Year A - Proper 23 (09 Oct - 15 Oct)

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VERSION: 11 April 2002

SUNDAY BETWEEN 9 AND 15 OCT (PROPER 23), YEAR A

In 2002: 21st Sunday after Pentecost, 13 Oct

In 2005: 21st Sunday after Pentecost, 9 Oct

In 2008: 22nd Sunday after Pentecost, 12 Oct

In 2011: 17th Sunday after Pentecost, 9 Oct

In 2014: 18th Sunday after Pentecost, 12 Oct

- - -

Note: For explanations and suggestions on the various resources provided, see the documents 'General notes and resources' and 'Time after Pentecost' in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

LITURGY

SENTENCE

See the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder for suggestions on using a Sentence.

This is the Lord for whom we have waited.

Let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation! (Isa 25:9b NRSV)

OR

Rejoice in the Lord always;

again I will say, Rejoice.

Let your gentleness be known to everyone.

The Lord is near. (Phil 4:4,5 NRSV)

OR, use one of the general Sentences in the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Sentence', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

PRAYER OF THE DAY (COLLECT)

Traditional

Merciful Lord,

grant to your faithful people

pardon and peace,

that they may be cleansed from all their sins

and serve you with a quiet mind;

through your Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

OR, modernised traditional

Merciful Lord,

give pardon and peace to your faithful people.

Cleanse us from all our sins,

so that we may serve you with minds set at rest.

We ask this through your Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

OR, alternative

(Let us pray that we may depend on God. [silence])

Lord, you have called us to open our hands

so that you might fill them.

Open not only our hands,

but our hearts also,

so that we recognise your goodness,

count all things loss in comparison with you,

and desire to be made like you.

We ask this through your Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

OR, new

(Let us pray that we rejoice in the Lord. [silence])

God of joy, keep us

from being weighed down by worry.

Encourage us instead to lay our burdens on you.

Make us cheerful and glad

because your Son Jesus is always with us.

For he lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

FIRST READING AND PSALM

Note: There are two sets of first readings (with accompanying Psalms) given for the Sundays after Pentecost: (a) a new semi-continuous set, and (b) a set related thematically to the gospels (as in the earlier form of the lectionary). It is intended that either one of these two sets be used throughout and that they not be mixed.

1a

Exodus 32:1-14 God's people worship a golden calf

Psalm 106:1-6,19-23

Antiphon:

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good (; for his steadfast love endures forever). (Ps 106:1 NRSV)

OR, 1b

Isaiah 25:1-9 God swallows up death in the feast of victory

Psalm 23

Antiphon:

I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Ps 23:6b NKJV)

SECOND READING

Philippians 4:1-9 Rejoice in the Lord always

ALLELUIA VERSE (Matt 22:4 NRSV)

Alleluia, alleluia.

Look, I have prepared my dinner, and everything is ready;

come to the wedding banquet.

Alleluia.

GOSPEL

Matthew 22:1-14 The parable of the wedding feast

PRAYER AFTER THE GOSPEL

This is the gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

Thank you, Lord Jesus,

for inviting us to your wedding feast.

Make us acceptable and grateful guests.

Amen.

OFFERING PRAYER

Thank you, Lord, for inviting us to your feast,

and showering on us so many good things.

Help us to value the privilege

of being your people and serving you.

Lead us gladly to accept your call,

and use us to bring others to your banquet.

Amen.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

Call to prayer

The Lord is near; he is with us to give us his favour. Let us put our worries aside and, with prayer and thanksgiving, let us make our requests known to God.

The regular response, OR:

God of mercy and peace,

hear our prayer.

Suggested intercessions

Concluding prayer

Father, you have chosen us to receive the peace that only you can give. Guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, and hear the prayers we offer in his name.

Amen.

PREFACE

It is indeed right and good,

Lord God, holy Father,

that we should at all times and in all places

give thanks to you,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

(On this day)*

he overcame death by his resurrection

and opened up for us

the way to eternal life with you.

And so, with angels and archangels,

and with all the company of heaven,

we adore and praise your glorious name:

* The words 'on this day' are used only on Sundays.

COMMUNION INVITATION

For a choice of communion invitations, see the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Communion invitation', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

See the service order for a standard post-communion prayer. Alternatively, use the third prayer of the day (as listed above) at this point. It may be modified as follows.

Lord, in this sacrament

you have placed into our open hands

the body and blood of Christ.

Open not only our hands,

but our hearts also,

so that we recognise your goodness,

count all things loss in comparison with you,

and desire to be made like you.

We ask this through your Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns

with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

DISMISSAL

Go in peace. Rejoice in the Lord, and serve him with the power that he gives.

Thanks be to God. OR In the name of Christ. Amen.

HYMNS AND SONGS

FOR THE READINGS

Please note:        * =        Modernised version available

      G3, G4 . . . =        Guitar chords available in the Music Package 3, 4 . . .

      GS =        Guitar chords in the Supplement to LH

First reading (a): Exodus 32:1-14

LHS

AT

TIS

First reading (b):  Isaiah 25:1-9

LHS

AT

TIS

Second reading: Philippians 4:1-9

LHS

AT

TIS

Gospel: Matthew 22:1-14

LHS

AT

TIS

PSALM 106:1-6,19-23

For musical settings of Psalm 106:1-6,19-23, see Music Package 3.

