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Season of Creation: Wonder

Kurt Christenson

Sunday, September 1, 2024

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SUNDAYS IN THE SEASON OF CREATION

WONDER, Despair, Hope, Resolve, St. Francis

September 1, 2024

10:00 a.m

PRELUDE Music of the Forest

WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS

WE GATHER IN WONDER

Wonder: How do we recognize, celebrate and appreciate the

great gifts of the Creation? What memories of time spent in awesome places

still comfort and inspire us? How does it seem that God is a partner

with us in re-creating this earth in new and beautiful ways?

Rainbow God, we praise you for the beauty of planet earth; for the deep blue of the oceans and the splendor of sea creatures—shellfish hidden in crevices, spouting whales majestically riding the waves, playful dolphins trying new games and the vast array of multi-colored fish; for all the variety of sea life we praise your name, good Lord. How wonderful are your works in all the world.

For the green meadows and heather-covered hills, for orchards abundantly producing apples, red and green, for herds of cows replete with milk, for flocks of sheep caring for playful lambs, for horses, chestnut brown, milk white and coal black; for all the variety of the countryside we praise your name, good Lord. How wonderful are your works in all the world.

For the sun that shines bright in the sky, for the clouds pregnant with rain, showering blessings, for scent-filled, life-sustaining air, for the majestic eagle soaring over the mountains, for the lark filling the air with her song, for lines of geese heading home. Rainbow God, for all this loveliness we praise your name and give you thanks.How wonderful are your works in all the world.

John Johansen-Berg

GATHERING HYMN This is My Father’s World

GREETING

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy

Spirit be with you all. And also with you.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Let us pray: O God, the delicate balance of your creation is slowly being stripped of its riches: your streams of living water are choked with chemicals; your life-giving trees droop and die. Open our eyes to see, and our ears to hear the cry of your creation. Teach us its wonders. Teach us to cherish and protect your world. Teach us how to live in partnership with all things that we may learn how to live as one body in Christ—dependent on each other’s gifts, sharing in each other’s hopes. Amen.

Kate McIlhagga

DISMISSAL TO CHILDREN’S CHURCH

LESSON FROM THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES Job 37: 5, 14-24

5 God thunders wondrously with his voice;
he does great things that we cannot comprehend.
14 ‘Hear this, O Job; stop and consider the wondrous works of God.
15 Do you know how God lays his command upon them,
and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine?
16 Do you know the balancings of the clouds,
the wondrous works of the one whose knowledge is perfect,
17 you whose garments are hot
when the earth is still because of the south wind?
18 Can you, like him, spread out the skies, unyielding as a cast mirror?
19 Teach us what we shall say to him;
we cannot draw up our case because of darkness.
20 Should he be told that I want to speak?
Did anyone ever wish to be swallowed up?
21 Now, no one can look on the light when it is bright in the skies,
when the wind has passed and cleared them.
22 Out of the north comes golden splendor; around God is awesome majesty.
23 The Almighty—we cannot find him; he is great in power and justice,
and abundant righteousness he will not violate.
24 Therefore mortals fear him;
he does not regard any who are wise in their own conceit.’

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

PSALMODY: Psalm 104 Lord Send Out Your Spirit

Bless the Lord, O my soul; O Lord, my God, you are great indeed.

How manifold are your works, O Lord! The earth is full of your creatures.

If you take away their breath, they die, and they return to their dust.

When you send forth your spirit of life, they are created in your sight!

May his glory last for all time; may the Lord be glad in his works.

Pleasing to him will be my theme; I will be glad in the Lord!

LESSON FROM THE EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL: Colossians 1: 15-23

15 Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 17He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

21 And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him— 23provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, became a servant of this gospel.

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

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION Holy, Holy, Holy, Santo, Santo, Santo

GOSPEL READING: Matt 6: 19-21; 25-29 Glory to you, O God

‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; 20but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

25 ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? 28And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.

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

SERMON Rev. Kurt Christenson

HYMN OF THE DAY The Estuary Round (honoring the Tijuana Estuary)

By Bill Radatz. To the tune of The Tallis Canon

The Cantor will sing verse one, Congregation repeats in unison.

Then the Choir will lead verse two, Congregation joins in canon style

This place of river, sea and sky

Calls me to be its watchful eye.

To care for creatures, great and small

And guard this land as gift for all.

To fish that swim within the sea

This place is like a nursery.

Their young grow strong and find their food

In marsh and mud and tidal pools.

The birds that fly along the coast

Stop here to rest, their songs to boast.

San Piper, Egret, Clapper Rail

And Snowy Plover tell their tale.

