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THE SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
The color green, used
for the vestments and paraments in the season after Pentecost, represents
growth and life in the Holy Spirit.
OLD TESTAMENT: After a brief detour in the belly of the
whale, the prophet Jonah obeyed God and preached his message of God’s judgment
upon the city of Nineveh. However, Jonah became angry when Nineveh believed his message, turning from evil
towards God, and God changed his mind about bringing disaster upon the city. Just
like Peter in last week’s Gospel lesson, Jonah has a fundamental
misunderstanding of the nature of God. In an object lesson, God tries to get
through to Jonah (and to us).
NEW TESTAMENT: Paul writes the letter to the Philippians
from prison; he is writing to a congregation who is also facing persecution. By
his example, Paul shows how they are to suffer for Christ. For Paul, belief in
Christ is inseparable from suffering for him. Not all are called to be jailed
or martyred for Christ, but all are called to suffer for him. In Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes
that ‘Christ-suffering’ is both the call of God which summons us away from our
attachments to the world, and the bearing of the sins of the world by forgiving
them in Christ.
GOSPEL: Soon after telling the disciples how hard
it will be to enter the kingdom of heaven, Jesus tells a parable which seems to
say that it’s easy. But it is indeed a hard road to stop comparing oneself to
others, to reject envy, and to rejoice in the grace given to brothers and
sisters. It is in refusing to bear the neighbor and insisting upon one’s own
rights that the workers who were first become last.
Preparation for Worship
Upon reaching your place,
you may wish to read Psalm 84 in silence:
1 How dear to me is
your dwelling, O | Lord of hosts!*
My soul has a desire and longing
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh rejoice in
the | living God.
2 The sparrow has
found her a house
and
the swallow a nest where she may | lay her young,*
by the side of your altars, O Lord of hosts,
my King | and my God.
3 Happy are they who
dwell | in your house!*
They will always be | praising
you.
4 Happy are the
people whose strength | is in you,*
whose hearts are set on the |
pilgrims' way.
5 Those who go
through the desolate valley
will find it a | place of springs,*
for the early rains have covered
it with | pools of water.
6 They will climb
from | height to height,*
and the God of gods will reveal
him- | self in Zion.
7 Lord God of hosts, | hear my prayer;*
hearken, O | God of Jacob.
8 Behold our defend-
| er, O God;*
and look upon the face of | your
anointed.
9 For one day in
your courts
is better than a thousand in | my own
room,*
and to stand at the threshold of
the house of my God
than to dwell in the tents | of
the wicked.
10 For the Lord God is both | sun and shield;*
he will give | grace and glory;
11 no good thing will
the | Lord withhold*
from those who walk | with
integrity.
12 O | Lord of hosts,*
happy are they who put their |
trust in you!
You
may pray the following prayers:
Holy
Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God: hear our prayer and send your holy
angel from heaven to guard, protect, visit, and defend all those who assemble
together in this house; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Most
gracious God, incline your merciful ears to our prayers and enlighten our
hearts by the grace of your Holy Spirit, that we may approach your Holy
Mysteries with believing hearts and love you with an everlasting love.
OPENING MUSIC Oh, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing
Alec
Wyton
Please
meditate on the text of the hymn as it is played:
1 Oh,
for a thousand tongues to sing
my
great Redeemer’s praise,
the
glories of my God and King,
the
triumphs of his grace!
2 My
gracious Master and my God,
assist
me to proclaim,
to
spread through all the earth abroad
the
honors of your name.
3 The
name of Jesus charms our fears
and
bids our sorrows cease,
sings
music in the sinner’s ears,
brings
life and health and peace.
4 He
breaks the pow’r of canceled sin;
he
sets the pris’ner free.
His
blood can make the foulest clean;
his
blood avails for me.
5 To
God all glory, praise, and love
be
now and ever giv’n
by
saints below and saints above,
the
church in earth and heav’n.
Text: Charles Wesley, 1707-1788, alt.
WELCOME and ANNOUNCEMENTS
BRIEF ORDER FOR CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
Stand
The sign of the cross may be made
by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
In the name of the Father, and of
the X Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
Almighty God, to whom all hearts
are open, all desires known, and from whom 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 Jesus Christ
our Lord.
