Sunday September 1, 2024 - Order of worship at 9 am - Lutheran Church of the Redeemer Atlanta, GA US by redeemeratl

Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 1, 2024

The Order of Worship at 9:00 am

As always, we pray that worship at Redeemer is a blessing for you, even as your participation blesses us, whether we are gathering in the name of Christ in-person or online. As you are comfortable, we encourage you to sing the hymns and to sing or speak the congregational portions of the liturgy in bold type.

Please use the links available on the viewing page to let us know that you are worshiping with us, to submit any prayer requests, to let us know if you need help or are available to help a neighbor, and to continue giving financially to support the ongoing ministries of Redeemer.

This bulletin contains content protected by copyright and is provided only for you to participate in worship. Please delete or destroy any physical or digital copy of the material following the service.

WELCOME and ANNOUNCEMENTS

Standing HYMN 717 Let Justice Flow like Streams

CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS

Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God, who forgives all our sin, whose mercy endures forever. | Amen.

Let us confess our sin and come to God for healing.

Kneeling or seated

Gracious God, have mercy on us. We confess that we have honored you with our lips, but have harmed our neighbors with our tongues. The cravings at war within us cause conflicts and disputes. In our desire to be first we make distinctions among ourselves. We place the needs of the poor and the suffering last. In your great mercy, forgive us our sins. Draw near to us with grace in time of need, and turn us to follow in the way of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

God promises to forgive our iniquity and to remember our sin no more. By grace you have been saved. In the name of ☩ Jesus Christ, the source of eternal healing, your sins are forgiven. | Amen.

Standing PRAYER OF THE DAY

The Lord be with you. | And also with you.

O God our strength, without you we are weak and wayward creatures. Protect us from all dangers that attack us from the outside, and cleanse us from all evil that arises from within ourselves, that we may be preserved through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. | Amen

Please use the Prayer Request link on the webpage to submit your requests.

Seated CHILDREN’S SERMON

Standing THE HOLY GOSPEL

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Mark’s gospel depicts Jesus as challenging traditional ways in which religious people determine what is pure or impure. For Jesus, the observance of religious practices cannot become a substitute for godly words or deeds that spring from a faithful heart.

Before the reading: The Holy Gospel according... | Glory to you, O Lord.

Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around [Jesus], they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” He said to them, “Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me,

teaching human precepts as doctrines.’

You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.”

Then he called the crowd again and said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.

“For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

After the reading: The Gospel of the Lord. | Praise to You, O Christ.

Seated

SERMON

Standing HYMN 512

Lord, let my Heart be Good Soil

Pastor Mark H. Larson

Kneeling or seated PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

Each portion of the prayers concludes: Merciful God, | receive our prayer. At the conclusion of the prayers: Amen

Drawn together in the power of the Holy Spirit, we pray with confidence for the church, God’s good creation, and all who are in need.

A brief silence.

God of every generation, give the church a sense of purpose and belonging. Sustain and build up leaders and lay people as we accompany one another in our life with Christ. Merciful God,

receive our prayer.

God of creation, you named humans as co-creators with you. Where the earth cries out in pain, bring wholeness. Guide governments and industry, that environmental laws and practices seek to heal and not harm. Merciful God, receive our prayer.

Sovereign God, we pray for local communities of every kind: rural and urban; established and new. Lead those in authority to seek the good of all through their words and actions and to mentor others in honest and generous ways. Merciful God, receive our prayer.

Healing God, you draw near to all who are hurting. Be with all who desire relief from chronic and acute illness, cancer, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Strengthen health care workers, therapists, and caregivers. Tend to those who are close to our hearts, especially… Merciful God, receive our prayer.

On this Labor Day weekend we remember and give thanks for all who have fought for workers’ rights around the world. Continue to improve working conditions and establish fair wages so that all people may thrive. Merciful God, receive our prayer.

Comforting God, console us as we mourn our departed, especially…

We hold fast to the promise that death has been defeated by our Savior Jesus Christ. Merciful God, receive our prayer.

We entrust these and all our prayers to you, holy God, in the name of your beloved child, Jesus Christ, our Savior.

Amen.

Standing PEACE

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

Please share a sign of blessing with your fellow worshipers in whatever way is comfortable for you.

Seated

GATHERING OF GIFTS

MUSIC by Redeemer Jazz Trio

Standing OFFERING PRAYER

Blessed are you, O God, source of every gift of your creation. By these gifts and with our lives, help us to serve one another and all in need, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. | Amen.

