A Service of Prayer for November 4, 2020

 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy.

Spread your protection over them,

so that those who love your name may exult in you.

Psalm 5:11

Today our focus is trusting in God over human understanding.

DIALOGUE

O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall declare your praise.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amens

Alleluia.

PSALMODY

Give glory to God, our light and our life.
Oh, come, let us worship him.
Oh, come, let us sing to the Lord; let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God and a great king above all gods.
In his hand are the caverns of the earth; the heights of the hills are also his.
The sea is his, for he made it; and his hands have molded the dry land.
Oh, come, let us bow down and bend the knee, and kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen

Give glory to God, our light and our life. 
Oh, come, let us worship him.

Psalm 5

To the leader: for the flutes. A Psalm of David.

Give ear to my words, O LORD;
give heed to my sighing.
Listen to the sound of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.
  O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.
For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil will not sojourn with you.
  The boastful will not stand before your eyes; 
you hate all evildoers.
You destroy those who speak lies;
the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.
But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, 
will enter your house,
I will bow down toward your holy temple
in awe of you.
Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness
because of my enemies;
make your way straight before me
For there is no truth in their mouths;
their hearts are destruction;
their throats are open graves;
they flatter with their tongues.
Make them bear their guilt, O God;
let them fall by their own counsels;
because of their many transgressions cast them out,
for they have rebelled against you.
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
so that those who love your name may exult in you.
For you bless the righteous, O LORD;
you cover them with favor as with a shield.

    HYMN
Lord, Listen To Your Children Praying

The Hour of Power Choir, directed by Dr. Irene Messoloras, goes virtual and performs “Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying” (comp: Ken Medema). The choir is accompanied by Zeljko Marasovich on the piano and Dr. Marc Riley and
the Hour of Power Orchestra.

Lord, listen to your children praying,
Lord, send your Spirit in this place;
Lord, listen to your children praying,
send us love, send us pow'r, send us grace.

Text: Ken Medema, b. 1943
Text © 1973 Hope Publishing Company, Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved. 
Used by permission.

READINGS
Proverbs 16:21-33

The wise of heart is called perceptive,
and pleasant speech increases persuasiveness.
  Wisdom is a fountain of life to one who has it,
but folly is the punishment of fools.
  The mind of the wise makes their speech judicious,
and adds persuasiveness to their lips.
  Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
sweetness to the soul and health to the body.
  Sometimes there is a way that seems to be right,
but in the end it is the way to death.
  The appetite of workers works for them;
their hunger urges them on.
  Scoundrels concoct evil,
and their speech is like a scorching fire.
  A perverse person spreads strife,
and a whisperer separates close friends.
  The violent entice their neighbors,
and lead them in a way that is not good.
  One who winks the eyes plans perverse things;
one who compresses the lips brings evil to pass.
  Gray hair is a crown of glory;
it is gained in a righteous life.
  One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
and one whose temper is controlled than one who captures a city.
  The lot is cast into the lap,
but the decision is the LORD’S alone.

Silence for meditation.

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets,
but in these last days God has spoken to us by the Son.

GOSPEL
Matthew  15:1-9

Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said,  “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands before they eat.” He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.’ But you say that whoever tells father or mother, ‘Whatever support you might have had from me is given to God,’ then that person need not honor the father. So, for the sake of your tradition, you make void the word of God. You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied rightly about you when he said:
  ‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
  in vain do they worship me,
teaching human precepts as doctrines.’” 

Silence for meditation.

Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets,
but in these last days God has spoken to us by the Son.

MESSAGE

Today’s lessons highlight how we are to be in the world. They strike me as saying trust in God and God’s ways over and above your own wisdom or traditions. Unlike Jesus, we can find this difficult at times. Jesus knew the Law and lived it in love. He had no problem rebuking or debating those who were manipulating the Law to serve themselves.

In our gospel lesson, Jesus is questioned by the Pharisees and scribes. They want to know why his disciples are not adhering to the tradition of the elders. This tradition was not part of Scripture. There were no biblical instructions requiring the washing of hands by everyone before eating. Only priests had such requirements. So, what were they up to in asking Jesus this question? Are they trying to trip him up, yet again?

Jesus counters their question with another question that he knows pertains to the Law. It is a commandment that he knows they are abusing. And he also knows that they are adhering to tradition over and above God’s Law to do so. He asks them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? And then he clarifies his question quoting the Law, For God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.’ Jesus confronts the Pharisees and scribes with their custom of declaring something sacred and a gift to God in order to deprive their parents of what they should rightfully expect from their children. Instead of putting away money to help their parents, they were calling the money sacred and giving it to the Temple. This practice was a way to avoid an obligation to care for their parents in their old age. Jesus says, in doing so you are disobeying the Fourth Commandment.

When I learned the Fourth Commandment as a child, I though honoring my Mom and Dad was showing them respect and obeying them. But this commandment goes deeper. It means we have a responsibility for caring for our parent’s needs as they age and are no longer able to care for themselves.

In Christ,
Pastor Harkness

THE GOSPEL CANTICLE

Refrain:

In the tender compassion of our God the Dawn from on high shall break upon us.

Blessed are you, Lord, the God of Israel,
you have come to your people and set them free.
You have raised up for us a mighty Savior,
born of the house of your servant David. Refrain

Through your holy prophets, you promised of old
to save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us;
you promised to show mercy to our forebears
and to remember your holy covenant. Refrain

This was the oath you swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship you without fear,
holy and righteous before you, all the days of our life. Refrain

And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
For you will go before the Lord to prepare the way,
to give God's people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins. Refrain

In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace. Refrain

PRAYERS

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

Let us pray,
Mighty God of mercy, we thank you for the resurrection dawn, bringing the glory of our risen Lord who makes every day new.
Especially we thank you—
for the sustaining goodness of your creation . . .
for the new creation in Christ and all gifts of healing and forgiveness . . .
for the gifts of relationship with others . . .
for the communion of faith in your church . . .

Merciful God of might, renew this weary world, heal the hurts of all your children, and bring about your peace for all in Christ Jesus, the living Lord.
Especially we pray—
for those who govern nations of the world especially our president and governors . . .
for the people of our country, for the restoration of peace, and for justice . . .
for the people in countries ravaged by strife or warfare . . .
for all who work for peace and international harmony . . .
for all who strive to save the earth from carelessness and destruction . . .
for the church of Jesus Christ in every land . . .

Almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us in safety to this new day. Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor be overcome in adversity. In all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

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

Let us bless the Lord
Thanks be to God.

BENEDICTION

Almighty God, the Father,  ☩  the Son, and the Holy Spirit, bless and preserve us. Amen

HYMN
He Leadth Me

1. He leadeth me: oh, blessed thought!
Oh, words with heav’nly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be,
still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.

Refrain

He leadeth me, he leadeth me,
by his own hand he leadeth me.
His faithful foll’wer I would be,
for by his hand he leadeth me.

2. Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom,
sometimes where Eden’s bowers bloom,
by waters calm, o’er troubled sea,
still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.  Refrain

3. Lord, I would clasp thy hand in mine,
nor ever murmur nor repine;
content, whatever lot I see,
since ’tis my God that leadeth me.  Refrain

4. And when my task on earth is done,
when by thy grace the vict’ry’s won,
e’en death’s cold wave I will not flee,
since God through Jordan leadeth me.  Refrain

Text: Joseph H. Gilmore, 1834-1918

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