Sunday Evening

Season:

Ordinary Time,

Sunday, September 27

Evening

Read/Sing:

Psalm 66; 23

Read:

Hosea 1:1-2:1

James 3:1-13

Matthew 13:44-52

Pray:

We lift our voices in prayers of praise, holy God, for you have lifted us to new life in Jesus Christ, and your blessings come in generous measure.  Especially we thank you for

    the privilege of worship and service in this congregation...

    the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ for us...

    food and drink to share in the Lord's name...

    our calling to discipleship...

We hold up before you human needs, God of compassion, for you have come to us in Jesus Christ and shared our life so we may share his resurrection.  Especially we pray for

    the healing of those who are sick...

    the comfort of the dying...

    the renewal of those who despair...

    the Spirit's power in the church...

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven

Give us this day our daily bread

And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors

Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Amen.

Eulogy

She died yesterday.

Thank you God for the way she knit threads together while I naively crossed swords in a chess match way over my head.

She had this lower jaw as tough as love, and her arms curled around my arm as though she were embracing my soul.

She was so youthful and pretty.

To remember her dancing to Lefty Frizzell in our Lorraine hallway is a memory that, itself, makes the hallway, rebuilds what has been destroyed.

She was everything great about the town.  Every bit the savor of hill country, flatlands, damp autumn leaves, old brick one-story houses, and steely character.  

My mother was so good to think I'd want to find out this way.  It's only fitting that when I found out she had passed on to glory, I had ten solid minutes to pay attention to the matter at hand in the presence of a loved one.

O Lord, help me to love the ministry of Word and Sacrament as much as she loved helping me to attain it.