Thanksgiving Praise

Thanksgiving Eve or

Thanksgiving Day

Order of Worship

Prelude & Lighting of Candles

Stand

Call to Worship: Come, Lord Jesus

Life Songs 97, Augsburg Fortress

Tune: TALLIS' CANON,

Music: Thomas Tallis

Suggested: Choir - verse 4 in canon with the congregation

Oh, come, Lord Jesus, be our guest, .... our hearts' delight.

Oh, come, Lord Jesus, ... on ev'ry table ev'rywhere.

Oh, come, Lord Jesus, ... and lead us to your dawning day.

Oh, come, Lord Jesus, .... we may all your goodness tell.

A: Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion; and to you shall vows be performed, O you who answer prayer! To you all flesh shall come.

C: You are our refuge, our sure strength; the center of our lives. We give you thanks and praise for your presence among us.

A: When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us, you forgive our transgressions. Happy are those whom you choose and bring near to live in your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, your holy temple.

C: You are our comfort, our hope; the healer of our lives. We give you thanks and praise for the mercy you extend to us.

A: By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance, O God of our salvation; you are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas. By your strength you established the mountains; you are girded with might.

C: You are our guard, our defender ; the protector of us all. You are with us even in the face of disaster. You lead us to safety. You gather all peoples into the protection of your love. We give you thanks and praise for the guard you keep over us.

A: You silence the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples. Those who live at earth's farthest bounds are awed by your signs; you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.

C: You are our serenity, our peace; the small still voice which reaches our hearts. We give you thanks and praise for your ebullience which animates all creation.

A: You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide the people with grain, for so you have prepared it.

C: You are our sustenance, our nurturer; the provider of all life. We give you thanks and praise for the abundance you shower upon us.

A: You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth.

C: You are our life force, our caregiver; the source of our well-being. We give you thanks and praise for the nourishment you bestow on us.

A: You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with richness. The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.

C: You are our sufficiency, our fullness; the genesis of all that we have and are. You are our God and we love you. We praise you. We give you thanks that you have created us and this world.

(Using Psalm 65)

Praise Song: Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones

Tune Name: LASST UNS ERFREUEN

Text: J. Athelstan Riley, 1858-1945

Music: Geistliche Kirchengesange, Koln, 1623

Ye watchers and ye holy ones,

bright seraphs, cherubim, and thrones,

raise the glad strain: "Alleluia!"

Cry out, dominions, princedoms, pow'rs,

archangels, virtues, angel choirs:

"Alleluia! Alleluia!"

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

O higher than the cherubim,

more glorious than the seraphim,

lead their praises: "Alleluia!"

Thou bearer of the eternal Word,

most gracious, magnify the Lord:

"Alleluia! Alleluia!"

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Respond, ye souls in endless rest,

ye patriarchs and prophets blest:

"Alleluia! Alleluia!"

Ye holy twelve, ye martyrs strong,

all saints triumphant, raise the song:

"Alleluia! Alleluia!"

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

O friends, in gladness let us sing,

supernal anthems echoing:

"Alleluia! Alleluia!"

To God the Father, God the Son,

and God the Spirit, Three in One:

"Alleluia! Alleluia!"

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Prayer:

P: Let us pray,

C: Lord God of all creation. You are indeed the Lord of harvest, for from you comes every drop of rain, every ray of sunshine, every nutrient in the soil; everything that gives life. Help us to remember that without you we would have nothing. Fill us with your generosity so that we may also become people of harvest, giving and sharing our blessings, our wealth of food and goods, with all the peoples of this world. We ask this in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Sit

Choir Anthem:

Lesson: Deuteronomy 8:7-18

For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with flowing streams, with springs and underground waters welling up in valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land where you may eat bread without scarcity, where you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron and from whose hills you may mine copper.

You shall eat your fill and bless the LORD your God for the good land that he has given you. Take care that you do not forget the LORD your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes, which I am commanding you today. When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, an arid wasteland with poisonous snakes and scorpions. He made water flow for you from flint rock, and fed you in the wilderness with manna that your ancestors did not know, to humble you and to test you, and in the end to do you good. Do not say to yourself, "My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth." But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors, as he is doing today.

Lesson Song: Sing to the Lord of Harvest

Tune Name: WIE LIEBLICH IST DER MAIEN

Text: John S. B. Monsell, 1811-1875, alt.

Music: Johann Steurlein, 1545-1613

Sing to the Lord of harvest,

sing songs of love and praise;

with joyful hearts and voices

your alleluias raise.

By him the rolling seasons

in fruitful order move;

sing to the Lord of harvest

a joyous song of love.