Amen
If we say we have no sin, we
deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God
who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.
(1
John 1:8-9)
Silence for reflection and self-examination.
Most merciful God,
we confess that we
are in bondage to sin
and cannot free ourselves.
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 neighbors as
ourselves.
For the sake of your Son, Jesus
Christ, have mercy on us.
Forgive us, renew us, and lead us,
so that we may delight in your will
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your holy name. Amen
In the mercy of Almighty God,
Jesus Christ was given to die for you, and for his sake the Father forgives you
all your sins. To those who believe in Jesus Christ he gives the power to
become the children of God and bestows and them the Holy Spirit.
Amen
THE HOLY COMMUNION
APOSTOLIC 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.
(2 Corinthians 13:13)
KYRIE
ELEISON
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
HYMN OF
PRAISE
Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his
people on earth.
(Luke 2:14)
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
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
God most
high, your ways are not our ways,
for your kindness is lavished equally upon all.
Teach us to welcome your mercy towards
others,
even as we hope to receive mercy
ourselves.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your
Son,
who lives
and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit;
one God,
now and forever.
Amen
CALL TO THE WORD
I will ponder
the glorious splendor of your majesty
and all your marvelous works.
Let us
hear the Word of the Lord. Psalm 145: 5
Sit
First READING Jonah 3:10—4:11
10When God saw
what [the people of Nineveh] did, how they turned from their evil ways, God
changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them;
and he did not do it.
4:1But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry. 2He
prayed to the Lord and said,
“O Lord! Is not this what I
said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the
beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger,
and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing. 3And
now, O Lord, please take my
life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4And the
Lord said, “Is it right for you to
be angry?” 5Then Jonah went out of the city and sat down east of the
city, and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, waiting
to see what would become of the city.
6The Lord God
appointed a bush, and made it come up over Jonah, to give shade over his head,
to save him from his discomfort; so Jonah was very happy about the bush. 7But
when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the bush, so
that it withered. 8When the sun rose, God prepared a sultry east
wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint and asked
that he might die. He said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
9But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the
bush?” And he said, “Yes, angry enough to die.” 10Then the Lord said, “You are concerned about the
bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into
being in a night and perished in a night. 11And should I not be
concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a
hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their
left, and also many animals?”
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM 145: 1-8
The psalm is read responsively between the pastor and the people.
1 I will exalt you, O | God my
King,*
and bless your name forev- | er
and ever.
2 Every day | will I bless you*
and
praise your name forev- | er and ever.
3 Great is the Lord and greatly | to be praised;*
there is no end | to his
greatness.
4 One generation shall praise your works | to another*
and
shall de- | clare your power.
5 I will ponder the glorious
splendor | of your majesty*
and all your | marvelous works.
6 They shall speak of the might of your | wondrous acts,*
and
I will tell | of your greatness.
7 They shall publish the
remembrance of | your great goodness;*
they shall sing of your |
righteous deeds.
8 The Lord is
gracious and full | of compassion,*
slow
to anger and | of great kindness.
SECOND READING
Philippians 1:21-30
21For to me,
living is Christ and dying is gain. 22If I am to live in the flesh,
that means fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which I prefer. 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
for you. 25Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain
and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith, 26so
that I may share abundantly in your boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to you
again.
27Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ,
so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will
know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one
mind for the faith of the gospel, 28and are in no way intimidated by
your opponents. For them this is evidence of their destruction, but of your
salvation. And this is God’s doing. 29For he has graciously granted
you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as
well—30since you are having the same struggle that you saw I had and
now hear that I still have.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to
God.
Stand
VERSE
Alleluia. Live your life in a manner worthy
of the gospel of Christ;
strive side by side for the faith of the
Gospel. Alleluia.
Philippians 1: 27
Gospel Matthew 20: 1-16
The
Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew.
Glory to you, O Lord.
