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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.
St. Ansgar Lutheran Church, Outline for Worship (with sermon)
FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, JULY 13, 2025
St. Ansgar Lutheran Church, Outline for Worship (with sermon)
Sunday, July 13, 2025 Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Based on ELW Setting Four
GATHERING
WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS
BRIEF ORDER FOR CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
P: In the name of the Father, and of the ☩ Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
P: Baptized into Christ, let us confess our sin.
Silence is kept for reflection.
P: Merciful God,
C: you free us to love others, but we neglect our neighbours and follow
our own way.
You lead us by the Spirit of joy and peace, but we turn away from the
abundant life you offer.
You surround us with patience, kindness, and generosity, but we grow
weary in doing what is right.
In your mercy, forgive us. Do not give up on us.
Heal us, break our bonds, and show us the path of life.
Amen.
P: You belong to Christ Jesus and you are God’s children through faith.
In the cross of ☩ Christ, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, your sins are
forgiven. Clothed with Christ, you are a new creation.
C: Amen.
ENTRANCE HYMN - Gather Us In (ELW #532)
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 (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: O Lord God, your mercy delights us, and the world longs for your
loving care. Hear the cries of everyone in need, and turn our hearts
to love our neighbours with the love of your Son, Jesus Christ,
our Saviour and Lord.
C: Amen
WORD
FIRST READING: Deuteronomy 30:9-14
9 and the LORD your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all your
undertakings, in the fruit of your body, in the fruit of your livestock, and in
the fruit of your soil. For the LORD will again take delight in prospering you,
just as he delighted in prospering your ancestors, 10 when you obey the
LORD your God by observing his commandments and decrees that are
written in this book of the law, because you turn to the LORD your God
with all your heart and with all your soul. 11 Surely, this commandment
that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away.
12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, "Who will go up to heaven for us,
and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?" 13 Neither is it
beyond the sea, that you should say, "Who will cross to the other side
of the sea for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?"
14 No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart
for you to observe.
A: The word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
PSALM: 25: 1-10
1 To you, O Lord,
I lift up my soul.
2 My God, I put my trust in you; let me not be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3 Let none who look to you be put to shame;
rather let those be put to shame who are treacherous.
4 Show me your ways, O Lord,
and teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation; in you have I trusted all the day long.
6 Remember, O Lord, your compasssion and love,
for they are from everlasting.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions;
remember me according to your steadfast love and for the
sake of your goodness, O Lord.
8 You are gracious and upright, O Lord;
therefore you teach sinners in your way.
9 You lead the lowly in justice
and teach the lowly your way.
10 All your paths, O Lord, are steadfast love and faithfulness
to those who keep your covenant and your testimonies.
SECOND READING: Colossians 1:1-14
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father. 3 In our prayers for you we
always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 for we have heard
of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints,
5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this
hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you.
Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been
bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly
comprehended the grace of God. 7 This you learned from Epaphras,
our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf,
8 and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit. 9 For this reason,
since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking
that you may be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom
and understanding, 10 so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord,
fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow
in the knowledge of God. 11 May you be made strong with all the strength
that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure
everything with patience, while joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father,
who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.
13 He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us
into the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption,
the forgiveness of sins.
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 Luke 10:25-37
C: Glory to you, O Lord.
25 Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he said, "what must
I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 He said to him, "What is written in the law?
What do you read there?" 27 He answered, "You shall love the Lord your
God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength,
and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself." 28 And he said to him,
"You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live." 29 But wanting to
justify himself, he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbour?" 30 Jesus replied,
"A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of
robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead.
31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him,
he passed by on the other side.32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the
place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan while
traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity.
34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine
on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and
took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the
innkeeper, and said, 'Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay
you whatever more you spend.' 36 Which of these three, do you think, was
a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?" 37 He said,
"The one who showed him mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."
P: The Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to you, O Christ.
SERMON
Rev. Christie Morrow-Wolfe
Assistant to the Bishop of the Eastern Synod of the ELCIC, with responsibility
for Public Policy & Service, Stewardship, and Youth & Young Adult Ministry.
Luke 10:25-37
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
It’s a dark and stormy, late summer evening. I am in my early teen years, sitting
in the back of the family minivan...likely pretending I wasn’t sitting in the back
of the family minivan...my two younger sisters are in the seats ahead of me;
my Dad is driving; my Mom is in the passenger seat. We are on our way back
from a late evening softball game that I was playing in, about 45 minutes away
from home. The game had finished just in time, as lightening began to flicker on
the horizon. We are about 10 minutes into our journey home, on the highway,
when all of a sudden, the wind picks up, making the sound of an oncoming
freight-train; the frequent flashes of lightening make it seem like daylight;
and the amount of rain makes it feel like we are stuck in an unending carwash.
