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THE SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
The rich
man and Lazarus
The color green, used for the vestments and paraments in the season
after Pentecost, symbolizes growth and life in the Holy Spirit.
FIRST
READING: The prophet Amos condemns those in the Northern Kingdom
who live a life of ease, even going out of his way to criticize those, like
King David(!), who enjoy music-making! The ‘ruin of Joseph’ refers to the
ignored people of the Northern Kingdom, which included the tribes of Ephraim and
Manasseh, the sons of Joseph. Amos predicts foreign defeat and exile as the
consequence of Israel’s sin.
SECOND
READING: Paul encourages Timothy to instruct his congregation in
the blessings of contentment, the dangers of the desire for riches and of the necessity
for the ‘rich in this world’ to use what they have for the common good. This
indicates that there are people of means in the Christian congregation Timothy
shepherds. It is not that those who are well-off are automatically condemned;
they, however, are given responsibility for others, to act in God’s stead.
GOSPEL: If the dishonest manager of last week’s Gospel lesson was representative of using money wisely (or shrewdly), then the rich man of this story uses his money foolishly and ignorantly in self-enrichment while his sick neighbor starves at his gate. The great reversal of the coming of God’s kingdom places the poor Lazarus in an honored position in heaven, while the rich man is tormented in hell. How does one avoid such a fate? By listening to ‘Moses and the prophets’ who preach about caring for the poor. If one does not believe the bare word of God there is no miracle that will convince one to live openly toward God and others, stewarding one’s resources with faithfulness and compassion.
OPENING MUSIC
Oh, Praise the Lord, My Soul - Paul Bouman
Arise, My Soul, Arise - Flor Peeters
BRIEF ORDER FOR CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
Stand
The
sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
Blessed
be God: Father, X Son, and Holy
Spirit;
And blessed
be his kingdom, now and forever. Amen
Since we have a great high
priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us with confidence
draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to
help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:14-16
Let
us confess our sins in the presence of God and of one another.
Silence for
reflection and self-examination.
I
confess to God Almighty, before the whole company of heaven, and to you, my
brothers and sisters, that I have sinned in thought, word, and deed by my fault,
by my own fault, by my own most grievous fault; wherefore I pray God Almighty
to have mercy on me, forgive me all my sins, and bring me to everlasting life.
Amen
The almighty and merciful Lord grant you pardon,
forgiveness,
and remission of all your sins. Amen
I confess to God Almighty, before the whole
company of heaven,
and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I
have sinned in thought,
word, and deed by my fault, by my own fault,
by my own most
grievous fault; wherefore I pray God Almighty
to have mercy on
me, forgive me all my sins, and bring me to
everlasting life. Amen
The
almighty and merciful Lord grant you pardon, forgiveness, and remission of all
your sins. Amen
THE HOLY COMMUNION
I will go
to the altar of God;
the God of my joy and gladness.
We include in the online order of worship all hymns which are in the public domain. Texts which are copyrighted may not be included in the online order of worship. If you need a copy of the hymnals for your home use, please contact us so that we may provide you with one. Thank you!
WHymn Arise, My Soul,
Arise Green LBW 516
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
HYMN OF PRAISE
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
hear our cry and save us.
Make us
heed the words of your prophets,
rouse us to
the demand of the Gospel
and help us
to carry it out.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen
Happy are
they whose hope is the LORD their God.
Let us hear the Word of the Lord. Psalm 146:4
Sit
First READING Amos 6:1a,4-7
1aAlas for those who are at ease in
Zion,
and for those who feel secure on Mount Samaria,
4Alas for those who lie on beds of ivory,
and lounge on their couches,
and eat lambs from the flock,
and calves from the stall;
5who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp,
and like David improvise on instruments of music;
6who drink wine from bowls,
and anoint themselves with the finest oils,
but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph!
7Therefore they shall now be the first to go into exile,
and the revelry of the loungers shall pass away.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to
God.
PSALM 146:4-9 Setting
by Peter Hallock
Antiphon: Come,
O Lord and save us.
Organ—Choir—All
(Choir sings verses)
4Happy are they who have the God of Jacob of their help; whose
hope is
in the Lord their God;
5Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them;
who
keeps his promise for
ever; Antiphon
6Who gives justice to those who are oppressed, and food
to those who hunger.