GREAT THANKSGIVING

The Lord be with you. | And also with you.

Lift up your hearts! | We lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. | It is right to give our thanks and praise.

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER

Honor and glory be to you, Lord God of all the ages; we give you thanks for the joy of your creation, and praise for your liberating love.

Searching and yearning God, you enter the wilderness and sweep the dark corners of our world because you hate nothing that you have made and long to draw us back to your heart. In Christ Jesus, you came into the world to save sinners, to welcome them, and to eat with them. You spread a table in our sight and invite us to join you in glory.

In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.

After supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.

Now send down your Holy Spirit, that your people who have strayed like lost sheep may dwell in the paths of righteousness and that these gifts of bread and wine may be for us the body and blood of your Son Jesus Christ;

Find those who are lost; reach any who have strayed; pursue all who seem determined to wander further and further from your fold.

Heal your earth; where the fruitful land is waste and void, where the mountains are quaking, and the birds of the air have fled, bring hope, transformation, and deliverance.

Redeem your creation in the power of your Spirit, and draw all thing through the free gift of your Son into the glory of your presence, now and forever. Amen.

Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray…

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

Jesus welcomes you to this table. Come, here is your God. Seated

All who seek to meet the Risen Christ in the bread and wine are invited to receive Holy Communion. Those who are worshiping online can join the pastors on Zoom for communion following the postlude. Link

Standing

The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace. | Amen

Let us pray. | Holy God, you have welcomed us to this meal and fed us with dignity at your table. Send us now to welcome others and to be at peace with one another, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

SENDING

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

BLESSING

God all mighty, God most merciful ☩ bless you, keep you, and give you peace. | Amen.

HYMN 801

Change My Heart

SENDING

Go in peace. Follow Jesus. | Thanks be to God.

POSTLUDE by Redeemer Jazz Trio

CHILDREN AND FAMILY

Sunday School Registration is Open!!

We can’t wait to learn and grow in faith with your family this year!! We kick things off with Sing and Play for all ages on September 8, and our first day in classrooms will be September 15. You can register at this link, scan the code, or speak to Deacon Mary with any questions. Sunday School is for ages 2- 5th grade. Interested in volunteering with Sunday School? Speak to Deacon Mary about volunteer opportunities.

ADULT FAITH FORMATION

“The Difficult Words of Jesus” – Meanings and Contexts

Led by Ed Scherlacher with Don Noland | Sundays 10 AM | Room 121

Inspired by Amy-Jill Levine’s book “The Difficult Words of Jesus,” this class will review sayings of Jesus that have been misinterpreted and used to marginalize “others” in history.

“We Make the Road by Walking” by Brian McLaren

Study led by Pastor Jonathan | Sundays 10 am | Reception Room

Opportunity each week to look at a scripture reading and, using reflection, present an introduction/re-orientation to the Christian Faith.

Be Still and Journey, Open to anyone interested – Beginning Sept. 8

Led by Pat Cornwell | Sundays 10 AM | Room 119

“Shaped by the Word, The Power of Scripture in Spiritual Formation” by M. Robert Mulholland, Jr. For those who hunger for a deeper relationship with God and often struggle with barriers that keep us from being able to meditate and listen to God.

Tuesday Morning Bible Study

Led by David Ott & Don Noland | Tuesdays | 7 AM | Reception Room and Zoom

Currently studying 1st & 2nd Samuel Everyone is welcome either 1/ in person in the Reception Room with a full breakfast serving from 7 am, or 2/ via ZOOM link found on the Redeemer website each Tuesday. Our study and discussion is from 7:30 - 8:30 am. Please join us any Tuesday morning!

Book Study with Pastor Jonathan Tuesdays | 5 PM

Join Pr Jonathan on Zoom as the group discusses 'The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory' by Tim Alberta. Alberta is a practicing Christian and the son of an evangelical pastor, paints an expansive and profoundly troubling portrait of the American evangelical movement. Through the eyes of televangelists and small-town preachers, celebrity revivalists and everyday churchgoers,

Alberta tells the story of a faith cheapened by ephemeral fear, a promise corrupted by partisan subterfuge, and a reputation stained by perpetual scandal. Reading is always encouraged but not required, your presence is enough!

