The Nineteenth Sunday after
Pentecost
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Prelude, Welcome, and Information Hymn
#624 Jesus, Still
Lead On |
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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. Psalm: Psalm 121 I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my
help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven
and earth. He will not
let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor
sleep. The Lord is
your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right
hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon
by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he
will keep your life. The Lord will
keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore. |
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The Lord be with you. And
also with you. Let us pray. O Lord God,
tireless guardian of your people, you are always ready to hear our cries.
Teach us to rely day and night on your care. Inspire us to seek your enduring
justice for all this suffering world, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and
Lord. Amen. |
Reading:
Genesis 32:22-31
A reading from the book of Genesis
The same night (Jacob) got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and
his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. He took them and
sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had.
Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When
the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip
socket; and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then
he said, “Let me go, for the day is breaking.” But Jacob said, “I will not let
you go, unless you bless me.” So he said to him, “What is your name?” And
he said, “Jacob.” Then the man said, “You shall no longer be called Jacob,
but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have
prevailed.” Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said,
“Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. So Jacob
called the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my
life is preserved.” The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping
because of his hip.
The Word of the Lord
Reading:
2 Timothy 3:14-4:5
A reading from the second letter to Timothy
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed,
knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known
the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith
in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for
teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in
righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped
for every good work.
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living
and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge
you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or
unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in
teaching. For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound
doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers
to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth
and wander away to myths. As for you, always be sober, endure suffering,
do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.
The Word of the Lord.
Gospel
Verse:
Alleluia! The word of God is
living and active, able to judge the thoughts and intensions of the heart.
Alleluia! (Heb. 4:12)
Gospel Reading: Luke 18:1-8
A reading from the Gospel of Luke
Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to
lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither
feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who
kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.’ For
a while he refused; but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God
and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I
will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually
coming.’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And
will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night?
Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant
justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on
earth?”
This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise
to you, O Christ.
Sermon
(added at the end of the document)
Hymn
#742 What a
Friend We Have in Jesus
Thanks and Offertory
Prayers of the Church:
God of all, you are the just judge who grants
justice to all who ask. Hear our prayers for the world, the church, and for all
people according to their needs.
[Short
pause]
God of justice
and mercy, it is your mercy we await. Keep us faithful in all things until we
stand before you. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
God of justice
and mercy, we pray for your justice in all things around us and trust in you to
grant it. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
God of justice
and mercy, continue to bless all who suffer from storms and bless all engaged
in recovery and rebuilding. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
God of justice
and mercy, be with all who work with their hands, their voices, or their minds.
Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
God of justice
and mercy, grant a just peace to the peoples of Ukraine and Russia and to all
who suffer the terrors and dangers of war anywhere. Lord, in your mercy, Hear
our prayer.
God of justice
and mercy, give merciful healing and health to all who still to struggle with
the COVID-19 virus. Strengthen all who work for healing in any way. Lord, in
your mercy, Hear our prayer.
God of justice
and mercy, we ask you to hear our unspoken prayers for so many we are concerned
about, both near and far… * … Lord, in your mercy, Hear
our prayer. {*Gail Mauer, Deb Kirschner, Diane Corns, Rose
Gotzmeister}
God of justice
and mercy, help us all to listen to your truth which is your mercy. Trusting in
that mercy and love, we commend
to you all for whom we pray, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hymn #775 Jesus, Priceless Treasure
The
Lord’s Prayer
Finally let
us pray for all things as our Lord would have us ask:
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.
Closing prayer & Benediction
Thank you, Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits and blessings which
you have given us. For all the pains and insults which you have borne for us.
Merciful
friend, brother, and redeemer, may we know you more clearly, love you more
dearly, and follow you more nearly, day by day. Amen.
Hymn
#790 Day by Day
Benediction & Sending
May the Lord
bless us and keep us.
May the
Lord’s face shine upon us with grace and mercy.
May the Lord
look upon us with favor and X give us peace.
Amen.
Go in peace. Serve the Lord. Thanks
be to God.
W
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Services
for the next few months will be in person or on YouTube and accessible from
an email link or our church Facebook page. Services for October and November are shown below: October 23
Service on YouTube, 11:00am October 30
Communion, Church, 11:00am (Reformation Sunday) November 6
Service on YouTube, 11:00am November 13
Communion, Saxonia Hall,11:00am (All Saints/service of remembrance) November 20 Service on YouTube, 11:00am (Christ the King) November 27
Communion, Church, 11:00am (First Sunday in Advent) |
I tell you, he will quickly grant
justice to them.
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The Old Testament
reading and the Gospel reading today have a similar theme – persistence.
·
First we see Jacob
standing alone, facing the warband of his brother at the ford of the Jabbok,
having sent his household away. That night, he wrestles with “a man” until daybreak,
when his opponent tries to leave. Jacob refuses to let go and is changed
forever. First, the “man” cheats and punches Jacob in the hip, dislocating the
joint, leaving him with a limp. (There’s no hitting in wrestling, despite what
you see on TV.) Second, Jacob asks for blessing and is given a new name,
“Israel” as one who had prevailed against both God and humans. In the
scripture, a new name means a new person. We know and Jacob/Israel comes to
know that he has been wrestling with God and he persisted in both the struggle
and the request for a blessing.
·
In the
Gospel, a judge – who really is so much not
unjust as completely impartial – will not hear the widow’s complaint. He
refuses to show favoritism to any one, human or divine. However he defers to
the widow, not out of justice or mercy, but that she may not wear me out by continually coming. (The
original is so much better: The judge defers to the widow because she might
“give me a black eye.”) So this judge gives in because the widow is, in short, annoying.
·
Jesus goes on
to tell his listeners And will not
God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay
long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them.
If a completely impartial judge of civil law would give in to a persistent
widow, will not a loving, compassionate, and merciful God not hear prayer and
act?
·
This is what
the parable is about; Then Jesus
told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. As
funny as it might be, the story of the judge is the vehicle for the message,
telling the disciples to persist in prayer, not because God needs convincing
but because we need to be constantly in that relationship with God that prayer embodies.
·
The story of
Jacob/Israel wrestling with God tells us a few things:
·
That God is
willing to wrestle with us.
·
That in the
struggle, God is quite real.
·
That this
encounter will lead to a changed life. (We might ask “when will my life
change?” All I can say is look at our own histories and life stories; I’d bet they
are full of changes.)
·
The Jewish
people have a long history of wrestling with God. They are the People of Israel
- for
you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed.
Their stories and the words of the prophets show. Jesus’ story shows it as
well, since he suffered in agony in the garden of Gethsemane. In this parable,
Jesus might be reassuring his disciples of God’s presence to them even in times
of persecution and loss. In truth, none of those things can separate us from
God’s love and care.
·
Christians
have contended with God in their own way. Luther suffered physical health
issues because of his stance on the Word of God. I’m also reminded of the
Spanish mystic and teacher, Theresa of Avila. While assisting with the effort
of freeing her mud-stuck carriage during a downpour, she received a vision of
Jesus, telling her “This is how I treat my friends.” Theresa replied “Maybe
that’s why you don’t have so many!”
·
We don’t need
to be anything but ourselves at prayer, so long as we are persistent. We might
struggle and we can still be sure from the beginning that the one we pray to is
compassionate and merciful, even before we ask!
I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them.
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