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Proper 23 / OT 28 / Pentecost 19

Worship
Matthew 22:1-14
Isaiah 25:1-9
Philippians 4:1-9
Psalm 23
Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A
Amy C. Schifrin
Lectionary Worship Workbook
Series III, Cycle A
Prayer Of Confession And Absolution
P: We hold back your goodness from one another.
We hold back, pretending it is our own.
C: Break open the tombs of pride and fear that we build,
so that in giving what is yours,
we might find what we truly need.

Silence for reflection and self-examination

P: The Lord is your shepherd: you shall never be in want.
Such goodness and mercy will seek you,
and they will find you;
so that in the banquet of love, you will forever be filled.
Your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.

Prayer Of The Day
P: Holy God, you have chosen us as your own. Prepare us for the great banquet to come where your righteousness and justice will satisfy all. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.

Intercessory Prayer/Prayer Of The Church
P: Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

After each petition:
L: O Lord, wipe away our tears,
C: that we might rejoice.

P: Now may the peace of God that surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.
C: Amen.

Offertory Prayer
A: Bring your best to the wedding banquet, lift your hearts in song, rejoice with the king;
C: clothe us with your righteousness, clothe us with your joy, that we might give glory to you with every gift that has been entrusted to us through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Sending
Speak Philippians 4:8-9 using different voices on each phrase for verse 8. (Have your teenagers be the speakers.) Then pastor/leader speaks verse 9, omitting the words "in me" on verse 9c.

Hymns And Songs
Lord Jesus Christ, You Have Prepared -- LBW 208
At The Lamb's High Feast We Sing -- LBW 210; MBW 216; G&P 394
Come, Let Us Eat -- LBW 214; UMH 625; MBW 423
Come With Us, O Blessed Jesus -- LBW 219
Oh, Sing Jubilee To The Lord -- LBW 256
Where Cross The Crowded Ways Of Life -- LBW 429; UMH 427; PH 408; MBW 581
Rejoice, O Pilgrim Throng -- LBW 553; UMH 160/161; PH 145/146; MBW 786
Go, My Children, With My Blessing -- WOV 721
O God Beyond All Praising -- WOV 797
Thine The Amen, Thine The Praise -- WOV 801
I'm a-Goin'a Eat At The Welcome Table -- TFF 263
I've Got Peace Like A River -- TFF 258; PH 368; MBW 592
Come, Sinners, To The Gospel Feast -- UMH 339/616
Rain Down -- G&P 713
In the Day Of The Lord -- G&P 722

Psalm Settings
The Lord Is My Shepherd -- TFF 3
Gentle Shepherd/Jesus, Pastor Tan Dulce -- G&P 512

Choral Music
"In Remembrance" -- Buryl Red (Broadman Press)
"Rejoice In The Lord Always" -- Richard W. Gieske (Morning Star Publishers)
"The Lord Is My Shepherd" -- Malcolm Acher (GIA)
"The Lord Is My Shepherd" -- John Rutter (Oxford University Press)

Liturgical Dance/Service Notes
Begin your service with joyous instrumental music as one voice repeatedly proclaims, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice." Let the dancers dressed in white with flower garlands enter first, strewing flower petals about. Following them, bring in a chuppa, which is an arch made of four poles and a tallis (prayer shawl) or white lace cloth that is used at Jewish weddings. Later in the service you may preach under the chuppa and then have the congregation pass through it on their way to receive Holy Communion.
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CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: A whiteboard, or large piece of paper you can write on.

Note: In the first part of this message, you want to help the children create a list of things people have done for them to help them in some way. The “script” will get you started, but take more time to talk together until you get at least four or five things on the list describing specific things people have done to help them when they needed help. Have fun with the conversation.

* * *

The Immediate Word

Katy Stenta
Mary Austin
Christopher Keating
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Tom Willadsen
For September 22, 2024:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Wayne Brouwer
Friends in Alberta used to tell of an uncle who married late in life. His bride was a feisty widow who sparkled with energy. The wedding took place on a farm in the old family home.

At the appropriate moment in the ceremony the pastor asked the bride, “Do you promise to love, honor, and obey him?”

She hesitated, face scrunched in thought. “Love and honor — yes,” she finally responded. “Obey — no!”

Both the pastor and the groom were taken aback. What to do now?
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Proverbs 31:10-31
In this past I was uncomfortable with this passage because it was used by some to paint a picture of the perfect woman as the submissive housewife whose horizons should be limited to home and hearth, with a heavy dose of obedience thrown in.

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
“Who is wise and knowledgeable among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom.” (v. 13)

Dad called me from the farm in the fall of 1981 with that urgent, somber tone in his voice he always had when he was about to share bad news.

“Frank died,” he said.

“Frank Brown?” I asked, shocked.

“Yep, Virgie called,” he said. “He has been sick for quite a while.”

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Perhaps one of the problems of those who are on the fringes of the church, that is those who call themselves Christians, who wish to be associated with the church and who believe in God but who are not deeply committed, is that their prayers are rarely answered.

They may for instance, pray to win the lottery, but it doesn't happen. When something awful happens like a serious illness, naturally they pray for recovery, but it doesn't necessarily happen. Perhaps the loved one dies. They may pray for their children to be

SermonStudio

Robert G. Beckstrand
Save me, O God, by your name,
and vindicate me by your might ...
For the insolent have risen against me,
the ruthless seek my life;
they do not set God before them.
But surely, God is my helper;
the Lord is the upholder of my life.
-- Psalm 54:1, 3-4

Theme: Appeal to God, who is just and faithful

Outline
1-3 -- Appeal to God: "The ruthless seek my life."
4-7 -- He thanks God, trusting God will defend and avenge him as in the past.

Notes
• Lament
James Evans
(See Epiphany 6/Ordinary Time 6, Cycle C, for an alternative approach.)

Psalm 1 has long been considered as a possible prologue to the rest of the psalter. In fact, in several ancient Hebrew manuscripts, this psalm is not numbered as are the others in the collection. The content of the psalm also has something of a "foreword" quality about it. Many of the themes that are developed at length in the rest of the psalms are touched upon in this first one.

Thomas W. Lentz
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
Stan Purdum
It's a question you've probably not thought much about, but were any parts of the Bible written by women? We count about forty different writers in scripture, and according to the usual assumption, all of them were men. Among the reasons for that conclusion is the fact that the dominant culture of the ancient Middle East was patriarchal. Men were in charge, and women had few rights of their own, not unlike in some of the stricter Muslim countries today. Also, in those times, literacy rates for women were low, because they were not offered formal education.

Lawrence H. Craig
A recent visit to the ophthalmologist became quite an eye-opening experience. Signs and images had been a problem for some time. The thorough exam revealed that the prescription lens, allowing vision at a distance to be improved, needed strengthened. New glasses were ordered. When they arrived I was thrilled. The thrill was short-lived. When I put the glasses on, the clarity of distant vision improved immediately. However, there was a downside. Everything within six feet was a blur. Reading while wearing the new glasses was virtually impossible.

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