November 20

November 13, 2022

Christ the King  / A Day of Thanksgiving
November 20, 2022

CCLI license #1913561

Welcome: Grace and Peace to you in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ

Questions for Reflection: When were you most grateful? 

Prelude                                                                      

Gathering 
Sing praises to the Lord, for God has done gloriously;  
let us sing God’s praises throughout all the earth.
Shout aloud and sing for joy,
from the highest peaks, to the deepest caverns.
Shout aloud and sing for joy,
from the tiniest creatures, to the greatest herds.
Shout aloud and sing for joy, in the midst of our joys and our sorrows.
Shout aloud and sing for joy, as we come to worship the God of all creation!
Let us worship our God.

Opening Prayer
O God, our Redeemer, all creation sings your praise!  You are justice and mercy, judgment and grace.  Following our Lord Jesus Christ, we seek to be faithful, ever sustained by your Spirit, that we might be children of your kingdom.  Amen.

*Hymn               “Now Thank We all Our God”                         GTG # 643

Litany of Thanksgiving
Generous God, for the abundance of your blessings to us day by day and year by year,
We give you our thanks.
For the simple pleasures of life: for garden harvests, coffee conversation, and familiar surroundings, for health and strength, for needs met and desires fulfilled,
We give you our thanks.
For foods distributed to nourish body and spirit, for homes which supply shelter, which nurture order and beauty, and offer hospitality,
We give you our thanks.
With hearts that forgive as freely as you have forgiven, with enthusiasm of spirit for the gift of life, with music which declares your everlasting goodness, with prayers for mutual understanding and peace,
We worship you with joy.
With gifts of our word and talents and money which reach farther than we can manage ourselves, With deeds done in service of neighbor and stranger, with holy days set apart to celebrate your goodness and grace, with family and friends distant and nearby,
We worship you, God, with grateful hearts and joyful spirit.  Alleluia. Amen.
( from the Rev. Kathy Jo Blaske, a long-term care chaplain at the Christian Health Care Center in Wyckoff, New Jersey. She is ordained in the Reformed Church in America.)

Prayer for Understanding
Savior God, guide us into and through your Word, that we might be shaped by your Spirit’s message to us today and transformed for service in your world. Amen.

Reading from the Hebrew Scriptures: Psalm 100 ^NRSV
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth.  Worship the LORD with gladness; come into his presence with singing.  Know that the LORD is God. It is he that made us, and we are his;we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.  Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name.  For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Reading from the Gospel of Luke 23: 33--43 ^NRSV
When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus¹ there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.  Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing."   And they cast lots to divide his clothing.  And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiahof God, his chosen one!"  The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!"  There was also an inscription over him,¹ "This is the King of the Jews."  One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding¹ him and saying, "Are you not the Messiah?² Save yourself and us!"  But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?  And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong."  Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come intoyour kingdom."  He replied, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

Hymn                                “Give Thanks”                          GTG # 647833

Sermon            “When We Get to Heaven?”     The Rev. Russell Lehman

*Affirmation of Faith   (from A Brief Statement of Faith, pcusa)
Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, we trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel, whom alone we worship and serve.
The Spirit justifies us by grace through faith, sets us free to accept ourselves and to love God and neighbor, and binds us together with all believers in the one body of Christ, the Church.
In a broken and fearful world the Spirit gives us courage to pray without ceasing,
to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior, to unmask idolatries in Church and culture, to hear the voices of peoples long silenced, and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace.
In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks and to live holy and joyful lives, even as we watch for God’s new heaven and new earth, praying, “Come, Lord Jesus!”

Sharing of Joys and Concerns

 Pastoral Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer
          (This is the Ecumenical Version; feel free to use the words of your choice)
    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 

Statement about Offering our Gifts 
    Let us offer ourselves and our gifts to God, with gratitude and praise.

 Donations can be placed in the offering plate near the baptismal font in the center of the sanctuary.
Or mailed to:
    Lakeview Presbyterian Church, 1310 22nd Av S, St Petersburg, FL, 33705
or given online at:
    lakeviewpresbyterianchurch.org

Prayer of Thanksgiving
Loving God, all we offer to you, you have first given us.  We thank you for your kindness, and we praise you for your marvelous works. Amen.

*Hymn           “For the Beauty of the Earth”                                   GTG # 14

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Charge and Benediction
Be strong in the truth of God.
Bear witness to the gospel.
Persevere in the face of evil.
Live without fear and love without reserve.
May the grace of God,
the love of Christ,
and the power of the Holy Spirit be with you always.

Postlude

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