Alliance, Ohio
Sunday, September 17, 2023
9:30 AM
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.
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.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
First Reading: Genesis 50:15-21
15Realizing that their father was dead, Joseph’s
brothers said, “What if Joseph still bears a grudge against us and pays us back
in full for all the wrong that we did to him?” 16So they
approached Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this instruction before he
died, 17‘Say to Joseph: I beg you, forgive the crime of your
brothers and the wrong they did in harming you.’ Now therefore please forgive
the crime of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they
spoke to him. 18Then his brothers also wept, fell down before
him, and said, “We are here as your slaves.” 19But Joseph said
to them, “Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God? 20Even
though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to
preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. 21So have no
fear; I myself will provide for you and your little ones.” In this way he
reassured them, speaking kindly to them.
The Word of
the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Psalm Psalm 103:[1-7] 8-13
1Bless
the Lord, | O
my soul, and all that is within me, bless God’s | holy
name.
2Bless the Lord, | O
my soul, and forget not | all God’s benefits—
3who forgives | all your sins and heals
all | your diseases;
4who redeems your life | from the grave and
crowns you with steadfast | love and mercy;
5who satisfies your desires | with good
things
so that your youth is renewed | like an eagle’s.
6O Lord, you
provide | vindication and justice for all who | are
oppressed.
7You made known your | ways to Moses
and your works to the chil- | dren of Israel.
8Lord, you are full
of compas- | sion and mercy,
slow to anger and abounding in | steadfast love;
9you will not al- | ways accuse us, nor
will you keep your an- | ger forever.
10You have not dealt with us according | to
our sins,
nor repaid us according to | our iniquities.
11For as the heavens are high a- | bove
the earth,
so great is your steadfast love for | those who
fear you.
12As far as the east is | from the west,
so far have you removed our transgres- | sions from
us.
13As a father has compassion | for his
children,
so you have compassion for those who fear | you,
O Lord.
Second Reading: Romans 14:1-12
1Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the
purpose of quarreling over opinions. 2Some believe in eating
anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. 3Those who eat
must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass
judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. 4Who are
you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that
they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them
stand.
5Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge
all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. 6Those
who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat
in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain,
abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God.
7We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. 8If
we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then,
whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9For to
this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead
and the living.
10Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why
do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the
judgment seat of God. 11For it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall give praise to God.”
12So then, each of us will be accountable to God.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be
to God.
Gospel:
Matthew 18:21-35
The Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew the 18th chapter. Glory to you O Lord
21Peter came and said to [Jesus], “Lord, if another member of the church sins
against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” 22Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell
you, seventy-seven times.
23“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be
compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten
thousand talents was brought to him; 25and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to
be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and
payment to be made. 26So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying,
‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave
released him and forgave him the debt. 28But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one
of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the
throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with
him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30But he refused; then he went and threw him into
prison until he would pay the debt. 31When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they
were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had
taken place. 32Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You
wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33Should you not have had mercy on your fellow
slave, as I had mercy on you?’ 34And in anger his lord handed him over to be
tortured until he would pay his entire debt. 35So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of
you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise
to you, O Christ.
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
BLESSING
DISMISSAL
Liturgy and hymns printed and streamed with permission through OneLicense. A-710659
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