Luke 10:1-9; Psalm 96

 This post did not follow either RCL or NL lectionaries.  A missionary visited the church and the resources were based on text they selected for the service.

Prayer of Invocation
Lord of all families; Lord of all nations; Lord of the whole earth that trembles in front of your glory:
We pray to you that as we prepare to hear how your glory is proclaimed and your marvelous deeds are recounted to all the nations that you would open our hearts and minds to the sharing of your work.  Let us rejoice with the heavens, the earth, the sea, the fields, the trees, all of creation, and all that is in it because of the Lord’s salvation that is promised to all who have heard and believed when He comes in His day.  We thank you for the salvation that is prepared for us and pray that we will be among those found righteous.  In the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. AMEN.

Intercessory Prayer
Lord of the harvest:
We pray to you now for the needs of every town and place where you have sent us.  We know that you will enter into these places in your glory and that the nations will tremble.  When that time comes and you have judged with equity, righteousness, and faithfulness, and all are giving you the praise due for your glory and strength, and all in the earth, the seas, the fields, and forests are made new and all humanity sings a new song, all will be made right in your sight.  Until then, we struggle with the sufferings named here today before you and we lift each of them up to you asking your mercy on each person in need.  We lift up to you the missionaries that go into the harvest field as lambs among wolves that you would protect them and that they would be welcomed.  May the Gospel they share heal the sick of the disease of sin as they hear the news that the Kingdom of God has come near as they bring the life-giving work to the harvest.  We pray your blessing on the laborers of the field and give you thanks for your great goodness to all.  In the name of the Risen Lord and Savior, we pray together Our Father… Amen.

Great Thanksgiving
Christ our Lord invites all to his table who love him,
  who earnestly repent of their sin
  and seek to live in peace with one another.
Therefore, let us confess our sin before God and one another.

Let us pray…
Blessed Savior, Jesus Christ, we pray to you our confession of our sins.  Sometimes when you have called, we have ignored the call to be sent and have not gone into the places you wish to go to carry the message of the gospel.  In doing this, we cause the number of laborers in the harvest field to be even smaller.  Meanwhile, we remain comfortable in our first-world country with our clean water, our plentiful food, our overstuffed homes, our technology, and our riches.  Meanwhile, we are blissfully unaware, or intentionally practicing an out-of-sight, out-of-mind mentality about the third-world countries where medical care is primitive, hygiene is lacking, hunger is common, poverty is the norm, and even safety from abuse and persecution is sometimes a commodity to be bought and sold.  Forgive us, Lord, we pray, for our sins against fellow man when we fail to reach out in Christian love.  Forgive us for these sins against you and our fellow man.  Magnify our Christian love for those who are amongst us that hunger and thirst for not only the day of righteousness, but also the basic necessities of life.  Hear and forgive also the sins we now confess in silence... AMEN

Hear the Good News:
The Lord of the Harvest has told us that the Kingdom of God has come near.
It has come near to you because you have asked His forgiveness and believed in your heart
That He is the God of Salvation, most worthy of your praise.
In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.
In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.
Glory to God. Amen.

As a forgiven and reconciled people, let us offer ourselves and our gifts to God
As we ascribe to the Lord the glory due to his name
  Bringing an offering into his courts that is dedicated to the workers in the field 

Let us pray:
Lord we give you thanks for these missionaries to India among us.  We pray your blessings upon them increase and that peace will rest upon them as they enter the houses where they go.  We pray that the people they visit will provide them with food and drink and support.  We give of these gifts as a token of our support to them and pray that they will be help proclaim the message of the Lord coming near.  In Jesus Name, AMEN. 

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise. 

It is right, and a good and joyful thing,
  always and everywhere to give thanks to you,
  Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

When our first father and mother whom you placed in the Garden disobeyed
  It caused sin to enter the world
  You sent us from the Garden, telling us that ground would produce thistles and thorns
  And that the working of the ground would cause us to be painful and sweaty.
  You told us that the dust of the ground would be the dust to which we would return.
When the descendants of Noah sinned and tried to bring honor to themselves,
  You scattered the peoples amongst the world and confused their languages.
  Resultantly there are some nations that did not know you.
When you sent your prophets among your people and reminded them
  to welcome the stranger, they did not.
But you sent among us the Lord of the Harvest
  He showed us what the working of the ground should look like.
  What the harvest should be like
  And that harvest is the harvest of souls who will,
  with all your people on earth and all the company of heaven
  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.

Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ,
  Who is the Lord of the Harvest
  Sent among us to teach us, love us, and be our salvation
  Therefore, we escape the return to dust and we are raised up forever.

It is because by His
baptism of suffering, death, and resurrection
you gave birth to your Church,
delivered us from slavery to sin and death,
and made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit.
You raised Him up to the splendor and majesty
  The strength and glory of His sanctuary
  At your Right Hand.

On the night in which he gave himself up for us, he took bread,
gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said:
"Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me."
When the supper was over he took the cup,
gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said:
"Drink from this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant,
poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
And so, in remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ,
we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving
as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us,
as we proclaim the mystery of faith.

Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.

Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here,
and on these gifts of bread and wine.
Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ,
that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood.
By your Spirit make us one with Christ,
one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world,
Which is the fields of harvest
until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet.
Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church,
all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father (God), now and for ever.
Amen.

Amongst the fields are grains and grapes:
The grain is the Body of Christ that is broken for you.  Take and eat.  Amen.
The grape is the Blood of Christ that was poured out for your salvation.  Take and drink.  Amen.

 

Benediction
Go out two-by-two to every town and place
it is the harvest field and you have been sent
to proclaim the Kingdom of God is near.
Sing to the Lord the new song
praise His name
proclaim His salvation
declare His glory
tell His marvelous deeds.
For the Lord God
the Son of Man
and the Holy Spirit
reign forever and ever. AMEN.