St Ansgar Lutheran Church, London

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Sunday Morning

We invite you to join us for the following worship services:

Sundays
10:30 a.m. Worship service

Hand sanitizer will be available at the entrance and other locations in the church for
your use.

Washrooms will be available for use.

In the service: The service will be shown on the screen. The offering will not be gathered and presented, but there will be an offering plate at the back of the sanctuary where you can put your offering as you enter or leave. Pastor David distributes the communion wafers and an Assisting Minister distributes wine or grape juice in individual glasses.

We have coffee and fellowship time available again in Luther Hall after the service.

We will continue to evaluate our worship service procedures on a monthly basis.

FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, SEPTEMBER 14, 2025

St. Ansgar Lutheran Church, Outline for Worship (with sermon)
Sunday, September 14, 2025 Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Based on ELW Setting Four

GATHERING

WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS

BRIEF ORDER FOR CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
P: Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God, our maker, our helper,
and our keeper.
C: Amen.

P: Trusting in God’s mercy, let us confess our sin in the presence
of God and of one another.

Silence is kept for reflection.

P: Merciful and loving God,
C: we are your stiff-necked people. We trample on the needy.
We grumble about your grace to others. We turn away from the poor.
Have mercy on us and forgive our sins.
Rejoice over us as ones who were lost and have been found.
Amen.

P: Even when we are faithless, God remains faithful. Jesus Christ came
into the world to save sinners. You who were lost have been found.
In the name of ☩ Jesus, your sins are forgiven!
C: Amen.

ENTRANCE HYMN - Oh, Worship the King (ELW #842)

GREETING
P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion
of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C: And also with you

KYRIE
A: In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.

A: For the peace from above, and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.

A: For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God,
and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.

A: For this holy house, and for all who offer here their worship and praise,
let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.

A: Help, save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord.
C: Amen.

HYMN OF PRAISE (ELW p. 149)
P: This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia.
C: Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain,
whose blood set us free to be people of God.
Power and riches and wisdom and strength,
and honour and blessing and glory are his.
This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia.
Sing with all the people of God
and join in the hymn of all creation:
Blessing and honour and glory and might
be to God and the Lamb forever. Amen.
This is the feast of victory for our God,
for the Lamb who was slain has begun his reign.
Alleluia. Alleluia.

PRAYER OF THE DAY
P: Let us pray.
P: O God, overflowing with mercy and compassion, you lead back to
yourself all those who go astray. Preserve your people in your loving care,
that we may reject whatever is contrary to you and may follow all things
that sustain our life in your Son, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.
C: Amen

WORD

FIRST READING: Exodus 32:7-14
7 The LORD said to Moses, "Go down at once! Your people, whom you
brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; 8 they have
been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have
cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshipped it and sacrificed
to it, and said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the
land of Egypt!'" 9 The LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people,
how stiff-necked they are. 10 Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot
against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation."
11 But Moses implored the LORD his God, and said, "O LORD, why does your
wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt
with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say,
'It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains,
and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from your fierce wrath;
change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people. 13 Remember
Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your
own self, saying to them, 'I will multiply your descendants like the stars of
heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants,
and they shall inherit it forever.'" 14 And the LORD changed his mind about
the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.

A: The word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.

PSALM: 51: 1-10
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love;
in your great compassion blot out my offenses.
2 Wash me through and through from my wickedness,
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my offenses,
and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are justified when you speak and right in your judgement.
5 Indeed, I was born steeped in wickedness,
a sinner from my mother’s womb.
6 Indeed, you delight in truth deep within me,
and would have me know wisdom deep within.
7 Remove my sins with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be purer than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
that the body you have broken may rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins;
and blot out all my wickedness.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.

SECOND READING: 1 Timothy 1:12-17
12 I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he
judged me faithful and appointed me to his service, 13 even though I was formerly
a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence. But I received mercy because
I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me
with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 The saying is sure and worthy
of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom
I am the foremost. 16 But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me,
as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making me an
example to those who would come to believe in him for eternal life. 17 To the
King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory forever
and ever. Amen., I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more
than I say.

