Thanksgiving Eve. November 25, 2020

Today’s Theme for Worship: On Thanksgiving Day we think about the physical and spiritual blessings God gives us. As we consider these many blessings, we can do nothing but thank and praise our loving God for his mercy.

Opening Hymn: 613 Come, You Thankful People, Come

1 Come, you thankful people, come; Raise the song of harvest-home.

All be safely gathered in Ere the winter storms begin.

God our maker shall provide For our wants to be supplied.

Come to God’s own temple, come; Raise the song of harvest-home.

2 All the world is God’s own field, Fruit unto his praise to yield;

Wheat and weeds together sown, Unto joy or sorrow grown.

First the blade and then the ear, Then the full corn shall appear.

Lord of harvest, grant that we Wholesome grain and pure may be.

3 For the Lord our God shall come And shall take his harvest home,

From his field shall in that day All offenses purge away,

Give his angels charge at last In the fire the weeds to cast,

But the fruitful ears to store In his garner evermore.

4 Even so, Lord, quickly come To your final harvest-home;

Gather all your people in, Free from sorrow, free from sin,

There, forever purified, In your garner to abide.

Come with all your angels, come; Raise the glorious harvest-home.

Text: Henry Alford, 1810-71, alt.

P: The grace of our Lord + Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you.

C: And also with you.

Confession of Sins

P: We have come into the presence of God, who created us to love and serve him as his dear children. But we have disobeyed him and deserve only his wrath and punishment. Therefore, let us confess our sins to him and plead for his mercy.

C: Merciful Father in heaven, I am altogether sinful from birth. In countless ways I have sinned against you and do not deserve to be called your child. But trusting in Jesus, my Savior, I pray: have mercy on me according to your unfailing love. Cleanse me from my sin, and take away my guilt.

P: God, our heavenly Father, has forgiven all your sins. By the perfect life and innocent death of our Lord Jesus Christ, he has removed your guilt forever. You are his own dear child. May God give you strength to live according to his will.

C: Amen.

P: In the peace of forgiveness, let us praise the Lord.

♬ Oh Taste And See

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.

Bless-ed are they who take re-fuge in him.

Your Word, O Lord, is e-ter-nal;

it stands firm in the heav-ens.

Your faith-ful-ness con-tin-ues for-ev-er.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.

Bless-ed are they who take re-fuge in him.

Prayer of the Day

P: Let us Pray.

Almighty God our Father, your generous goodness comes to us new every day. By the work of your Spirit lead us to acknowledge your goodness, give thanks for your benefits, and serve you in willing obedience; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. C: ♬ Amen.

First Lesson: Deuteronomy 8:10-18

As God’s people prepared to entered the Promised Land, Moses urged them to “praise the LORD your God for the good land... who gives you the ability to produce wealth.”

¹⁰Then you will eat, and you will be filled, and you will praise the Lord your God for the good land that he has given you. ¹¹Be very careful so that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and ordinances and his statutes that I am commanding you today. ¹²When you eat and are satisfied, and you build nice houses and move into them, ¹³and your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold increase, and everything that you have prospers, ¹⁴watch out so that your heart does not become arrogant and forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, where you were slaves. ¹⁵Do not forget the Lord, who led you in the great and terrifying wilderness, where there were venomous snakes and scorpions, where the thirsty ground had no water, but the Lord made water come out of a flint rock for you. ¹⁶Do not forget the Lord, who in the wilderness fed you manna, which your fathers had not known before, to humble you and to test you so that it would be good for you later on.

¹⁷You might say in your heart, “My ability and the power of my hand have earned this wealth for me.” ¹⁸But then you are to remember that the Lord your God is the one who gives you the ability to produce wealth, to confirm his covenant that he promised to your fathers with an oath, as he does to this day.

Psalm of the Day – Psalm 100

Refrain

Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord a new song.

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.*

Worship the LORD with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.*

Know that the LORD is God.

It is he who made us, and we are his;*

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Refrain

Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord a new song.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;*

give thanks to him and praise his name.

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;*

his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son*

and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning,*

is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Refrain

Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord a new song.

Second Lesson: Philippians 4:10-20
Paul encourages his fellow Christians to “rejoice in the Lord always.”

¹⁰I rejoice greatly in the Lord now that you have revived your concern for me once again. Actually, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. ¹¹I am not saying this because I lack anything; in fact, I have learned to be content in any circumstances in which I find myself. ¹²I know what it is to live in humble circumstances, and I know what it is to have more than enough. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, while being full or hungry, while having plenty or not enough. ¹³I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. ¹⁴Nevertheless, you did well by becoming partners with me in my affliction.

