The livestream may be found here.
THE EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Faith and thankfulness
The color green, used for the vestments and paraments in the season
after Pentecost, symbolizes growth and life in the Holy Spirit.
FIRST
READING: In a dramatic scene, the Syrian general Naaman comes to
faith in the God of Israel. Expecting respect for his position and mighty works
from the prophet Elisha, he is at first put off by the supposed ‘insult’ of
receiving a messenger who simply tells him to wash in the Jordan to be healed
of his leprosy. But he must learn to put his faith in God’s word and not in
appearances. As an anonymous pilgrim he goes to wash in the Jordan, and he is
made clean. It is no surprise that the Church sees in this story an allegory of
Holy Baptism, for all people tend to desire impressive signs and wonders from
God. Instead, it is ‘ordinary’ baptism by water and the Word which heals us and
claims us as God’s children, and we grasp that healing by faith now and by
sight at the end of all things.
SECOND
READING: Paul’s message to Timothy is: Stick to the basics! His
ministry is to be founded on the simple Gospel of Christ and not marked by
‘wrangling over words.’ This derogatory phrase does not refer to any and every
kind of debate, but describes the specific kinds of theological hair-splitting which
are prevalent among Timothy’s congregation. Paul’s message is given credibility
by the hardship in imprisonment which he suffers for the simple Gospel.
GOSPEL: The Samaritan is separated twice:
once from society because of his disease, and then from his fellow sufferers
because he is a foreigner. Later he is separated a third time when he is the
only one of the ten Jesus had made clean to return to give thanks. Jesus’
verdict, ‘your faith has made you well,’ is very interesting, given Jesus’ statement
that ‘ten were made clean.’ What might this suggest about wellness, and about
faith?
BRIEF ORDER FOR CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
Stand
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
Blessed be God: Father, X Son, and Holy Spirit;
And blessed be his kingdom, now and forever. Amen
Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:14-16
Let us confess our sins in the presence of God and of one another.
Silence for reflection and self-examination.
I confess to God Almighty, before the whole company of heaven, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned in thought, word, and deed by my fault, by my own fault, by my own most grievous fault; wherefore I pray God Almighty to have mercy on me, forgive me all my sins, and bring me to everlasting life. Amen
The almighty and merciful Lord grant you pardon, forgiveness,
and remission of all your sins. Amen
I confess to God Almighty, before the whole company of heaven,
and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned in thought,
word, and deed by my fault, by my own fault, by my own most
grievous fault; wherefore I pray God Almighty to have mercy on
me, forgive me all my sins, and bring me to everlasting life. Amen
The almighty and merciful Lord grant you pardon, forgiveness, and remission of all your sins. Amen
THE HOLY COMMUNION
I will go to the altar of God;
the God of my joy and gladness.
We include in the online order of worship all hymns which are in the public domain. Texts which are copyrighted may not be included in the online order of worship. If you need a copy of the hymnals for your home use, please contact us so that we may provide you with one. Thank you!
WHymn God, My Lord, My Strength Green LBW 484
APOSTOLIC 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. 2 Corinthians 13:13
HYMN OF PRAISE
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
O God, our life, our health, our salvation,
look with
mercy on your people.
Stir up in
us a saving faith,
that
believing, we may be healed,
and being
healed, we may worthily give you thanks;
through
Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God,
now and forever.
Amen
The deeds of the LORD are studied by all who
delight in them.
Let us hear
the Word of the Lord.
Psalm 111:2b
Sit
First READING 2 Kings
5:1-15c
1Naaman, commander of the army of
the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master, because by
him the Lord had given victory to
Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy. 2Now
the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land
of Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3She said to her mistress,
“If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of
his leprosy.” 4So Naaman went in and told his lord just what the girl from
the land of Israel had said. 5And the king of Aram said,
"Go then, and I will send along a letter to the king of Israel."
He went, taking with him
ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of garments. 6He
brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, "When this letter
reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure
him of his leprosy." 7When the king of Israel read the
letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to give death or life, that
this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look and see how
he is trying to pick a quarrel with me.”
8But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had
torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, “Why have you torn your
clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in
Israel.” 9So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at
the entrance of Elisha’s house. 10Elisha sent a messenger to him,
saying, “Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored
and you shall be clean.” 11But Naaman became angry and went away,
saying, “I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on
the name of the Lord his God, and
would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy! 12Are not
Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of
Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?” He turned and went away in a
rage. 13But his servants approached and said to him, “Father, if the
prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done
it? How much more, when all he said to you was, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14So
he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the
word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy,
and he was clean.
15a-cThen he returned to the man of God, he and all his company;
he came and stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all
the earth except in Israel.”