God makes the clouds drop fatness,

the deserts bloom and spring,

the hills leap up in gladness,

the valleys laugh and sing.

God fills them with his fullness,

all things with large increase;

he crowns the year with goodness,

with plenty and with peace.

Bring to this sacred altar

the gifts his goodness gave,

the golden sheaves of harvest,

the souls Christ died to save.

Your hearts lay down before him

when at his feet you fall,

and with your lives adore him

who gave his life for all.

Lesson: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. As it is written, `He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.' He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God. Through the testing of this ministry you glorify God by your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ and by the generosity of your sharing with them and with all others, while they long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God that he has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

Stand

Gospel Song: Sing of the Lord's Goodness

Text: Ernet Sands, b. 1949

Music: The Lord's Goodness 667667 and refrain, Ernest Sands

Sing of the Lord's goodness,... faithful to the end of days.

Refrain:

Come then, all you nations, sing of the Lord's goodness ... worship him and bless his name.

Power he has wielded,... new life he now gives to all.

Refrain

Courage in our darkness,... splendor of the living God.

Refrain:

Praise him with your singing,... praise God till the end of days. Refrain

Gospel: Luke 17:11-19

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, `Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!' When he saw them, he said to them, `Go and show yourselves to the priests.' And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, `Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?' Then he said to him, `Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.'

Sit

Music for Meditation

Message

Stand

Theme Song: O Christ, Your Heart, Compassionate

Text: Herman G. STuempfle, Jr., b. 1923, Copyright GIA Publications.

Music: ELLACOMBE, Werkmeister, Gesangbuch der Herzogl. Hofkapelle 1784

O Christ, your heart, .... eternity in time.

As once you welcomed .... another's pain as though it were our own.

O Christ, create new hearts ... ministry your love may be revealed.

O Love that made the distant stars... rise up to you, a sacrifice of praise!

.Testimony of Faith:

I believe in God, Creator of the universe, who is mother and father of us all.

I believe in God, Christ Jesus, who, leaving his divinity, became a human, a man who walked this earth. He was born of a woman, grew up, and became a teacher and healer, the Light of the World. He was executed by Pontius Pilate. He conquered death, rising to true life, whole and real. He returned to his Father and will come again to judge this world.

I believe in God, the Holy Spirit, our comforter and guide, who with the Creator and the Christ is God, now and before and after all time.

Greeting of Peace:

P: God has received us, pardoned us and loved us; let us forgive each other in love and share the peace of Christ. Peace be with you.

C: And also with you.

(All may greet one another in the name of the Lord.)

Sit

Offering

Possible Solo/Anthem

Stand

Offering Song: Now Thank We All Our God

Tune Name: NUN DANKET ALLE GOTT (rhythmic)

Text: Martin Rinkhart, 1586-1649; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1829-1878

Music: Johann Cruger, 1598-1662

Now thank we all our God

with hearts and hands and voices,

who wondrous things has done,

in whom his 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 in his 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 him who reigns

with them in highest heaven,

the one eternal God,

whom earth and heav'n adore;

for thus it was, is now,

and shall be evermore.

Offering Prayer:

A: Let us pray,

C: God of all, thank you for the life you give me, the goods which you supplied to me, the power to make a difference in this world. Be with me in my daily tasks, my daily joys, my daily sorrows, so that every day, every minute belongs to you. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Benediction:

P: The Lord bless you and keep you;

The Lord make His face shine on you,

And be caring towards you;

The Lord lift up His countenance on you,

And give you peace. (Numbers 6:24-26)

C: Amen.

Sending Song: Come, You Thankful People, Come

Tune Name: ST. GEORGE'S, WINDSOR

Text: Henry Alford, 1810-1871, alt.

Come, you thankful people, come;

raise the song of harvest home.

All is safely gathered in

ere the winter storms begin.

God, our maker, does provide

for our wants to be supplied.

Come to God's own temple, come,

raise the song of harvest home.

All the world is God's own field,

fruit unto his praise to yield.

Wheat and tares together sown,

unto joy or sorrow grown.

First the blade, and then the ear,

then the full corn shall appear.

Lord of harvest, grant that we

wholesome grain and pure may be.

For the Lord our God shall come

and shall take his harvest home.

From his field shall in that day

all offenses purge away,

give his angels charge at last

in the fire the tares to cast,

but the fruitful ears to store

in his garner evermore.

Even so, Lord, quickly come

to your final harvest home.

Gather all your people in,

free from sorrow, free from sin,

there, forever purified,

in your garner to abide.

Come, with all your angels, come,

raise the glorious harvest home!

A: Go in peace. Serve the Lord!

C: Thanks be to God!

Postlude