Sunday Worship Information for October 19th, the 19th Sunday after Pentecost (Lectionary 29)

Time after Pentecost

The Time after Pentecost began the Day after Pentecost and ends the Saturday before the First Sunday in Advent. The Sundays after Pentecost make up the longest portion of the Church Year. We call this half of the year the Time of the Church.

Throughout this season, we focus on the ministry of Christ and how He guides His church to grow in faith toward God and in love toward one another. During this time our will focus will be on the Gospel readings in Luke. These readings pick up the narrative of Jesus’ life in mid-ministry at the height of His teaching, storytelling, and healing. There is a bit of everything in Luke, with some well-known passages to experience again: the sending out of the disciples, the parable of the good Samaritan, Jesus visiting Mary and Martha, and instruction on prayer. These snapshots of Jesus’ ministry highlight various facets of discipleship practice: welcoming, listening, praying, peacemaking, rejoicing, and more.

The color for the season after Pentecost is green which signifies growth and life. We grow in faith and are nourished as we hear and study God’s Word and receive the Sacraments in the resurrection life in Christ.

Pentecost: Summer Theme

Faithfully Following
our Refuge and Strength

Theme Write-up

written by Matthew Reece, Director of Music Ministries

As we come to the close of the Pentecost season, we are reminded that our journey of faith is rooted in the steadfast love and power of God, our refuge and strength. In every season of life—whether marked by joy or challenge—God remains our sure foundation, guiding us by the Spirit and upholding us in grace. Like the psalmist who proclaims, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble,” we are called to trust fully in the One who never leaves us nor forsakes us. This trust shapes how we live, encouraging us to follow Christ with courage, humility, and compassion, knowing that God’s presence surrounds us and equips us for each step along the way.

Faithfully following our refuge and strength means walking in the footsteps of Jesus, even when the path is uncertain or costly. It means listening for the Spirit’s call, loving our neighbors, seeking justice, and bearing witness to the hope we have in Christ. As we prepare to enter the new church year, we do so with hearts strengthened by God’s promises and with lives oriented toward God’s kingdom. In the face of change, challenge, and opportunity, we find our confidence not in our own abilities but in the unfailing grace of God, who leads us forward. Together as the body of Christ, we are sent into the world to reflect God’s light, trusting that the One who is our refuge and strength will sustain us in every time and place.

Altarscpape
Thank you, Julie, for the beautiful altarscape you created for the season.

Ardor (Worship Musicians)
The musicians rehearse from 9:00 – 9:45 am every Sunday morning. You are invited to join us in leading music during the worship service. The musicians for worship can find the service orders and music in the crate on the back pew in the sanctuary for each week. Contact the office if you plan to help lead worship.

Worship Information
Join us in-person for the weekly Worship Service at 10 am in-person or via Facebook Live if you are unable to attend in person (https://www.facebook.com/allsaintsdavenport/). The service will later be uploaded to YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@allsaintslutheranchurchdav1987) for your viewing.

Worship at All Saints might look and feel a little different. We carefully and prayerfully select a worship theme each season, and we choose songs and liturgical elements that help communicate that theme and bring us closer to God and to one another.

All Saints Lutheran Church is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and participates in the Synod Authorized Ministry (SAM) program offered by the Southeastern Iowa Synod. Bishop Amy Current has authorized Wanda Barber, Matthew Reece, and Julie Schoville to be Synod Authorized Ministers able to preside over all worship services and offer pastoral care. The Synod provides training and instruction throughout the year and fully supports this program.

If you would like the spoken words for the worship services, contact the office (office@allsaintsdavenport.org) to request the information.

Introduction
Pray always. Do not lose heart. This is Christ’s encouragement in the gospel today. Wrestle with the word. Remember your baptism again and again. Come regularly to Christ’s table. Persistence in our every encounter with the divine will be blessed.

Scripture
Genesis 32:22-31 Jacob’s struggle with the angel: I’ll not let go until you bless me

Returning to the home he had fled many years before after stealing his brother’s birthright and his father’s blessing, Jacob wrestles all night long with a divine adversary who ultimately blesses him and changes his name to “Israel,” a name that means “he wrestles with God.”

Psalm 121 My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. (Ps. 121:2)

2 Timothy 3:14–4:5 In the presence of Christ the judge, proclaim the message

The writer of this letter continues his instruction of Timothy, his younger colleague in ministry, by emphasizing the importance of faithful teaching despite opposition.

Luke 18:1-8 The widow begs for justice; God grants justice to those who cry to him

Jesus tells a parable of an unjust judge who is worn down by a widow’s pleas. Jesus is calling God’s people to cry out for justice and deliverance. For if an unethical judge will ultimately grant the plea of a persistent widow, how much more will God respond to those who call.

Prayer of the Day

O Lord God, tireless guardian of your people, you are always ready to hear our cries. Teach us to rely day and night on your care. Inspire us to seek your enduring justice for all this suffering world, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Fellowship Time

You are invited to stay after worship for refreshments and fellowship time in the gathering space.