[Jesus said to the disciples:] 1“The
kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire
laborers for his vineyard. 2After agreeing with the laborers for the
usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. 3When he went out
about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; 4and
he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is
right.’ So they went. 5When he went out again about noon and about
three o’clock, he did the same. 6And about five o’clock he went out
and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing
here idle all day?’ 7They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired
us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ 8When evening
came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and
give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ 9When
those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily
wage. 10Now when the first came, they thought they would receive
more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. 11And
when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 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 the usual daily wage? 14Take what belongs to you and go;
I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. 15Am I not
allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because
I am generous?’ 16So the last will be first, and the first will be
last.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
Sit
SERMON
HYMN OF THE DAY Lord of All Hopefulness
Please meditate on the text of the hymn as
it is played.
1 Lord of all
hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
whose
trust, ever child-like, no cares could destroy:
be
there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
your
bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.
2 Lord
of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
whose strong hands were skilled at the
plane and the lathe:
be there at our labors, and give us, we
pray,
your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the
noon of the day.
3 Lord
of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
your
hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace:
be
there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
your
love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.
4 Lord
of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
whose
voice is contentment, whose presence is balm:
be
there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,
your
peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.
Text: Jan Struther, 1901-1953
Text © Oxford University Press 1931.
Stand
CONFESSION
OF FAITH
The pastor and people confess the faith of the Church 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
Made one by
the Holy Spirit, let us pray to the Father for the whole people of God in
Christ Jesus, and for all people according to their needs.
A brief silence is kept.
Father in heaven, lead the Church to stand with brothers and
sisters, to reject envy and jealousy, to let go of that which would keep us
from you, and to forgive others in Jesus’ name. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Strengthen this congregation to live our lives in a manner
worthy of the Gospel of Christ, standing firm in one spirit, striving side by
side with one mind for the faith of the Gospel. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Lead our Congress, our President, our judges, and all in
authority in wisdom and righteousness. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
We pray for the peace of the world. Convert and restrain those
who would do evil, and bring all leaders and peoples to holy fear and righteous
deeds. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Be with the members of this nation’s armed forces, especially
those deployed overseas and those aiding with relief efforts at home. Lord, in
your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Come to the aid of all who are threatened or displaced by fire
and flood; earthquake, lightning, and storm; epidemic, drought and famine.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
With thanksgiving for mercies given, we pray your blessing upon
all in need. Lift up those we now name before you:
The People may offer silent or spoken
intercessions and thanksgivings.
Lord,
in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
We give thanks for the faithful departed, especially those
dear to us who rest in you. Lead us in our discipleship, that we may join them
when all suffering is at an end. Lord, in your mercy,
hear
our prayer.
Into your hands, Father, we commend all for whom we pray,
trusting in your steadfast love, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
PEACE
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
And also
with you.
The people exchange a sign of peace
with the simple words, Peace be with you.
Sit
The Lord’s Table is prepared.
Stand
PRAYER OF PREPARATION
We do
not presume to come to your table, O Lord,
trusting
in our own righteousness,
but in
your manifold and great mercies.
We are not worthy to gather up the crumbs under your
table.
But you
are the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy.
Grant us, therefore, O gracious Lord,
so to eat the
flesh of your dear son, Jesus Christ,
and so to drink
his blood,
that we may
evermore dwell in him and he in us.
Amen
GREAT THANKSGIVING
The Great Thanksgiving begins with the Preface, leading
into the Sanctus:
The Lord be with you.
And also with
you.
Lift up your 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 indeed
right and salutary that we should at all times and in all places offer thanks
and praise to you, O Lord, holy Father, through Christ our Lord:
Through him your
goodness to humankind overflows, and the message of repentance and forgiveness is
preached to the ends of the earth;
that all may rejoice in his salvation and be united in the one Spirit.
And so with the Church on earth and the hosts
of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
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! (Isaiah 6:3, Matthew 21:9)
The
pastor leads the people in praying the Eucharistic canon:
We praise and thank you, O
God,
for in your infinite goodness you have created us
to receive and rejoice in your love and mercy.
In the fullness of time and
according to your purposes
you sent your beloved Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ, born of Mary.
He came to proclaim the
Kingdom;
He healed the sick and numbered Himself among sinners;
He poured Himself out in death,
giving His life as our ransom and our righteousness.