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to
God.
PSALM 111
Antiphon
1 Hallelujah! I
will give thanks to the Lord with
| my whole heart,*
in
the assembly of the upright, in the | congregation.
2 Great are the
deeds | of the Lord!*
They
are studied by all who de- | light in them.
3 His work is
full of majes- | ty and splendor,*
and
his righteousness en- | dures forever.
4 He makes his
marvelous works to | be remembered;*
the
Lord is gracious and full | of
compassion.
5 He gives food
to | those who fear him;*
he
is ever mindful | of his covenant.
6 He has shown
his people the power | of his works*
in
giving them the lands | of the nations.
7 The works of
his hands are faithful- | ness and justice;*
all
his command- | ments are sure.
8 They stand fast
forev- | er and ever,*
because
they are done in | truth and equity.
9 He sent
redemption to his people;
he commanded his
cove- | nant forever;*
holy
and awesome | is his name.
10 The fear of the
Lord is the begin- | ning of
wisdom;*
those
who act accordingly have a good understanding.
His praise en- |
dures forever.
Antiphon
SECOND READING 2 Timothy 2:8-15
8Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant
of David—that is my gospel, 9for which I suffer hardship, even to
the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained.
10Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that
they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
11The saying is sure:
If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
12if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he will also deny us;
13if we are faithless, he remains faithful—
for he cannot deny himself.
14Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to
avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are
listening. 15Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved
by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of
truth.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks
be to God.
Stand
VERSE Isaiah 25:9 Setting by Paul D. Weber
Alleluia. This is the Lord for whom we have
waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation. Alleluia.
Gospel Luke 17:11-19
The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke.
Glory to you, O Lord.
11On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the
region between Samaria and Galilee. 12As he entered a village, ten
lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, 13they called out,
saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14When he saw them, he
said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they
were made clean. 15Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed,
turned back, praising God with a loud voice. 16He prostrated himself
at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. 17Then Jesus
asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? 18Was
none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19Then
he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
Sit
Sermon
Stand
WHYMN OF THE DAY
Baptized in Water Blue
WOV 693
St. 2/ Choir
CONFESSION
OF FAITH Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the
Father almighty,
creator of heaven
and earth.
I
believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of
the Holy Spirit
and born of the
virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified,
died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at
the right hand of the Father.
He will come again 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
Let us pray
for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, and for all people according to
their needs.
That, as Naaman the Syrian came to the Jordan and
put his trust in you, we may give thanks for your healing and power to save. Lord,
in your mercy,
hear our
prayer.
That many may come to the healing waters of Baptism
and proclaim your name before others; Lord, in your mercy,
hear our
prayer.
That pastors may faithfully proclaim the Gospel,
rightly explaining the Word of truth; Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
That our Saint Stephen faith family may be renewed
in our worship, fellowship, and witness; Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
That the peoples of the world may give you thanks
and praise for signs of peace in the midst of conflict and strife; Lord, in
your mercy,
hear our prayer.
That your healing balm may be poured out upon all people,
and especially upon those we name before you:
The pastor reads the names and
situations submitted for prayer.
The people may offer spoken
or silent petitions or praises.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our
prayer.
That the day may quickly come when your health and
salvation is seen by all, in which we, with all the saints and all creation,
will thank and praise you with loud shouts of joy; Lord, in your mercy,
hear our
prayer.
Into your hands, Father, we commend all for whom we
pray, trusting in your steadfast love; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
PEACE
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
And
also with you.
The
people exchange the sign of peace with the simple words, Peace be with you.
Sit
The Lord’s Table is prepared.
Stand
OFFERTORY 1 John 2:1-2; 3:1 Setting
by Richard W. Gieseke
If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the expiation for our sins, and not for
ours alone but also for the sins of the whole world. See what love the Father
has given us, that we should be called children of God: and so we are.
PRAYER OF PREPARATION
Hear us, O Lord Jesus Christ, from your dwelling place,
from the glorious throne of your kingdom, and come and cleanse us.
You are seated on high with the Father,
and you dwell also with us here, although unseen.
By your mighty hand render us worthy to receive in holy communion
your spotless body and your precious blood.
Amen
GREAT THANKSGIVING
It is indeed right and salutary that we should at
all times and all places
offer
thanks and praise to you, holy Father, through Christ our Lord;
He healed the sick and accepted the thanksgiving of one outside the covenant, that people of every nation may know that all are made well who put their trust in him. And so, with the Church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
The pastor leads the people in praying the Eucharistic canon:
Lord, you are holy indeed.
All creation gives you thanks and praise.
