Sunday, September 27, 2020 @ 8AM & 10AM
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
Prelude: Meditation on “Divinum Mysterium”
Welcome and Announcements
Gathering Hymn: “The Church’s One Foundation” – LBW # 369, vs
1- 4
Confession & Forgiveness
Greeting & Kyrie
Canticle of Praise: “Glory to God…”
Prayer of the Day
First Reading, Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32
Psalm # 25:1-10
Second Reading, Philippians 2:1-18
Holy Gospel, Matthew 21:23-32
Sermon
Hymn of the Day: “You Servants of God” – LBW # 252, vs 1 - 4
Apostle’s Creed
Prayers of the Church
The Lord’s Prayer
Blessing
Dismissal
Sending Hymn: “On What Has Now Been Seen” - LBW # 261, vs 1 –
3
Postlude: Voluntary on “Ville du Havre”
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Service Supplement
(Congregational
responses are in bold print)
Prelude Meditation
on “Divinum Mysterium”
Welcome and Announcements Pastor John
Gathering Hymn “The Church’s One
Foundation” LBW # 369, vs 1 – 4
The Church’s one foundation Is Jesus
Christ, her Lord; She is his new creation By water and
the Word. From heav'n he came and sought her To be his holy bride; With his own blood he bought her, And
for her life he died.
Elect from ev'ry
nation, Yet one o’er all the earth; Her charter of salvation: One Lord, one
faith, one birth. One holy name she blesses, Partakes
one holy food, And to one hope she presses With ev'ry
grace endued.
Though with a scornful wonder This world
sees her oppressed, By schisms rent asunder, By
heresies distressed, Yet saints their watch are keeping; Their cry goes up:
“How long?” And soon the night of weeping Shall be the morn of song.
Through toil and tribulation And tumult of her war, She waits the consummation Of peace
forevermore; Till with the vision glorious Her longing eyes are blest, And the
great Church victorious Shall be the Church at rest.
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…O Almighty and most Merciful God, through your
bountiful goodness, keep us from all things that may hurt us, that we, being
ready both in body and soul, may cheerfully accomplish those things that you
would have us do. Grant this, we pray, through your Son, Jesus Christ, our
Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
forever. Amen.
First Reading Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32
The Word of the Lord came to the prophet Ezekiel, to
set Israel straight on who was just and who was unjust. Israel was turning from
righteousness, not God. It was Israel who acted in wickedness. “Turn to me and
repent,” said the Lord, “and you will not die.” The Lord wants all to live, and
to live in righteousness in him.
1The word of the Lord came to me: 2“What do
you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The fathers
have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? 3As
I live, declares the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in
Israel. 4Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well
as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die.
25“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear
now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not
just? 26When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness
and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he
shall die. 27Again, when a wicked person turns away from the
wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his
life. 28Because he considered and turned away from all the
transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 29Yet
the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel,
are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? 30Therefore
I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one
according to his ways, declares the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your
transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. 31Cast away from you all
the transgressions that you have committed, and make
yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32For
I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.” This is the word of the Lord, thanks be to
God.
Psalm # 25:1-9
The psalmist cried out to the Lord, “Teach me your
paths and make me know your ways!” He sang that the Lord instructs his people
in his ways that they may not sin. He leads those who are humble, those who
keep his covenant. His faithfulness is sure and certain.
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; my God, I put my
trust in you; let me not be humiliated, nor let my enemies
triumph over me.
Let none who look to you be put to shame; let the
treacherous be disappointed in their schemes.
Show me your ways, O Lord, and teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the
God of my salvation; in you have I trusted all the day
long.
Remember, O Lord, your compassion and love, for they
are from everlasting.
Remember not the sins of my youth and my
transgressions; remember me according to your love and for the sake of your
goodness, O Lord.
Gracious and upright is the Lord; therefore
he teaches sinners in his way.
He guides the humble in doing right and teaches his
way to the lowly.
All the paths of the Lord are love and faithfulness to
those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
Second
Reading Philippians
2:1-18
St. Paul admonished the Christians
in Philippi to be of the same mind as Christ, putting away all quarrels so that
they may be found innocent in the sight of God. In a creed-like statement, Paul
talked about how Christ emptied himself, taking on the form of a human, a
servant who was obedient unto death on a cross.
1So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any
comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,
2complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love,
being in full accord and of one mind. 3Do nothing from selfish
ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than
yourselves. 4Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but
also to the interests of others. 5Have this mind among yourselves,
which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6who, though he was in the form of
God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but
emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of
men. 8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming
obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9Therefore
God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every
name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in
heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12Therefore,
my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but
much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13for
it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. 14Do
all things without grumbling or disputing, 15that you may be
blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a
crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16holding
fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I
did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17Even if I am to be poured
out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad
and rejoice with you all. 18Likewise you also should be glad and
rejoice with me. This is the Word of God, word of life, thanks be to God.
