Welcome to ICYMI Worship! ICYMI stands for In Case You Missed It; our ICYMI series gives a brief snapshot of worship each week so that you can worship in your home, on the road, or wherever life takes you.
At Cross of Christ, our basic worship order is based on worship patterns from Hebrew traditions and biblical accounts of the earliest Christians:
We GATHER with songs and prayer,
We HEAR God’s word,
We SHARE a meal of bread and wine,
We are SENT into the world to love and serve.
Let us know how this format works for you.
Today is the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
Our Gathering song at our Mosaic service is Here I Am to Worship
Prayer of the Day
Sovereign God, raise your throne in our hearts. Created by you, let us live in your image; created for you, let us act for your glory; redeemed by you, let us give you what is yours, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
This week’s readings are from Isaiah 45:1-7 , Psalm 96:1-9 [10-13], and 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10.
Isaiah 45:1-7
The prophet announces that Cyrus the Persian emperor is the one the Lord has anointed to end Israel’s exile. The Lord makes this choice so that the whole world will recognize this Lord as the only God. Persia had a god of light and a god of darkness; the Lord claims sovereignty over both light and darkness.
Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,
whose right hand I have grasped
to subdue nations before him
and strip kings of their robes,
to open doors before him—
and the gates shall not be closed:
2 I will go before you
and level the mountains,
I will break in pieces the doors of bronze
and cut through the bars of iron,
3 I will give you the treasures of darkness
and riches hidden in secret places,
so that you may know that it is I, the Lord,
the God of Israel, who call you by your name.
4 For the sake of my servant Jacob,
and Israel my chosen,
I call you by your name,
I surname you, though you do not know me.
5 I am the Lord, and there is no other;
besides me there is no god.
I arm you, though you do not know me,
6 so that they may know, from the rising of the sun
and from the west, that there is no one besides me;
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
7 I form light and create darkness,
I make weal and create woe;
I the Lord do all these things.
Psalm 96:1-13
Ascribe to the Lord honor and power. (Ps. 96:7)
O sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples.
4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be revered above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
6 Honor and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts.
9 Worship the Lord in holy splendor;
tremble before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, “The Lord is king!
The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved.
He will judge the peoples with equity.”
11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
12 let the field exult, and everything in it.
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
13 before the Lord; for he is coming,
for he is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with his truth.
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Most likely this letter is the first written by Paul. Paul is giving pastoral encouragement and reassurances to new Christians living in an antagonistic pagan environment. Their commitment of faith, love, and hope makes them a model for other new Christian communities.
I, Paul, together here with Silas and Timothy, send greetings to the church at Thessalonica, Christians assembled by God the Father and by the Master, Jesus Christ. God’s amazing grace be with you! God’s robust peace!
Convictions of Steel
2-5 Every time we think of you, we thank God for you. Day and night you’re in our prayers as we call to mind your work of faith, your labor of love, and your patience of hope in following our Master, Jesus Christ, before God our Father. It is clear to us, friends, that God not only loves you very much but also has put his hand on you for something special. When the Message we preached came to you, it wasn’t just words. Something happened in you. The Holy Spirit put steel in your convictions.
5-6 You paid careful attention to the way we lived among you, and determined to live that way yourselves. In imitating us, you imitated the Master. Although great trouble accompanied the Word, you were able to take great joy from the Holy Spirit!—taking the trouble with the joy, the joy with the trouble.
7-10 Do you know that all over the provinces of both Macedonia and Achaia believers look up to you? The word has gotten around. Your lives are echoing the Master’s Word, not only in the provinces but all over the place. The news of your faith in God is out. We don’t even have to say anything anymore—you’re the message! People come up and tell us how you received us with open arms, how you deserted the dead idols of your old life so you could embrace and serve God, the true God. They marvel at how expectantly you await the arrival of his Son, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescued us from certain doom.
This week’s Gospel text is from Matthew 22:15-22
After Jesus begins teaching in the temple, religious leaders try to trap him with questions. First they ask if God’s people should pay taxes to an earthly tyrant like Caesar.
15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. 16 So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20 Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” 21 They answered, “The emperor’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22 When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.
Pastor Dave’s Sermon Snapshot: “I Pledge Allegiance”
Our gospel lesson tackled a tough topic in its day, and in ours as well – what is the obligation of a Christian to support his or her civil government? In particular Jesus was asked about paying taxes to a government that was not acting in the best interest of the taxpayers. The answer he gave was much greater than what those who posed the question expected. We’ll consider where our greatest allegiance should be, informed by these words of our Lord.
The Hymn of the Day in our Traditional service is Lift Every Voice and Sing (ELW 841)
Prayers of the People – 10/22/17
Coming soon!
The Communion song at our Traditional service is Lord, Be Glorified (ELW 744)
On 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. Again, 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.
All are welcome to receive Christ’s Body and Blood in the Bread and Wine of the Eucharist.
