Sunday October 15, 2017

The Invocation:

Blessed be God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

And blessed be His Kingdom, now and forever. Amen.

The Prayer of Preparation:

Almighty God, to You all hearts are open, all desires known, and from You no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love You, and worthily magnify Your Holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hymn: “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”

“Great is Thy faithfulness,” O God my Father,

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not

As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!”

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—

“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!”

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—

“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!”

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—

“Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!

Hymn: “Shout To The Lord”

My Jesus, my Savior

Lord, there is none like You

All of my days, I want to praise

The wonders of Your mighty love

My comfort, my shelter

Tower of refuge and strength

Let every breath, all that I am

Never cease to worship You

Shout to the Lord, all the earth, let us sing

Power and majesty, praise to the King

Mountains bow down and the seas will roar

At the sound of Your name

I sing for joy at the work of Your hands

Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand

Nothing compares to the promise I have in You

My Jesus, my Savior

Lord, there is none like You

All of my days, I want to praise

The wonders of Your mighty love

My comfort, my shelter

Tower of refuge and strength

Let every breath, all that I am

Never cease to worship You

Shout to the Lord, all the earth, let us sing

Power and majesty, praise to the King

Mountains bow down and the seas will roar

At the sound of Your name

I sing for joy at the work of Your hands

Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand

Nothing compares to the promise I have in You

Shout to the Lord, all the earth, let us sing

Power and majesty, praise to the King

Mountains bow down and the seas will roar

At the sound of Your name

I sing for joy at the work of Your hands

Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand

Nothing compares to the promise I have in You

The Collect of the Day:

Let us pray.

Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and

and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Psalm Reading:

Psalm 106

1 Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

2 Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord? Who can declare all His praise?

3 Blessed are those who keep justice, And he who does righteousness at all times!

4 Remember me, O Lord, with the favor You have toward Your people; Oh, visit me with Your salvation,

5 That I may see the benefit of Your chosen ones, That I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, That I may glory with Your inheritance.

6 We have sinned with our fathers, We have committed iniquity, We have done wickedly.

7 Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; They did not remember the multitude of Your mercies, But rebelled by the sea--the Red Sea.

8 Nevertheless He saved them for His name's sake, That He might make His mighty power known.

9 He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it dried up; So He led them through the depths, As through the wilderness.

10 He saved them from the hand of him who hated them, And redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.

11 The waters covered their enemies; There was not one of them left.

12 Then they believed His words; They sang His praise.

13 They soon forgot His works; They did not wait for His counsel,

14 But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, And tested God in the desert.

15 And He gave them their request, But sent leanness into their soul.

16 When they envied Moses in the camp, And Aaron the saint of the Lord,

17 The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan, And covered the faction of Abiram.

18 A fire was kindled in their company; The flame burned up the wicked.

19 They made a calf in Horeb, And worshiped the molded image.

20 Thus they changed their glory Into the image of an ox that eats grass.

21 They forgot God their Savior, Who had done great things in Egypt,

22 Wondrous works in the land of Ham, Awesome things by the Red Sea.

23 Therefore He said that He would destroy them, Had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach, To turn away His wrath, lest He destroy them.

24 Then they despised the pleasant land; They did not believe His word,

25 But complained in their tents, And did not heed the voice of the Lord.

26 Therefore He raised up His hand in an oath against them, To overthrow them in the wilderness,

27 To overthrow their descendants among the nations, And to scatter them in the lands.

28 They joined themselves also to Baal of Peor, And ate sacrifices made to the dead.

29 Thus they provoked Him to anger with their deeds, And the plague broke out among them.

30 Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, And the plague was stopped.

31 And that was accounted to him for righteousness To all generations forevermore.

32 They angered Him also at the waters of strife, So that it went ill with Moses on account of them;

33 Because they rebelled against His Spirit, So that he spoke rashly with his lips.

34 They did not destroy the peoples, Concerning whom the Lord had commanded them,

35 But they mingled with the Gentiles And learned their works;

36 They served their idols, Which became a snare to them.

37 They even sacrificed their sons And their daughters to demons,

38 And shed innocent blood, The blood of their sons and daughters, Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; And the land was polluted with blood.

39 Thus they were defiled by their own works, And played the harlot by their own deeds.

40 Therefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against His people, So that He abhorred His own inheritance.

