INTRODUCTION
The rich man who comes to ask Jesus what he should do to inherit eternal life is a good man, sincere in his asking. Mark’s gospel is alone in saying that Jesus looked on him and loved him. Out of love, not as judgment, Jesus offers him an open door to life: sell all you own and give it to the poor. Our culture bombards us with the message that we will find life by consuming. Our assemblies counter this message with the invitation to find life by divesting for the sake of the other.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRELUDE We Have Come Into His House
* CONFESSION AND FORGIVNESS
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.
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.
* PRAYER OF THE DAY
Let us pray.
Almighty and ever-living God, increase in us your gift of faith, that, forsaking what lies behind and reaching out to what lies ahead, we may follow the way of your commandments and receive the crown of everlasting joy, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
GATHERING SONG Rise Up, O Saints of God! (ELW 669)
FIRST READING: Amos 5:6-7, 10-15
6Seek the LORD and live,
or he will break out against the house of Joseph like fire,
and it will devour Bethel, with no one to quench it.
7Ah, you that turn justice to wormwood,
and bring righteousness to the ground!
10They hate the one who reproves in the gate,
and they abhor the one who speaks the truth.
11Therefore because you trample on the poor
and take from them levies of grain,
you have built houses of hewn stone,
but you shall not live in them;
you have planted pleasant vineyards,
but you shall not drink their wine.
12For I know how many are your transgressions,
and how great are your sins—
you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe,
and push aside the needy in the gate.
13Therefore the prudent will keep silent in such a time;
for it is an evil time.
14Seek good and not evil,
that you may live;
and so the LORD, the God of hosts, will be with you,
just as you have said.
15Hate evil and love good,
and establish justice in the gate;
it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts,
will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
PSALM: Psalm 90:12-17
12So teach us to number our days
that we may apply our | hearts to wisdom.
13Return, O LORD; how long | will you tarry
Be gracious | to your servants.
14Satisfy us by your steadfast love | in the morning;
so shall we rejoice and be glad | all our days.
15Make us glad as many days as you afflicted us
and as many years as we suffered adversity.
16Show your servants your works,
and your splendor | to their children.
17May the graciousness of the Lord our God | be upon us;
prosper the work of our hands; pros- | per our handiwork.
SECOND READING: Hebrews 4:12-16
12Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.
14Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
GOSPEL: Mark 10:17-31
The holy gospel according to Mark. Glory to you, O Lord.
17As [Jesus] was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life” 18Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good No one is good but God alone. 19You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’” 20He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” 21Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” 22When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. 23Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved” 27Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”
28Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” 29Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, 30who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
MEDITATION
*HYMN OF THE DAY Take My Life, That I May Be (ELW 685)
*APOSTLES'CREED
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.
*PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
Challenged by God’s Word in Christ, let us pray for the church, the world, and the whole creation.
Compassionate God, embolden the church to seek all who are lost, clothe those who are naked, and mend what is broken. May we be generous bearers of your eternal love. God of grace, hear our prayer.
Sustaining God, as we approach harvest time, we pray for farmers, field workers, and those who process crops. Keep us mindful of environmental threats to the nourishing food that feeds the world. God of grace, hear our prayer.
Steadfast God, inspire world leaders to share resources and work collectively to end global poverty, starvation, and preventable disease. Direct us to seek justice and equity, that all may live in peace. God of grace,
hear our prayer.
God of mercy, be with the people who have lost family, friends, homes or been injured from hurricanes, tornadoes and seas. Comfort them as they grieve and as they rebuild in their lives from this disaster. God of grace, hear our prayer.
Lord, we pray for the people of Israel and Palestine, for those the Gaza Strip who are suffering the ravages of war, send your peace into their hearts and let their fighting end, We also pray for the Ukrainian people that they be surrounded by your love and protection against the attacks on their country. Lift all these people up, protect them, and end this war against them. Lord, let your peace reign. God of grace, hear our prayer.
