November 8, 2020 10:30 am Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost Welcome Opening Hymn, “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise” Walter C. Smith, John Roberts Immortal, invisible, God only wise; in light inaccessible hid from our eyes. Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days; Almighty, victorious, Thy great Name we praise. Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light; nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might; Thy justice, like mountains, high soaring above, Thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love. To all life Thou givest to both great and small; in all life Thou livest the true life of all. We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree, and wither and perish but naught changeth Thee. Great Father of glory, pure Father of light; Thine angels adore Thee all veiling their sight. All praise we would render, O help us to see tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee. Celebrant The Lord be with you. People And also with you. Celebrant The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it: People Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad. Celebrant Our help is in the name of the Lord: People Who made heaven and earth. Celebrant I was glad when they said to me: People Let us go to the house of the Lord. Celebrant Praise the Lord. People The name of the Lord be praised. All Almighty God, You bring to light things hidden in darkness, and know the shadows of our hearts; cleanse and renew us by Your Spirit, that we may walk in the light and glorify Your name, through Jesus Christ, the Light of the world. Amen. Celebrant Our Lord Jesus Christ said: The first and great commandment is this: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is the only Lord. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. 1 The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. People Amen. Lord have mercy and write these laws in our hearts, we pray. Celebrant Glory to the Father. People Glory to the Son. Celebrant Glory to the Spirit. People Forever Three in One. Celebrant Be glorified at home. People Be glorified in church. Celebrant Be glorified in Texas. People Be glorified in the United States. Celebrant Be glorified on earth. People Be glorified in heaven. Celebrant Glory to the Father. People Glory to the Son. Celebrant Glory to the Spirit. People Forever Three in One. Celebrant Alleluia! People Amen. The Collect for Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost O God, whose blessed Son came into the world that He might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves as He is pure; that, when He comes again with power and great glory, we may be made like Him in His eternal and glorious kingdom; where He lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. The First Reading, Amos 5:18-24. The prophet Amos offers a sobering message — outward signs of religion don’t trick God into thinking we’re faithful, judgment for our sinful ways is real. A reading from the Book of the Prophet Amos: 18 Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! Why would you have the day of the LORD? It is darkness, and not light, 19as if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him, or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall, and a serpent bit him. 20 Is not the day of the LORD darkness, and not light, and gloom with no brightness in it? 21 “I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. 22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them. 2 23 Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. 24 But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. (ESV) Reader The Word of the Lord. People Alleluia! Praise be to God. Psalm 70 Let us read this responsively by half verse. 1 Hasten, O God, to deliver me; * make haste to help me, O Lord. 2 Let them be ashamed and confounded who seek after my life; * let them be turned back and put to confusion who wish me evil. 3 Let them be soon brought to shame * who cry over me, “Aha! Aha!” 4 But let all those who seek you be joyful and glad in you; * and let all who delight in your salvation say always, “The Lord be praised.” 5 As for me, I am poor and in misery; * hasten to me, O God. 6 You are my helper and my deliverer; * O Lord, do not tarry. Reader The Word of the Lord. People Alleluia! Praise be to God. The Second Reading, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Unlike pagan teachings and practices surrounding those who have died, Paul’s message to the Thessalonians encourages them to understand that because of God in Christ, they too will be resurrected. A reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Thessalonians: 13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the 18 Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words. (ESV) 3 Reader The Word of the Lord. People Alleluia! Praise be to God. Sequence Song, “Ancient Words” Lynn De Shazo Ancient words, ever true, changing me, changing you; we have come with open hearts, O let the ancient words impart. (2x) Celebrant We stand to hear the good news of our salvation, as it is written in the Gospel according to St. Matthew chapter 25 beginning to read at verse 1. The Gospel, Matthew 25:1-13. 25 Jesus said, “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. (ESV) Celebrant This is the Gospel of Christ. People Alleluia! Praise be to Christ our Savior. Sequence Song, “Ancient Words” Lynn DeShazo Ancient words, ever true, changing me, changing you; we have come with open hearts, O let the ancient words impart. Ancient words, ever true, changing me, changing you; we have come with open hearts, O let the ancient words impart. We have come with open hearts, O let the ancient words impart. O let the ancient words impart. Sermon The Rev. Dr. Chuck Thebeau The Nicene Creed Celebrant We stand together with Christians throughout the centuries, and throughout the world today, to affirm our faith in the words of the Nicene Creed. 4 All We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through Him all things were made. For us and for our salvation He came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit He became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered, died, and was buried.