Welcome
Below you will find prayers, songs, readings, and a message to help you experience worship. You can light a candle to remind yourself of the presence of the Holy Spirit. Whether you are alone or with others, we hope that you can feel each other’s presence, and the presence of God, as we find creative ways to worship together, even though we are not in the same building. One good thing about virtual worship is that if you really like a song, you can listen to it again! Do what you need to do to worship God wherever you are.
announcements & Call to Worship
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Our call to worship is based on Matthew 16: 13-20.
Our help is in the name of the Lord our God, the Maker of heaven and earth, who comes to our aid in times of need, who gives us the courage to do what we know is right, who invites us to turn away from the influences of the world around us and confess Jesus alone as Saviour and Lord. This is our God! Let’s worship together.
Opening Song
When Long Before Time
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When long before time and the worlds were begun, when there was no earth and no sky and no sun, and all was deep silence and night reigned supreme, and even our Maker had only a dream–
The silence was broken when God sang the Song, and light pierced the darkness and rhythm began, and with its first birth-cries creation was born, and creaturely voices sang praise to the morn.
The sounds of the creatures were one with their Lord’s, their harmonies sweet and befitting the Word; the Singer was pleased as the earth sang the Song, the choir of the creatures reechoed it long.
Though down through the ages the Song disappeared, its harmonies broken and almost unheard, the Singer comes to us to sing it again, our God-is-with-us in the world now as then.
The Light has returned as it came once before, the Song of the Lord is our own song once more, so let us all sing with one heart and one voice the Song of the Singer in whom we rejoice.
To you, God the Singer, our voices we raise, to you, Song Incarnate, we give all our praise, to you, Holy Spirit, our life and our breath, be glory for ever, through life and through death.
Prayer of the Day
Let us pray. O God of justice and love, you illumine our way through life with the words of your Son. Give us the light we need, and awaken us to the needs of others, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
Reading
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
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13We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. 15For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. 16For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. 18Therefore encourage one another with these words.
Children’s Moment
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Gospel and Message
Matthew 25:1-13
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[Jesus said to the disciples:] 1“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; 4but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. 6But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 10And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. 11Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ 13Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
Hymn of the Day
Blessed Assurance
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Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.
This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior, all the day long: this is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.
Perfect submission, perfect delight, visions of rapture now burst on my sight; angels descending bring from above echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior, all the day long: this is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.
Perfect submission, all is at rest; I in my Savior am happy and blest, watching and waiting, looking above, filled with his goodness, lost in his love.
This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior, all the day long: this is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long.
Apostles’ Creed, prayers, & Lord’s prayer
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apostles’ creed
With the whole church, let us confess our faith.
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s 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 to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come 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.
Prayers
Held together in one body by the Spirit of Christ, let us pray for the church and the world, and all who are in need.
Holy God, be with us in prayer and praise. Sustain all those who help us to worship at this time. Lord, hear our prayer.
Holy Peacemaker, give peace to our conflicted nation. Stop all attempts at violence and halt the desire for retribution. Cure our nation from prejudice of every kind. Teach us how to abide together as one diverse people. Lord, hear our prayer.
Holy Creator, grant that all newly elected officials of government will work faithfully for the common good. Give them wisdom, honesty, and humility. Give them a conviction to work with a spirit of cooperation. Give to our nation patience, peace, and understanding in the days ahead. Lord, hear our prayer.
Holy Protector, bless the observance of Veterans Day. Bring armistice to areas of conflict and keep safe the military who serve in harm’s way. Give to all the armed forces a dedication to defend the common good. Heal the wounds, both physical and emotional, experienced by active and retired service members. Lord, hear our prayer.
Holy Healer, bring health and wholeness to those who are sick, those who live with chronic pain, and the thousands who daily contract COVID-19. Console those who feel lonely or abandoned. Uphold medical care workers and all who provide essential services in hospitals and care facilities. Lord, hear our prayer.
Receive these prayers in the name of the one who lived, died, and rose for us, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.
Sending
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The God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus. The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. The God of all grace ☩ bless you now and forever. Amen.
Go forth into the world to serve God with gladness; be of good courage; hold fast to that which is good; render to no one evil for evil; strengthen the fainthearted; support the weak; help the afflicted; honor all people; love and serve God, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Go in peace.
Share the good news.
Sending Song
Lift Every Voice and Sing
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Lift ev’ry voice and sing till earth and heaven ring, ring with the harmonies of liberty. Let our rejoicing rise high as the list’ning skies, let it resound loud as the rolling sea. Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us; sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us; facing the rising sun of our new day begun, let us march on till victory is won.
Stony the road we trod, bitter the chast’ning rod, felt in the days when hope unborn had died; yet with a steady beat, have not our weary feet come to the place for which our parents sighed? We have come over a way that with tears has been watered; we have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered, out from the gloomy past, till now we stand at last where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.
God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, thou who hast brought us thus far on the way; thou who hast by thy might led us into the light, keep us forever in the path, we pray. Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee; lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee; shadowed beneath thy hand may we forever stand, true to our God, true to our native land.
Worship Assistants
Music: Lori
Message: Pastor Kristin
Readers: Scott, Dawn
Children’s Moment: Nate
From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2005 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted and streamed by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #SAS002432. 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. Hymns reprinted and streamed with permission. CCLI#1162147. Portions of the All Saints Liturgy adapted from Rev. Leslie Mamas, United Church of Christ