Reformation Sunday
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Prelude, Welcome, and Information Hymn
#645 Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation |
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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 46 God is our refuge
and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore
we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of
the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its
tumult. There is a
river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in
the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns. The nations
are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The Lord of
hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Come,
behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the
earth. He makes
wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. “Be still,
and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted
in the earth.” The Lord of
hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. |
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The Lord be with you. And
also with you. Let us pray. Almighty God, gracious Lord, we
thank you that your Holy Spirit renews the church in every age. Pour out your
Holy Spirit on your faithful people. Keep them steadfast in your word,
protect and comfort them in times of trial, defend them against all enemies
of the gospel, and bestow on the church your saving peace, through Jesus
Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen. |
Reading:
Jeremiah 31:31-34
A reading from the prophet Jeremiah
31The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new
covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32It
will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them
by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke,
though I was their husband, says the Lord. 33But this is
the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says
the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their
hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34No
longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know
the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the
greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember
their sin no more.
The Word of the Lord
Reading:
Romans 3:19-28
A reading from the Paul’s letter to the Romans
19Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under
the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held
accountable to God. 20For “no human being will be justified in
his sight” by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the
knowledge of sin. 21But now, apart from law, the righteousness
of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, 22the
righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For
there is no distinction, 23since all have sinned and fall short
of the glory of God; 24they are now justified by his grace as a
gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom
God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through
faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance
he had passed over the sins previously committed; 26it was to
prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies
the one who has faith in Jesus. 27Then what becomes of
boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of
faith. 28For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart
from works prescribed by the law.
The Word of the Lord.
Gospel
Verse:
Alleluia! If you continue in
my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth
will make you free. Alleluia!
Gospel Reading: John 8:31-36
A reading from the Gospel of John
31Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in
my word, you are truly my disciples; 32and you will know the
truth, and the truth will make you free.” 33They answered him,
“We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do
you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?” 34Jesus answered
them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to
sin. 35The slave does not have a permanent place in the
household; the son has a place there forever. 36So if the Son
makes you free, you will be free indeed.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sermon
(added at the end of the document)
Hymn #517 Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word
Thanks and Offertory
Prayers
of the Church:
Prayers
of the Church:
Trusting Jesus’ promise that we will be heard, we offer our prayers for the
world God loves, the church God calls, and for all people according to their
needs.
[Short pause]
Reforming
One, we confess that we do not always embrace the change you bring, the
reformation of ourselves for which you call. Forgive our fear, and
inspire our faith. God who is with us,
Hear our prayer.
Reforming
One, as we remember the changes of ages past, we ask your guidance for the
changes we are experiencing today. Give us patience in the struggle; but
at the same time, give us vision for the journey. God who is with us,
Hear our prayer.
Reforming
One, you accept us as we are, but you do not leave us where we are. Give
us the courage to take the next step, and to trust your leading on our
way. God who is with us,
Hear our prayer.
Reforming
One, your church is always changing, always re-forming, always a work in
progress. Comfort us with the knowledge of your love, and give us the
audacity to trust your grace. God who is with us, Hear
our prayer.
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Reforming One, your promise comes to
us in the middle of changes, whenever we are confronted with our lack of
control. Use us to touch, with your healing love, those who are
struggling with change, with illness, with ambiguity, and with doubt,
especially those we name before you. |
God who is
with us, Hear our prayer.
Reforming
One, you call to each of us, you embrace each of us, you send each of us.
Give us the grace to respond with joy and anticipation. Free us for the
adventure of our lives. God who is with us, Hear
our prayer.
Into your
hands we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Hymn #654 The Church’s One Foundation
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
Father of
light, yours is the morning and yours is the evening. Let Christ, the Sun of
righteousness, shine for ever in our hearts and draw us to that light where you
live in radiant glory. We ask this for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hymn #504 A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
Benediction and
Sending
The Lord bless you and keep us.
The Lord make his face shine on us and
be gracious to us.
The Lord look upon us with favor and +
give us peace.
Amen.
Go in peace. Serve the Lord. Thanks be to God!
“If
you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the
truth, and the truth will make you free.”
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Freedom is something we
all want – freedom from sickness, freedom from fear, freedom from bonds and
from slavery and forced labour. Freedom from all sorts of things.
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We look everywhere for
freedom – to different places, different times, different people – and
sometimes we taste a bit more freedom in those things. Yet we are never
completely free. There’s always something more that restrains us.
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The Law of Moses gave
some freedom by letting the Hebrews know what was acceptable and not
acceptable. In that, they knew what God wished for them, even to the point of
defining what foods were permissible, what sort of fabrics were wearable, and
who was permitted into the Chosen People. For many, the Law became a burden
because of how it was applied by those who interpreted that Law as well as
those who could afford to keep the Law. What freed soon restricted.
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We could say the same for
the teachings of Jesus. Over time, the freedom of the Gospel became encrusted
with “stuff”, things that some people decided were more important than the
kernel of the Gospel itself.
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It’s a terrible thing
when the liberating teaching of Jesus – the proclamation of forgiveness of sins
and the never-ending love of God – becomes secondary to Church policy,
political structure, or some person’s idea of morality. All of those things can
obscure the freedom of the Gospel. They did and they still do.
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Reform is always needed
and will always come. It is God’s action in the world that brings on
reformation and we can thank God for it.
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Reformation Day – which
is today – is not a day to laugh at or feel superior to other churches. Many of
them have had their own reformations and continue to reform in many ways. No
doubt, we need it too.
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Reformation Day is not a
day to proclaim the so-called Protestant Reformation alone. When Friar Martin Luther
of the Order of Augustinian Hermits posted his 95 theses – where-ever he
actually posted them – he had reform in mind but not the fracturing of the
Christian Church.
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What he wanted is what we
continue to need today. He wanted to hear the Word of God in his own language
so it could grasp him.
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He wanted that Word to be
recognized as who it really was. Not what,
but who, for the Word of God
is Jesus Christ himself.
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He wanted all Christians
to repent and live their lives in the light of the Gospel.
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He wanted all Christians
to know that Jesus Christ lived for their lives, died for their sins, and rose
to show that nothing could hold back the power and love of God.
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He wanted all Christians
to know the freedom he found in realizing that we are saved by the grace and
goodness of God and not our own feeble efforts.
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That’s the reformation we
all need and crave. It’s that simple and that powerful. Jesus is the truth and
the truth will make us free.
“If
you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the
truth, and the truth will make you free.”
So today, when we think about reformation again,
about something new, a new heart, a new being, a new you, I can’t come to you
with grand schemes and plans, or even a new set of laws, an outline for growth,
a program to increase your spirituality, or – goodness knows what all.
When g–d undertook to start over with us he didn’t
do anything like that.
he had tried all that.
Instead, he sent jesus.
He decided to do something really wild, really new.
He decided simply to forgive, to remember sin no
more.
He sent a preacher.
So if these words are to come to an appropriate
conclusion, there is nothing for me to do but just say it: you are just for Jesus’
sake.
And there is nothing for you to do but just listen. Believe
it, it is for you!
It will really reform your life.
— Gerhard O. Forde
We invite you to the in-person services on the following dates:
· November 14 & November 28
· December 12 & December 24 (7pm – Christmas Eve)
· January 9 & January 23, 2022
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