¹⁵You Philippians know that in the beginning of your experience with the gospel, when I left Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you alone. ¹⁶Even while I was in Thessalonica, you sent help more than once for my needs. ¹⁷Not that I am seeking a gift, but I am seeking the fruit that adds to your account. ¹⁸I have been paid in full, and I have more than enough. I am fully supplied since I’ve received from Epaphroditus the things that came from you, a sweet-smelling fragrance, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. ¹⁹And my God will fully supply your every need, according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. ²⁰Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever! Amen.

C: ♬ Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

These words are written that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Gospel: Luke 17:11-19

Jesus hears the cries of ten lepers. As they went they were healed, yet only one returned to thank Jesus.

¹¹On another occasion, as Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, he was passing along the border between Samaria and Galilee. ¹²When he entered a certain village, ten lepers met him. Standing at a distance, ¹³they called out loudly, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

¹⁴When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” As they went away they were cleansed.

¹⁵One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice. ¹⁶He fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, thanking him. And he was a Samaritan. ¹⁷Jesus responded, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? ¹⁸Was no one found to return and give glory to God except this foreigner?” ¹⁹Then he said to him, “Get up and go your way. Your faith has saved you.”

C: ♬ Praise be to you, O Christ!

Hymn of the Day: 610 Now Thank We All Our God

1 Now thank we all our God With hearts and hands and voices,

Who wondrous things has done, In whom his world rejoices,

Who from our mother’s arms Has blessed us on our way

With countless gifts of love And still is ours today.

2 Oh, may this bounteous God Through all our life be near us,

With ever-joyful hearts And blessed peace to cheer us

And keep us in his grace And guide us when perplexed

And free us from all ills In this world and the next.

3 All praise and thanks to God The Father now be given,

The Son, and him who reigns With them in highest heaven,

The one eternal God, Whom earth and heav’n adore!

For thus it was, is now, And shall be evermore.

Text: Martin Rinkart, 1586-1649; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827-78, alt.

Sermon

Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his 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 into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Offering Prayer

Electronic Giving! You can give your offerings from your smartphone with the GivePlusChurch app, which can be downloaded for free at Google Play or the App Store. You can also give at holytrinitylutheranwyoming.com by clicking the Offerings link at the top of the page or scan the QR code below. If you have any questions about any of these options, please contact Dave Conrad at dconrad765@gmail.com or 616-406-7172

Prayer of the Church

Lord’s Prayer

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.

Hymn: 612 Praise to God, Immortal Praise

1 Praise to God, immortal praise, For the love that crowns our days.

Bounteous Source of ev’ry joy, Let your praise our tongues employ.

All to you, our God, we owe, Source whence all our blessings flow.

2 All the plenty summer pours, Autumn’s rich, o’erflowing stores,

Flocks that whiten all the plain, Yellow sheaves of ripened grain -

Lord, for these our souls shall raise Grateful vows and solemn praise.

3 Peace, prosperity, and health, Private bliss and public wealth,

Knowledge with its gladd’ning streams, True religion’s holier beams-

Lord, for these our souls shall raise Grateful vows and solemn praise.

4 As your prosp’ring hand has blest, May we give you of our best

And by deeds of kindly love For your mercies grateful prove,

Singing thus through all our days: “Praise to God, immortal praise.”

Text: Anna L. Barbauld, 1743-1825, abr., alt.

Prayer and Blessing

P: O Lord God, our heavenly Father, pour out the Holy Spirit on your faithful people. Keep us strong in your grace and truth, protect and comfort us in all temptation, and bestow on us your saving peace, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

P: Almighty God, we thank you for teaching us the things you want us to believe and do. Help us by your Holy Spirit to keep your Word in pure hearts that we may be strengthened in faith, guided in holiness, and comforted in life and in death, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: ♬ A-men.

P: Brothers and sisters, go in peace. Live in harmony with one another. Serve the Lord with gladness.

The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.

The Lord look on you with favor and + give you peace.

C: ♬ A-men, A-men, A-men

Closing Hymn: 609 We Praise You, O God, Our Redeemer

1 We praise you, O God, our Redeemer, Creator!

In grateful devotion our tribute we bring:

We lay it before you; we kneel and adore you;

We bless your holy name; glad praises we sing.

2 We worship you, God of our fathers; we bless you.

Through trial and tempest our guide you have been;

When perils o’ertake us, you will not forsake us,

And with your help, O Lord, our battles we win.

3 With voices united our praises we offer;

To you, great Jehovah, glad anthems we raise.

Your strong arm will guide us; our God is beside us.

To you, our great Redeemer, fore’er be praise!

Text: Julia B. Cory, 1882-1963, alt.