The Virtual Service for October 4, 2020
Worship for Sunday, October 4, 2020
18th Sunday after Pentecost
GATHERING
My Song is Love Unknown
Samuel Crossman
John Ireland
Performed and arranged by Robert Prester & Adriana Samargia
My song is love unknown,
My Savior's love to me;
Love to the loveless shown,
That they might lovely be.
O who am I,
That for my sake
My Lord should take
Frail flesh, and die?
He came from His blest throne
Salvation to bestow;
But men made strange, and none
The longed-for Christ would know:
But oh, my Friend,
My Friend indeed,
Who at my need
His life did spend.
Here might I stay and sing,
No story so divine;
Never was love, dear King,
Never was grief like Thine.
This is my Friend,
My friend indeed
I all my days
Could gladly spend.
Introduction to the day
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus tells a vineyard parable, which serves as an image of Israel, the prophets’ mission, and Christ’s death. For Christians, the vineyard also speaks of God’s love poured out in the blood of Christ, given to us for the forgiveness of sin. Grafted onto Christ the vine at baptism, we are nourished with wine and bread so that we may share Christ’s sufferings and know the power of his resurrection.
GATHERING SONG
The Church's One Foundation (ELW 654)
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God,
who creates, redeems, and sustains us and all of creation. Amen.
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.
Faithful God,
have mercy on us.
We confess that we are captive to sin
and cannot free ourselves.
We turn from your loving embrace
and go our own ways.
We pass judgment on one another
before examining ourselves.
We place our own needs before those of our neighbors.
We keep your gift of salvation to ourselves.
Make us humble, cast away our transgressions,
and turn us again to life in you
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
God hears the cries of all who call out in need,
and through his death and resurrection,
Christ has made us his own.
Hear the truth that God proclaims:
Your sins are forgiven in the name of ☩ Jesus Christ.
Led by the Holy Spirit, live in freedom and newness
to do God’s work in the world.
GREETING
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.
KYRIE
Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way,
Kyrie eleison, ev’ry day.
For peace in the world, for the health of the church, for the unity of all;
for this holy house, for all who worship and praise,
let us pray to the Lord, let us pray to the Lord
Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way,
Kyrie eleison, ev’ry day.
That we may live out your impassioned response to the hungry and the poor;
that we may live out truth and justice and grace,
let us pray to the Lord, let us pray to the Lord
Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way,
Kyrie eleison, ev’ry day.
For peace in our hearts, for peace in our homes, for friends and family;
for life and for love, for our work and our play,
let us pray to the Lord, let us pray to the Lord
Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way,
Kyrie eleison, ev’ry day.
For your Spirit to guide; that you center our lives in the water and the Word;
that you nourish our souls with your body and blood,
let us pray to the Lord, let us pray to the Lord
Kyrie eleison, on our world and on our way,
Kyrie eleison, ev’ry day.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Let us pray. Beloved God, from you come all things that are good. Lead us by the inspiration of your Spirit to know those things that are right, and by your merciful guidance, help us to do them, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
WORD
THE READING Isaiah 5:1-7
A reading from Isaiah.
The prophet sings a sad, parable-like love song about the relationship between God and Israel. In this song Israel is compared to a promising vineyard. Despite God’s loving care, the vineyard that is Israel has brought forth “wild grapes” of injustice and distress, when fine grapes of justice and righteousness were expected.
1Let me sing for my beloved
my love-song concerning his vineyard:
My beloved had a vineyard
on a very fertile hill.
2He dug it and cleared it of stones,
and planted it with choice vines;
he built a watchtower in the midst of it,
and hewed out a wine vat in it;
he expected it to yield grapes,
but it yielded wild grapes.
3And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem
and people of Judah,
judge between me
and my vineyard.
4What more was there to do for my vineyard
that I have not done in it?
When I expected it to yield grapes,
why did it yield wild grapes?
5And now I will tell you
what I will do to my vineyard.
I will remove its hedge,
and it shall be devoured;
I will break down its wall,
and it shall be trampled down.
6I will make it a waste;
it shall not be pruned or hoed,
and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns;
I will also command the clouds
that they rain no rain upon it.
7For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts
is the house of Israel,
and the people of Judah
are his pleasant planting;
he expected justice,
but saw bloodshed;
righteousness,
but heard a cry!
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
MUSICAL MEDITATION
Cornerstone
Edward Mote | Eric Liljero | Jonas Myrin | Reuben Morgan | William Batchelder Bradbury
© 2011 Hillsong MP Songs (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
Hillsong Music Publishing Australia (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
Covered by Robert Prester & Adriana Samargia
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly trust in Jesus' Name
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly trust in Jesus' Name
Christ alone cornerstone
Weak made strong in the Saviour's love
Through the storm You are Lord
Lord of all
When darkness seems to hide your face
I rest on your unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil
My anchor holds within the veil
Christ alone cornerstone
Weak made strong in the Saviour's love
Through the storm You are Lord
Lord of all
GOSPEL: Matthew 21:33-46
The holy gospel according to Matthew.
Glory to you, O Lord.
[Jesus said to the people:] 33“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. 34When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. 35But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. 37Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.’ 39So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.”
42Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures:
‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is amazing in our eyes’?43Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. 44The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”
45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. 46They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.
The gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
SERMON
Fool me once …
Pastor Carlson
HYMN OF THE DAY
If You But Trust in God to Guide You (ELW 769)
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
Drawn together in the compassion of God, we pray for the church, the world, and all those in need.
A brief silence.
The response to “Lord, in your mercy,” is, ”Hear our Prayer.”
The Prayers conclude:
All these things and whatever else you see that we need, we entrust to your mercy; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
OFFERING
ANTHEM
Doxology (Old 100th)
arr. Scholes
Handbell Ensemble: Nanette and William Lutz; Lee Ann and Linda Riley
OFFERING PRAYER
Blessed are you, O God, maker of all things.
You have set before us these gifts of your good creation.
Prepare us for your heavenly banquet,
nourish us with this rich food and drink,
and send us forth to set tables in the midst of a suffering world,
through the bread of life, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER
BENEDICTION
Mothering God,
Father, ☩ Son, and Holy Spirit,
bless you and lead you into the way of truth and life.
Amen.
DISMISSAL
Go in peace. Remember the poor.
Thanks be to God.
SENDING SONG
How Firm a Foundation (ELW 796)
SENDING
O Christ, the Great Foundation
Tune: AURELIA
Samuel S. Wesley
Performed and arranged by Robert Prester & Adriana Samargia
O Christ the great foundation
on which your people stand
to preach your true salvation
in every age and land
Pour out your Holy Spirit
to make us strong and pure
to keep the faith unbroken
as long as worlds endure
Where tyrants’ hold is tightened
where strong devour the weak
where innocents are frightened
the righteous fear to speak
there let your church awakening
attack the powers of sin
and all their ramparts breaking
with you the victory win
with you the victory win
with you the victory win
_____
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