Rahab and the Spies -Third Sunday after Epiphany

Posted on by jimvondracek

A few months ago, the City of Chicago revised its guidelines for groups meeting, and the Metropolitan Chicago Synod of the ELCA encouraged congregations to worship online, so Augustana suspended its in-person worship. Virtual, recorded worship will continue to be available on the Augustana website on Sunday mornings.

As always, during these challenging times, contact Pastor Goede if you have any questions, suggestions or would like to visit.

The order of worship is below:

  • Greeting
  • Thanksgiving for Baptism
  • Hymn of Praise, Oh Morning Star, How Fair and Bright, #308 in Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW), verses 5 & 6
  • Prayer of the Day
  • First Reading, Selections from the Book of Joshua
  • Psalm 62:5-12
  • Second Reading, 1 Corinthians 7:29-31
  • Gospel Acclamation, Setting Three ELW
  • Gospel Reading, Mark 1:14-20
  • Teaching about Rahab and the Spies
  • Hymn of the Day, You Have Come Down to the Lake Shore, #817 ELW
  • Prayers of the People
  • Passing of the Peace
  • Dialogue and Preface
  • Sanctus
  • Great Thanksgiving
  • Lord’s Prayer
  • Communion
  • Communion Meditation, Will You Come and Follow Me, #798 ELW
  • Post Communion Prayer
  • Blessing
  • Dismissal
  • Postlude, Variation on Wie Schon Leuchtet

Today, rather than a sermon, Pastor Goede talks with us about the story of Rahab and the Spies, from today’s Hebrew scripture reading. This year, rather than following the lectionary, we are hearing Hebrew Scriptures in order, and hearing stories that we might not normally focus on. This story of Rahab and the Spies is important enough to the early church that they included Rahab in the genealogy (the family tree) of Jesus, via the Gospel of Matthew.

Thank you to this week’s lector, Willemien Otten. Shelley Barnard edited the video, Padraig McGuire served as cantor, Campus Pastor Matthew Stuhlmuller presided, and Pastor Nancy Goede preached.

During this time of isolation and separation, it is especially important that we all receive (and read) our weekly emails from Augustana, to know what is going on, and to connect. If you are not receiving the emails, your email program may be putting them in a ‘promotions’ folder. If you are not receiving or can’t find them, contact the church office (office@augustanahydepark.org)

You can arrange an ongoing, electronic offering through our website by visiting our Donation page. Setting up a free PayPal account allows you to make an offering of any size with a debit or credit card; the email address you need is treasurer@augustanahydepark.org. You can, of course, send a check to Augustana, 5500 S. Woodlawn Ave., Chicago, IL, 60637.

We encourage you to share the Peace of Christ with your neighbors by calling them, e-mailing them, or reaching out through Facebook.