Welcome

Opening Litany^[1]:
Are you awake? Are you alert?
Christ is coming into our lives in a new way.

Are you watching the signs?

Are you interpreting what is happening today?
Christ is coming into our lives in a new way.

Do you see opportunities for ministry?

Do you see the poor, the homeless, the hungry, the needy?
Christ is coming into our lives in a new way.

Come, let us worship and let us work in the reign of God.
Christ has extended the invitation: let us work together in the reign of God on earth.

Confession and Forgiveness:
Blessed be the holy Trinity, + one God, who creates, redeems, and sustains us and all creation.
Amen.

Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.

Silence is held for reflection.

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 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.
Amen.

Prayer of the Day:
Let us pray.
O God of justice and love, you illumine our way through life with the words of your Son. Give us the light we need, and awaken us to the needs of others, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.

 First Reading: Amos 5:18-24
¹⁸Alas for you who desire the day of the LORD! Why do you want the day of the LORD? It is darkness, not light; ¹⁹as if someone fled from a lion, and was met by a bear; or went into the house and rested a hand against the wall, and was bitten by a snake.

²⁰Is not the day of the LORD darkness, not light, and gloom with no brightness in it?

²¹I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. ²²Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals I will not look upon.

²³Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps.

²⁴ But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream.

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Gospel: Matthew 25:1-13

This is the Holy Gospel according to Matthew, the 25^th chapter.
Glory to you, O Lord.

¹[Jesus said:] “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. ²Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; ⁴but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. ⁵As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. ⁶But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ ⁷Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ ⁹But 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.’ ¹⁰And 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. ¹¹Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ ¹²But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ ¹³Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.

Children’s Sermon

Sermon

Hymn of the Day

Apostle’s Creed:
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.*
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

Prayers of Intercession:
http://www.pilgrimpaths.co.uk/Finger%20Labyrinth%20and%20Prayer%20Guide%20Leaflet.pdf

http://www.pilgrimpaths.co.uk/Finger%20Labyrinth%20and%20Prayer%20Guide%20Leaflet.pdf

Confident of your care and helped by the Holy Spirit, we pray for the church, the world, and all who are in need.

. . .  Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

In the certain hope that nothing can separate us from your love, we offer these prayers to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Sharing of the Peace

Announcements

Offering
https://tithe.ly/give_new/www/#/tithely/give-one-time/468062

Sending Litany[2]:
You call us to wait on you, Lord, but we get tired of waiting. Your answers to our prayers, Your call for us to serve you, the promise of your coming Kingdom, they all seem to take so long.

You tell us to watch for your coming, Lord, but we’re not sure how to prepare for… a thief in the night, an undisclosed time, and Your disconcerting habit of secrecy and mystery.

Yet, something inside whispers that you’re not all that hard to find; That you’re always coming to us, and that both the waiting and the watching, are more about being open to you now, than about trying not to be surprised in the future.

And so we will keep waiting, and we’ll try to stay alert, so that we can catch the glimpses of your glory that fill my day, every day.

Lord’s Prayer:
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us saying:
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.

Benediction:
As you go from here, remember to love.

For love is what God asks of us; it is the very heart and soul of what it means to follow Jesus Christ. So go from here to love and serve God by loving and serving those you meet.

May Almighty 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!

 

Prayer Requests:
Family and friends of Wayne Kratzer Jr., Fred and Pat Blyler, Rachel Peters, Helen Barsh, Kathy Guffey, Rick Guffey, Family and Friends of Joe Moyer, Jamie, Matt Koch, Melody Erb, Thomas Burns, Cindee Long, Paisley Marie, Bob Keifer, Peg Swinehart.

 

Portions reprinted from Evangelical Lutheran Worship, copyright 2006.  Used by permission of Augsburg Fortress, license #SBL09796L.  Music reprinted from the ELW, by permission of OneLicense, license #A712349.  Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.   Used by permission.

 

[1] From Rev. Mindi, on her Rev-o-lution blog.

[2] Adapted from John van de Laar, and posted on his excellent website, Sacredise.com.