November 19, 2023, Sanctuary Worship, a Collection of Lessons

a collection of lessons by: Pastor Anna von Winckler,

Becky Sparks-Thissen, Sarah Cross, Sandra Mants,

Sue Schriber, and Steve Wylie.

Click HERE to view/download the worship bulletin.

THE FIRST LESSON – BECKY

Jeremiah 30:18-22

Our first lesson today is from the book of Jeremiah:
Thus says the Lord:
I am going to restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob,
and have compassion on his dwellings;
the city shall be rebuilt upon its mound, and the citadel set on its rightful site.
Out of them shall come thanksgiving, and the sound of merrymakers.
I will make them many, and they shall not be few;
I will make them honored, and they shall not be disdained.
Their children shall be as of old, their congregation shall be established before me;
and I will punish all who oppress them.
Their prince shall be one of their own, their ruler shall come from their midst;
I will bring him near, and he shall approach me,
for who would otherwise dare to approach me? says the Lord.
And you shall be my people, and I will be your God.

THE SECOND LESSON – SUE SCHRIBER

Psalm 100

Please join me in reading Psalm 100:
One Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands;
serve the Lord with gladness and come before God’s presence with a song.
All Know this: The Lord alone is God;
we belong to the Lord, who made us,
we are God’s people and the sheep of God’s pasture.
One Enter God’s gates with thanksgiving;
go into the holy courts with praise;
give thanks and call upon the name of the Lord.
All For good is the Lord, whose mercy is everlasting;
and whose faithfulness endures from age to age.

THE THIRD LESSON – SANDRA MANTS

Joel 2:21-27

Today’s third lesson is from the book of Joel, chapter 2:
Do not fear, O soil; be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things!
Do not fear, you animals of the field, for the pastures of the wilderness are green;
the tree bears its fruit, the fig tree and vine give their full yield.
O children of Zion, be glad and rejoice in the Lord your God;
for he has given the early rain for your vindication,
he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the later rain, as before.
The threshing floors shall be full of grain, the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent against you.
You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
and that I, the Lord, am your God and there is no other.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.

THE FOURTH LESSON – SARAH CROSS

Psalm 96

One Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the whole earth.
All Sing to the Lord and bless the Lord’s name;
proclaim the good news of salvation from day to day.
One Declare the glory of the Lord among the nations
and the wonders of the Lord among all peoples.
All For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised,
more to be feared than all gods.
One As for all the gods of the nations, they are but idols;
but it is the Lord who made the heavens.
All Oh, the majesty and magnificence of the presence of the Lord!
Oh, the power and the splendor of the sanctuary of our God!
One Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples;
ascribe to the Lord honor and power.
All Ascribe to the Lord the honor due the divine name;
come to the holy courts with your offerings.
One Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;
let the whole earth tremble in awe.
All Tell it out among the nations: “The Lord is Sovereign!
the Lord has made the world so firm that it cannot be moved
and will judge the peoples with equity.”
One Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
let the sea thunder and all that is in it;
let the field be joyful and all that is therein.
All Then shall all the trees of the wood shout for joy
before the Lord who is coming,
who is coming to judge the earth.
The Lord will judge the world with righteousness
and the peoples with truth.

THE FIFTH LESSON – STEVE WYLIE

Psalm 66:1-8

I invite you to join me in reading from Psalm 66:
One Be joyful in God, all you lands; be joyful, all the earth.
All sing the glory of the divine name; sing the glory of God’s praise.
One Say to God, ”How awesome are your deeds!
Because of your great strength your enemies cringe before you.
All All the earth bows down before you, sings to you, sings out your name.”
One Come now and see the works of God,
how wonderful you are, O God, in your doing toward all people.
All You turned the sea into dry land,
so that they went through the water on foot,
and there we rejoiced in you.
One In your might you rule for ever; your eyes keep watch over the nations;
let no rebel rise up against you.
All Bless our God, you peoples; make the voice of God’s praise to be heard.

THE SIXTH LESSON – ANNA

Psalm 107:1-3, 33-43

Our final lesson for today is from Psalm 107; please join me in reading:
One Give thanks to the Lord, who is good, whose mercy endures forever.
All Let all those whom the Lord has redeemed proclaim
that the Lord redeemed them from the hand of the foe.
One God gathered them out of the lands;
All from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
One The Lord changed rivers into deserts, and water-springs into thirsty ground,
All a fruitful land into salt flats,
because of the wickedness of those who dwell there.
One God changed deserts into pools of water and dry land into water-springs.
All God settled the hungry there, and they founded a city to dwell in.
One They sowed fields, and planted vineyards,
and brought in a fruitful harvest.
All God blessed them, so that they increased greatly;
God did not let their herds decrease.
One Yet when they were diminished and brought low,
through stress of adversity and sorrow,
All God pours contempt on nobles
and makes them wander in trackless wastes.
One God lifted up the poor out of misery
and multiplied their families like flocks of sheep.
All The upright will see this and rejoice,
but all wickedness will shut its mouth.
Whoever is wise will ponder these things,
and consider well the mercies of the Lord.