Redeemer Virtual Worship | November 22, 2020

REDEEMER VIRTUAL WORSHIP
Lectionary 34 | Third Sunday of Advent Project

Zoom Fellowship @ 9:30am

WORSHIP LEADERS:
The Rev. Dr. Sharon Kelly, interim pastor
The Rev. Dr. Robin Bell, guest preacher
Rachel Birkedal, Derwin Halim, & Amy Koopman, readers
Alyssa Schwitzer, Emander Deward, Traiveon Dunlap, & Steven Hobert, musicians

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                                            WORSHIP BULLETIN

WELCOME & OPENING LITURGY
We praise you, O God, for your creating Word!
You set the foundations of the world
and gave breath to every living thing.
There is no Rock like you.
Blessed be God, forevermore;
       our hearts sing of your mercy and might!
 We praise you, O God, for your liberating Word!
In your steadfast love you led the people whom you redeemed,
you guided them by your strength to the land of promise.
You have lifted up the lowly.
Blessed be God, forevermore;
     our hearts sing of your mercy and might!
 We praise you, O God, for your life-giving Word!
Your Word became flesh and lived among us,
full of grace and truth.
You have looked with favor on the lowliness of your servants.
Blessed be God, forevermore;
     our hearts sing of your mercy and might!
Blessed be God, from this time on and forevermore, from the rising of the sun to its setting.With Miriam, Hannah, and Mary, we give you thanks and praise for your creating, liberating, and life-giving Word! Send us forth in the power of your Spirit to sing of your greatness and serve all people,following Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.  (Exodus 15; 1 Samuel 2; Psalm 113; Luke 1; John 1)

PRAYER OF THE DAY
We pray: O God of power and might, your Son shows us the way of service, and in him we inherit the riches of your grace. Give us the wisdom to know what is right and the strength to serve the world you have made, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.

HYMN: Lord I Lift Your Name on High

THE WORD
First Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
11 Thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. 12 As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13 I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land. 14 I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. 16 I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice.
  20 Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you pushed with flank and shoulder, and butted at all the weak animals with your horns until you scattered them far and wide, 22 I will save my flock, and they shall no longer be ravaged; and I will judge between sheep and sheep.
  23 I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken.
L: Word of God, Word of Life. C: Thanks be to God.

Psalm 95:1-7a 
1 Come, let us sing  to the Lord;
  let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before God’s presence with thanksgiving
  and raise a loud shout to the Lord with psalms.
3 For you, Lord, are a great God,
  and a great ruler above all gods.
4 In your hand are the caverns of the earth;
  the heights of the hills are also yours. 
5 The sea is yours, for you made it,
  and your hands have molded the dry land.
6 Come, let us worship and bow down,
  let us kneel before the Lord our maker.
7a For the Lord is our God,
  and we are the people of God’s pasture and the sheep of God’s hand. 

Second Reading: Ephesians 1:15-23
15I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason 16I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 17I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, 18so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, 19and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. 20God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. 22And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, 23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
L: Word of God, Word of Life. C: Thanks be to God

Gospel Acclamation: Soon and Very Soon

The Holy Gospel According to Matthew 25:31-46
C: Glory to you, O Lord
[Jesus said to the disciples:] 31“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40 And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family you did it to me.’ 41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
P: The Gospel of the Lord C: Praise to you, O Christ

SERMON: The Rev. Dr. Robin Bell

HYMN: You are Good (Israel Houghton)

CONFESSION of FAITH The Apostle’s Creed
 I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. 
 I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s 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. 

SHARING of the PEACE! 
The Peace of Christ be with you always! And also with you.

PRAYERS of INTERCESSION
Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying (TFF 247)
...Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

THE LORD’S PRAYER (traditional)
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.

SENDING
BENEDICTION: 
May the God of all creation, in whose image we are made, who claims us and calls us beloved, who strengthens us for service, give you reason to rejoice and be glad! The blessing of God, Sovereign, ☩ Savior, and Spirit,
be with you today and always. Amen.

DISMISSAL:
May God’s peace be with you ‘til we meet again (2x)  
‘Til we reach that distant shore, and we shed a tear no more,
May God give you strength to endure 
‘Til we meet again (2x)

L: Beloved of God, go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God