Year A - Proper 28 (13 Nov - 19 Nov)

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VERSION: 8 May 2002

SUNDAY BETWEEN 13 AND 19 NOV (PROPER 28), YEAR A

SECOND-LAST SUNDAY OF THE CHURCH YEAR

In 2002: 26th Sunday after Pentecost, 17 Nov

In 2005: 26th Sunday after Pentecost, 13 Nov

In 2008: 27th Sunday after Pentecost, 16 Nov

In 2011: 22nd Sunday after Pentecost, 13 Nov

In 2014: 23rd Sunday after Pentecost, 16 Nov

- - -

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.

Be silent in the presence of the Lord God;

for the day of the Lord is at hand. (Zeph 1:7 NKJV)

OR

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. (1 Thess 5:8 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

O God,

so rule and govern our hearts and minds

by your Holy Spirit

that, being mindful of the end of all things

and the day of your just judgment,

we may be stirred up to holiness of living,

and dwell with you forever;

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

Lord God,

govern our hearts by your Holy Spirit.

Make us mindful of the end of all things

and the day of your just judgment.

Stir us up to lead holy lives,

and let us live with you forever.

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, another traditional, modernised

Almighty God,

we cannot trust in our own goodness,

so deal with us,

not according to the severity of your judgment,

but according to your mercy.

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 (revised alternative)

(Let us pray to be ready for Christ's return. [silence])

Help us, Lord Jesus Christ,

to wait for you,

to wish for you,

and to watch for you,

so that when you come again

you will find us ready.

For you live and reign

with the Father 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

Judges 4:1-7 Deborah, one of the judges

Psalm 123

Antiphon:

Our eyes look to the Lord our God, until he has mercy upon us.

(Ps 123:2b NRSV)

OR, 1b

Zephaniah 1:7,12-18 The day of the Lord is near

(Insert 'The Lord says:' before v 12)

Psalm 90:1-8(9-11)12

Antiphon:

Teach us to number our days (, that we may gain a heart of wisdom).  (Ps 90:12 NKJV)

SECOND READING

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 Be ready for the Lord's coming

ALLELUIA VERSE (1 Thess 5:4,5 NRSV)

Alleluia, alleluia.

But you 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.

Alleluia.

GOSPEL

Matthew 25:14-30 The parable of the talents

(Begin: 'Jesus said:')

PRAYER AFTER THE GOSPEL

This is the gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

Thank you, Lord Jesus,

for entrusting each of us with various gifts.

Help us to be faithful servants.

Amen.

OFFERING PRAYER

Thank you, Lord,

for all the gifts you have entrusted to us.

Help us to remember

that all we have comes from you

and is to be used to serve you.

Make us faithful and trustworthy servants,

always ready for your return.

Amen.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

Call to prayer

Our peace and security is with God. Let us pray that he would give his church, and all people, the true satisfaction of our needs and desires.

The regular response, OR:

Heavenly Master,

hear our prayer.

Suggested intercessions

Concluding prayer

Father, hear the prayers we offer to you, and sustain us in faith until you finally receive us with the words, 'Well done, good and faithful servants'. We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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. Alternatively, the following invitation may be used.

Jesus said: The next time I drink the fruit of the vine

will be that day when I drink it new with you

in my Father's kingdom. (Matt 26:29)

(Thanks be to God.)

Come, everything is ready.

PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

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

Lord Jesus Christ,

as we have proclaimed your death

by eating this bread and drinking this cup,

help us to wait for you,

to wish for you,

and to watch for you,

so that when you come again

you will find us ready.

For you live and reign

with the Father and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and forever.

Amen.

DISMISSAL

Go in peace, doing the Lord's work while it is day.

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): Judges 4:1-7

LHS

AT

TIS

First reading (b): Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18

LHS

AT

TIS

-

Second reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

LHS

AT

TIS

Gospel: Matthew 25:14-30

LHS

AT

TIS

PSALM 123

For musical settings of Psalm 123, see Music Packages 3 and 6.

Music from Taize: Volume I has verses of Psalm 123 that may be sung to the ostinato response 'Misere nobis' on page 20.