Early Bird Bible Study led by David Ott

Wednesdays | 4 PM | Reception room | Study on 1st and 2nd Kings

Pastor’s Class led by Pastor Mark Wednesdays | 6 PM | In-person and online “Singing the Church’s History”

Every Sunday morning, we sing words that have a history. Yet many of our hymns are so familiar that we rarely notice where the words come from. As we sing together, we are singing church history, and, as a singing church, we have a history. This class will explore that story. Through singing and examining the words of our hymns, we will learn church history, right down to today, while enriching our hymn singing with glimpses into the lives and contexts of those who wrote them. Everyone is welcome, but bring your singing voice!

Thursday afternoon Bible Study

Thursdays | 3 – 4:00 PM | Reception room/ Zoom

Keystone September Events:

September 4th at 12PM: Monthly Keystone Worship & Fellowship (Redeemer)

September 12th at 1PM: Monthly Keystone Matinee – Brother Sun & Sister Moon

September 26th at 12PM: Monthly Keystone Lunch – La Petite Violette (2948 Clairmont Rd Atlanta, GA 30329)

Mark Your Calendar!

2nd Annual Block Party

Enjoy live Polka music, traditional foods, beer, dancing, and children’s games on Saturday, October 19th from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at 4th & Peachtree Street VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Contact Don Noland, dfnoland@gmail.com or Don Cornwall

WOMEN’S RETREAT REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

All ladies are invited to join us at Lutheranch from Nov. 15-17 for a retreat focused on flourishing faith! The cost is $329 (single room) or $240 (double room) and partial scholarships are available. Please email Pr. Jennifer (jroberts@redeemer.org) or check out the Redeemer Newsletter to register. Also check out an intro to one of our sessions for the weekend below:

Flourishing Prayers (Philippians 4:6-7) – Prayer is an essential component of our faith life and yet it can often be an intimidating or neglected part of our lives due to schedule, circumstances, or life stage. In this session, we will explore various patterns of prayer that will be tools to engage and explore prayer. We’ll also consider ways to carve out time, understand prayer in new ways, and flourish through the gift of prayer.

Calendar for September 1 – September 6, 2024

Visit https://www.redeemer.org/blog/this-week/ for Zoom Links

Sunday, September 1, 2024

Event Time

Worship

HS Faith Formation

Pr. Jonathan Class

Difficult Words of Jesus

Monday, September 2

9:00 AM (Jazz) 11:00 AM

Organ & Choir

9:45 AM – 10:15 AM

10:00 AM – 10:45 AM

Location

In-person/ On-Line

Youth Lounge Conference Room Room 121

Church Office Closed - -

Tuesday, September 3

Morning Bible Study

Pr. Jonathan Book Study

Wednesday, September 4

Early Birds Bible Study

Wednesday Night Dinner

Cherubim Choir

Seraphim Choir

Pastors Class

Redeemer Ringers

Worship

Thursday, September 5

Bible Study

Tolkien Group

7:30 AM – 8:30 AM 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

5:00 PM – 6:30 PM

5:30 PM – 6:00 PM 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

7:00 PM – 7:30 PM

7:00 PM – 8:00 PM

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

7:30 PM – 9:00 PM

Rudisill Hall/Zoom Zoom

Reception/Zoom

Sims Atrium Room 203 Room 204

Rudisill Hall/Zoom Room 202 Sanctuary

Reception Room/Zoom Zoom

Friday, September 6 - - -

Thursday, September 7

Dorothy Beasley Memorial 11:00 AM Sanctuary

THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH OF THE REDEEMER 731 Peachtree Street, NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30308 www.redeemer.org | 404.874.8664 | Emergency Line: 404.874.9759

The Rev. Mark H. Larson Senior Pastor, ext. 201

The Rev. Dr. Jonathan Trapp Pastor for Faith Formation, ext. 233

The Rev. Jennifer Roberts Interim Pastor for Congregational Care, ext. 224

STAFF

Seth Brown Facilities and Media Director, ext. 218

Brandon Davis ................................................... Director of Operations and Finance, ext. 232

Robin Durdin ............................................................ Office Administration Director, ext. 204

David Hansen ........................................................................... Adult Choral Director, ext. 236

Sarah Hawbecker .......................................... Organist & Children’s Music Director, ext. 206

Deacon Mary Houck .....................................Children & Family Ministries Director, ext. 227

Nate Humphrys Youth Director, ext. 230

Larry Lowe Security Officer

Stacey Williams Head of Security