Sunday Worship Information for November 9th – 22nd Sunday after Pentecost

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

We worship on the first day of the week because Jesus was raised on that day. Every Sunday is a little Easter. This Sunday feels more like Easter than many as the appointed texts celebrate the reality of the resurrection. Live it up this Lord’s day. Our God is the God of the living.

Scripture

Job 19:23-27a I know that my Redeemer lives and I shall see God

Job suffers the loss of children, wealth, and health. Accused by his companions of wrongdoing, he knows himself to be innocent. Here, in the midst of his suffering, Job clings to the radical hope that his vindicator, his redeemer, lives; and that one day he himself will see God.

Psalm 17:1-9 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me under the shadow of your wings. (Ps. 17:8)

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 The coming of the Lord Jesus

This portion of the letter provides encouragement for the church at Thessalonica during a time of confusion and opposition, as some allowed their concern over Jesus’ imminent return to divert them from the central teachings of the gospel.

Luke 20:27-38 Jesus speaks of the resurrection; the God of the living

Some Sadducees, who do not believe in the resurrection of the dead, try to trap Jesus. They formulate the convoluted case of a serial widow who marries a succession of seven brothers. Jesus responds by teaching about God to whom all are alive and in whom all relationships are fulfilled.

Prayer of the Day

O God, our eternal redeemer, by the presence of your Spirit you renew and direct our hearts. Keep always in our mind the end of all things and the day of judgment. Inspire us for a holy life here, and bring us to the joy of the resurrection, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Fellowship Time

After worship there is time for refreshments and fellowship in the gathering space.

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.