PROPER 24
Worship
LECTIONARY WORSHIP AIDS
Series III, Cycle A
CALL TO WORSHIP
Put no faith in princes, but in the Creator who also watches over the stranger, and gives heart to the orphan and widow.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Creator of heaven and earth, Maker of all humanity, Judge of all persons; hear our confession. Though we worship you now we frequently show more respect for powerful political figures than for you. We are more concerned about the bills we owe to the tax collector and the business people than what we owe to you and your church, both in money and in personal service. Though you have made us in your likeness, we behave as if we are self-made and with no obligation to please you, our Maker, and no duty to serve you, our Teacher, and no accountability to you, our Judge. Forgive our false claims to what is yours, and our ungrateful use and abuse of your creation; for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.
DECLARATION OF GOD'S FORGIVENESS
Hear the Good News! Brothers and sisters beloved by God, who has chosen you and sent the Good News to you, receive the divine gifts of grace and peace. Friends, believe the Good News. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.
EXHORTATION
Show your faith in action, your love in labor, and your hope in courage. Live in the power of the Holy Spirit, with strong conviction.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Sovereign above all sovereigns, clarify our vision of your majesty, that all worldly powers may appear in proper proportion to your authority, and our allegiances duly ordered, so that we may give you and our neighbor what is due, in the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Amen.
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Living and true God, we praise your name and give thanks for all who have spread faith in your name. We rejoice in the victory of Jesus over death and in our deliverance from the terrors of judgment to come. We celebrate the persuasive power of the Spirit to strengthen our convictions and enable our service. We are grateful for all the ties of love and friendship that cross tribal lines and language barriers, recovering the unity of the human family. With the whole brotherhood and sisterhood of Jesus Christ, we praise you, Paternal, Fraternal, Maternal God. Amen.
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Empowering Spirit, strengthen our convictions, that we may always give you what is due to you, and to governments what is due to governments, and to your church what is due to your church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM 99:1-9
The LORD is king; let the peoples tremble!
He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!
The LORD is great in Zion;
he is exalted over all the peoples.
Let them praise your great and awesome name.
Holy is he!
Mighty King, lover of justice, you have established equity;
you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
Extol the LORD our God;
worship at his footstool. Holy is he!
Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel also was among those who called on his name.
They cried to the LORD, and he answered them.
He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud;
they kept his decrees, and the statutes that he gave them.
O LORD our God, you answered them;
you were a forgiving God to them,
but an avenger of their wrongdoings.
Extol the LORD our God,
and worship at his holy mountain;
for the LORD our God is holy.
Put no faith in princes, but in the Creator who also watches over the stranger, and gives heart to the orphan and widow.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Creator of heaven and earth, Maker of all humanity, Judge of all persons; hear our confession. Though we worship you now we frequently show more respect for powerful political figures than for you. We are more concerned about the bills we owe to the tax collector and the business people than what we owe to you and your church, both in money and in personal service. Though you have made us in your likeness, we behave as if we are self-made and with no obligation to please you, our Maker, and no duty to serve you, our Teacher, and no accountability to you, our Judge. Forgive our false claims to what is yours, and our ungrateful use and abuse of your creation; for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.
DECLARATION OF GOD'S FORGIVENESS
Hear the Good News! Brothers and sisters beloved by God, who has chosen you and sent the Good News to you, receive the divine gifts of grace and peace. Friends, believe the Good News. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.
EXHORTATION
Show your faith in action, your love in labor, and your hope in courage. Live in the power of the Holy Spirit, with strong conviction.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Sovereign above all sovereigns, clarify our vision of your majesty, that all worldly powers may appear in proper proportion to your authority, and our allegiances duly ordered, so that we may give you and our neighbor what is due, in the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Amen.
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Living and true God, we praise your name and give thanks for all who have spread faith in your name. We rejoice in the victory of Jesus over death and in our deliverance from the terrors of judgment to come. We celebrate the persuasive power of the Spirit to strengthen our convictions and enable our service. We are grateful for all the ties of love and friendship that cross tribal lines and language barriers, recovering the unity of the human family. With the whole brotherhood and sisterhood of Jesus Christ, we praise you, Paternal, Fraternal, Maternal God. Amen.
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Empowering Spirit, strengthen our convictions, that we may always give you what is due to you, and to governments what is due to governments, and to your church what is due to your church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PSALM 99:1-9
The LORD is king; let the peoples tremble!
He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!
The LORD is great in Zion;
he is exalted over all the peoples.
Let them praise your great and awesome name.
Holy is he!
Mighty King, lover of justice, you have established equity;
you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
Extol the LORD our God;
worship at his footstool. Holy is he!
Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel also was among those who called on his name.
They cried to the LORD, and he answered them.
He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud;
they kept his decrees, and the statutes that he gave them.
O LORD our God, you answered them;
you were a forgiving God to them,
but an avenger of their wrongdoings.
Extol the LORD our God,
and worship at his holy mountain;
for the LORD our God is holy.
