Sunday, September 20, 2020 – virtual service
Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Prelude: Meditation on “Eventide”
Welcome and Announcements
Gathering Hymn: “Jesus Shall Reign” – LBW # 530, vs 1- 5
Confession & Forgiveness
Greeting & Kyrie
Canticle of Praise: “Glory to God…”
Prayer of the Day
First Reading, Isaiah 55:6-9
Psalm # 27:1-13
Second Reading, Philippians 1:12-14, 19-30
Holy Gospel, Matthew 20:1-16
Sermon
Hymn of the Day: “My Faith Looks Up to Thee” – LBW # 479, vs
1 - 4
Apostle’s Creed
Prayers of the Church
The Lord’s Prayer
Blessing
Dismissal
Sending Hymn: “Lord, Dismiss Us with Your Blessing” - LBW # 259,
vs 1 – 2
Postlude: Voluntary on “Aurelia”
Service Supplement
(Congregational
responses are in bold print)
Prelude Meditation on “Eventide”
Welcome and Announcements Pastor Bill Gies
Gathering Hymn “Jesus Shall Reign” LBW # 530, vs 1 – 5
Jesus shall reign where'er
the sun Does its successive journeys run; His kingdom stretch
from shore to shore, Till moons shall wax and wane no more.
To him shall endless prayer be made, And praises throng to crown his head; His name like sweet
perfume shall rise With ev'ry morning sacrifice.
People and realms of ev'ry
tongue Dwell on his love with sweetest song; And infant voices shall proclaim Their
early blessings on his name.
Blessings abound where'er
he reigns: The pris'ners leap to lose their chains, The weary find eternal rest, And all who suffer want are
blest.
Let ev'ry
creature rise and bring Honors peculiar to our King; Angels descend with songs
again, And earth repeat the loud amen.
Confession & Forgiveness
Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God, who
forgives all our sin, whose mercy endures forever. Amen.
God of all mercy and consolation, come to
the help of your people, turning us from our sin to live for you alone. Give us
the power of your Holy Spirit that we may confess our sin, receive your
forgiveness, and grow into the fullness of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
Let us confess our sin in the presence of
God and of one another. Gracious God, have mercy on us. We confess that we
have turned from you and given ourselves into the power of sin. We are truly sorry and humbly repent. In your compassion forgive us
our sins, known and unknown, things we have done and things we have failed to
do. Turn us again to you, and uphold us by your Spirit, so that we may live and
serve you in newness of life through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
God, who is rich in mercy, loved us even
when we were dead in sin, and made us alive together with Christ. By grace you
have been saved. In the name of Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven. Almighty
God strengthen you with power through the Holy Spirit, that Christ may live in
your hearts through faith. Amen.
Greeting
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
love of God, and the communion of the Holy
Spirit be with you all. And also with you.
Kyrie
In peace, let us pray to the Lord. Lord,
have mercy. For the peace from above, and for our salvation, let us
pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy. 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. Lord, have mercy. For this holy house, and for all
who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord. Lord,
have mercy. Help,
save, comfort, and defend us, gracious Lord. Amen.
Canticle of Praise “Glory to God…”
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to God’s people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we
praise you for your glory. Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God,
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are
seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer. For you alone are
the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most
High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the
Father. Amen.
Prayer of
the Day
Let us pray…Direct our hearts, O Lord, by your merciful reign,
because without your help it is impossible to please you. Grant this, we pray,
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
First Reading Isaiah 55:6-9
God’s loving compassion is incomprehensible to the
human heart because his ways are so different from our human ways. Isaiah
called for a return to the Lord of life, the one who made a covenant with David
and is true to his original promise.
6“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him
while he is near; 7let the wicked forsake his way, and the
unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have
compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 8For
my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the
Lord. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways
higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” This is the word of
the Lord, thanks
be to God.
Psalm # 27:1-13
The psalmist sang of the Lord’s protection and mercy.
The Lord was his rock and fortress, protecting him in every situation. With God
on our side, there is nothing to fear. The psalmist made one request of God: to
live in his holy house forever.
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom then shall
I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom then shall I be afraid?
When evildoers came upon me to eat up my flesh, it was
they, my foes and my adversaries, who stumbled and
fell.
Though an army should encamp against me, yet my heart
shall not be afraid;
And though war should rise up
against me, yet will I put my trust in him.
One thing have I asked of the Lord; one thing I seek; that
I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life;
To behold the fair beauty of the Lord and to seek him in
his temple.
For in the day of trouble he shall keep me safe in his
shelter; he shall hide me in the secrecy of his dwelling and set me high upon a
rock.
Even now he lifts
up my head above my enemies round about me.
Therefore I will offer in his dwelling an oblation with sounds of
great gladness; I will sing and make music to the Lord.
Hearken to my voice, O Lord, when I call; have mercy
on me and answer me.
You speak in my heart and say, “Seek my face.” Your
face, Lord, will I seek.
Hide not your face from me, nor turn away your servant
in displeasure.
You have been my helper; cast me not away; do not
forsake me, O God of my salvation.
Second Reading Philippians
1:12-14, 19-30
Paul’s suffering in the Lord makes a powerful witness
to those who believe. It gave his flock courage in the face of their own
suffering, and it advanced the message of the gospel. Paul counted his
suffering in the faith as having genuine meaning. He found that to die to his
old self was to gain true life in Christ.
12I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened
to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13so that it has
become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my
imprisonment is for Christ. 14And most of the brothers, having
become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more
bold to speak the word without fear.
19…for I know that through your prayers and the help of
the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20as
it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that
with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by
life or by death. 21For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me.
Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23I am hard pressed between
the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24But
to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25Convinced
of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress
and joy in the faith, 26so that in me you may have ample cause to
glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. 27Only let
your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come
and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one
spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28and
not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of
their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29For
it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only
believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30engaged in the same
conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have. This is the Word of
God, word of life, thanks be
to God.
Holy Gospel Matthew
20:1-16
The
Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew the 20th Chapter. Glory to
you, O Lord.
Jesus told a story that illustrated the nature of God’s abundant generosity. Whatever God gives to a person is completely up to God. He gives out of compassion and love — which, in Jesus’ story, was offensive to those who showed up to work at the beginning of the day only to receive the same wages as those who barely worked. What one person receives as a blessing versus what another receives is entirely a matter of grace, because it all comes from God’s generosity.
1Jesus said, “For the kingdom of heaven is like a
master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his
vineyard. 2After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he
sent them into his vineyard. 3And going out about the third hour he
saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4and to them he said,
‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ 5So
they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the
same. 6And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others
standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ 7They
said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the
vineyard too.’ 8And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said
to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the
last, up to the first.’ 9And when those hired about the eleventh
hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10Now when those hired
first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also
received a denarius. 11And on receiving it they grumbled at the
master of the house, 12saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and
you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the
scorching heat.’ 13But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am
doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14Take
what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to
you. 15Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me?
Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ 16So the last will be first, and
the first last.” This is the gospel of the Lord, praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon Pastor
Bill Gies
Hymn of the Day “My Faith Looks Up
to Thee” LBW # 479,
vs 1 – 4
My faith looks up to thee, Thou Lamb of
Calvary, Savior divine! Now hear me while I pray, Take
all my guilt away, Oh, let me from this day Be wholly thine!
May thy rich grace impart Strength to my
fainting heart, My zeal inspire; As thou hast died for
me, Oh, may my love to thee Pure, warm, and changeless be, A living fire!
While life’s dark maze I tread And griefs around me spread, Be thou my guide; Bid darkness
turn to day, Wipe sorrow’s tears away, Nor let me ever stray From thee aside.
When ends life’s transient dream, When death’s cold, sullen stream Shall o'er me roll; Blest
Savior, then, in love Fear and distrust remove; Oh, bear me safe above, A
ransomed soul!
Apostle’s
Creed
Let us join together in confessing our faith with the saints who
have gone before us, in the words of 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. He was conceived by the power of the
Holy Spirit, and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered
under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into
hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at
the right hand of the Father. He will come again 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.
(P):
With the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, let us pray for the church, those
in need, and all of God’s creation. A brief silence.
(W): Heavenly Father, you have called us from among
the peoples and nations of the world to be your own, and to serve you with our
lives. We pray that you would keep us steadfast in faith. May we sing your praises and confess Christ
as Lord to all we meet so they would know your mercy and grace. Lord, in your
mercy. Hear our prayer.
(W): O Lord, source of all good things, make us respond to those around us
with the same generosity that you have first shown to us. May we put our
complete trust in you alone knowing that you will take care of our every need
which allows us to be abundantly and extravagantly generous to others in your
name. Lord, in your mercy. Hear our prayer.
(W): Heavenly Father, pour out the healing grace of your presence on all
those who are sick and suffering. Restore wounded lives, hearts, and bodies
through the holy anointing of your Spirit. Remind those who seek you that you
are always present and are even closer to them than they can possibly imagine. Lord,
in your mercy. Hear our prayer.
(W): God of all strength, grant your
power and mercy to all those who suffer for the faith around the world. In the
face of persecution, violence, and threats give your people courage and a deep
abiding sense of your protective presence. Let all our lives bear witness to
your goodness, that others would see Christ through us and come to know your
grace. Lord, in your mercy. Hear
our prayer.
(P):
Into your hands, gracious God, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in
your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Let us pray the prayer our Savior taught
us…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.
Blessing
The
Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord’s face shine on you with grace and mercy.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace. Amen.
Dismissal
Go
in peace. Christ is with you. Thanks be to God.
Sending Hymn “Lord, Dismiss Us with Your Blessing” LBW # 259, vs 1 – 3
Lord, dismiss us with your blessing, Fill our hearts with joy and peace; Let us each, your love
possessing, Triumph in redeeming grace. Oh, refresh us; oh, refresh us, Trav'ling through this wilderness.
Thanks we give and adoration For your Gospel's
joyful sound. May the fruits of your salvation In our
hearts and lives abound. Ever faithful, ever faithful To
your truth may we be found.
Savior, when your love shall call us From our struggling pilgrim way, Let not fear of death
appall us, Glad your summons to obey. May we ever, may we ever Reign with you
in endless day.
Postlude Voluntary on “Aurelia”
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Please visit the “Messages” page of our website at www.stmatthewbq.org for latest on our services or
listen for our “One Call” announcements for updates and events. Not receiving the
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Thank you!
Services at
St. Matthew: We will be
holding all of our services here on the grounds of St.
Matthew for the rest of the fall and winter seasons. We will continue with the
8am and 10 am services until October 11th with the 8am service
inside and the 10am service outside. On October 18th, we will go to
three services all inside. The times will be 8am, 9:30am, and 11am. We will
require masks and social distancing at all three services.
Fellowship
for St. Matthew: With 100% of
our services moving inside, we are asking for thoughts on between service
fellowship. Please contact Irene with your constructive thoughts. Please call
the office for Irene’s contact information.
Women’s
Prayer Meeting and Bonfire: We will be holding a Women’s Prayer Meeting and Bonfire on Friday,
October 2nd from 6:30pm to 8pm at Irene Markley’s home. All women
are encouraged and invited to attend but car pooling
will be necessary. Please contact Irene to confirm attendance and get address.
Again, please call the office for Irene’s contact information.