41 And He gave them into the hand of the Gentiles, And those who hated them ruled over them.

42 Their enemies also oppressed them, And they were brought into subjection under their hand.

43 Many times He delivered them; But they rebelled in their counsel, And were brought low for their iniquity.

44 Nevertheless He regarded their affliction, When He heard their cry;

45 And for their sake He remembered His covenant, And relented according to the multitude of His mercies.

46 He also made them to be pitied By all those who carried them away captive.

47 Save us, O Lord our God, And gather us from among the Gentiles, To give thanks to Your holy name, To triumph in Your praise.

48 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel From everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise the Lord!

The Old Testament Lesson:

Exodus 32:1-14

1 Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, "Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him."

2 And Aaron said to them, "Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me."

3 So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron.

4 And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, "This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!"

5 So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, "Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord."

6 Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

7 And the Lord said to Moses, "Go, get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves.

8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, 'This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!' "

9 And the Lord said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people!

10 Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation."

11 Then Moses pleaded with the Lord his God, and said: "Lord, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?

12 Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, 'He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people.

13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.' "

14 So the Lord relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people.

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

The New Testament Lessons:

Philippians 4:1-9

1 Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.

2 I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.

3 And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.

9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

The Gospel Lesson:

Matthew 22:1-14

1 And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said:

2 "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son,

3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come.

4 Again, he sent out other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding." '

5 But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business.

6 And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them.

7 But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

8 Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.

9 Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.'

10 So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11 But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.

12 So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless.

13 Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

14 For many are called, but few are chosen."

The Gospel of our Lord.

Praise to You, Lord Christ.

The Sermon:

The Apostles Creed:

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his 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.

The Prayers of the People:

-Prayer requests of those present.

Confession of Sin:

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against You in thought, word and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.

We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbor as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.

For the sake of Your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in Your will, and walk in Your ways, to the glory of Your name. Amen.

The Great Thanksgiving:

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

We lift up our hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give Him thanks and praise.

It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to You, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.

The Preface:

Therefore we praise You, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of Your Name.

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of Your glory.

Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

Holy and gracious Father: In Your infinite love You made us for Yourself; and when we had fallen into sin and become subject to evil and death, You, in Your mercy sent Jesus Christ, Your only and eternal Son, to share our human nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to You, the God and Father of all.

He stretched out His arms upon the cross, and offered Himself, in obedience to Your will, a perfect sacrifice for the whole world.

On the night He was handed over to suffering and death, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when He had given thanks to You, He broke it, and gave it to His disciples, and said, “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”

After supper He took the cup of wine; and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, and said,

“Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”

Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith:

Christ has died.

Christ is risen.

Christ will come again.

We celebrate the memorial of our redemption, O Father, in this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Recalling His death, resurrection, and ascension, we offer You these gifts.

Sanctify them by Your Holy Spirit to be for Your people the Body and Blood of Your Son, the holy food and drink of new and unending life in Him. Sanctify us also that we may faithfully receive this holy Sacrament, and serve You in unity, constancy, and peace; and at the last day bring us with all Your saints into the joy of Your eternal kingdom.

All this we ask through You Son Jesus Christ. By Him, and with Him, and in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is Yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer:

And now as our Savior Christ taught us, we are bold to say:

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.

The Breaking of the Bread:

Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.

The gifts of God for the People of God.

Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on Him in your hearts by faith with thanksgiving.

The Body of Christ, the bread of heaven. Amen.

The Blood of Christ, the cup of salvation. Amen.

The Prayer of Thanksgiving:

Let us pray.

God of all blessings, source of all life, giver of all grace:

We thank you for the gift of life: for the breath that sustains life, for the food of this earth that nurtures life, for the love of family and friends without which there would be no life.

We thank you for the mystery of creation: for the beauty that the eye can see, for the joy that the ear may hear, for the unknown that we cannot behold filling the universe with wonder, for the expanse of space that draws us beyond the definitions of our selves.

We thank you for setting us in communities: for families who nurture our becoming, for friends who love us by choice, for companions at work, who share our burdens and daily tasks, for strangers who welcome us into their midst, for people from other lands who call us to grow in understanding, for children who lighten our moments with delight, for the unborn, who offer us hope for the future.

We thank you for this day: for life and one more day to love, for opportunity and one more day to work for justice and peace, for neighbors and one more person to love and by whom be loved, for your grace and one more experience of your presence, for your promise: to be with us, to be our God, and to give salvation.

For these, and all blessings, we give you thanks, eternal, loving God, through Jesus Christ we pray.

To him be praise and glory, with you, O Father, and the

Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

The Blessing:

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen.