Thanksgiving 2022

Thank you for joining us for worship! Wherever you are, we invite you to create space for worship, both in your physical space and in your heart — perhaps light a candle or fill a bowl with water to remember your baptism, or grab a bible or hymnal, or do whatever helps you most to feel worshipful. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

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Wednesday, November 23, 2022 • Thanksgiving Eve
Ministers: the people
Pastor: Day Hefner
Organist: Chrissi Bywater
Greeter:
Lector:
Usher:
Communion assistant:
Bulletin slideshow:

Click here to see announcements and the prayer list.

GATHERING
The Holy Spirit calls us together as the people of God.

WELCOME

THANKSGIVING LITANY
The eyes of all look to you, O God, and you give them their food in due season;
You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

For the gift of this day and for the opportunity to give you praise,
We give you thanks, O God.

For the love and warmth of family and friends, both those gathered here and those gathered elsewhere, and for all those who have gone before us,
We give you thanks, O God.

For the food you so graciously provide us and for the joy of feasting and playing together,
We give you thanks, O God.

For this year’s harvest and for the bounty of all creation,
We give you thanks, O God.

For claiming us as your own beloved children and inviting us to take our places at your heavenly feast, in the company of all the saints,
We give you thanks, O God.

GATHERING SONG (ELW 756) Eternal Father, Strong to Save

Eternal Father, strong to save,
whose arm has bound the restless wave,
who bade the mighty ocean deep
its own appointed limits keep:
oh, hear us when we cry to thee
for those in peril on the sea.

O Savior, whose almighty word
the winds and waves submissive heard,
who walked upon the foaming deep,
and calm amid the storm didst sleep:
oh, hear us when we cry to thee
for those in peril on the sea.

O Holy Spirit, who didst brood
upon the chaos dark and rude,
and bid its angry tumult cease,
and give, for wild confusion, peace:
oh, hear us when we cry to thee
for those in peril on the sea.

O Trinity of love and pow’r,
all trav’lers guard in danger’s hour
from rock and tempest, fire and foe,
protect them whereso’er they go;
thus evermore shall rise to thee
glad hymns and praise from land and sea.

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.

PRAYER OF THE DAY
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 Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.

WORD
God speaks to us in scripture reading, preaching, and song.

FIRST READING: Deuteronomy 26:1-11
When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it, you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time, and say to him, “Today I declare to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.” When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the Lord your God, you shall make this response before the Lord your God: “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me.” You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God. Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.

Word of God, word of life. / The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

PSALM: Psalm 100
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; come into God’s presence with a song.
Know that the Lord is God, our maker to whom we belong; we are God’s people and the sheep of God’s pasture.

Enter the gates of the Lord with thanksgiving and the courts with praise; give thanks and bless God’s holy name.
Good indeed is the Lord, whose steadfast love is everlasting,whose faithfulness endures from age to age.

SECOND READING: Philippians 4:4-9
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

Word of God, word of life. / The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Alleluia, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia, alleluia.

The gospel of the Lord. 
Praise to you, O Christ.

GOSPEL: John 6:25-35
The holy gospel according to John.  
Glory to you, O Lord.

When [the disciples] found [Jesus] on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” Then Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

The gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.

SERMON

HYMN OF THE DAY (ELW 870) We Praise You, O God

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.

We worship you, God of our fathers and mothers;
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 struggles we win.

With voices united our praises we offer
and gladly our songs of thanksgiving we raise.
With you, Lord, beside us, your strong arm will guide us.
To you, our great redeemer, forever be praise!

APOSTLES CREED

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 OF THE PEOPLE
United with your saints across time and place, we pray for our shared world.
A brief silence.

We give thanks for the church in every land. Sustain the faithful with your living word. Inspire radical hospitality toward all who are searching, and call us into a more generous way of living. Lord, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.

We give thanks for the earth. Bring forth plentiful harvests and renew our commitment to share abundantly. Preserve the lands and waters that bring nourishment (local water sources may be named). Lord, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.

We give thanks for leaders in our communities. Kindle a passion for justice and peace in every national and local elected official. Curb selfish impulses and guide us toward collaborative solutions. Lord, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.