7The Lord
sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
the Lord lifts up those
who are bowed down. Antiphon
8The Lord loves the righteous; the Lord dare for the stranger;
he sustains
the orphan and widow, but frustrates the way of the wicked.
9The Lord shall reign forever, your
God, O Zion, throughout all
generations. Hallelujah! Antiphon
SECOND READING 1 Timothy 6:6-19
6Of course, there is great gain in
godliness combined with contentment; 7for we brought nothing into
the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; 8but if we have
food and clothing, we will be content with these. 9But those who
want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and
harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10For
the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be
rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many
pains.
11But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness,
godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. 12Fight the good
fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and
for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13In
the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in
his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14to
keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord
Jesus Christ, 15which he will bring about at the right time—he who
is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. 16It
is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one
has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.
17As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not
to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather
on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18They
are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, 19thus
storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so
that they may take hold of the life that really is life.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks
be to God.
Stand
VERSE Philippians 2:10-11 Setting by Paul D. Weber
Alleluia. At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, and
every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Alleluia.
Gospel Luke 16:19-31
The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke.
Glory to you, O Lord.
[Jesus said:]
19“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and
who feasted sumptuously every day. 20And at his gate lay a poor man
named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21who longed to satisfy his
hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and
lick his sores. 22The poor man died and was carried away by the
angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.
23In Hades, where he was being
tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. 24He
called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip
of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.’ 25But
Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good
things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here,
and you are in agony. 26Besides all this, between you and us a great
chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you
cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ 27He said,
‘Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house—28for I
have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into
this place of torment.’ 29Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the
prophets; they should listen to them.’ 30He said, ‘No, father
Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31He
said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will
they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
Praise to
you, O Christ.
Sit
Sermon
Stand
WHYMN OF THE DAY
Oh, Praise the Lord, My Soul Green LBW 538
St.
1, 3, 5/ Choir
CONFESSION OF FAITH 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
Let us pray
for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, and for all people according to
their needs.
Father, convert
your Church. By your Spirit, open our eyes to others, and let our passionate
concern be turned to the health and well-being of your people. Lord, in your
mercy,
hear our prayer.
Father,
guide all pastors and church leaders. By your Spirit, confirm them in right
doctrine and holy living, to the glory of your Name and for the upbuilding of
your Church. Lord, in your mercy,
hear
our prayer.
Father, enliven
our congregation. By your Spirit, make us to be rich in good works, and to take
hold of that which is truly life. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Father,
open the eyes of the blind. By your Spirit, bring to faith those whose gates
are closed against you, and restore those who have neglected the gift that is
in them. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Father,
bless our common work. By your Spirit, empower the efforts of Lutheran World
Relief, NALC Disaster Response, Water Mission, and the Church’s other
ministries to immigrants and refugees, disaster victims, and all in need, and
through our participation bring refreshment to those who thirst for help. Lord,
in your mercy,
hear our
prayer.
Father,
guard our elected and appointed officials. By your Spirit, make them responsive
to the needs of the people, and help them to safeguard freedom, order, and
justice. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Father,
lift up the peoples of the world. By your Spirit, open ways of healing and peace,
and give justice to the oppressed and food to those who hunger. Lord, in your
mercy,
hear our prayer.
Father,
sustain all those in need. By your Spirit, be the help of the poor of body,
mind, and spirit. We bring before you the needs of all for whom we are called
to pray and of those who have asked us for our prayers.
The pastor reads the names and
situations submitted for prayer.
The people may offer spoken
or silent petitions or praises.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our
prayer.
Father,
bring us to eternal life. By your Spirit, help us to confess your name always,
so that with Abraham and Lazarus; with Amos, Paul, and Timothy; and with all
the faithful of every time and place, we may be comforted in life and death and
rise to praise you forever. 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
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
And also with you.
The people exchange the sign of peace with the simple words, Peace be with you.
Sit
The Lord’s Table is prepared.
Stand
OFFERTORY Revelation 3:20-21 Setting by Richard W. Gieseke
Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any hear my voice
and open the door, I will come in to them and eat with them, and they with me.
To those who conquer, I will grant to sit with me on my throne, as I myself
conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.
Hear us, O Lord Jesus Christ, from your dwelling place,
from the glorious throne of your kingdom, and come and cleanse us.
You are seated on high with the Father,
and you dwell also with us here, although unseen.
