St. Paul’s Lutheran
Church
Alliance, Ohio
Sunday, October 15, 2023
9:30 AM
PRELUDE O
Blessed Emmanuel J.S.
Bach
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 Rejoice, Ye Pure in
Heart #873 v. 1-4
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: 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
1The Lord| is my shepherd; I
shall not | be in want.
2The Lord makes me lie down | in green pastures,
and leads me beside still waters.
3You restore my soul,
O Lord, and guide me along
right pathways | for your name’s sake.
4Though 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.
5You prepare a table
before me in the presence | of my enemies; you anoint my head with
oil, and my cup is | running over.
6Surely goodness and mercy
shall follow me all the days | of my life, and I
will dwell in the house of the | Lord forever.
Second Reading: Philippians 4:1-9
1My brothers
and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord
in this way, my beloved. 2I urge Euodia
and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3Yes, and I ask you also,
my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the
work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose
names are in the book of life. 4Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say,
Rejoice. 5Let your
gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6Do not worry about
anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let
your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all
understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8Finally, beloved,
whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and
if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9Keep on doing the things
that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of
peace will be with you.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Gospel: Matthew 22:1-14
The Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew the
22nd chapter. 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.
SERMON
HYMN Let
Us Go Now to the Banquet #523
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 What a Fellowship, What
a Joy #774
PRAYER, BLESSING
HYMN Sent
Forth by God’s Blessing #547
DISMISSAL
POSTLUDE Praise to thy Name W. Baylor
Liturgy and hymns
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