Worship Resources for September 11 Anniversary

First Reading

Isaiah 40:28–31
Jeremiah 42:1–12
Micah 7:18–20

Second Reading

Romans 5:1–5
Romans 8:18, 28, 35–39
Romans 12:9–21
2 Corinthians 1:3–7
1 Peter 3:8–15

Third Reading

Matthew 6:25–34
Matthew 11:28–30
Matthew 24:3–14
Luke 13:1–5 (6–8)
John 14:1–6

The hymn “There Is a Time for Everything” (LSB 762) was written in 2002 for the first anniversary of 9-11. The tune, though probably new to many, is eminently singable, especially when carefully introduced by a choir or soloist.

Making Sense of Tragedy

God of Grace and God of Glory (LSB 850)
There Is a Time for Everything (LSB 762)

Trust

Children of the Heavenly Father (LSB 725)
From God Can Nothing Move Me (LSB 713)

In Time of Need

Abide with Me (LSB 878)
In the Very Midst of Life (LSB 755)
O God, Forsake Me Not (LSB 731)
When in the Hour of Deepest Need (LSB 615)

Church at Prayer

Lord of Our Life (LSB 659)
Lord, Keep Us Steadfast ( LSB 655)
Our Father, Who from Heav’n (LSB 766)
Rise! To Arms! With Prayer Employ You (LSB 668)
Rise, My Soul to Watch and Pray (LSB 663)
What a Friend We Have in Jesus (LSB 770)

Psalm 23

Have No Fear Little Flock (LSB 735)
Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us (LSB 711)
The King of Love My Shepherd Is (LSB 709)
The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want (LSB 710)

Suffering

Savior, When in Dust to Thee (LSB 419)
What God Ordains Is Always Good (LSB 760)
Why Should Cross and Trial Grieve Me (LSB 756

Peace Among the Nations

Forgive Our Sins as We Forgive (LSB 843)
Grant Peace, We Pray, in Mercy, Lord (LSB 777, 778)
O God of Love, O King of Peace (LSB 751)

Christ, Our Hope and Defense

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (LSB 656, 657)
Amazing Grace (LSB 744)
Be Still, My Soul (LSB 752)
Christ, the Life of All the Living (LSB 420)
Entrust Your Days and Burdens (LSB 754)
I Leave All Things to God’s Direction (LSB 719)
Jesus Christ, My Sure Defense (LSB 741)
My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less (LSB 575, 576)
Precious Lord, Take My Hand (LSB 739
Rock of Ages (LSB 761)
Triune God, Be Thou Our Stay (LSB 505)

Jesus Lead On

Christ Be My Leader (LSB 861)
I Walk in Danger All the Way (LSB 716)
Jesus, Lead Thou On (LSB 718)
Let Us Ever Walk with Jesus (LSB 685)
Lord, Take My Hand and Lead Me (LSB 722)

Travel

Eternal Father, Strong to Save (LSB 717)

Collect of the Day

P: Almighty God, whose compassion never fails and who invites us to call upon You in prayer, hear the heartfelt confession of our sins and receive our humble supplication for Your mercy. Spare us from the just punishment of sin, which our Lord Jesus Christ has borne for us, and enable us to serve You in holiness and purity of life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: Amen.

Or:

P: O God, for whom come all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works.  Give to us, Your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be set to obey Your commandments and also that we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may live in peace and quietness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: Amen.

Collect for Good Government

P: Eternal Lord, ruler of all, graciously regard those who have been set in positions of authority among us that, guided by Your Spirit, they may be high in purpose, wise in counsel, firm in good resolution, and unwavering in duty, that under them we may be governed quietly and peaceably; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

C: Amen.

Collect for the Nation

P: Almighty God, You have given us this good land as our heritage. Grant that we remember Your generosity and constantly do Your will. Bless our land with honest industry, truthful education, and an honorable way of life. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion, from pride and arrogance, and from every evil course of action. Grant that we, who came from many nations with many different languages, may become a united people. Support us in defending our liberties, and give those to whom we have entrusted the authority of government the spirit of wisdom, that there may be justice and peace in our land. When times are prosperous, may our hearts be thankful, and in troubled times do not let our trust in You fail; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

C: Amen.

This reading combines a number of appropriate psalm verses.

P: Who rises up for me against the wicked? Who stands for me against evildoers?

C: If the Lord had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.

P: When I thought, “My foot slips,” your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.

C: When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul. (Ps. 94:16–19)

P: For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.

C: On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. (Ps. 62:1, 7)

P: My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Ps. 73:26)

C: It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. (Ps. 18:32)

P: Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.

C: For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.

P: Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,

C: Even as we hope in You. (Ps. 33:20–22)

This Litany, which is slightly adapted from the Lutheran Service Book (pp. 288–89), may replace the Kyrie in the Divine Service, in which case the Gloria in Excelsis would be omitted. In Matins or Vespers, it may be used in place of the Kyrie at the beginning of the prayers.

P: O Lord,

C: Have mercy.

P: O Christ,

C: Have mercy.

P: O Lord,

C: Have mercy.

P: O Christ,

C: Hear us.

P: God the Father, in heaven,

C: Have mercy.

P: God the Son, Redeemer of the world,

C: Have mercy.

P: God the Holy Spirit.

C: Have mercy.

