18th Sunday after Pentecost

COLOR: Green
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7; Psalm 66:1-12; 2 Timothy 2:8-15; Luke 17:11-19

THEME IDEAS

Our readings remind us that wherever we are hemmed in and restricted, God is there in freedom. Jeremiah writes to the Jews in Babylon that they are to make a home in the very place to which they have been exiled—and they are to pray for this city! The author of 2 Timothy writes of his chains as
a life-giving and freeing participation in the rejection and death of Christ Jesus. To lepers who must keep their distance from everyone, Jesus speaks words of healing, obliterating the distance between them. However we may be bound, “the word of God is not chained” (2 Timothy 2:9), and the locked iron door of impossibility swings open. 

INVITATION AND GATHERING

Call to Worship (Psalm 66)

Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth!
Come and see what God has done!
God has turned our sea into dry land.
We have passed through the river on foot.
Bless our God, O peoples.
Let the sound of God’s praise be heard!
When you tested and tried us, O God,
you brought us out to a spacious place.
You kept us among the living
and prevented our feet from slipping.
Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth!
How awesome are the deeds of our God!

Opening Prayer (Psalm 66, 2 Timothy 2)

We give praise to you, O God,
for you are awesome and amazing.
We remember your deeds and faithfulness—
deeds that have brought us to this day,
faithfulness that has helped us weather
life’s storms.
We have gone through fire and water,
and stand before you today
in gratitude and praise.
How awesome are your deeds, O God! Amen.

PROCLAMATION AND RESPONSE

Prayer of Confession (Jeremiah 29, Psalm 66, 2 Timothy 2, Luke 17)

O God,
we remember times of blessing in our lives:
when we have been released
from suffering and despair,
when we have been freed
to reclaim life and hope;
but we also remember times of hardship:
when we have been cast out
into deep waters,
when we have been banished in exile
from the world we call home.
O God,
it is hard to claim
the hope and promise of the past
in the presence of today’s troubles.
Meet us today with your good news
that we may be renewed
by the power of your presence. Amen.

Words of Assurance (Psalm 66, 2 Timothy 2, Luke 17)

Give praise to God,
who accompanies us on our journey,
who hears our cries and anguish,
and who remains faithful and answers our prayers.
Give glory to God,
who brings life out of death
and joy out of sorrow!

Response to the Word (Jeremiah 29, 2 Timothy 2, Luke 17)

Look to God in all the places you feel hemmed in and bound, exiled and isolated. Open your eyes to God’s presence. Trust God in the deepest parts of your being, that silently or boldly, your life may reflect the Spirit of the One who makes us whole. Amen.

THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNION

Invitation to the Offering (Luke 17)

When the leper ran back to thank Jesus for healing, new life, and fresh possibilities, Jesus was amazed and moved that a Samaritan would come to a Jew and give heartfelt thanks. Jesus sent this man on his way with blessings, for he saw that healing had permeated this man. He was whole through and through. We too have known the healing and saving God in our lives, and we will know this God yet again. So let our offering today be our thanksgiving for the mercy and goodness and ever-faithfulness of God.

Offering Prayer (Jeremiah 29, 2 Timothy 2, Luke 17)

In a world of goodness and struggle,
we are grateful for your blessings, O God.
As we seek to endure life’s struggles,
as we seek to claim your life
in those hard parts of our lives—
the very places you teach us
to look for your freeing presence—
teach us to trust that you are always there.
May these gifts be sent into our community
and into the world around us,
that others may claim
the hope of your presence. Amen.

SENDING FORTH

Benediction (Luke 17)

Jesus said to the leper,
“Get up and go on your way.
Your faith has made you well.”
Let us all claim Jesus’ healing
and liberation in our lives.
Get up and go on your way!
In Jesus’ name,
your faith has made you whole
And all God’s people say:
Amen.

CONTEMPORARY OPTIONS

Contemporary Gathering Words (2 Timothy 2, Luke 17)

Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!
Where we need healing,
make us whole!
Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!
Where we are isolated and excluded,
bring us near!
Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!
Where we are chained,
break our bonds!
Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!
Where we are dying,
bring us back to life!

Praise Sentences (2 Timothy 2)

If we have died with him,
we will also live with him.
If we endure,
we will also reign with him. Amen!