Prelude             “All Creatures Worship God Most High”  

  setting James Kasen 

Welcome & Announcements

 

*Gathering Hymn  “All Creatures Worship God Most High” v 1&2

 

*Litany for Francis

Creator God, You have made a beautiful world filled with wonder and surprises! 

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” v6

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.

 

Old Testament Reading 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.

 

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

 

*Gospel  The Beatitudes    Matthew 5:1-1  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.

 

Homily                 Pastor Kurt

 

*Hymn of the Day  “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace”

*Prayers of Intercession

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

 

*An Affirmation of Faith

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, seen in the suffering one, the poor one, the malnourished one, the climate refugee - who loves and cares for this world and 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 willput an end to death and all destructive forces.

 

*Exchange of Peace

The peace of the Lord be with you. And also with you.

 

Offering

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Text “Give” to (866) 870-5222

 

Offering Music      

 

*Offering Prayer

God, whose Spirit moved over the deep: We thank you for the gift of water — the waters on the Earth, and under the Earth, the waters above us, and within us. Make us mindful of the care of all the planet’s waters, that it may richly sustain life for us and for those who come after us. Accept the first fruits we offer here. Bless and multiply these gifts to our nurture and the care of your creation; for the sake of your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

*Thanksgiving at the Table

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.

 O God triune, … we creatures of dust join in the ancient song:

The earth is full of your glory. The earth is full of your glory.

 

O God triune, … we mortals sing our song:

The earth is full of your glory. The earth is full of your glory.

 

We praise you for the heart of Jesus, … we your children unite in this song:

The earth is full of your glory. The earth is full of your glory.

 

O God triune, … we rise from our deaths to praise you again:

The earth is full of your glory. The earth is full of your glory.

Amen, and amen. Amen, and 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.

 

Invitation to Communion

The gifts of creation for God’s beloved creatures. Come and share.

 

Agnus Dei

 

Communion Distribution

 

Communion Hymn  “We Are the Light of the World”     Choir

 

*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.

*Benediction

This morning our worship will continue with a time of fellowship as we welcome neighbors to join us for the Blessing of the Animals.

 

*intermission for fellowship

 

11:00 - Program for the Blessing of the Animals

P. Bless the Lord, all you his creatures.

C. Bless the Lord, in heaven and on earth.

P. For all your creatures that breathe and move and have life,

C. We thank you, O Lord.

P. That we may love and honor the works of your hand,

C. We thank you, O Lord.

P. That each pet here may be treasured with care,

C. We thank you, O Lord.

P: The joy of our Lord Jesus Christ, the compassion of God,

and the creative power of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 

C: And also with you.

 

Reflections on St. Francis of Assisi

Blessing of the Animals     Special Music by FLC Musicians

At this time you may bring your furry, feathered, scaly or shelled companion, or their picture, forward for a blessing

Let us pray.

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. Amen.

 

*Human Blessing & Benediction from the prayer of St. Francis

*please turn toward another and offer these words

May the Lord make you an instrument of peace:  where there is hatred, may you sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. May the divine Master, grant that you not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that you receive, it is in pardoning that you are pardoned, and it is in dying that you are born to eternal life. Amen.

Go in peace. Thanks be to God.