Learning to Love Our Enemies

Learning to Love through Conflict & Reconciliation

Welcome
Conflict is a part of relationships and life in community. Paul reminds us that love is the fulfilling of the law. We gather in the name of Christ, assured that Christ is present among us with gifts of peace and reconciliation.

 Song – Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee – Worship 836
1   Joyful, joyful we adore thee,
God of glory, Lord of love!
Hearts unfold like flow’rs before thee,
praising thee, their sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness,
drive the gloom of doubt away.
Giver of immortal gladness,
fill us with the light of day.

2   All thy works with joy surround thee,
earth and heav’n reflect thy rays,
stars and angels sing around thee,
center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
flow’ry meadow, flashing sea,
chanting bird, and flowing fountain
call us to rejoice in thee.

3   Thou art giving and forgiving,
ever blessing, ever blest,
wellspring of the joy of living,
ocean-depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our brother,
all who live in love are thine;
teach us how to love each other,
lift us to the joy divine!

Text: Henry van Dyke, 1852-1922

Prayer of the Day
O Lord God, enliven and preserve your church with your perpetual mercy. Without your help, we mortals will fail; remove far from us everything that is harmful, and lead us toward all that gives life and salvation, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

First Reading 
Romans 13: 8-11
A reading from Romans
⁸Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. ⁹The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet”; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.
  ¹¹Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers.
Word of God, word of Life. Thanks be to God.

Children’s Time – Back to School Blessing
As we begin this new school year, we give thanks that God has given us the ability to learn many things in many ways. We learn in school… and we also learn in church, in our family, in our neighborhood, and in community.
Learning is a gift from God.
The Bible tells us that Jesus learned and studied, just as we do.
And Jesus grew in wisdom.
We ask God’s blessing on this new school year, that it may be a time when we appreciate and fully use God’s gift of learning.
We ask God to bless our schools and teachers.
We ask God to bless our classmates and friends.
We ask God to bless our principals, counselors, and librarians.
We ask God to bless those who support our learning at home and everyone working hard to keep us safe.
We give thanks to God for all the devices that help us learn.
We give thanks to God for the gift of learning!

Let’s pray…
Loving God, sometimes a new school year seems exciting or scary or both. Sometimes school is great, and sometimes it is hard. But we know that whether we are excited or scared, you are with us. We know that when school is great and when it is hard, you are with us. We thank you for always being with us. Help us to remember to show our thanks for your gift of learning. Help us to do our best each day. Amen.

Alleluia Worship 175
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel: Matthew 18:15-20
The gospel is from Matthew:
[Jesus said to the disciples:] ¹⁵“If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. ¹⁶But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. ¹⁷If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. ¹⁸Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. ¹⁹Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. ²⁰For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.

Message – Deacon Kari Alice Olsen

Song – Draw Us in the Spirit’s Tether – Worship 470

1   Draw us in the Spirit’s tether,
for when humbly in your name
two or three are met together,
you are in the midst of them.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Touch we now your garment’s hem.

2   As disciples used to gather
in the name of Christ to sup,
then with thanks to God the giver
break the bread and bless the cup,
Alleluia! Alleluia! so now bind our friendship up.

3   All our meals and all our living
make as sacraments of you,
that by caring, helping, giving,
we may be disciples true.
Alleluia! Alleluia! We will serve with faith anew.

Text: Percy Dearmer, 1867-1936, alt.
Text from Songs of Praise Enlarged Edition © Oxford University Press 1931.

Confession and Forgiveness
All may make the sign of the cross, the sign marked at baptism, as the presiding minister begins.
Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God, who creates, redeems, and sustains us and all of creation. Amen.
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.
Silence is kept for reflection.

Faithful God, have mercy on us. We confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. We turn from your loving embrace and go our own ways. We pass judgment on one another before examining ourselves. We place our own needs before those of our neighbors. We keep your gift of salvation to ourselves. Make us humble, cast away our transgressions, and turn us again to life in you through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

God hears the cries of all who call out in need, and through his death and resurrection, Christ has made us his own. Hear the truth that God proclaims: Your sins are forgiven in the name of ☩ Jesus Christ. Led by the Holy Spirit, live in freedom and newness to do God’s work in the world.  Amen.

Prayers of the People
Drawn together in the compassion of God, we pray for the church, the world, and all those in need.
A brief silence.

Unite your church, O God. Grant us the gifts of repentance and reconciliation. Bless the cooperative work of churches in this community (especially). Strengthen ecumenical partnerships; guide the work of the Lutheran World Federation and the World Council of Churches. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Protect your creation, O God. Teach us ways that do not harm what you have entrusted to our care. Renew and enliven places suffering from drought, flood, storms, or pollution. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Turn nations and leaders from ways that lead to death. Shape new paths toward peace and cooperation, teaching us to recognize one another as neighbors. Guide legislators, civil servants, judges, and police toward laws that protect the well-being of all. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Tend to all in need of your compassion. Hear the cries of those awaiting justice and those yearning for forgiveness. Give community to the lonely and neighbors to the outcast. Shelter all who are vulnerable in body, mind, or spirit (especially…………..). Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Sustain us in our work, O God, and give work to those who need it. Shape societies to ensure fair treatment for all who labor. Help us to love our neighbors in and through our work. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We remember with thanksgiving those who have died in faith. As you equipped them, equip us with your protection and power, until with them we see your salvation. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

All these things and whatever else you see that we need, we entrust to your mercy; through Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Peace
Johm riab sua.
Selam.
The peace of Christ be with you all. And also with you.

Offering – Christ the Healer, Paul Swenson, organ

Offering Prayer
Blessed are you, O God, maker of all things. You have set before us these gifts of your good creation. Prepare us for your heavenly banquet, nourish us with this rich food and drink, and send us forth to set tables in the midst of a suffering world, through the bread of life, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Cambodian Lord’s Prayer

Blessing
Mothering God,
Father, ☩ Son, and Holy Spirit,
bless you and lead you into the way of truth and life. Amen 

Song – Lord Jesus, You Shall Be My Song Worship 808
Jésus, je voudrais te chanter

1          Lord Jesus, you shall be my song as I journey;
I’ll tell ev’rybody about you wherever I go:
you alone are our life and our peace and our love.
Lord Jesus, you shall be my song as I journey.

2   Lord Jesus, I’ll praise you as long as I journey.
May all of my joy be a faithful reflection of you.
May the earth and the sea and the sky join my song.
Lord Jesus, I’ll praise you as long as I journey.

3   As long as I live, Jesus, make me your servant,
to carry your cross and to share all your burdens and tears.
For you saved me by giving your body and blood.
As long as I live, Jesus, make me your servant.

4   I fear in the dark and the doubt of my journey;
courage will come with the sound of your steps by my side.
And with all of the family you saved by your love,
we’ll sing to your dawn at the end of our journey.

Text: Les Petites Soeurs de Jésus and L’Arche Community; tr. Stephen Somerville, b. 1931
Text © 1987 Les Petites Soeurs de Jésus, admin. Augsburg Fortress. Tr. © 1970 Stephen Somerville, admin. Augsburg Fortress.

Dismissal
Go in peace. Remember the poor. Thanks be to God.