The plants that grow upon this land

In water, fresh and salt, must stand.

This makes them quite a hardy bunch

That creatures like to eat for lunch.

This place an Estuary be

Where river waters meet the sea,

Where good things grow and life abounds

Which help to make this world go round.

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION

*after each petition:

Merciful God, receive our prayer.

Repeat Verse One of Estuary Round, in canon

APOSTLE’S CREED

With the whole church, let us confess our faith.

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,

the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

EXCHANGE OF PEACE

The Peace of Christ be with you always.

And also with you.

OFFERING

Give online using the QR code to the right

Offering Music

I Will Arise Choir Arr. Alice Parker & Robert Shaw

From the archives of Jared Jacobsen and in his memory

OFFERING PRAYER

Let us pray….Blessed are you, O God, maker of all things. Through your goodness you have blessed us with these gifts: our selves, our time, and our possessions. Use us, and what we have gathered, in feeding the world with your love, through the one who gave himself for us, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

THE 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.

PROPER PREFACE

It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God,

through our Savior Jesus Christ; who on this day overcame death and the grave,

and by his glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life.

And so, with all the choirs of angels, with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

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.

Send your Spirit upon these gifts of your church; gather into one all who share this bread and wine; fill us with your Holy Spirit to establish our faith in truth,

that we may praise and glorify you through your Son Jesus Christ; through whom all glory and honor are yours, almighty Father, with the Holy Spirit, in your holy church, both now and forever. 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.

AGNUS DEI Lamb of God

COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION First Lutheran invites all who trust that God is somehow present in the bread and wine, however full of mystery that might be for you, to join us at the Table of Grace and Thanksgiving. In the center of each tray there is white grape juice for those who prefer. We also have gluten free wafers. If you wish for those please indicate when you reach Pastor.

COMMUNION MUSIC For the Beauty of the Earth

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.

Jesus, Bread of life, we have received from your table more than we could ever ask. As you have nourished us in this meal, now strengthen us to love the world with your own life. In your name we pray.

Amen.

SENDING SONG When Long Before Time

BENEDICTION & DISMISSAL

The Aaronic Blessing: from the book of Numbers 6:22-27

Go in peace. Serve the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

POSTLUDE Largo from Xerxes George Frideric Handel

In loving memory of Jared Jacobsen, March 18, 1949 ~ August 27, 2019

who concluded many services in both Chatauqua,NY and FLC with this Music.

Sanctuary Flowers were sponsored by Randy and Joyce Sensmeier “in celebration of our 55th wedding anniversary.”

Rev. Kurt Christenson, Pastor

Bill Engel, Music Director

Earl Vaults, Tenor Saxophone

Trevor Patricia Watkin, Flute

Jan Neuhaus, Cantor

Paul Engel, Lector

Mary Ann Horton, Assisting Minister

Elizabeth Connolly, David Pohl, Paul Engel, Jan Neuhaus, Billie Thompson,

Joann Masters, Kristen Dancer, and Randy & Joyce Sensmeier, Singers

Brian Jensen, Jaime Quezada Moysen, Genette McGowan,

Rebecca Kjonegaard, Melodie Baker, Tech team

Dan Kjonegaard, Ruth Clayton, Melinda Person, Ushers

Fellowship Snacks

ANNOUNCEMENTS

It’s Not the End of the World - Today - Adult Forum

During this Season of Creation please join us after worship, September 1, 8 and 29, for a series of forums based on the new book “Not the End of the World” by Hannah Richie. Ms. Richie is a young Scottish Climate Scientist who teaches at Oxford University. Her premise is that we need to stop engaging in doomsday thinking and look at the data. She shares how, over a wide range of topics, our actions are making a difference. While there is work to be done there is much to celebrate. Pastor Kurt will present portions of the book and then lead discussion.

September 22 after worship:

Bridging the Political Gap: Standing Firm Without Judgment

The political season is upon us and if you are like me, it is hard to hear the news without feelings of righteousness and judgment. I have become fascinated with the question of, “How do I stand strong in my beliefs without passing judgment on others?” If this is something that interests you too, please join Deacon Margy Schmitt Ajer and me, Kaaren Nyberg, on September 22nd for a post-service, guided discussion with the hope of taking a step to bridge the political gap.

Celebrate God’s Good Creation with Your Art!

In September we will be celebrating “Seasons of Creation” in our worship. We would like to invite you to submit any of your artwork that celebrates the wonder and beauty of creation, or reflects our call to care for God’s good creation. We will be displaying this artwork in the church lounge throughout September and October. Please email Bill Radatz if you have something to submit with a brief description and approximate sizes: ratzb@me.com. If you have signed up to bring something, please bring it by the church office no later than September 1 and leave it on the back desk.