Holy Gospel Matthew
21:23-32
The
Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew the 21st Chapter. Glory to
you, O Lord. The
religious leaders approached Jesus as he was teaching in the temple. They
wanted to know by whose authority he was speaking. Jesus turned things around
by posing a question of his own concerning the source of John the Baptist’s
ministry. The leaders were caught in a conundrum because of the popular opinion
that John was a prophet.
23When Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and
the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what
authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24Jesus
answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the
answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25The
baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they
discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say
to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26But if we say, ‘From
man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” 27So
they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I
tell you by what authority I do these things. 28What do you think? A
man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the
vineyard today.’ 29And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he
changed his mind and went. 30And he went to the other son and said
the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. 31Which of
the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to
them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the
kingdom of God before you. 32For John came to you in the way of
righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the
prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward
change your minds and believe him.” This is the gospel of the Lord, praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon Pastor
John
Hymn of the Day
“You Servants of
God” LBW # 252, vs 1 – 4
You servants of God, your master proclaim,
And publish abroad his wonderful name; The name, all-victorious, of Jesus
extol; His kingdom is glorious and rules over all!
Our God rules on high, almighty to save; And still he is nigh, his
presence we have. The great congregation his triumph shall sing, Ascribing
salvation to Jesus, our king!
Salvation to God who sits on the throne! Let all cry aloud and
honor the Son. The praises of Jesus the angels proclaim, Fall
down on their faces, and worship the Lamb.
Then let us adore and give him his right, All glory and pow'r and wisdom and might, All honor and blessing, with
angels above, And thanks never ceasing, and infinite love!
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): Filled by the
Spirit, let us join the whole people of God in Jesus Christ in praying for the
church, those in need, and all of God’s creation. A brief silence.
(W): Holy Spirit, giver of all
spiritual gifts, grant us faith to follow Christ in all we do. Teach us your
ways that we may be obedient to your will and open to your leading in our
lives. Let us not make empty promises of following Jesus, but instead help us
to show up daily and serve the world you love. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
(W): Dear
Lord, your Spirit has called us together as your people in this place. Help us
to be of the same mind as Christ Jesus our Lord, willing to empty ourselves for
each other, the mission, and most of all for you. Grant us wisdom to work
together for the sake of the Gospel and not for our own agendas. Lord
in your mercy, hear our prayer.
(W): Almighty God, sovereign Lord,
all rulers, powers, and dominions are subject to you. Grant that the leaders of
all nations would govern with wisdom, justice, and equity for the good of all.
Bring about your lasting peace, especially in places where violence is a daily
reality. Lord
in your mercy, hear our prayer.
(W): Compassionate God, our joys and sorrows are fully known to you. You
grieve with us in our pain and sorrow and rejoice in our times of grace-filled
joy. Bring healing to all those who are suffering from physical illness or
injury, the pain of broken relationships, the sorrow of shattered hopes, and
any kind of loss. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
(P): Into your loving hands, gracious God, we
commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your abundant 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 “On
What Has Now…” LBW
# 261, vs 1 – 3
On what has now been sown Your blessing, Lord, bestow; The pow'r is yours alone To make it
sprout and grow. O Lord, in grace the harvest raise, And
yours alone shall be the praise!
To you our wants are known, From you
are all our pow'rs; Accept what is your own And
pardon what is ours. Our praises, Lord, and prayers receive And
to your Word a blessing give.
Oh, grant that each of us, Now met before Thee here, May meet together thus When you and yours appear, And follow
you to heav'n, our home. E'en so, Amen! Lord Jesus,
come!
Postlude Voluntary
on “Ville du Havre”
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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 “One Call”? Please call the office and provide a good number for
our list. 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 10am 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 carpooling will be necessary. Please contact Irene to
confirm attendance and get address. Again, please call the office for Irene’s
contact information.
Annual Congregational Meeting will be held
on Sunday, November 1st after late service. This meeting will be
held outside, weather permitted. We have reserved Sunday, November 8th
as a rain date. Due to the virus, we will not hold the meeting inside unless
all outside options are extinguished.
Two Constitutional Amendments will be voted on
at our Annual Congregational Meeting this November. At the NALC Convocation in
August, they voted to change the Annual Convocation to a Biennial Convocation,
which requires a vote from each congregation in the NALC. There is also a
change to the process of determining the number of delegates that each
congregation is allowed. Please pick up an informational packet on the proposed
amendments. If you have questions on the amendments, please feel free to
contact Pastor John.
First Communion Classes will start on
Sunday, October 11th at 9:45am in person in the Education Building.
The classes will run for six consecutive weeks. First Communion Sunday will be
held on Sunday, November 29th at the 11am service. If your child is
in 4th grade or higher and has not taken communion yet, please feel
free to join our class. Parents are invited and encouraged to attend the
classes. If you have any questions or need additional information, please feel
free to contact the office.