Order of Worship
Seventh Sunday in Epiphany
February 23, 2025

 Mercy. Mercy. Mercy. Joseph lives it in Egypt. Jesus preaches it in the gospel. The Spirit guides us into merciful lives with the power of forgiveness to reconcile what is fractured and divided. Such merciful living is the baptismal blessing of having put on Christ. It is the gift of the life-giving Spirit. It is a reflection of God’s glory revealed in Christ.

+ GATHERING +

WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

PRELUDE

  His Eye Is On The Sparrow
Charles Gabriel arr. Mary McDonald

CONFESSIONS AND FORGIVENESS

In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Most merciful God,
we confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name.
Amen.

In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

GATHERING HYMN

All Creatures, Worship God Most High!
ELW 835

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

KYRIE    (page 184)

Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way,
Kyrie eleison, ev’ry day.

For peace in the world, for the health of the church, for the unity of all;
for this holy house, for all who worship and praise,
let us pray to the Lord, let us pray to the Lord

Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way,
Kyrie eleison, ev’ry day.

That we may live out your impassioned response to the hungry and the poor;
that we may live out truth and justice and grace,
let us pray to the Lord, let us pray to the Lord

Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way,
Kyrie eleison, ev’ry day.

For peace in our hearts, for peace in our homes, for friends and family;
for life and for love, for our work and our play,
let us pray to the Lord, let us pray to the Lord

Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way,
Kyrie eleison, ev’ry day.

For your Spirit to guide; that you center our lives in the water and the Word;
that you nourish our souls with your body and blood,
let us pray to the Lord, let us pray to the Lord

Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way,
Kyrie eleison, ev’ry day.

CANTICLE OF PRAISE    (page 149)

This is the feast of victory for our God.
Alleluia.

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 honor 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 honor 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
O Lord Jesus, make us instruments of your peace, that where there is hatred, we may sow love, where there is injury, pardon, and where there is despair, hope. Grant, O divine master, that we may seek to console, to understand, and to love in your name, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

+ READINGS +  

FIRST READING:    Genesis 45:3-11, 15
Many years after being sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, Joseph reveals himself to them. Now the second-in-command in Egypt, Joseph reassures his brothers that God has used their evil intentions for good to preserve life during a devastating famine, and Joseph forgives them.

³ Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence.
  ⁴ Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me.” And they came closer. He said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. ⁵ And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. ⁶ For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. ⁷ God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. ⁸ So it was not you who sent me here, but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. ⁹ Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. ¹⁰ You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. ¹¹ I will provide for you there—since there are five more years of famine to come—so that you and your household, and all that you have, will not come to poverty.’ ” ¹⁵ And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God. 

 PSALM:   Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40   (Read Responsively)

¹ Do not be provoked by evildoers;
  do not be jealous of those who do wrong.
² For they shall soon wither like the grass,
  and like the green grass fade away.
³ Put your trust in the Lord and do good;
  dwell in the land and find safe pasture.
⁴ Take delight in the Lord,
  who shall give you your heart’s desire. 
⁵ Commit your way to the Lord; put your trust in the Lord,
  and see what God will do.
⁶ The Lord will make your vindication as clear as the light
  and the justice of your case like the noonday sun.
⁷ Be still before the Lord and wait patiently.
  Do not be provoked by the one who prospers, the one who succeeds in evil schemes.
⁸ Refrain from anger, leave rage alone;
  do not be provoked; it leads only to evil. 
⁹ For evildoers shall be cut off,
  but those who hope in the Lord shall possess the land.
¹⁰ In a little while the wicked shall be no more;
  even if you search out their place, they will not be there.
¹¹ But the lowly shall possess the land;
  they will delight in abundance of peace.
³⁹ But the deliverance of the righteous comes from you, O Lord;
  you are their stronghold in time of trouble.
⁴⁰ You, O Lord, will help them and rescue them;
  you will rescue them from the wicked and deliver them, because in you they seek refuge. 

SECOND READING:    1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50
In the Apostles’ Creed, we speak of the “resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.” Using the metaphor of a planted seed and the story of Adam, Paul preaches passionately about the mystery of following Christ’s perfect life into eternity.

 ³⁵ But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” ³⁶ Fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. ³⁷ And as for what you sow, you do not sow the body that is to be, but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. ³⁸ But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body.
  ⁴² So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. ⁴³ It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. ⁴⁴ It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. ⁴⁵ Thus it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶ But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual. ⁴⁷ The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. ⁴⁸ As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. ⁴⁹ Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven.
  ⁵⁰ What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION    (page 188)

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

GOSPEL:   Luke 6:27-38
Jesus continues to address a crowd of his disciples. He invites his followers to shower radical love, blessing, forgiveness, generosity, and trust even on enemies and outsiders. Living in harmony with God’s intent brings the reward of overflowing blessing.

The holy gospel according to Luke.
Glory to you, O Lord.

 Jesus said: ²⁷ “But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. ²⁹ If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. ³⁰ Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. ³¹ Do to others as you would have them do to you.
  ³² “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ³³ If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ³⁴ If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. ³⁵ But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. ³⁶ Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
  ³⁷ “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; ³⁸ give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”

The gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.

SERMON       Pastor Jeannine Sweet

HYMN OF THE DAY    

This Little Light of Mine
ELW 677

APOSTLES’ CREED    (page 105)

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 THE PEOPLE

The peace of Christ be with you all.
And also with you.

We prepare now to receive our offerings as we return to God a portion of what God has entrusted to us.

  + MEAL +  

OFFERING
You may place your offerings in the offering plate as it is passed during the service.  Alternatively, some are using Tithe.ly for online giving or are using their bank’s online banking option.  Whichever way you choose to give, we are grateful for your stewardship and generosity.