Tomorrow Night September 2: FLC Night of Service at TACO 3:30-5:30

Fellow FLC volunteers, September 2nd is the first Monday of September and our evening to assist with serving dinner at TACO. Please consider giving 2 hours of your time for this worthwhile and heartwarming experience. If you can give of your time from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Monday September 2, please let Joann Masters know, either at church or by email: jbmasters56@gmail.com, and she'll take care of signing you up. Come join the fun! Looking forward to seeing you there.

September 15: Pastor Kurt and Colleen’s 5th FLC Anniversary Celebration

This fall we celebrate Pastor Kurt and Colleen’s 5th anniversary in our FLC family! We’ll have a service with special music on that day, followed by a potluck reception afterwards. Please ask Rich or Joann Masters how you can help or show your appreciation.

Update: Special Music & Arts Gifts

Thank you so much for the generosity you've shown in supporting the Special Music & Arts Ministry. Thanks to your support, we have erased our financial deficit for this ministry. With that said, we still need your ongoing support to ensure that our regular Sunday music as well as special performances during the Season of Creation, Advent, and Christmas can continue. Bill Engel has some exciting plans up his sleeve for music and arts this year, and we are also planning some innovative projects over the coming years. Please talk to Pastor, Erin or a Council member or you can give online through Tithely by selecting Special Music from the dropdown menu. Our music program is a gift to you, please consider making a gift to it. Thank you!

Book Group News

In this month’s selection, The Sentence by Louise Erdrich*, a small independent bookstore in Minneapolis* is haunted from November 2019 to November 2020 by Flora, the store's most annoying customer. She dies on All Souls' Day, but simply won't leave the store. Tookie, who has landed a job at the bookstore after years of incarceration (that she survived by reading "with murderous attention”) must solve the mystery of this haunting—while coping with all that occurs in Minneapolis during a year of grief, astonishment, isolation, and furious reckoning. Says one reviewer: "Erdrich's playful wit and casual style belie a seriousness of purpose, which in this case, entails tackling the pandemic, the death of George Floyd, the trials of doing time in prison and not least, the power of books to change lives.” Join us as we meet to discuss this witty ghost story on Thursday, September 19, 4:00PM in the church library. Chuck Leib and Sharon Province will host. All are welcome!

*Louise Erdrich, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and an award-winning author, is herself the owner of a small independent bookstore in Minneapolis, called Birch Bark Books.

Save the Date - Survivors of Torture Annual Ice Cream Social 9/12

You are invited to Survivors of Torture, International's Annual Ice Cream Social, a fun and uplifting community event taking place on Thursday, September 12th from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at our Healing Center in Old Town. This special gathering is a wonderful opportunity to connect with our team, community partners, clients, supporters, medical providers, and more. Over delicious ice cream provided by Ben & Jerry's of Seaport Village, we’ll celebrate our shared commitment to healing and support for those in need.

Date: Thursday, September 12th 2024 Time: 5:00-7:00 PM

Location: SURVIVORS' Healing Center courtyard (3990 Old Town Ave., San Diego, CA 92110)

Guests will have the opportunity to sign up for a tour of our Healing Center to learn more about the important work we do and how our programs have grown over the past year. To join us for this oh-so-sweet event, please RSVP using the link found in next week’s Heartbeat. After registering, you will receive a calendar invitation and additional details about the event.

SUNDAY MORNING Bible Study Class every week 9:00 in the Library

We’ve recently begun a study on the Gospel of Mark. Mark is regarded as the oldest Gospel. Having likely been written before the others it is also the shortest and most direct of the four stories of Jesus. Mark is known for frequently employing the word immediately. In Mark, Jesus and the Disciples have no time to waste as they share the extraordinary new reality of God’s grace now embodied in the flesh. Please join us!

Children, Youth, and Family Corner

Grab a bag! Children’s worship bags will be available to grab on your way into the sanctuary, filled with quiet activities to do during worship. Those marked with a heart are for children under 5. Those marked with a star are for older children.

Children’s Church: We invite children up to age 12 to a special time in the library during worship, from the scripture readings until the sharing of the peace.

This week at FLC

Monday	12:00 AA in the lounge 4:00 TACO meal and free clinics
Wednesday	10:00 TACO Starbucks and snacks
Thursday	12:00 Al Anon in the library
Friday	9:00 TACO meal 12:00 AA in the library
Saturday	12:00 TACO First Saturday Giveaway