A: The word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
C: Alleluia. Lord, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia.

GOSPEL
P: The Holy Gospel according to Luke 15:1-10
C: Glory to you, O Lord.

1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him.
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: 4 "Which
one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the
ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? 5
When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. 6 And when he
comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them,
'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' 7 Just so, I tell you,
there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-
nine righteous persons who need no repentance. 8 "Or what woman having ten
silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house,
and search carefully until she finds it? 9 When she has found it, she calls
together her friends and neighbours, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found
the coin that I had lost.' 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the
angels of God over one sinner who repents."

P: The Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to you, O Christ.

SERMON
Rev. Aneeta Devi Saroop
Assistant to the Bishop of the British Columbia Synod of the ELCIC,
with Responsibility for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Luke 15:1-10
Let us pray: May the words of my mouth, and the prayers of our hearts,
always be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, our Strength, and our Redeemer.
AMEN
Grace and peace to you from God our Source and Christ our Companion.
Amen.
Luke tells us that the Pharisees were grumbling because Jesus was eating
with “sinners and tax collectors.” That word grumbling, we know the tone.
The whisper behind the back, the disapproving side-eye, the judgemental
“tsk-tsk” about who belongs and who doesn’t.
And Jesus responds not with an argument, but with a story. Two of them, in fact.
A shepherd leaves ninety-nine sheep to find the one that is lost. A woman turns
her house upside down to find a single lost coin. These are images of a God
who notices what’s missing, who doesn’t shrug and say, “Oh well, ninety-nine
out of a hundred isn’t bad.”
This is not a God of acceptable averages. This is a God who refuses to let even
one life slip through the cracks.
When I hear these parables, I’m struck by how relational they are. A sheep may
seem small, but for a shepherd, that sheep has a name, a personality, a story.
A coin may seem trivial, but in the life of that woman, it was survival. It was
bread for the day, security for her household.
Jesus is teaching us that God’s love is not abstract. It’s not about numbers
on a page or categories of “good” and “bad.” God’s love is personal, particular,
concrete. You matter. Your story matters. Your struggles, your gifts,
your questions, all of it is seen and held by God.
And if you feel like you’ve slipped away, if you feel forgotten, ignored,
misunderstood or lost, God is the one searching the hillsides and sweeping
the floors until you are found.
This is not only about God’s love for each of us individually, but also about the
way we, as church, are called to reflect that love in our cities and neighbourhoods
among those who feel as though they are lost. Too often, we become like the
Pharisees in this passage, grumbling about who belongs, who doesn’t quite fit,
who “should” be here, and who isn’t.
But Jesus calls us to a different posture. The church isn’t a gated community for
the already righteous. It’s a search party. We are sent to notice who is missing,
to listen for the voices on the margins, to ask: Whose story isn’t at the table
shaping our own story as God’s story? Whose song is not yet heard among us?
In the ELCIC, across our congregations, we know what it’s like to feel small.
We have always been a church at the margins. We are not the largest church
in Canada. But perhaps that’s a gift. Because when you’re small, you notice.
You notice when someone isn’t there. You notice the ache of absence.
And that noticing becomes an invitation to go looking, not out of shame,
or guilt, or numbers, but out of a deep and abiding love that God has shown us.
Where could we find God, enlivened?
Both parables end not with guilt, but with joy. The shepherd throws a party.
The woman calls her neighbours to celebrate. Heaven rejoices, Jesus says,
not over those who never got lost, but over the one who was found.
That’s the heart of the gospel: joy. Not shame. Not finger-pointing. Joy.
Imagine if our congregations were known for that. Churches where joy erupts
every time someone shows up, every time someone finds belonging, every time
someone feels seen. Every time gifts are shared, and the gathered people are
claimed and nourished in Word and Sacrament, joy is contagious. It’s the Spirit’s
way of saying, “This is what God’s reign looks like, when everyone is gathered in,
no one is left behind.”
Beloved in Christ, God is searching for you, for me, for all who feel lost.
And God calls us to join the search, to rejoice when even one is gathered in.
So let us go from this place not grumbling about who belongs, but rejoicing in
the relentless, searching love of God. For Christ has already gone ahead of us,
seeking, saving, and celebrating.
Thanks be to God.
AMEN

Silence is kept for reflection.

