Pastor: Creator God, You have made a beautiful world filled with wonder and surprises! 
People: We adore you. 

Creator God who has gifted us with the blessing of animals, those in the wild, those on farms, those in our own homes, We adore you. 

Creator God we thank you for abundant life; for the birds we hear in the morning, for the drone of the bees when we are outside, for the vast tapestry of life which is interwoven, We give you thanks. 

We thank you for the gift of our own animal companions; For the joy they bring us, For the unconditional love and forgiveness which teaches us about you; 

For the confidant, the listener, the stress-releaser, For the benefits they are to our health-and to our Spirit. We give you thanks. 

And yet, we know that we have not always been faithful caretakers of our animals; Forgive us when we have dirtied their environment, erased places of shelter, polluted the waters, killed off their food supplies or neglected to feed or tend animals in our own communities.

Source and sustainer of life, we cherish the myriad works of your hands. Water, earth, and sky are yours, as are all their inhabitants, wild and tame. We thank you for creatures that nourish and serve us, befriend, enrich, entertain, and protect us. 

May we, who are made in your image, care for them well. And may your groaning yet wondrous creation rally and thrive, revealing to all who come after us your wise, redemptive, transfiguring love; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. For all this we adore you and give you thanks. Amen.

*All Creatures, Worship God Most High  vs. 6

  O sisters, brothers, take your part,
  and worship God with humble heart: Alleluia! Alleluia!
  All creatures, bless the Father, Son,
  and Holy Spirit, Three in One:
  Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

*Prayer of the Day
The joy of our Lord Jesus Christ, the compassion of God, and the creative power of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And also with you. 

Most high, omnipotent, good Lord, grant your people grace to renounce gladly   the vanities of this world; that, following the way of blessed Francis, we may, for love of you, delight in your whole creation with perfectness of joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Reading from the Hebrew Scriptures  Genesis 1:9-23

9 And God said, ‘Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.’ And it was so. 10God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. Tov! It's Tov, it’s very, very Tov! 11Then God said, ‘Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.’ And it was so. 12The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. Tov! It's Tov, it’s very very Tov! 13And there was evening and there was morning, the third day. 14 And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, 15and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.’ And it was so. 16God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. 17God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, 18to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. Tov! It's Tov, it’s very very Tov! 19And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. 20 And God said, ‘Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.’ 21So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. Tov! It's Tov, it’s very very Tov! 22God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.’ 23And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day. 24 And God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.’ And it was so. 25God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good. Tov! It's Tov, it’s very very Tov! 

Word of God, Word of Life. Thanks be to God.

The Epistle Lesson   Romans 12:9-21

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Word of God, Word of Life. Thanks be to God.

*Gospel Acclamation
congregation repeats alleluia after the cantor’s lead then repeats after the cantor’s verse

Speak, O Lord, your servant is listening. You have the words of eternal life.

*Gospel    The Beatitudes Matthew 5:1-14   Glory to you O Lord

 1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 And he began to speak and taught them, saying:
  3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
  5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
  6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
  7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
  8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
  9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
  10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
 13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything but is thrown out and trampled under foot. 
14 “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.

The Gospel of the Lord.   Praise to you, O Christ.

*Prayers of Intercession

Response to each petition:
Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.

*An Affirmation of Faith from our Lutheran siblings in India

We believe in God, who creates all things, who embraces all things, who celebrates all things, who is present in every part of the fabric of creation. 
We believe in God as the source of all life, who baptizes this planet with living water. 
We believe in Jesus Christ, the suffering one, the poor one, the malnourished one, the climate refugee, who loves and cares for this world and who suffers with it. 
And we believe in Jesus Christ, the seed of life, who came to reconcile and renew this world and everything in it. 
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the breath of God, who moves with God and who moves among and with us today. 
We believe in everlasting life in God. And we believe in the hope that one day God will put an end to death and all destructive forces. We believe that with Christ we will rise and with Christ we will celebrate a new creation. 

Profession of Faith is from Gurukul Lutheran Theological College and Research Institute (a seminary in South India), adapted by Keld B. Hansen, 2009, as provided in “Listen to the Voice of Creation,” Season of Creation Celebration Guide 2022, 33.

Offering & Offering Prayer
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*Let us Pray: God, our Creator, through your love you have given us these gifts to share. Accept our offerings as an expression of our deep thanks and our concern for all in need on planet Earth. With all the universe, we bless our Creator. Amen.

*The Great Thanksgiving
May God our Creator be with you and all creation. And also with you.
Open your hearts. We open them to God our Creator.
Let us give thanks to the Maker of heaven and earth. It is right to join creation in thanking God.

*Eucharistic Prayer

In the night in which he was betrayed, …
 
Remembering, then, his death and resurrection, we take this bread and cup, giving you thanks that you have made us worthy to stand before you and to serve you as your priestly people. Amen.

*The Lord’s Prayer
Lord, remember us in your Kingdom and teach us to pray: 
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.

Communion Distribution

Communion Hymn    Let All Creation Praise Our God   Choir

O God, your creatures fill the earth with wonder and delight,
and every living thing has worth and beauty in your sight.
So playful dolphins dance and swim; your sheep bow down and graze.
Your songbirds share a morning hymn to offer you their praise.

You made the pets we welcome in they’re wondrous blessings, too.
With paws and whiskers, wings and fins, they offer praise to you.
O Lord, you call us to embrace these creatures in our care.
May we show kindness, love and grace to all pets everywhere.

You made the creatures on each farm; you know the things they need.
May they grow healthy, safe from harm, and safe from human greed.
Just as a shepherd loves the sheep, you know their joy, their pain.
Lord, bless the animals we keep; may all farms be humane.

Your creatures live in every land; they fill the sky and sea.
O Lord, you give us your command to love them tenderly.
We're called to have dominion here to care for them always.
By loving creatures you hold dear, we offer you our praise.

Text: © 2011, Carolyn Winfrey Gillette  
Music: THE ROWAN TREE; Scottish traditional melody

*Communion Blessing and Prayer
Now may the body and blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace. Amen.

Let us give thanks for this meal. We thank you, Christ, for the meal we have celebrated with you, and we pray that through your body and blood we may be healed and become agents of healing for Earth. Amen.

Homily

Directions for the Blessing

*Hymn of the Day    O God, Your Creatures Fill the Earth