ANTHEM

Let the Vineyards Be Fruitful
ELW 184

Let the vineyards be fruitful, Lord,
and fill to the brim our cup of blessing.
Gather a harvest from the seeds that were sown, 
that we may be fed with the bread of life.
Gather the hopes and dreams of all;
unite them with the prayers we offer.
Grace our table with your presence,
and give us a foretaste of the feast to come.

OFFERING PRAYER

God of all creation, all you have made is good, and your love endures forever. You bring forth bread from the earth and fruit from the vine. Nourish us with these gifts, that we might be for the world signs of your gracious presence in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.

    HOLY COMMUNION

THE GREAT THANKSGIVING   

DIALOGUE    (page 107)
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.

PREFACE

It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God, through our Savior Jesus Christ.

In the wonder and mystery of the Word made flesh you have opened the eyes of faith to a new and radiant vision of your glory, that, beholding the God made visible, we may be drawn to love the God whom we cannot see.

And so, with all the choirs of angels, with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

SANCTUS    (page 190)

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory,  full of your glory  
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest. 
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest. 

THANKSGIVING AT THE TABLE

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, 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.

LORD'S PRAYER    (page 145)

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

Taste and see that the Lord is good.

The baptized children of God are invited by the Lord to the Lord’s Table where we receive Jesus’ very body and blood in, with, and under the bread and wine. We commune at the communion rail where we receive the Body and Blood of Christ. Gluten free bread and grape juice are available. If you wish to commune, but cannot come forward, let an usher know and Pastor will come to you. If you do not wish to commune, you are welcome to come forward to receive a blessing. You may wish to remain at the rail for a time of personal prayer following which you may return to your pew down the side aisle.

AGNUS DEI    (page 146)

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
grant us peace, grant us peace, Lamb of God.

COMMUNION HYMNS

 Lord of Glory, You Have Bought Us
ELW 707

Lord of glory, you have bought us
with your lifeblood as the price,
never grudging for the lost ones
that tremendous sacrifice;
and with that have freely given
blessings countless as the sand
to the unthankful and the evil
with your own unsparing hand.

Grant us hearts, dear Lord, to give you
gladly, freely, of your own.
With the sunshine of your goodness
melt our thankless hearts of stone
till our cold and selfish natures,
warmed by you, at length believe
that more happy and more blessed
'tis to give than to receive.

Wondrous honor you have given
to our humblest charity
in your own mysterious sentence,
"You have done it all to me."
Naked, sick, in prison, hungry—
in the least, your face we view,
saying by your poor and needy,
"Give as I have giv'n to you."

Lord of glory, you have bought us
with your lifeblood as the price,
never grudging for the lost ones
that tremendous sacrifice.
Give us faith to trust you boldly,
hope, to stay our souls on you:
but, oh, best of all your graces,
with your love our love renew.

  I Come with Joy
ELW 482

BLESSING AFTER COMMUNION

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

We give you thanks, almighty God, that you have refreshed us through the healing power of this gift of life. In your mercy, strengthen us through this gift, in faith toward you and in fervent love toward one another; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

+ SENDING +  

SENDING SONG

Blest Be the Tie That Binds
ELW 656

BENEDICTION

The Lord bless us and keep us. 
The Lord’s face shine upon us, and be gracious unto us. 
The Lord’s countenance be upon us and give us peace, now and forevermore. 
Amen.

DISMISSAL
Go in peace and pray for the world.
Thanks be to God.

POSTLUDE

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Liturgical Text and Music from Evangelical Lutheran Worship, © 2006, 2020, 2022 Augsburg Fortress.  Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies License #SAS016761.  All rights reserved.

His Eye is On the Sparrow, Music: Charles H. Gabriel, 1856-1932., arr. Mary McDonald, b. 1956.    Music © 1994 Purifoy Publishing Company, All Rights Reserved.

All Creatures, Worship God Most High, Text: Francis of Assisi, 1182-1226; tr. composite Music: Geistliche Kirchengesänge, Köln, 1623.  Public domain.

This Little Light of Mine, Text and music: African American spiritual, Public domain. Arr. Horace Clarence Boyer, b. 1935.  Arr.© Horace Clarence Boyer, admin. Augsburg Fortress.  Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274.  All rights reserved.

Lord of Glory, You Have Bought Us, Text: Eliza S. Alderson, 1818-1889, alt. Music: Rowland H. Prichard, 1811-1887.  Public domain.

Make Me An Instrument of Thy Peace, Text: St. Francis of Assisi, 1181-1226. Public domain.  Music: Mary McDonald, b. 1956.  Music ©1986 Purifoy Publishing Company, assigned to  Lorenz Publishing Company, admin Music Services. Streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274.  All rights reserved.

Let the Vineyards Be Fruitful, Music: Ronald A. Nelson, b. 1927.  Text and music © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship, admin. Augsburg Fortress.  Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274.  All rights reserved.

Lord of Glory, You Have Bought Us, Text: Eliza S. Alderson, 1818-1889, alt. Music: Rowland H. Prichard, 1811-1887.  Public domain.

I Come With Joy, Text: Brian A. Wren, b. 1936. Text © 1971, rev. 1995 Hope Publishing Company.  Music: W. Walker, Southern Harmony, 1835;  arr. hymnal version.  Arr. © 2007 Augsburg Fortress.   Reprinted and/or streamed with permission under OneLicense #A-722274.  All rights reserved.

Blest Be the Tie That Binds, Text: John Fawcett, 1740-1817, alt. Music: Johann G. Nägeli, 1773-1836, adapt. Public domain.

To God Be the Glory, Music: Fanny J. Crosby, 1820-1915, Public domain, arr. Stan Pethel, b. 1950.  Arr. © FJH Music Company, All rights reserved.