In the
night in which He was betrayed
our Lord Jesus took bread and
gave thanks,
broke it, and gave it to His
disciples, saying:
Take and eat; this is my Body,
given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of
me.
Again,
after supper, He took the cup, gave thanks,
and gave it for all to drink,
saying:
This cup is the new covenant in
my Blood,
shed for you and for all people
for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this for the remembrance of
me.
Let us proclaim the mystery
of faith:
Christ
has died.
Christ
is risen.
Christ
will come again.
Holy Father,
as we remember our Lord's life and passion,
His resurrection and ascension,
we give you our thanks and bless your holy name.
Because your Son has made us
His fellow-servants,
a holy priesthood, a people set apart, we pray:
Send now His life-giving
Spirit
upon this Bread of Life and this Cup of Blessing,
that we and all who partake
of Christ's body and blood
may find our unity in Him
and our lives defined by His cross,
as we await His final coming as Lord of love.
Through
Him, with Him, in Him,
in
the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all
honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father,
now
and forever.
Amen
In the presence of Christ, we pray to his Father using the words he gave
us.
Christ is in our midst.
By the power of the
Spirit,
we pray to his
Father, saying:
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 (Matthew
6:9-15)
We adore Christ with the words of
the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God).
The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord;
And you give them their food in due season.
(Psalm
145: 16)
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
Grant us peace.
(John 1:29, see also Luke 17:13)
DISTRIBUTION
Admission to the Sacrament is by
invitation of the Lord, presented through the Church to those who are baptized.
They may receive the Lord’s Body and Blood who
are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
who commune in their home churches, and who believe that Jesus Christ,
crucified and risen, is truly present in, with, and under the forms of bread
and wine for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.
The
communicants will be invited forward one family unit at a time. Please do not
come forward until the pastor directs you to come forward, do not approach all
the way to the table until the pastor has retreated, and please do not remove your mask until you
have reached the table with the elements on it.
When the pastor says ‘The body of Christ,
given for you,’ eat the bread. When the pastor says, ‘The blood of Christ, shed
for you,’ drink the wine. Please take
the plate and the glass(es) and place them on the table that is indicated.
Please put your mask on before returning to your seat.
Please meditate
on the text of the hymn as it is played.
There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy
1 There’s
a wideness in God’s mercy,
like
the wideness of the sea;
there’s
a kindness in his justice
which
is more than liberty.
There
is no place where earth’s sorrows
are
more felt than up in heav’n.
There
is no place where earth’s failings
have
such kindly judgment giv’n.
2 There
is welcome for the sinner,
and
a promised grace made good;
there
is mercy with the Savior;
there
is healing in his blood.
There
is grace enough for thousands
of
new worlds as great as this;
there
is room for fresh creations
in
that upper home of bliss.
3 For
the love of God is broader
than
the measures of our mind;
and
the heart of the eternal
is
most wonderfully kind.
There
is plentiful redemption
in
the blood that has been shed;
there
is joy for all the members
in
the sorrows of the head.
4 ’Tis
not all we owe to Jesus;
it
is something more than all:
greater
good because of evil,
larger
mercy through the fall.
If
our love were but more simple,
we
should take him at his word;
and
our lives would be all sunshine
in
the sweetness of our Lord.
Text: Frederick W. Faber, 1814-1863
When all have
received, the congregation stands at the direction of the pastor.
The body and blood of our Lord
Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
Amen
Lord, now you let your servant
go in peace;
your word has been fulfilled.
My own eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared in the
sight of every people:
A light to reveal you to the
nations
and the glory of your people
Israel.
Glory to the Father, and to
the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is
now,
and will be forever. Amen Song
of Simeon (Luke 2:29-32)
Almighty Father, you gave your Son
both as a sacrifice for sin and a model of the godly life.
Enable us to
receive him always with thanksgiving,
and to conform our
lives to his;
through the same Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen
BENEDICTION
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious
to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and X give you
peace.
Amen (Numbers 6:24-26)
DISMISSAL
Go
in peace. Serve the Lord.
Thanks be
to God!
CLOSING MUSIC Joyful,
Joyful We Adore Thee
