St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
Alliance, Ohio
Sunday, March 30, 2025
9:30 AM
PRELUDE Now the Silence Charles Ore
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
Blessed be the holy
Trinity, + one God, who brings us safely through the sea, who gives us water
from the rock, who leads us into the land of milk and honey.
Amen.
Silence is kept for reflection.
Holy God, holy and
mighty, holy and immortal,
have mercy on us.
For self-centered living, and for failing to walk with humility and gentleness:
Holy God, holy and
mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.
For longing to have what is not ours, and for hearts that are not at rest with ourselves:
Holy God, holy and
mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.
For misuse of human relationships, and for unwillingness to see the image of God in others:
Holy God, holy and
mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.
For jealousies that divide families and nations, and for rivalries that create strife and warfare:
Holy God, holy and
mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.
For reluctance in sharing the gifts of God, and for carelessness with the fruits of creation:
Holy God, holy and
mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.
For hurtful words that condemn, and for angry deeds that harm:
Holy God, holy and
mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.
For idleness in witnessing to Jesus Christ, and for squandering the gifts of love and grace:
Holy God, holy and
mighty, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.
Accomplish in us, O God, the work of your salvation,
that we may show forth
your glory in the world.
By the cross and passion of your Son, our Savior,
bring us with all your saints to the joy of his resurrection.
In the mercy of almighty God, our Lord Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake, God forgives us all our sin. As a call and ordained minister of the church of Christ and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
HYMN Come,
thou Fount of Every Blessing #807
GREETING
The grace of our Lord, Jesus
Christ, the love of God, and communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And
also with you.
PRAYER OF THE DAY, CHIldren’s Sermon
First Reading: Joshua 5:9-12
9 The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have
rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt.” And so that place is called Gilgal
to this day. 10 While the
Israelites were camped in Gilgal, they kept the Passover in the evening on the
fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho. 11 On the day after the
Passover, on that very day, they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes
and roasted grain. 12 The manna
ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land, and the Israelites no
longer had manna; they ate the crops of the land of Canaan that year.
The Word of the
Lord. Thanks be to God.
Psalm 32
1 Happy are they whose transgressions | are forgiven, and
whose sin is | put away!
2 Happy are they to
whom the Lord imputes no
guilt, and in whose spirit there | is no guile!
3 While I held my tongue,
my bones withered away, because of my groaning | all day long.
4 For your hand was
heavy upon me | day and night;
my moisture was dried up as in the | heat of summer.
5 Then I acknowledged my
sin to you, and did not conceal my guilt.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” Then you forgave me the guilt | of my sin.
6 Therefore all the faithful will make their prayers to you in | time of trouble; when the great waters overflow, they | shall not reach them.
7 You are my hiding-place;
you preserve | me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts | of deliverance.
8 “I will instruct you
and teach you in the way that | you should go;
I will guide you | with my eye.
9 Do not be like horse or
mule, which have no | understanding;
who must be fitted with bit and bridle, or else they will | not stay near you.”
10 Great are the
tribulations | of the wicked; but mercy embraces those who trust | in the Lord.
11 Be glad, you righteous,
and rejoice | in the Lord; shout
for joy, all who are | true of heart.
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
16 From now on,
therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once
knew Christ from a human point of view, we no longer know him in that
way. 17 So if anyone
is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look,
new things have come into being! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to
himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God
was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against
them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 20 So we are ambassadors
for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf
of Christ: be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake God made the one who knew no sin
to be sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
The Word of the
Lord. Thanks be to God.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
The Holy Gospel, according to Saint Luke, the 15th chapter. Glory to you, O Lord.
1 Now all the
tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to [Jesus.] 2 And the Pharisees and
the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats
with them.” 3 So he told
them this parable: 11b “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger of them said
to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the wealth that will belong to
me.’ So he divided his assets between them. 13 A few days later the
younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant region, and there he
squandered his wealth in dissolute living. 14 When he had spent
everything, a severe famine took place throughout that region, and he began to
be in need. 15 So he went
and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that region, who sent him to
his fields to feed the pigs. 16 He would gladly have filled his stomach with
the pods that the pigs were eating, and no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to his
senses he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to
spare, but here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and I
will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; 19 I am no longer worthy to
be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.” ’ 20 So he set off and went
to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was
filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed
him. 21 Then the son
said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no
longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his slaves,
‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his
finger and sandals on his feet. 23 And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us
eat and celebrate, 24 for this son
of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began
to celebrate. 25 “Now his
elder son was in the field, and as he came and approached the house, he heard
music and dancing. 26 He called
one of the slaves and asked what was going on. 27 He replied, ‘Your
brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf because he has got
him back safe and sound.’ 28 Then he became angry and refused to go in. His
father came out and began to plead with him. 29 But he answered his
father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you,
and I have never disobeyed your command, yet you have never given me even a
young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of
yours came back, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you killed the
fatted calf for him!’ 31 Then the
father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is
yours. 32 But we had
to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come
to life; he was lost and has been found.’ ”
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
SERMON
HYMN Restore in Us, O God #328
APOSTLES CREED
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of
heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the
forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and
the life everlasting. Amen
Prayers of Intercession, PEACE,
OFFERING, special music
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 trespasses, as we
forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen
DISTRIBUTION OF COMMUNION
HYMN Amazing Grace #779
PRAYER, BLESSING
HYMN There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy #327
DISMISSAL
POSTLUDE “Delight in the Lord” Greg Sewell
Liturgy and hymns printed and streamed with permission through OneLicense. A-710659