PSALM 23

For musical settings of Psalm 23, see Music Packages 2, 3, 5, 6 and 8. Music from Taize: Volume II has a version of Psalm 23 that may be sung to the ostinato response 'O Christe Domine Jesu', on pages 42 and 43.

The following metrical versions of the psalm may be used:

The Lord's my shepherd (LHS 387*, TIS 10)

OR

The King of love my shepherd is (LHS 391*, TIS 145)

* Modernised version available

OR

My shepherd is the Lord (TIS 11)

OR

Geoff Strelan's song Psalm 23 in Praise for All Seasons no 62

OR

The Iona collection Psalms of Patience, Protest and Praise contains a metrical version of Psalm 23 that could be used on this day (page 12)

Note that the Iona Community is willing to allow a church or worship assembly to reproduce the words only of a song from these publications on a service sheet or overhead transperency that is to be used once only on a non-commercial basis, provided that the title of the song and the name of the copyright holder is clearly shown.

OR

David Sch¸tz's version sung to the tune 'Shalom, my friends' ATA 195.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want,

Shalom, shalom.

He makes me lie down in green pasture land,

Shalom, shalom.

He leads me beside the slow-running streams,

Shalom, shalom.

My soul he restores; he leads me aright,

Shalom, shalom.

And though I should walk through death's valley dark,

Shalom, shalom,

there's nothing I fear, for you, Lord, are near,

Shalom, shalom.

Your rod and your staff, they comfort me,

Shalom, shalom.

You set me a place before all my foes,

Shalom, shalom.

My head you anoint, my cup overflows,

Shalom, shalom.

To me you always are loving and good,

Shalom, shalom,

My dwelling shall be the house of the Lord,

Shalom, shalom,

for all of my life, for all of my days,

Shalom, shalom.

NOTES ON THE READINGS

See the document 'General notes and resources', under 'Notes on the readings', in the 'General and seasonal' folder.

JEREMIAH 32:1-14: Jeremiah  was finally confined under arrest by the King Zedekiah for his continued prophecies of coming defeat and exile, even as Nebuchadnezzar's army was surrounding and besieging Jerusalem. It was at this time that the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, commanding him to buy some land outside of Jerusalem. Of course, this land would be of no practical use to Jeremiah. This symbolic act, emphasised in its execution by the most precise and detailed legal procedures, had a purpose. God was giving a last indication that despite the coming defeat and exile, there would still be a future day when Judah would be used by the Lord for his long-term plans and purposes of salvation.

ISAIAH 25:1-9: With striking imagery the first section of this reading points to the long-term counsels of almighty God bringing the enemies of his kingdom and all their power to final and utter devastation. Not only that, but he also has equal plans to provide refuge and solace to his people who are currently downtrodden. Here is powerful comfort. The second section of the reading talks of the spiritual kingdom, Mount Zion ('this mountain' - also the church), wherein God will remove the power of death over his people. Herewith a 'feast' is foreshadowed to include all nations of the earth in this church! All tears and disgrace will disappear in the glory of final salvation.

PHILIPPIANS 4:1-9: Two prominent faithful and active women members at Philippi, Euodia and Syntyche, were living in disturbing acrimonious disagreement. Paul urges his fellow workers to help them find agreement 'in the Lord'. This will be aided by 1) standing firm in resurrection hope (3:21); 2) living in gentleness and being active in prayer (vv 5,6); 3) permitting God's peace to guard them (v.7); 4) living in the honour and purity associated with a gospel-engendered faith (v 8); and 5) imitating Paul's own peaceable example.

MATTHEW 22:1-14: God never forces people into his kingdom. He graciously invites. When people like the Jewish nation as such, characterised as those first invited to the wedding banquet, refuse and reject God's call to come into his spiritual kingdom, he turns to others. However, because salvation, like the wedding banquet, is an accomplished fact, absolutely free, available simply for the taking, God expects all who have come always to be 'clothed' with the wedding garment of faith. Not thus to be prepared means rejection of God's loving offer, and therefore in turn invites ultimate rejection by him. We therefore need always to live in and by his word of life.

VISUAL

VISUALS FOR THE READINGS

Pictures or visual symbols could be displayed on banners or the overhead screen during the readings. For instance, during the alternative first reading (1b) and the gospel, a picture or symbol of grapes and wheat, representing a feast, could be displayed.

DRAMA

'MEGA DRAMA'

See a drama for the day in Mega Drama resources (Openbook Publishers), originally included in these worship resources when they were released on disks.

DRAMATISING THE READINGS

The readings can be read by more than one person to make the dramatic meaning of the text clearer. For instance, the first reading (1a) could be read by several readers: narrator, Israelite(s), Aaron, the Lord, Moses.

CHILDREN

'COME AND SEE JESUS'

The Come and See Jesus curriculum published by Openbook Publishers has a wealth of material and ideas that may be adapted for use in worship. Please note that a new edition of this material is currently available for the Revised Common Lectionary.

This week's story is 'The parable of the great banquet (Luke 14:15-24)'. Material for this story may be found in:

Original Edition, Year A, Semester 2, 21 Pentecost

OR

Revised RCL Edition, Year A, Semester 2, Proper 23.