St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
Alliance, Ohio
Sunday, October 1, 2023
9:30 AM
PRELUDE Once
To Every Man and Nation arr.
M. Hayes
Confession and Forgiveness
Blessed be God, the one
who forms us, ☩ Jesus who bears the cross,
the Spirit who makes our
joy complete.
Amen.
Let us bow before God in humility, confessing our sin.
Silence is kept for reflection.
Steadfast and faithful God, you have revealed the ways of justice, yet we fail to follow you.
We are overwhelmed by the
world’s violence and suffering. We are afraid to risk what we have for the sake
of others. For the harm we have caused, known and unknown, forgive us. For the
unjust demands we place on others and your creation, forgive us. For the ways
we turn away from you and our neighbor, forgive us. Lead us back to you and set
us on the right path; in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior.
Amen.
Beloved in Christ, God’s justice stretches beyond all understanding. God’s compassion is beyond compare. In Jesus, God is always making a new way for us. In ☩ Christ, you are already and always forgiven.
Amen.
HYMN God Is Here! #526 v. 1,3,4
GREETING
The grace of our Lord, Jesus
Christ, the love of God, and communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.
KYRIE
HYMN OF PRAISE
PRAYER OF THE DAY
CHIldren’s Sermon
First Reading: Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32
1The word of
the Lord came to
me: 2What do you mean by
repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, “The parents have eaten
sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge”? 3As I live, says the
Lord God, this proverb shall
no more be used by you in Israel. 4Know that all lives are mine; the life of the
parent as well as the life of the child is mine: it is only the person who sins
that shall die. 25Yet you say,
“The way of the Lord is unfair.” Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way
unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair? 26When the righteous turn
away from their righteousness and commit iniquity, they shall die for it; for
the iniquity that they have committed they shall die. 27Again, when the wicked
turn away from the wickedness they have committed and do what is lawful and
right, they shall save their life. 28Because they considered and turned away
from all the transgressions that they had committed, they shall surely live;
they shall not die. 29Yet the house
of Israel says, “The way of the Lord is unfair.” O house of Israel, are my
ways unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair? 30Therefore I will judge
you, O house of Israel, all of you according to your ways, says the
Lord God. Repent and turn
from all your transgressions; otherwise iniquity will be your ruin. 31Cast away from you all
the transgressions that you have committed against me, and get 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, says the Lord God.
Turn, then, and live.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Psalm: Psalm 25:1-9
1To | you, O Lord, I lift | up my soul.
2My God, I put my trust in
you; let me not be | put to shame, nor let my enemies
triumph | over me.
3Let none who look to you
be | put to shame; rather let those be put to shame | who are
treacherous.
4Show me your | ways, O Lord, and teach | me your
paths.
5Lead me in your | truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation; in
you have I trusted all | the day long.
6Remember, O Lord, your compassion and love, for they
are from | everlasting.
7Remember not the sins of
my youth and my transgressions; remember me according to your steadfast
love and for the sake of your
goodness, O Lord.
8You are gracious and
upright, O Lord; therefore
you teach sinners | in your way.
9You lead the lowly in
justice and teach the lowly your way.
Second Reading: Philippians 2:1-13
1If then there is any encouragement in Christ,
any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and
sympathy, 2make my joy
complete: be 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 regard others as better than
yourselves. 4Let each of
you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5Let the same mind be in
you that was in Christ Jesus, 6who, though he was in the form of God, did not
regard equality with God as something to be exploited, 7but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in
human form, 8he humbled
himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross. 9Therefore God also highly
exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of
Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12Therefore, my beloved,
just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now
in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13for it is God who is at
work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. The Word of the
Lord. Thanks be to God.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
The Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew the
21st chapter. Glory to you O Lord
23When [Jesus] entered
the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he
was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who
gave you this authority?” 24Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one
question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what
authority I do these things. 25Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was
it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From
heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26But if we say, ‘Of human
origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” 27So they answered Jesus,
“We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what
authority I am doing these things. 28“What do you think? A man had two sons; he went
to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29He answered, ‘I will
not’; but later he changed his mind and went. 30The father went to the
second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not
go. 31Which of the two did the
will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell
you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God
ahead of 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 after you saw it, you did
not change your minds and believe him.”
The Gospel
of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
SERMON
HYMN O God My Faithful God #806
APOSTLES CREED
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of
heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come 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
Prayers of Intercession, PEACE, OFFERING
LORD'S PRAYER
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
DISTRIBUTION OF COMMUNION
HYMN O Master, Let Me Walk
with You #818
PRAYER,
BLESSING
HYMN God Be with
You, Till We Meet Again #536
DISMISSAL
POSTLUDE Lord, Keep us Steadfast in Your Word T. Gieschen