And because there’s always something going on, the Announcements!
ADULT FAITH FORMATION – Pastor Dave concludes our Reformation-themed series today with a look at Martin Luther’s teaching in his Small Catechism regarding the Sacraments and Lutheran Worship. Adult Faith Formation will be on break October 29, as we enjoy Reformation Sunday and Oktoberfest. A new series will begin November 12. We meet from 10:15 to 10:55 am, in the Library.
CHILDREN’S FAITH FORMATION – We invite kids ages 4-10 to join us in the Youth Room at 10:15 am. Our program is designed for children to be able to participate whenever they’re here, so drop-ins are welcome.
COMBINED REFORMATION WORSHIP & OKTOBERFEST NEXT SUNDAY – Join us for a very special, very festive combined Reunion Sunday worship service at 10 am as we celebrate the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. Worship will include a brass quartet, expanded choir, liturgies and litanies, and of course the singing of Martin Luther’s greatest hymn, “A Mighty Fortress” along with other hymns and special music. After the service, please join us in the Fellowship Hall for Oktoberfest with brats, pretzels, craft root beer, a live Oktoberfest folk band, games, and more as the celebration continues. For those who wish to assist in providing food, there is a signup sheet at the Information Desk for contributions of potato salad (preferably German style), side dishes, condiments, or dessert (German chocolate cake perhaps?). All other food and beverages will be provided. For more information, contact Linda Capron at capron@comcast.net.
REFORMATION 500 BOOKSTORE – The 500th anniversary of the Reformation is fast approaching! Want to learn more about Martin Luther, his writings, and their impact on Christianity? Want great children’s books about faith and the Bible? Stop by our Reformation 500 Bookstore to shop for engaging books on the Reformation for readers of all ages and interests. Save up to 50% plus receive free shipping on all Bookstore titles. Not interested in shopping for yourself? Help us modernize our Library for the needs of our changing community by ordering a book and donating it. Visit us at the table in the Narthex between services today, and next Sunday at Oktoberfest in the Fellowship Hall. Our Reformation 500 Bookstore is sponsored by Augsburg Fortress, the publishing ministry of the ELCA, and Sparkhouse, the children’s publishing division.
REFORMATION 500 CHOIR – Join Cantorei and guests and be a part of the choir for this historic celebration marking the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. We’ll be singing wonderful arrangements of great Lutheran hymns as we lead in worship on October 29 and November 5. Join us for rehearsals on Thursdays at 7:30 PM as we prepare for this momentous occasion. Contact Director of Music Ministries Ben Fowler if you’d like more information, 435-746-74300 or Ben@cofclc.net.
LECTORS NEEDED! – Reading from God’s Word in worship is a central part of Lutheran worship. Hearing the lessons read by many different voices ads both variety and vitality to our services. Lately we’ve had lots of openings for lectors. Would you be willing to read on an upcoming Sunday? Please go to our website www.crossofchristbellevue.org and click on the “Volunteer” tab to sign up. Also, beginning this week, there is a “low tech” option – a signup sheet at the Information Desk. Thank you.
SIGN UP ONLINE TO HELP WITH COMMUNION – in addition to being able to volunteer as a lector or assisting minister, you can now also sign up to assist with Holy Communion. A minimum of two assistants are need for 9 am worship services, and one for the 11 am. Thank you for being a blessing in these ways.
FINAL GOLF OUTING OF THE SEASON – Sadly, all good things come to an end. This Thursday is the last of the LARKS golf outings for the fall season. Let’s enjoy one more round of chasing the silly little dimpled ball with a big turnout at Snoqualmie Falls Golf Course. This week the contact person is Ron Weisel – 425-747-7934. Fore!
LARKS GOING TO MOHAI – The LARKS are organizing an outing to the MOHAI (Museum of History and Industry) on Thursday, November 2 (FREE ADMISSION DAY!). The MOHAI is located at South Lake Union in Seattle. This is a museum that tells the history of Seattle with many original artifacts. There is a cafe there for lunch that has great coffee! One option to get there is to carpool from Cross of Christ, and another option is to take the bus and trolley there. Hope you can come! Please sign up at the Information Center and indicate your preference for the transportation. Questions – contact Nancy Weisel 425-747-7934 or Liz Clark 425-746-6278.
ALL SAINTS SUNDAY NOVEMBER 5 – Each All Saints Sunday we light candles to remember those dear to us who have been called to their heavenly home, especially members of Cross of Christ who have died since last All Saints Sunday. This year we will have eleven red candles on the altar in their memory. Other candles will be lit for those for whom you want to thank God for being a saint and model of faith for you. Please join us for these powerful services at both the 9 am (Traditional) and 11 am (Casual) worship times.
Our sending song in our Mosaic service is Lord, Reign in Me
By God’s grace, through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, we are called to
Worship God
Grow in Faith
Share the Gospel
Serve others, and
Welcome all.
Thanks be to God!
