplined them. As they
have children of their own, we watch them do battle with their children over
the very same issues we did battle with them. It is divine retribution at its best!
Ultimately, they see the big picture that they could not see as children.
It has been said that perspective is everything.
Let’s take a moment to think about our own personal prayer life. Those times
when we get down on our knees and pray to God with a demand that sounds
strangely like that of James and John. “God, I want you to do whatever I ask.”
Heal my friend, give me that job, make him/her love me, save my marriage,
help me win this game, let me win the lottery.” Prayers come in all shapes
and sizes and degrees of urgency, but essentially, they are all the same.
“Lord, I want you to do whatever I ask.” I confess, I have prayed those prayers.
My guess is that we have all prayed those prayers. And they are not bad prayers.
In fact, when we pray, we are doing exactly what Jesus has invited us to do.
The fatal flaw comes when we wait to see if God will answer those prayers
in the way we want God to answer them, and then judge God’s response.
It seems to me that God always answers prayer. God always answers prayer,
but when the answer is one we do not want, we tend to think it is a non-answer.
What is more difficult, when the answer is, “No,” or when there seems to
be no answer? Let us look more closely at some of the ways God answers prayer,
and how those answers affect our lives.
One way that God answers prayers is with an obvious “Yes!” Everyone is
a believer when God says, “Yes.” Sometimes it seems God’s answers are
slow in coming, but maybe they are not slow by God’s standards. One of
the other ways God answers prayers is, “Not yet.” Perhaps you have been
bringing an issue to God for years, but without resolution. Same prayer,
same pain, same result. Keep praying. Keep laying your requests before God.
“Not yet,” may turn into, “Yes.” To do anything less than to continue praying
would be to doubt the power and the grace of God.
Doubt is a natural part of our lives, and if we are honest in prayer we need
to share our doubt with God. But we also need to be open to seeing where
God is at work. Doubt should not blind us to the places where God is active
in our lives. We can become so focused on where we think God isn’t that
we overlook where God is.
I also believe that God says, “No.” It is not that God is too busy to hear
everyone’s prayer, or that God is not attentive to our prayers. God does hear
every prayer. God sees what we cannot see. God knows what we cannot know.
We must trust in the wisdom of God. This is difficult when someone we
love is critically ill or dying, but we must remember, eventually God calls
each one of us home.
We may not agree with God’s answer, but we do believe God hears our prayers.
We don’t always get exactly what we ask for in prayer. That is obvious. But as
human beings, as God’s children, we must ask because God desires our honesty.
In a sense, such an intimate relationship with God is the answer to our prayers.
All of us stand before a loving God who wants the best for each one of us.
What we cannot see, we one day will understand, but for now, trusting the
One to whom we pray is what we are called to do in faith.
AMEN

Silence is kept for reflection.

HYMN OF THE DAY – Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service (ELW #712)

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 Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.*
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
A: Challenged by God’s Word in Christ, let us pray for the church, the world, and
the whole creation.
A: God of our church, send forth your Spirit as we pray for our National Bishop
Susan Johnson. Empower her with your wisdom to lead the church. We also
pray for our Synod Bishop Carla Blakley and the Eastern Synod Office and
Support Staff. God of grace,
C: hear our prayer.

A: Holy One, we give thanks for all servant leaders of the church. Bless bishops,
pastors, and deacons with humble wisdom and ground them in your love.
God of grace,
C: hear our prayer.

A: Creative One, we give thanks for the delicate balance of the natural world.
Kindle in us a spirit of caring strength in the preservation of habitats, food
availability, and centres of refuge, that all wildlife may thrive. God of grace,
C: hear our prayer.

A: Empowering One, fill the leaders of governments with a spirit of service
that prioritizes those on the margins due to job loss, underemployment,
unsafe working conditions, and immigration status. May economic equity
be achieved for all people. God of grace,
C: hear our prayer.

A: Restoring One, send your angels to watch over, rescue, and protect
those who are injured or ill. Nurse those who suffer hardship, disease,
injury, or difficulty with your comfort and peace, especially Beth, Jean,
Mary Margaret, Kristine, Peter and Shirley, Karen, and those others who
are in our hearts. We also pray that you will comfort Lyra and her family
as they mourn the passing of Lyra's sister, Eileen. God of grace,
C: hear our prayer.

A: Abiding One, you call pastors to shepherd the congregation toward faithful
living as servants and followers of Jesus. Inspire all ordained ministers and
seminarians to ministry that challenges, engages, and comforts those in
their care. God of grace,
C: hear our prayer.

A: Merciful God, we pray for peace as war continues to rage in Ukraine and
in Israel and Gaza. Shelter all living in fear; protect those seeking refuge in
neighbouring countries; sustain families separated by the horrors of war;
tend to those who are injured; comfort all who mourn their dead. Direct your
people into the way of peace. God of grace,
C: hear our prayer.

A: Saving One, we give thanks for the disciples James and John and all saints
who have faithfully served you. We rejoice in a promised place at the feast of
victory that we receive by your grace alone. God of grace,
C: hear our prayer.

A: Into your hands, O God, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in the
saving grace you freely give, both now and forever.
C: Amen.

PEACE
P: The peace of Christ be with you always.
C: And also with you.

LORD’S PRAYER
P: Lord, remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray.
C: 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.

SENDING

BLESSING
P: God all mighty, God most merciful + bless you, keep you, and give you peace.
C: Amen.

SENDING HYMN – O Christ, Our Hope (ELW #604)

DISMISSAL
A: Go in peace. Follow Jesus.
C: Thanks be to God.

DISMISSAL HYMN – The Lord Now Sends Us Forth (ELW #538)
Verse 1
The Lord now sends us forth
with hands to serve and give,
to make of all the earth
a better place to live. Repeat (2X)

Verse 2
The angels are not sent
into our world of pain
to do what we were meant
to do in Jesus' name;
that falls to you and me
and all who are made free.
Help us, O Lord, we pray,
to do your will today. Repeat (2X)