Based on Isaiah 60:1-6, Ephesians 3:1-12, Matthew 2:1-12

P In Christ Jesus and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence, so we kneel before our King in confession.
C Lord of the nations, the wise men traveled many miles and searched carefully for Your Son, bowed down, and worshiped Him. But even though I need to go nowhere to find You, because You come to me, I still ignore Your presence, and I think, speak, and act selfishly as if You hadn’t come. I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, so I depend on Your mercy on behalf of Christ to forgive my sin that although thick darkness covers Your people, I may see Your glory.
P Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. Through the Gospel, the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore, as a called and ordained servant of Christ and by His authority, I forgive you all your sin in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen!

P At the name of Jesus every knee will bow — in heaven and on earth and under the earth —
C and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
P By Myself I have sworn; truth has gone from my mouth, a word that will not be revoked:
C Every knee will bow to Me, every tongue will swear allegiance.
P All the nations will come and worship before You
C because Your righteous acts have been revealed.
P Lord, who will not fear and glorify Your name?
C For You alone are holy.
P All the nations You have made will come and bow down before You, Lord,
C and will honor Your name.
P If we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another,
C and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Drawn from: 1 John 1:7; Revelation 15:4; Psalm 86:9; Philippians 2:10; Isaiah 45:23

In uncertain times, we can take shelter in the cross of Christ, from a sermon, “Reading the Signs,” based on Luke 21:5-28 for Proper 28C

Confession & Absolution for Proper 28C, based on these readings: Psalm 98, Malachi 4:1-6, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13, Luke 21:5-28

P          The day is
coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and everyone who commits
wickedness will become stubble, so we confess our sin to God.

C          Lord, You will judge the world
righteously and the peoples fairly. We often fail to remember the instruction
of Moses Your servant, the statutes and ordinances You commanded him at Horeb
for all Israel. We grow weary in doing good. For Jesus’ sake, forgive us.

P          Stand up and
lift up your heads, because your redemption is near. For you who fear the
Lord’s name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and
you will go out and playfully jump like calves from the stall. He has
remembered his love and faithfulness to the house of Israel and has sent His
Son, Jesus Christ, to be judged on the cross on your behalf. Therefore, as a
called and ordained servant of Christ and by His authority, I forgive you all
your sin in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C          Amen. Sing a new song to the LORD, for
he has performed wonders; his right hand and holy arm have won him victory!

An illustration used for a sermon, “Standing Firm in the Swamp,” based on 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8,13-17 (Proper 27C), I discussed how the description of the “man of lawlessness” (antichrist) corresponds to the Old Adam in the heart of a Christian.

Confession & Absolution based on the readings for Proper 27C: Psalm 148, Exodus 3:1-15, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8, 13-17, Luke 20:27-40

P          The place
where you are standing is holy ground. In the presence of God and each other,
we confess our sin.

C          O Lord, the God of Abraham, the God of
Isaac, and the God of Jacob, You have revealed Your glory to me, but I have not
stood firm and held to the traditions I was taught. I have disobeyed Your
commandments and enslaved myself to sin. Hear my cry for Jesus’ sake, and free
me from my sin.

P          I AM has sent me to you. He has observed the misery of His people in sin, death, and the power of the devil and has heard you crying out because of your oppressors. He knows about your sufferings, and He has come down in the person of Jesus Christ to rescue you from their power. From the beginning, God has chosen you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, so that you might obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, as a called and ordained servant of Christ and by His authority, I forgive you all your sin in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C          Amen! Praise the name of the LORD, for
His name alone is exalted. His majesty covers heaven and earth!

An illustration for a sermon, “A Reason for Singing,” based on Psalm 149 for All Saints Sunday C & International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church 2019.

Confession & Absolution drawn from the readings for All Saints C: Psalm 149, Revelation 7:9-17, 1 John 3:1-3, Matthew 5:1-12

P          The LORD
takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation. Therefore, we
humbly confess our sin.

C          Holy Father, we come before You, poor
in spirit, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, knowing that we have not
always been humble, merciful, and pure in heart. For the sake of Your Son, shelter
us, wash us, and make our robes white in the blood of the Lamb.

P          See what
great love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children — and
we are! Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the
Lamb! For the Lamb who is at the center
of the throne will shepherd them; he will guide them to springs of the waters
of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Therefore, as a
called and ordained servant of Christ and by His authority, I forgive you all
your sin in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Be
glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven.

C          Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength be to our God forever and
ever. Amen.

Confession and Absolution based on the readings for Proper 23C: Psalm 111; Ruth 1:1-19a; 2 Timothy 2:1-13; Luke 17:11-19

P          The works of the Lord’s hands are
truth and justice; all his instructions are trustworthy. Therefore, we confess our
sin and seek His righteousness.

C          The
fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his instructions
have good insight. But we have denied You by our thoughts and thoughtlessness,
our words and silence, our actions and inaction. We have not been good soldiers
of Christ Jesus. Let not the Lord’s hand turn against us. Jesus, Master, have
mercy on us!

P          The LORD is gracious and
compassionate. He has sent redemption to his people. He has ordained his
covenant forever. Remember Jesus Christ, risen from
the dead and descended from David. If we are faithless, he remains faithful,
for he cannot deny himself. And for the sake of His innocent suffering and
death, you have obtained salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal
glory. Therefore, as a called and ordained servant of Christ and by His
authority, I forgive you all your sin in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit. Get up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.C          Amen.
Hallelujah! I will praise the LORD with all my heart in the assembly of the
upright and in the congregation.

Title image for the sermon, “Gamble on Generosity” based on Luke 16:1-15 for Proper 20C

Also, a slow motion video of rolling dice: craps based on the gambling theme