HYMN OF THE DAY – Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing (ELW #807)

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
A: Gracious God, we come to you in prayer for the church, the world,
and all in need.
A: God of our church, send forth your Spirit as we pray for our Bishops Larry
and Carla. Empower them with your wisdom to lead the church. We also pray
for the Thames Ministry area, especially Pastor Rob Wiesner and the people
of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Brodhagen. God of grace,
C: receive our prayer.

A: Merciful God, pour out your grace upon your church. Forgive us for the
times when we have been unfaithful, and renew our commitment to your
gospel of love. Empower us to live as a community of mercy. God of grace,
C: receive our prayer.

A: Merciful God, we ask forgiveness for the ways we have neglected and
harmed this earth and its creatures. Confirm our commitment to care for all
you have made, and grant us wisdom and strength to take action toward
restoring your creation to its fullness. God of grace,
C: receive our prayer.

A: Merciful God, govern all who hold positions of power and authority.
Instruct them to make just decisions that serve the common good.
Make them instruments of your mercy in the world, working to heal
divisions and promote peace. God of grace,
C: receive our prayer.

A: Merciful God, we lift up all who suffer. Bring healing, comfort, and peace to
those who are sick, grieving, or in pain, especially Beth, Jean, Mary Margaret,
Kristine, Karen, Emma, Cathy, Lene, Heather, Grethe, Lyra, Donna, and those
others who are in our hearts. Give us compassionate hearts to accompany
those who are hurting and courage to work for justice and mercy. God of grace,
C: receive our prayer.

A: Merciful God, bind us together as a community of forgiveness and love.
Supply us with humility to seek forgiveness when we have wronged one
another and generosity to extend mercy when we have been wronged.
God of grace,
C: receive our prayer.

A: Merciful God, we pray for peace as war continues to rage in Ukraine
and in Israel and Gaza. Shelter all living in fear; protect those seeking refuge
in neighbouring countries; sustain families separated by the horrors of war;
tend to those who are injured; comfort all who mourn their dead.
Direct your people into the way of peace. God of grace,
C: receive our prayer.

A: Merciful God, we remember in love those who have departed this life.
Console those who mourn, and give them the hope of resurrection.
God of grace,
C: receive our prayer.

A: We entrust these prayers to you, O God, in the name of Jesus Christ,
our redeemer and friend.
C: Amen.

PEACE
P: The peace of Christ be with you always.
C: And also with you.

OFFERING PRAYER
A: Lord of the harvest, we return to you a portion of what you have given to us.
Turn us to set our hope not on the uncertainty of riches, but on you, who richly
provides for us. Multiply what we have gathered to bless all who are suffering
and in need, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.

LORD’S PRAYER
P: Lord, remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray.
C: 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.

SENDING

BLESSING
P: The God of righteousness, who gives justice to the oppressed, who gives
food to the hungry, who sets the prisoners free, ☩ bless you now and forever.
C: Amen.

SENDING HYMN – We Are Marching in the Light (ELW #866)

DISMISSAL
A: Go in peace. Do not lose heart.
C: Thanks be to God.

DISMISSAL HYMN – The Lord Now Sends Us Forth (ELW #538)
Verse 1
The Lord now sends us forth
with hands to serve and give,
to make of all the earth
a better place to live. Repeat (2X)

Verse 2
The angels are not sent
into our world of pain
to do what we were meant
to do in Jesus' name;
that falls to you and me
and all who are made free.
Help us, O Lord, we pray,
to do your will today. Repeat (2X)