The van is actually shuddering from the wind. It is a heart-stopping few minutes,
made all the more so when I overhear my Dad say to my Mom, “I don’t know
where we are. I can’t see a thing. Are we still on the road?” Keep in mind, this
was back in the day before cell phones or Google Maps or any kind of GPS.
We had no screen to map our place to let us know if we were indeed still on
the road, or whether we were off in the rhubarb somewhere. It seemed to me
that we were stuck in that deluge for about an hour, when in all reality, it was
actually only about 5 or 10 minutes or so...just a downburst. Eventually the
weather eased and we could proceed on our way home once again.
Now travelling with a family of my own, Google Maps is never far from reach.
This travel tool has rerouted us; warned us of traffic snarls, oncoming construction,
and guided us safely through unknown territory more times than I can count.
We can even check the weather! It has become an essential part of any road trip,
laying out a predictable path and providing us with the most efficient way to
get there. The only heart-stopping moments these days are when we lose
signal and the familiar voice from my phone ceases to talk to us...rendering us
“lost” for a moment or two.
The road down to Jerusalem from Jericho was a dangerous stretch.
You didn’t want to stop there. It wasn’t the place to pull over. In our modern day,
this proposed route on our Google Maps might prompt us to opt for a different
choice of paths laid out in our GPS to ensure our safe arrival. If he could,
the one in the ditch could attest to the fact that this was not the safest stretch
of road.
The story of the Good Samaritan is probably one of the most familiar stories in
the Bible. It may be one of the earliest stories we remember hearing in church
or Sunday School. The characters – the Priest, the Levite, the man in the ditch,
the Samaritan, and of course, Jesus and the lawyer all have a role to play.
In my recent reading and studying of this text, I was most struck, this time,
by the lawyer...or the Scribe. It seems like in his questions, the lawyer is
looking for a road map for salvation. He wants to hear about the proposed
route Jesus would take to maybe see how it compares the route he is most
familiar with. ‘What must I do to inherit eternal life, Jesus?’ or what is my
road map for getting there?
The Scriptures tell us that the lawyer was testing Jesus. It was his job as a
lawyer or a scribe, to be well versed in the laws of the Torah. And true to form,
the lawyer demonstrates that he did indeed know his stuff, reciting the law
without barely even thinking — “you shall love the Lord your God with all
your heart, and with all your soul and with all your strength, and with all
your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.” Even Jesus affirms this answer:
“You have answered correctly,” he says, “Do this and you will live.”
But the lawyer presses on...and he responds to Jesus with: “but who is
my neighbour?” And this is when Jesus uses a parable to blow the conversation
wide open, thereby stretching the lawyer’s understanding of a very familiar and
predicable “law,” imploring him to consider that law of loving God and neighbour
through the lens of love and Gospel. He understands the law on paper...
but does he know what it means to live it according to Jesus’ teachings?
So in the story Jesus tells, along come a Priest and a Levite on that dangerous,
lonely road. And they choose to ignore the beaten one in the ditch —
for whatever reason. Maybe they were afraid it was a trap...maybe they
were so bound by their own rules / laws and institution that they will not risk
getting bloodied and dirty by getting down in the ditch with the one in need.
Whatever their reason, they cannot and will not bring themselves to any
merciful action to help the person lying there so helpless, so they cross
the road and proceed on their way.
And then along comes the Samaritan — an outsider and sworn enemy,
and unlikely hero, going above and beyond to offer care and love to the one
in need. The Samaritan takes a risk by stopping on this dangerous road...
he shows compassion and mercy to one outside of his community; someone not
like him. He dresses the wounds of the man in ditch, and then he uses his own
resources to ensure continuing care so healing can occur.
In the telling of this parable, Jesus has changed the traditional rules. Can you
imagine what this did to the neatly ordered world of the lawyer as Jesus is telling
this story? This neatly ordered, well-versed world of the Scribe, with all his
studying of the Torah and knowledge of the laws as they existed in very concrete,
predictable terms! Can you imagine what Jesus’ teachings would do to the very
institution the lawyer was a part of? Jesus has changed the rules and veered off
a known course. The once familiar road map of life and order has been turned
upside down...the voice of the GPS now beckoning the traveller along a new
route and a new way home. Jesus has juxtaposed the Scribe’s understanding
of the law with Jesus’ understanding of the law.
Jewish philosopher, Martin Buber, has written that: “This kingdom of God [is]
the kingdom of danger and of risk, of eternal beginning and eternal becoming,
of opened spirit and deep realization, [a] kingdom of holy insecurity.” I love that...
the kingdom of holy insecurity.