By your mighty hand render us worthy to receive in holy communion
your spotless body and your precious blood.
Amen
GREAT THANKSGIVING
It is indeed right and salutary that we should at
all times and all places
offer
thanks and praise to you, holy Father, through Christ our Lord;
He made
the good confession of your faithfulness before Pontius Pilate,
and you
will manifest his glory in your time, so that those who believe him and serve
him may take hold of the true and eternal life. And so, with the Church on
earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending
hymn:
The pastor leads the people in praying the Eucharistic canon:
Lord, you are holy indeed.
All creation gives you thanks and praise.
In the wonder of your love for us,
you created life through your Word made flesh,
Jesus Christ our Lord,
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
From every time and place
you gather a people to yourself,
so that those you claim as your own
may glorify your wondrous grace and mercy.
As we now gather this Table to celebrate the Supper of your Son,
we ask that by the power of your Spirit
these gifts of bread and wine may be for us
the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
That same Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed,
took bread; when he had given thanks,
he broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said;
Take and eat, for this is my body, which is given for you.
Do this for my remembrance.
When supper had ended, he took the cup;
when he had given thanks, he gave it to them and said:
All of you, drink from this,
for this cup is my blood of the new covenant,
shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this for my remembrance.
Let us proclaim the mystery of faith:
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
Mighty Lord, Gracious Father:
As we call to mind the death your Son endured for us,
his glorious resurrection and ascension,
and his promise to come again,
we offer you our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.
Grant that we who gather for this holy supper
may be filled with the Holy Spirit,
united in Christ as his living body in the world,
awaiting the world to come where his love will be fulfilled.
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
This is the bread that comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world.
Lord, give us this bread always.
John 6:33, 34
We adore Christ, present in bread and wine.
Sit
DISTRIBUTION
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.
Please come forward, take a communion cup from the tray, and kneel at the altar rail on your ‘side’ of the worship space. Please make an effort to leave some distance between your family unit and the next family unit. When your side has finished communing, please place your empty cup in the tray provided.
WDISTRIBUTION HYMN
Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life Green LBW 429
where sound the cries of race and clan,
above the noise of selfish strife,
we hear your voice, O Son of Man.
2 In haunts of wretchedness and need,
on shadowed thresholds dark with fears,
from paths where hide the lures of greed,
we catch the vision of your tears.
3 From tender childhood’s helplessness,
from human grief and burdened toil,
from famished souls, from sorrow’s stress,
your heart has never known recoil.
4 The cup of water giv’n for you
still holds the freshness of your grace;
yet long these multitudes to view
the strong compassion in your face.
5 O Master, from the mountainside
make haste to heal these hearts of pain;
among these restless throngs abide;
oh, tread the city’s streets again;
6 Till all the world shall learn your love,
and follow where your feet have trod;
till glorious from your heav’n above
shall come the city of our God.
Text: Frank M. North, 1850-1935, alt.
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
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We give you thanks, almighty God,
that you have refreshed us through the healing power of this gift of life;
and we pray that in your mercy
you would strengthen us through this gift,
in faith toward you and in fervent love toward one another;
for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen
Sit
ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR THE FAITH FAMILY
Stand
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
WCLOSING HYMN
Praise
and Thanksgiving Green LBW 409
Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
From
Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2022 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved.
Reprinted
by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #20540.
New
Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Prayer
of the Day from Opening Prayers: Collects in Contemporary Language: Norwich,
UK: Canterbury Press, 2001.
Additional material from Foretaste of
the Feast to Come: Devotions on Holy Communion, by Philip Pfatteicher, copyright
1987 Augsburg Publishing House.
Eucharistic Canon reprinted by permission from A Little Book of Canons, Rod L. Ronneberg,
STS, copyright 1997 and 2010.
Koenig, Peter. Lazarus at the Gate,
from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity
Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=58503 [retrieved
September 20, 2022]. Original source: Peter Winfried (Canisius) Koenig,
https://www.pwkoenig.co.uk/.
Agnus Day appears with the permission of
www.agnusday.org
St Stephen Lutheran Church
55 Forsythe Road
Pittsburgh PA 15220
(412) 279-5868
office@ststephenpittsburgh.org
Saturday Evening Worship – 6:30 pm
Sunday Morning Worship – 10:30 am
