The Celebration of the Gospel
22nd Sunday after Pentecost
November 9, 2014
8:15 & 10:30 am
“Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.”
— Matthew 25.8
______________ We Gather as The Body of Christ
GREETING
PRELUDE O Love That Will Not Let Me Go arr: Mark Hayes
[As we listen to the music we quiet our minds and bodies,
listen for our hearts’ deepest desires,
and become present to the Holy One who is lovingly present for us.]
* CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.
All: The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!”
Let everyone who hears say, “Come!”
Let all who are thirsty come, for Christ will turn none away.
We come, O Love, to worship in your light, to feast upon your grace. Alleluia!
* SONG We Sing to You, O God Black hymnal #2001
(10:30) CHILDREN’S TIME
___________________ We Attend to the Word
(10:30) THE WORD IN SONG Keep Your Lamps! arr. Andre Thomas
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Pastor: The grace of God be with you.
Congregation: And also with you.
Trusting in God’s tender mercy, let us confess our sin to God with one another.
God of love, we set before you all that we are,
all we have done, and all we have not done.
By your grace given to us in Christ,
we come to make peace with ourselves
and with you,
you who grant us your forgiveness and your peace.
SILENT PRAYER … THE WORD OF GRACE
RESPONSE
There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole.
There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin sick soul.
PASSING THE PEACE
PRAYER OF THE DAY
God of love, we wait for your coming; we long for your presence. We trim our lamps with the oil of hope, eager to celebrate with you. Come, O Lord; speak to us who wait; in your Word invite us into the hall of your light and warmth. Amen.
OLD TESTAMENT from Joshua 24. 1-25
[Joshua gathers the people who have recently come into the Promised Land from their wilderness wanderings, recites their history and invites them to renew their Covenant with God.]
Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said to all the people, “Revere the Lord, and serve God in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. Therefore we also will serve the Holy One, for Yahweh is our God.”
But Joshua said to the people, “You cannot serve the Lord, for God is a holy God, and a jealous God; God will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then God will turn and do you harm, and consume you, after having done you good.”
And the people said to Joshua, “No, we will serve the Lord!” Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord— to serve God.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” He said, “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” The people said to Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and God we will obey.” So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem.
PSALTER Psalm 15
[ A commendation of people who live justly and gently.]
O Lord, who may abide in your tent?
Who may dwell on your holy hill?
Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right,
and speak the truth from their heart;
who do not slander with their tongue,
and do no evil to their friends,
nor take up a reproach against their neighbors;
in whose eyes the wicked are despised,
but who honor those who love the Lord;
who stand by their oath even to their hurt;
who do not lend money at interest,
and do not take a bribe against the innocent.
Those who do these things shall never be moved.
NEW TESTAMENT 1 Thessalonians 5.1-11
[Christ is returning. “Stay awake and be alert.” The day is almost here, so live in light, not darkness. God’s only will for us is to save us, so encourage each other. ]
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When people say, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape.
But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness.
So then let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with Christ. Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.
GOSPEL Matthew 25.1-13
[Jesus tells a parable of ten wedding attendants. Five have brought oil for their lamps and five haven’t. Those who are unprepared are left out.]
Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, “Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.”
Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” But the wise replied, “No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.” And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.”
Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
SERMON
SONG Sharing the Light Steve G-H
Bridegroom, Beloved, all life is your bride.
We come to celebrate here at your side.
Feasting and dancing long brighten the night.
Grateful we are for your love and your light.
See, though, beyond our small circle of light
those who are longing still, out in the night,
those who though seeking have no lamp or oil:
see how the bridegroom still loves them as well.
God who has loved us and filled us with grace
sends us in love to go out from this place,
sharing our own lamps, to bless and invite,
sharing our wealth, our abundance, our light.
This is the true feast, the love of our Lord:
sharing with all, for all are adored.
Sharing is how we will find true delight,
sharing the feast and the joy and the light.
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
________ We Are Sent in Ministry to the World
OUR PRAYERS, PRESENCE, GIFTS, SERVICE AND WITNESS
OFFERING OUR GIFTS We Are God’s People Johannes Brahms, arr: Fred Bock
* OFFERING SONG Doxology Blue hymnal #94
* PRAYER
Gracious God, we give you these gifts as symbols of our lives. Receive them with love, bless them with grace and use them according to your will. Send us out into the darkness to share your light. Strengthen us by your grace to share all that we have for the sake of the healing of the world, to increase your joy, in the name of Christ. Amen.
THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD
* SONG I’m Gonna Live So God Can Use Me Black hymnal #2153
* THE BLESSING AND SENDING FORTH
RESPONSE 8:15: We stand and sing to our neighbors:
May the grace and peace of Christ be with you my friends.
Go and share the love of God, love that never ends.
10:30: Choir
POSTLUDE Ceremonial Rondeau Henry Purcell, arr: Rick Parks
During the postlude there are people ready to pray with you at the candles in the corners.]