PRELUDE
“Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ” (arr. Michael Hellman)
Peace Ringers, Linnae Stole (Director)
CALL TO WORSHIP
“Love, Love, Love”
Starlight Singers
WELCOME
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God,
our creator,
our protector,
our wellspring of life.
Amen.
Trusting that God receives our words and the meditations of our hearts, let us confess our sin.
Silence is kept for reflection.
Merciful God,
you speak blessing and compassion into the world.
Forgive us for the ways we act with judgment, cruelty, or indifference.
We ignore the needs of our neighbors;
we resist your call to oppose injustice;
we give in to scarcity and fear;
we assume the worst about one another.
Cleanse us from our faults and release us from their grasp.
Show us your loving kindness.
Restore our hearts and repair your world,
that we may live in Christ’s ways. Amen.
God proclaims these words of assurance:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you.
I have called you by name. You are mine.”
In ☩ Christ, you are forgiven.
In the Spirit, you are made free.
Refreshed by the waters of mercy,
live anew as beloved children of God.
Amen.
OPENING HYMN
“God Creator, Still Creating”
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Gracious God, you have made us all in your image, and you have called us good. Renew in us this day our holy calling to love you, to love your creation, and to love all people for whom Christ died, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
SERVICE OF HOLY BAPTISM
- Carter Alexander Robertson
READINGS
“It All Begins” By Meta Herrick Carlson
A reading from Begin with Blessing: A Genesis Liturgy by Meta Herrick Carlson and John Hermanson (2021).
With a breath and a Word,
the Spirit is moving
over waters and the deep,
to announce fullness and blessing:
both light and darkness,
heaven and earth,
sea and dry land, plants to grow
and cosmic signs to guide,
wild rumpus to swim and creep and fly,
to run and multiply!
These are the chapters of good.
Not perfect, mind you.
Perfection was never the point.
It is goodness that pleases
the One who creates.
And then another word:
Humankind, God’s own likeness.
Heaven sewn into dust and bone
rising to tend and
blessed by the charge
to nurture every living thing.
These are the generations
good, very good,
still unfolding, old and new.
We are known and claimed
by the One who calls us
already and always enough,
whose blessing flows even now.
Genesis 1:26-2:2
Then God said, “Let us make humans in our image, according to our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over the cattle and over all the wild animals of the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”
So God created humans in his image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the air and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished and all their multitude. On the sixth day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
SERMON
“What does God think of us?”
Pastor Meta Herrick Carlson
OFFERING OF MUSIC
“You Will I Love” (Kevin Hildebrand)
Canticle Choir, Larry Bach (Director)
OFFERING PRAYER
God of grace, your love reaches to the heavens,
and your abundance to the depths of the seas.
Bless what we offer to your service:
our gifts, our abilities, and our hearts.
Let us overflow with gratitude and generosity,
now and always.
Amen.
PRAYERS OF GOD’S PEOPLE
THE LORD’S PRAYER
BEFORE YOU GO
BENEDICTION
HYMN
“All Creatures, Worship God Most High!” (St. 1-3, 6) ELW # 673
SENDING
Go now in peace. Live in hope.
Thanks be to God!
POSTLUDE
“Lasst Uns Erfreuen”
Tim Graf
The Musicians for Today’s Worship
- Tim Graf (Director of Worship & Music)
- Barb Carroll (Organist)
- Larry Bach (Canticle Choir Director)
- Linnae Stole (Peace Ringers Director)
- Canticle Choir
- Peace Ringers
- Starlight Singers
Prayers
As a community of faith we are connected through joy, sorrow, worship, and prayer. Please pray for the people listed below.
Your prayers are greatly appreciated!
We ask for God’s loving embrace to hold all those who mourn, especially:
- Rebecca Willette, John Willette, and their family—Teddy, Megan, and Hannah—as well as Rebecca’s brother, John Platt, and his family, Ryan and Amelia, as they mourn the loss of their grandmother, Joan Platt.
- Carolyn Ball on the death of her partner, Gary Kasner
- Death of Rich Greunhagen’s brother Jerry
Prayers of Mourning:
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice. Psalm 130:1–2
For I am convinced that neither death nor life… nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38–39
Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die’. John 11:25–26
As we are praying for all members of the St. Andrew community, this week we pray especially for God’s comfort, healing, protection, and strength to be present with:
- Diane DePoe
- Jen Hoffer
- Chad Winebrenner
- KariLyn Carlson’s friend, Mary
- Keith Carlson’s coworker’s mom
- Leroy Thomsen
- Kris Hanson
Long Term Prayers:
- Carl Nelson
- Sara Goke, daughter of Curt and Jane Goke
- David Olson
- Paul Skoog’s Brother Dan
- Joyce Butler
- Jim and Racee Hornbacher
- Julie Bergquist
- John Rostad
- Gordon Gilbert
- Kathy Hoagland
- Dave & Sherri Anderson’s daughter, Sarah Anderson-Jacobson
- Ron Wolfbauer
- Dick Smith
- For the people in California and emergency responders fighting the fires in LA
- For the people of Haiti enduring ongoing political upheaval, severe economic challenges, and gang-related violence.
- For the people of the Middle East and Ukraine – non-violence and peace.
- All those in the military serving our country
General Prayers:
Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you. Psalm 55:22a
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28
Names will remain listed until more are added unless otherwise requested. To add a name to the prayer list, click Prayer Requests or contact Pastor Peter Johnson.
See what’s happening at St. Andrew
There’s always something happening here at St. Andrew and we’re so glad to offer ministries and events for people of all ages! Visit our Events Page to see all of our events, and visit our Ministries Page to learn about all of our communities of faith!
The Pastors of St. Andrew
Pastor Peter Johnson
Senior Pastor
Pastor Matthew Ian Fleming
Pastor of Teaching & Young Adults
Pastor Jeanne Aamot
Visitation Pastor