Maybe this is what a journey of faith is all about. For it’s in the holy insecurity
and resulting vulnerability where our hearts are opened to see the other...
and to meet the other where they are at. To realize that we all share a
common humanity, and to come to terms with just how wide God continues
to draw the circle. Maybe this is where we move past the point of thoughts and
prayers ONLY and where we are spurred on to a faith lived out through holy
action and holy care and holy love. But, oh my, it can be so hard. Every day in
our walk of faith, we are faced with the decision to take risk...to become vulnerable...
to get down in the ditch of offering care, compassion, help, and hope....
Some days we do just that. Other days, we’re the Priest and the Levite,
crossing the road and hurrying on our way. Some days, we’re a really awesome
Good Samaritan...other days, not so much. But all days we are called by God’s
love to keep trying and to do as Jesus did and draw that circle wide and then
wider still.
Using Jesus’ route on our holy GPS means letting go of certainty; giving up
what might be easiest and safest and it frequently means getting messy.
In the Evolving Faith Podcast from May 25th of this year, Jeff Chu spoke
about the messy, unpredictable nature of faith...he says that we all cling
to clarity...but that faith calls us to let go of clarity and seek trust and lean
into trusting God instead. Doing so, he says, allows your mess to be messy;
it allows your heart to wonder; and your questions to morph into half answers
in their own good time because faith resists clear binaries. And what gets
us through in the meantime is growing to know and trust that we still have
God’s love. Through all the uncertainty, God’s love remains. God’s love is the
thing that makes everything whole. This is not our doing. This is God’s work.
And it’s God’s love that creates grace for what’s still in process. Even on those
days when we cannot feel God’s love in its completeness — the promise of this
love is enough and it helps us to embrace the uncertainty of faith each and
every day.
The story of the Good Samaritan is a story for travellers on the road. Through it,
Jesus provides us with a map – the GPS coordinates to the abundant and more
intimate life that God desires with each of us. Getting there is guaranteed
to be an adventure...it’s rarely a straightforward journey. Sometimes it’s risky;
oftentimes it’s uncertain, but it’s in this exact moment of vulnerability where
we meet and know God most readily...where we encounter God’s Spirit
already working ...already doing her thing. How blessed are we that she
takes us along for the ride...along Jesus’ chosen route of love, hope,
care and compassion. Along Jesus’ way home.
AMEN
Silence is kept for reflection.
HYMN OF THE DAY – Canticle of the Turning (ELW #723)
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: In solidarity with all creation, we join our voice to the voice of the whole
church and pray for the needs of the world.
A: God of our church, send forth your Spirit as we pray for our Bishops Susan
and Carla. Empower them with your wisdom to lead the church. We also pray
for the Thames Ministry area, especially Interim Pastor Paul Sodtke and the
people of Peace Christian Church, a Lutheran Fellowship in Chatham.
God of grace,
C: hear our prayer.
A: Saving God, awaken your church to your truth as it follows your path of love.
Encourage pastors, deacons, teachers, and seminarians, and lead them as
they seek to learn your ways. God of grace,
C: hear our prayer.
A: Prosper the harvests of fruit-bearing bushes, trees, and plants. Uphold farmers
and farm workers as they labour through summer days, and bring relief to lands
that are parched with heat. God of grace,
C: hear our prayer.
A: Instill in leaders of the world a strong love for their neighbours. Compel them
to govern with equity and to give aid and protection to people who are vulnerable,
especially strangers, migrants, and asylum seekers. God of grace,
C: hear our prayer.
A: Draw near to people in need of help, comfort, and healing, especially Beth,
Jean, Mary Margaret, Kristine, Karen, Emma, Cathy, Lene, and those others
who are in our hearts. Provide protection and aid to children who are unsafe
and undernourished while on summer break. God of grace,
C: hear our prayer.
A: Go with all who travel, and protect them from harm. Put in their paths
people who offer aid. We pray especially for the safety of first responders.
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: We give you thanks for all who have gone before us and have made
your love known. Help us to follow their witness as we await our share
in the inheritance of the saints. God of grace,
C: hear our prayer.
A: Trusting in your lovingkindness, we place our prayer and hope in you,
in the name of Jesus Christ.
C: Amen.
PEACE
P: The peace of Christ be with you always.
C: And also with you.
OFFERING PRAYER
A: Creator God, in your wisdom you bring forth all that is good and the
harvest is plentiful. Strengthen us at your table with these gifts of the earth
and our labour, that we may work for the good of all, through Jesus Christ,
our Saviour.
C: Amen.
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: The love of God abound in you; the grace of our Saviour Jesus Christ
fill your hearts; and the life of the Spirit ☩ bless you and give you peace.
C: Amen.
SENDING HYMN – Oh, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing (ELW #886)
DISMISSAL
A: Go in peace. Live by the Spirit.
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)
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