Thanksgiving Worship Service – Mount Calvary Worship

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November 23 & 24, 2022

Theme

We have reason to thank God for his blessings every day of the year. But what a good thing to pause with our nation on this day that is specially set aside for thanksgiving! For all blessings, physical and spiritual, we have a loving heavenly Father to thank. So, let’s do that as we meditate on his holy Word and respond with our appreciation, spoken and sung. God bless your worship.

Pastor Westendorf’s Welcome

Ten Thousand Reasons – CW 607

Gathering, Confession, and Absolution

Heavenly Father, Creator of all things, you give us all that we need for body and life.
Every good and perfect gift comes from you, the Father of the heavenly lights.

Lord Jesus Christ, by your suffering and death you have opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
We approach your throne, O God, with confidence, for mercy and grace in our time of need.

Holy Spirit, Counselor and Guide, you have raised us from death by your powerful Word.
You, O Spirit of God, have made us. Your breath, almighty One, gave us life.

Lord, fill our hearts with thanksgiving for your mercy and love.
Move us with our hearts to believe and with our mouths to confess your saving name. Amen.

As we this day offer our thanksgiving and praise, let us reflect upon our many sins and confess them before our God and Lord, asking him to forgive us for the sake of Jesus, his Son:
“Lord, the eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.”

We come before you to confess our sins, including our ingratitude and lack of appreciation for all the blessings you have given us.
We confess to you, O Lord, that we have not given you thanks for all your generous blessings, nor have we shown gratitude and appreciation, but too often we have grumbled and complained. For these sins and all our other wicked thoughts, words, and actions, we deserve to be punished. But we appeal to your mercy and ask you to forgive us for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

The Lord, our gracious Father, has forgiven all our sins through the suffering and death of his one and only Son, Jesus; and with his resurrection from the dead has given us the hope of everlasting life. God in his Word has declared,
“the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from every sin.”

He also assures us:
“You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

Therefore, give thanks to God for our salvation! You are forgiven. Go in peace.
Amen.

My Heart Is Filled with Thankfulness – CW 626

Prayer

Almighty God our Father, your generous goodness comes to us new every day. By the work of your Spirit, lead us to acknowledge your goodness, give thanks for your benefits, and serve you in willing obedience; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Reading – Philippians 4:10-20

  I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
  Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
  To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Responsive Creed

Luther’s Explanation to the 1st Article of the Apostles’ Creed

I believe that God created me and all that exists,
and that he gave me my body and soul, eyes, ears and all my members, my mind and all my abilities.

And I believe that God still preserves me
by richly and daily providing clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, spouse and children, land, cattle, and all I own, and all I need to keep my body and life.

God also preserves me by defending me against all danger,
and guarding and protecting me from all evil.

All this God does only because he is my good and merciful Father in heaven,
and not because I have earned or deserved it.

For all this I ought to thank and praise, to serve and obey him.
This is most certainly true.

Gospel – Luke 17:11-19

  Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”
  When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.
  One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him – and he was a Samaritan.
  Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

We Praise You, O God, Our Redeemer – CW 609

Thanksgiving Meditation – Psalm 118:24

Every Day Is “This Day” in Christ

Offering

Thanksgiving Prayer

Father in heaven, we give you thanks. You gave us life and formed our bodies in the womb. You have preserved us over the years by providing for all our needs. You control the weather, ensuring ample supplies of food.
You give us family and friends. You keep our society stable through the various branches of our government. You protect and defend us day after day. Each of us offers private thanks for your many gifts.

Jesus, we give you thanks. True God from eternity, you put aside your heavenly glory to become human like us. You lived a perfect life in our place, keeping all the commandments. You died a perfect death in our place, receiving the total and just punishment for our sin.
What love you have shown us! We thank you for reconciling us to your Father through your holy, precious blood. We praise you for rising from the dead. We exalt you for winning for us the gift of eternal life. Each of us offers private thanks for your saving works.

Holy Spirit, we give you thanks. By our own thinking and choosing we cannot believe in Jesus Christ or come to him. By your powerful means of grace you called us to faith, revealing to us God’s great love in Christ.
We praise you for the Holy Scriptures, inspired by you. We thank you for the sacraments. Through these means of grace, you begin and preserve faith in Christ.

You move and lead us to live in a sanctified way. We exalt you for sanctifying us to serve the Lord and our neighbor.
You have guarded and defended the Christian church through the ages. We thank you for your many blessings to our congregation in the past year. Each of us offers private thanks for your many blessings.

Silent prayer

For these and all other gifts, large and small, we give you thanks, O Lord.
We pray together with the words that Jesus has taught us:

Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in heaven,
    hallowed be your name,
    your kingdom come,
    your will be done
        on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
    as we forgive those
    who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
    and the glory are yours
    now and forever. Amen.