St Stephen Lutheran Church Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Service of the Word, Sunday, October 11, 2020

The livestream from St. Stephen Lutheran Church is not available today.

If you cannot attend worship, you may worship using this Service of the Word, which includes hymns, Scripture readings, a homily, and prayers.

The order of service is below.

The livestreams will resume on Sunday, October 25, Reformation Sunday.

May God bless and keep you this Lord's Day!

SERVICE OF THE WORD – St. Stephen Lutheran Church

October 11, 2020, the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

HYMN Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven

1 Praise, my soul, the King of heaven;

to his feet your tribute bring.

Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,

evermore his praises sing.

Alleluia! Alleluia!

Praise the everlasting King!

2 Praise him for his grace and favor

to our forebears in distress.

Praise him, still the same forever,

slow to chide and swift to bless.

Alleluia! Alleluia!

Glorious in his faithfulness!

3 Tenderly he shields and spares us;

well our feeble frame he knows.

In his hands he gently bears us,

rescues us from all our foes.

Alleluia! Alleluia!

Widely as his mercy flows.

4 Angels help us to adore him,

who behold him face to face.

Sun and moon bow down before him;

all who dwell in time and space.

Alleluia! Alleluia!

Praise with us the God of grace.

Text: Henry F. Lyte, 1793-1847

DIALOG

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, king of the universe,

for in your wisdom you have formed us.

You feed the hungry and clothe the naked.

We bless you and praise your name forever.

You set free those who are bound.

We bless you and praise your name forever.

You raise up those whose courage falters.

We bless you and praise your name forever.

You provide for our every need.

Accept our grateful praises.

You have called us from all peoples.

We rejoice and bless your name forever.

You bless your people with peace.

We bless you and praise your loving grace.

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, king of the universe,

for in your wisdom you have formed us.

APOSTLES’ CREED

God has made us his people through our Baptism into Christ. Living together in trust and hope, we confess our faith.

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

PRAYER OF THE DAY

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Let us pray.

God of goodness and kindness,

you invite all peoples to the banquet

and offer them a feast beyond compare.

Give us your saving grace

to keep unstained the robe of our baptism

until that day when you welcome us to heaven’s joyful table.

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

First READING Isaiah 25:1-9

¹O Lord, you are my God;
I will exalt you, I will praise your name;
for you have done wonderful things,
plans formed of old, faithful and sure.
²For you have made the city a heap,
the fortified city a ruin;
the palace of aliens is a city no more,
it will never be rebuilt.
³Therefore strong peoples will glorify you;
cities of ruthless nations will fear you.
⁴For you have been a refuge to the poor,
a refuge to the needy in their distress,
a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat.
When the blast of the ruthless was like a winter rainstorm,
⁵the noise of aliens like heat in a dry place,
you subdued the heat with the shade of clouds;
the song of the ruthless was stilled.
⁶On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,
of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.
⁷And he will destroy on this mountain
the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
the sheet that is spread over all nations;
⁸he will swallow up death forever.
Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces,
and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken.
⁹It will be said on that day,
Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him,

so that he might save us.
This is the Lord for whom we have waited;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

PSALM 23

The psalm is read responsively between the pastor and the people.

¹ The Lord | is my shepherd;*

I shall not | be in want.

² He makes me lie down | in green pastures*

and leads me be- | side still waters.

³ He re- | vives my soul*

and guides me along right pathways | for his name's sake.

⁴ Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I shall | fear no evil;*

for you are with me; your rod and your staff,

they | comfort me.

⁵ You spread a table before me

in the presence of those who | trouble me;*

you have anointed my head with oil,

and my cup is | running over.

⁶ Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days | of my life,*

and I will dwell in the house of the | Lord forever.

Gospel Matthew 22:1-14

The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew.

Glory to you, O Lord.

¹Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: ²“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. ³He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. ⁴Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’ ⁵But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, ⁶while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. ⁷The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. ⁸Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. ⁹Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ ¹⁰Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.
¹¹“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, ¹²and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless. ¹³Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ ¹⁴For many are called, but few are chosen.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

HOMILY

HYMN OF THE DAY Now We Join in Celebration

1 Now we join in celebration

at our Savior's invitation,

dressed no more in spirit somber,

clothed instead in joy and wonder;

for the Lord of all existence,

putting off divine transcendence,

stoops again in love to meet us,

with his very life to feed us.

2 Lord, as round this feast we gather,

fill our hearts with holy rapture!

For this bread and cup of blessing

are for us the sure possessing

of your loving deed on Calv'ry,

of your living self, our vict'ry,

pledge of your unfailing presence,

foretaste here of heav'nly gladness.

3 Lord, we share in this communion

as one fam'ly of God's children,

reconciled through you, our brother,

one in you with God our Father.

Give us grace to live for others,

serving all, both friends and strangers,

seeking justice, love, and mercy

till you come in final glory.

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH

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.

Father, we thank you that we have been invited to participate in the banquet which you prepare for your Son and his people. Clothe us in the innocence of righteousness, and send us to gather others to participate in the meal of the Kingdom. Lord, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

We give thanks for your whole Church, for the faith family of St Stephen, for the holy ministry of Word and Sacrament, for all who praise God with their lips and serve him with their lives. Lord, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

We thank you for the good earth that you have given us, for the fruits of the field and the harvest. Use us as your hands to offer your gifts to those who have been deprived of them. Lord, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

A We thank you for the leaders of the nations and of our communities, for first responders, for all who keep the peace at home and abroad. Bless them in their work, and keep them safe. Lord, in your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

A We thank you for all those who work to relieve the suffering of those who are affected by disaster and those who are traumatized by violence. We pray that you would bless and direct the work of Lutheran World Relief, Operation Safety Net, and Water Mission. Lord, in your mercy,

C hear our prayer.

A We thank you for your Holy Spirit, which you give to all who call upon you. Grant the peace of God which passes all understanding to those who are oppressed, those who hunger and thirst, and all who are sick in body, mind, or spirit.

The People may offer silent or spoken intercessions and thanksgivings.

Lord, in your mercy,

hear our prayer.

We thank you for those who have gone before us, who now share with the saints in the feast of your Son’s victory over death. We thank you that we are one with them as we share our Lord’s meal. Give us strength as we walk the way of discipleship, until we join them in the fullness of your kingdom. 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

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 peace of the Lord be with you always.

And also with you.

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 give us peace.

Amen

Be at peace. Serve the Lord.

Thanks be to God!