Loving God, we pray for those who are afflicted, tormented, grieving, oppressed, and lonely. Deliver the strength of your love and compassion to all who need it today. We pray especially for Barbara. Scarlet, Deb, Connor, Dawn, Elaine, Rich, Robert, Anna, Don, Bryant, Lois, Bill, Curt, Barb, Calvin, Krystal, Alexandra, Jim, Robin, Ana, Helen, Hoon, Pat, Deb, Joe, Ruth, Lisa, Jacklyn, Lillian, Alexis, and those we now raise before you in our hearts. We pray for those affected by the Covid virus in mind, body or spirit. Grant them healing and wholeness. God of grace, hear our prayer.
Generous God, we give thanks for the first nations and tribes who inhabited this land. We lament the harm done by colonization. Call us to deeper appreciation and care for the languages, rituals, and history of all Indigenous people. God of grace, hear our prayer.
Ever-living God, we rejoice to be heirs of the eternal life made real in Jesus' death and resurrection. We give thanks for saints of all times and places, first and last, who still inspire us to faithful living. God of grace, hear our prayer.
Into your hands, O God, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in the saving grace you freely give, both now and forever.
Amen.
* LORD'S PRAYER
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.
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.
PEACE
The peace of Christ be with you always. And also with you.
OFFERING OF TITHES AND GIFTS TO GOD
Please place your offering in the plate near the Sanctuary door any time during or following worship. Your offering and tithes may be made on line through our website: stjohnslutheranfolcroft.org or sent by mail to
St. John’s Lutheran church, 1500 Glen Avenue, Folcroft, PA 19032.
* OFFERING PRAYER
*BLESSING
God all mighty, God most merciful bless you, keep you, and give you peace. Amen.
* SENDING SONG God, Whose Giving Knows No Ending (ELW 678)
DISMISSAL - Go in peace. Follow Jesus . Thanks be to God.
The ETERNAL CANDLE is sponsored for the month of October by the Shortt family in memory of Virginia and Warren Lewis.
St. Johns will again host a HALLOWEEN PARTY for the children in our congregation and in the neighborhood who are10 and under. Saturday, October 26, we will meet in the Social Room for treats and goodies for all! If you are interested in helping, you can donate a bag of candy, or make a small donation. We also need volunteers to help on the 26th.
The sign-up sheet for sponsorship of the ETERNAL CANDLE is now available on the hallway table. The cost this year has increased more than usual due to a change in providers which now includes the cost of delivery. Sponsorship for one month is now $26.
YOU CAN HELP! You can be a good steward AND get your grocery shopping done. Did you know that if you purchase a grocery food gift card from St. John’s, our congregation will receive 5% of all sales of gift cards. Please see MaryAnne Rossi if you wish to purchase and gift cards. Thank you for helping us raise that 5% for helping to continue our ministry.
Each week, we collect food for our hungry neighbors in need in our SHARING GOD'S BOUNTY WAGON. Hunger doesn’t take a vacation. Please consider making a donation of a food item each week. If you are in need of food, please notify Pastor Wende and she will let you know what we have available.
The Social Ministry Committee would love to hear from you if you have any ideas for small fundraising and/or social ministry events that we could pull off with minimal effort. Challenge us with your ideas!!
With our church building getting older, we need everyone’s eyes and ears to help keep her in good repair. If you see any problems like a burnt out light bulb, please let Barb or Bud know or drop a note in the offering plate on Sunday. We need to get a jump on current or upcoming problems.
HURRICANE RELIEF
Give through your congregation or make your check out toLutheran Disaster Response and send to:Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, ELCA Gift Processing Center, P.O. Box 1809, Merrifield, VA 22116-8009 and write “Where needed most” or“Hurricane Response” on your check’s memo line.
Our Financial Response (September)
CURRENT
Budgeted costs per month $ 8,443.07
Offering last month $ 5,834.14
Budget required to date (9 months) $ 67,544.56
Total received to date $ 48,889.42
MISSION SUPPORT
Budget required to date (9 months) $ 3,200.00
Total received to date $ 3.200.540
Please continue to support St. John's. Our expenses continue each month.
Your offering and tithes may be made on line through our website: stjohnslutheranfolcroft.org or sent by mail to
St. John’s Lutheran church, 1500 Glen Avenue, Folcroft, PA 19032.