We give thanks for all who provide for others. Sustain caregivers, social workers, and volunteers in their efforts (individuals, congregational ministries, or local organizations may be named). Provide homes, food, employment, and medical care to all who are struggling. Lord, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.

We give thanks for this congregation and those who plan worship. Guide deacons, pastors, musicians, and lay leaders in their creation of meaningful experiences. Instill in us a sense of joy and wonder when we come to worship you. Lord, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.

We give thanks for the faithful who now rest in you (especially Justus Falckner, Jehu Jones, and William Passavant, pastors in North America, whom we commemorate today). Teach us by their example and bring us with them into your loving embrace. Lord, in your mercy,
receive our prayer.

Accept these prayers, gracious God, and those known only to you; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.

PEACE
The peace of Christ be with you always.  
And also with you.

MEAL
God feeds us with the presence of Jesus Christ.

OFFERING
There are many ways to make your offering:

• Checks may be mailed or dropped off at the church
• Ask your bank about setting up automatic giving
• Make a secure offering online by clicking on the button below (opens up our Tithe.ly giving page in a new window)

OFFERING PRAYER

Let us pray.

Blessed are you, Maker of all things. As you have entrusted us with all that you have created, now gather our gifts, nourish us with this sacrament, and send us to those who hunger and thirst, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Savior.
Amen.

GREAT THANKSGIVING
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

Lift up your hearts. 
We lift them to the Lord. 

Give thanks to the Lord.  
It is right to give our thanks and praise

PREFACE
It is indeed right… we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
HOLY HOLY HOLY
Holy, holy, holy Lord, Lord God of pow’r and might: Heav’n and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

THANKSGIVING AT THE TABLE

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER/WORDS OF INSTITUTION
Holy God, mighty Lord, gracious Father… For as often as we eat of this bread and drink from this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Christ has died. Christ has risen. Christ will come again.

Therefore, O God… the great and promised feast.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Send now, we pray… your saints in light.
Amen. Come, Holy Spirit. 

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.

INVITATION TO COMMUNION

COMMUNION
All are welcome at the Lord’s table, whether Lutheran or not.  Ushers will invite you forward by pew.  Wine and juice are available.  To receive a blessing, please come forward with arms crossed across your chest.

COMMUNION SONG (ELW 840) Now Thank We All Our God

Now thank we all our God
with hearts and hands and voices,
who wondrous things has done,
in whom this world rejoices;
who, from our mothers’ arms,
has blest us on our way
with countless gifts of love,
and still is ours today.

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 all in grace,
and guide us when perplexed,
and free us from all harm
in this world and the next.

All praise and thanks to God
the Father now be given,
the Son, and Spirit blest,
who reign in highest heaven,
the one eternal God,
whom earth and heav’n adore;
for thus it was, is now, 
and shall be evermore.

POST-COMMUNION BLESSING

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

Let us pray.

We give you thanks, most gracious God, that you have fed us with the bread of heaven and given us a foretaste of Paradise. Enliven us to be your body in the world and to serve those who are in need; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

SENDING
God blesses us and sends us in mission to the world.

SENDING SONG (ELW 881) Let All Things Now Living

Let all things now living a song of thanksgiving
to God the creator triumphantly raise,
who fashioned and made us, protected and stayed us,
who still guides us on to the end of our days.
God’s banners are o’er us, God’s light goes before us,
a pillar of fire shining forth in the night,
till shadows have vanished and darkness is banished,
as forward we travel from light into light.

God rules all the forces: the stars in their courses
and sun in its orbit obediently shine;
the hills and the mountains, the rivers and fountains,
the deeps of the ocean proclaim God divine.
We too should be voicing our love and rejoicing;
with glad adoration a song let us raise
till all things now living unite in thanksgiving:
“To God in the highest, hosanna and praise!”

BLESSING
The God of peace, who creates all things and calls them good, who makes us alive in Jesus, and who breathes on us the Spirit of hope, bless you now and forever.
Amen.

DISMISSAL
Go in peace. Be a blessing in the world.
Thanks be to God.