October 4: 19th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 22, Lectionary 27)
ALL: Isaiah 5:1-7 (Love song about beloved vineyard turns to lament over its wild grapes)
SOLA/LSB: Psalm 80:7-19 (Come to the aid of your vineyard, against those who trample it!)
ELW/RCL: Psalm 80:7-15
ALL: Philippians 3:4b-14 (My richest gains I count but loss because of surpassing excellence
of knowing Christ)
ALL: Matthew 21:33-46 (Parable of the wicked tenants in master’s vineyard)
*****************
Opening Hymn: Judge Eternal, Throned in Splendor: LBW #418
OR Built on A/The Rock the Church Shall Stand: LBW #365, ELW #652, LSB #645
OR As Saints of Old Their Firstfruits Brought: LBW #404 (aw heck. I hate when great hymns are set to bad or difficult tunes. Use “Forest Green,” the jaunty English folk melody used for “I Sing the Almighty Power of God.” That’s what is used in ELW #695!), ELW #695
Hymn of the Day: There in God’s Garden: WOV #668, ELW #342 (This is a great and noble hymn, magnificent words, majestic tune. If your folks don’t know it, teach it to them! Use it as a Hymn of the Month Club hymn! It’s up there with “In Christ Alone,” which if you can find it online, is also a wonderful hymn here.)
OR Ah, Holy Jesus: LBW #123, ELW #349
OR Fruitful Trees, the Spirit’s Sowing: LSB #691
Communion 1: Son of God, Eternal Savior: LBW #364, ELW #655, LSB #842
Communion 2: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross: LBW #482, ELW #803, LSB #425/6
Closing Hymn: The Church’s One Foundation: LBW #369, ELW #654, LSB #644
*******
In the power of the Spirit, let us pray to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for the world, the Church, and one another.
A brief silence is kept.
Father, thank you for grafting us into your pleasant planting: your people Israel. Thank you for uniting us with your true Vine: your dear Son Jesus. Make us abound with fruit of the Holy Spirit, to your glory and for the nourishment of a world starved for your love.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Uproot from your Church all strife, false teaching, and unrighteousness. Defend it from those who destroy it from within, or ravage it from without. Make Jesus, the strong Son of Man who sits at your right hand, its life and salvation. Draw us all to the foot of the Cross, there to glorify your holy Name.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Give persecuted Christians the righteousness that depends on faith, so they know Jesus and the power of his resurrection. Let them share his sufferings, and through him, attain the resurrection from the dead. Turn the hearts of their enemies toward you in repentance and humble faith.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Thank you for making this congregation your own in Jesus Christ. Help us to count everything else as rubbish compared with the surpassing worth of knowing him as our Lord and Savior. Make us Jesus’ disciples, sharing his love and encouraging others to join us as we follow in the way of the Cross.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for all those who toil at “dirty jobs” that are unpleasant, dangerous, and poorly paid. Help us to honor their labor and ease their burden. Give them a glimpse of the surpassing loveliness of Christ. By your Spirit, shape their faithful work into “something beautiful for Jesus.”
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Raise up faithful servants of your Word. Prosper the work of seminaries and church schools. The world hungers for the fruit of your living Vine, dear Lord; equip the Church to share it with starving souls.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Give those entrusted with worldly power and authority a hunger for justice and a thirst for righteousness. Make them swift to build bridges of respect and concord, and slow to brandish weapons of war. Fill them with wisdom, patience, and fairness. Spread these virtues among all people, so that bloodshed and injustice cease, and all people live in peace and call upon your name with joy.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Restore the lives of all who cry out to you in their distress of body, mind, and spirit, including: {List}. Shine the light of your countenance upon them, that they may be saved.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
With gratitude and affection, we entrust our faithful departed into your care. Comfort those who mourn. Teach us to help one another through the sorrows and dangers of this life. Unite us with your dear Son, so that with all whom you have redeemed by his Cross and Resurrection, we may be welcomed into your pleasant planting, your beloved vineyard, there to rejoice in your presence forever.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For Jesus’ sake, grant the fulfillment of all we ask that conforms to your holy will. Amen.