P: Be gracious to us.

C: Spare us, good Lord.

P: Be gracious to us.

C: Help us, good Lord.

P: From all sin, from all error, from all evil:

From the crafts and assaults of the devil; from sudden and evil death:

From pestilence and famine; from war and bloodshed; from sedition and from rebellion:

From lightning and tempest; from all calamity by fire and water; and from everlasting death:

C: Good Lord, deliver us.

P: By the mystery of Your holy incarnation; by Your holy nativity:

By Your baptism, fasting, and temptation; by Your agony and bloody sweat; by Your cross and Passion; by Your precious death and burial:

By Your glorious resurrection and ascension; and by the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter:

C: Help us, good Lord.

P: In all time of our tribulation; in all time of our prosperity; in the hour of death; and in the day of judgment:

C: Help us, good Lord.

P: We poor sinners implore You

C: To hear us, O Lord.

P: To rule and govern Your holy Christian Church; to preserve all pastors and ministers of Your Church in the true knowledge and understanding of Your wholesome Word and to sustain them in holy living:

To put an end to all schisms and causes of offense; to bring into the way of truth all who have erred and are deceived:

To bless the Church’s life-giving message that Jesus is Lord; to bring comfort to the sorrowing and hope to those living in fear:

To beat down Satan under our feet; to send faithful laborers into Your harvest; and to accompany Your Word with Your grace and Spirit:

C: We implore You to hear us, good Lord.

P: To raise those that fall and to strengthen those that stand; and to comfort and help the weak-hearted and the distressed.

C: We implore You to hear us, good Lord.

P: To give to all peoples concord and peace; to preserve our land from discord and strife; to give our country Your protection in every time of need:

To direct and defend our president and all in authority; to bless and protect our magistrates and all our people:

To keep in safety the members of our armed forces and to give wisdom to those in command:

C: We implore You to hear us, good Lord.

P: To forgive our enemies, persecutors, and slanderers and to turn their hearts; to give and preserve to our use the kindly fruits of the earth; and graciously to hear our prayers:

C: We implore You to hear us, good Lord.

P: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,

C: We implore You to hear us.

P: Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,

C: Have mercy.

P: Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,

C: Have mercy.

P: Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,

C: Grant us Your peace.

P: O Christ,

C: Hear us.

P: O Lord,

C: Have mercy.

P: O Christ,

C: Have mercy.

P: O Lord,

C: Have mercy. Amen.

The Prayer of the Church is provided in the form of bid and petition in order to include a large number of requests. Additional petitions can easily be added based on local need.

P: Since our Father in heaven has promised to hear whatever we ask in the name of His Son, our living Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, let us lift up our voices to the God of all mercy, praying for the needs of all people.

P: For the holy Church, that the gates of hell would not prevail against her, let us pray to the Lord:

C: Lord, have mercy

P: For all the baptized, that they may daily repent of their sins and live in the grace of Christ’s forgiveness, let us pray to the Lord:

C: Lord, have mercy

P: For those who do not know Christ, that God would turn their hearts, using us to tell them the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection, let us pray to the Lord:

C: Lord, have mercy

P: For our nation, that God would continue to defend us from our enemies, let us pray to the Lord:

C: Lord, have mercy

P: For our president and the Congress, that they may govern wisely as they strive both to defend our liberties and to protect us from harm, let us pray to the Lord:

C: Lord, have mercy

P: For those whose vocation it is to protect our nation and our communities, that God would watch over them as they carry out their duties, let us pray to the Lord:

C: Lord, have mercy

P: For those who continue to bear the scars of the attacks upon our country ten years ago, that God would grant them rest, refreshment, and peace, let us pray to the Lord:

C: Lord, have mercy

P: For a spirit of forgiveness and forbearance, that God would remove far from us the personal desire for vengeance, let us pray to the Lord:

C: Lord, have mercy

P: For the millions around the world who live under repressive regimes, that God would ease their suffering and grant them rulers who deal honestly and with compassion, let us pray to the Lord:

C: Lord, have mercy

P: For those in every part of the world who suffer violence at the hands of terrorists, that God would rescue the innocent from the neverending threat of violence; let us pray to the Lord:

C: Lord, have mercy

P: For those who know the pangs of hunger because of famine and lawlessness, especially the people of Somalia, that God would rescue them in their time of need, using us to give of our bounty to serve them, let us pray to the Lord:

C: Lord, have mercy

P: For our enemies, those close to home and those scattered around the world, that God would both thwart their wicked plans and, through His Word and Spirit, turn their hearts so that they might live, let us pray to the Lord:

C: Lord, have mercy

P: For all those in need (especially _______________), that God would grant healing, strength, comfort, and hope, let us pray to the Lord:

C: Lord, have mercy

P: For all those who have gone before us (especially _______________), let us give thanks to God. That He would keep us firm in the faith until our life’s end, let us pray to the Lord:

C: Lord, have mercy

P: *Finally (pause),
Grant peace, we pray, in mercy, Lord
Peace in our time, oh, send us!
For there is none on earth but You,
None other to defend us.
You only, Lord, can fight for us.

P: Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy, through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

C: Amen.

*Note: The prayer for peace is taken from Lutheran Service Book 777 or 778. Instead of the pastor reading it, it may be sung by congregation, choir, or soloist.