In the wonder of your love for us,
you created life through your Word made flesh,
Jesus Christ our Lord,
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
From every time and place
you gather a people to yourself,
so that those you claim as your own
may glorify your wondrous grace and mercy.
As we now gather this Table to celebrate the Supper of your Son,
we ask that by the power of your Spirit
these gifts of bread and wine may be for us
the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
That same Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed,
took bread; when he had given thanks,
he broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said;
Take and eat, for this is my body, which is given for you.
Do this for my remembrance.
When supper had ended, he took the cup;
when he had given thanks, he gave it to them and said:
All of you, drink from this,
for this cup is my blood of the new covenant,
shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this for my remembrance.
Let us proclaim the mystery of faith:
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
Mighty Lord, Gracious Father:
As we call to mind the death your Son endured for us,
his glorious resurrection and ascension,
and his promise to come again,
we offer you our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.
Grant that we who gather for this holy supper
may be filled with the Holy Spirit,
united in Christ as his living body in the world,
awaiting the world to come where his love will be fulfilled.
In the presence of Christ, we pray to his Father using the words he gave us.
Christ is in our midst.
By the power of the Spirit,
we pray to his Father, saying:
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 Matthew 6:9-15
This is the bread that comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world.
Lord, give us this bread always.
John 6:33, 34
We adore Christ, present in bread and wine.
Sit
DISTRIBUTION
Admission
to the Sacrament is by invitation of the Lord, presented through the Church to those
who are baptized.
They may receive the Lord’s
Body and Blood who are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit, who commune in their home churches, and who believe that Jesus
Christ, crucified and risen, is truly present in, with, and under the forms of
bread and wine for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.
WDISTRIBUTION HYMN
Sing
Praise to God, the Highest Good Green LBW 542
Sing Praise to God, the Highest Good
1 Sing
praise to God, the highest good,
the
author of creation,
the
God of love who understood
our
need for his salvation.
With
healing balm our souls he fills
and
ev’ry faithless murmur stills:
to
God all praise and glory!
2 What
God’s almighty pow’r has made,
in
mercy he is keeping;
by
morning glow or evening shade,
his
eye is never sleeping;
within
the kingdom of his might
all
things are just and good and right:
to
God all praise and glory!
3 We
sought the Lord in our distress;
O
God, in mercy hear us.
Our
Savior saw our helplessness
and
came with peace to cheer us.
For
this we thank and praise the Lord
who
is by one and all adored:
to
God all praise and glory!
4 Let
all who name Christ’s holy name
give
God the praise and glory.
Let
all who know his pow’r proclaim
aloud
the wondrous story.
Cast
ev’ry idol from its throne,
for
God is God, and he alone:
to
God all praise and glory!
Text: Johann J. Schütz, 1640-1690; tr.
Frances E. Cox, 1812-1897, adapt.
When all have received, the congregation stands at the direction of the pastor.
The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
Amen
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We give you thanks, almighty God,
that you have refreshed us through the healing power of this gift of life;
and we pray that in your mercy
you would 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
Sit
ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR THE FAITH FAMILY
Stand
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
the Lord look upon you with favor and X give you peace.
Amen Numbers 6:24-26
WCLOSING HYMN
Give
to Our God Immortal Praise Green
LBW 520
1 Give
to our God immortal praise!
Mercy
and truth are all his ways;
wonders
of grace to God belong;
repeat
his mercies in your song.
2 He
sent his Son with pow’r to save
from
guilt and darkness and the grave.
Wonders
of grace to God belong;
repeat
his mercies in your song.
3 Give
to the Lord of lords renown;
the
King of kings with glory crown.
His
mercies ever shall endure
when
lords and kings are known no more!
Text: Isaac Watts, 1674-1748
Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2022 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved.
Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #20540.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Prayer of the Day from Opening Prayers: Collects in Contemporary Language: Norwich, UK: Canterbury Press, 2001.
Additional material from Foretaste of the Feast to Come: Devotions on Holy Communion, by Philip Pfatteicher, copyright 1987 Augsburg Publishing House.
Eucharistic Canon reprinted by permission from A Little Book of Canons, Rod L. Ronneberg, STS, copyright 1997 and 2010.
Christ
with the Grateful Samaritan Leper, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a
project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=57163 [retrieved
October 3, 2022]. Original source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_Andrew,_Buckland,_Herts_-_Window_-_geograph.org.uk_-_368076.jpg
Agnus Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org
St Stephen Lutheran Church
55 Forsythe Road
Pittsburgh PA 15220
(412) 279-5868
office@ststephenpittsburgh.org
Saturday Evening Worship – 6:30 pm
Sunday Morning Worship – 10:30 am