The following paraphrase by David Sch¸tz of Psalm 123 may be sung to the tune Veni, Immanuel (LH 2, TIS 265) or Melita (LH 578, TIS 138) or another 8.8.8.8.8.8 tune. If reproducing this version, please put 'Words (c) David Sch¸tz' at the beginning or the end of the psalm.

To you, O Lord, I lift my eyes,

to you, enthroned in heaven above.

As servants look up to their lord,

we lift our eyes to God the Lord,

until he turns his eyes t'ward us,

and shows his mercy and his love.

Have mercy on us, Lord, we pray,

for we are treated with contempt.

We've had more than our fill of scorn

from those who live in ease and pride.

O turn, O Lord, be merciful

for we have put our trust in you.

PSALM 90:1-8(9-11)12

For musical settings of Psalm 90:1-8(9-11)12, see Music Package 10.

The hymn 'O God, our help in ages past' (LH 556, TIS 47) is a paraphrase of Psalm 90:1-6. The following paraphrase of Psalm 90:1-12 may be sung to any well-known 8.7.8.7D tune, such as Hyfrydol (LH 349, TIS 233), Friend (LH 426), or Austria (LH 458, TIS 93). If reproducing this version, please put 'Words (c) David Sch¸tz' at the beginning or the end of the psalm.

Lord, throughout all generations

you have been our dwelling place,

long before the birth of mountains,

long before the world was made,

you were God then, now and ever,

everlasting still the same,

but one word returns us mortals

back to dust from whence we came.

For a thousand years of history

are as nothing in your sight,

they're like yesterday now passing,

like an hour in the night;

they are swept away on waking

like a dream at break of day,

they're like grass that grows in morning,

and in evening fades away.

Lord, your angry indignation

has consumed us all with fear,

for our sin and our transgression

by your light has been made clear.

Lord, your wrath has been our burden,

as our short lives pass away.

All our lives are filled with suff'ring,

and our years end with a sigh.

We may live for seven decades -

if we're strong, then maybe eight -

but their span is grief and sorrow

when they're gone, we fade away.

Yet before your mighty anger,

should we not all be afraid?

So that we might have true wisdom,

teach us how to count our days.

NOTES ON THE READINGS

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

JUDGES 4:1-7: For two to three hundred years after the entry into Canaan, the tribes of Israel had no formal unified government. Despite God's warnings through Moses and Joshua, there were periodic dalliances with the cultic idol worship of surrounding peoples. At those times the surrounding kings with the advantage of iron-age weaponry were able to either capture, control or harass portions of the nation. The judges were charismatic-like leaders whom God raised both to recall Israel to repentant faithfulness and to lead the tribes into liberating military victory, often miraculously. Deborah was one such judge. In this account she not only acted as an arbitrating judge, but assumed a role of prophetic leadership to instigate military action.

ZEPHANIAH 1:7,12-18: Zephaniah was addressing people at a time when either idol worship as such, or a compromise of true worship with idol worship, prevailed in Judah. As if that were not bad enough, general economic prosperity afforded the rich an opportunity to exploit the poor. Coupled with this kind of dishonesty was a spiritual laziness which sought to fob God off. Zephaniah's stark and vivid predictions of destruction and devastation, both to Jerusalem and to the whole world, seek to awaken people to the sure catastrophic detail with which the Lord will seek the individual sinner out. It is only a God who loves passionately who can react with such 'jealousy' to his people's treacherous infidelity.

1 THESSALONIANS 5:1-11: Human nature has always blurred the edges between God's will for properly fulfilled human living under his love and wilful human love for living against his will.  The second coming of our Lord Jesus points up the urgency of keenly observing this distinction. If one wishes to live in the enjoyment of darkness (sin), there can be no justified surprise when caught as by a thief in the night. Christians are therefore called on to strengthen and encourage one another to live in the light. God's essential will is that we should be saved!

MATTHEW 25:14-30: All believers are given abilities and opportunities by God to carry out his work in the Kingdom. Some are given more outstanding gifts (talents) and some are given perhaps simpler gifts (yet important to God) (1 talent). In the parable the two who were given five talents and two talents respectively each bring back double what they were given. Even though the one brought back more than twice the amount of the other, they are both rewarded equally. God's reward is purely of grace, therefore, but it is apportioned according to their faithfulness, which was equal. The man who hid his talent lacked trust and faithfulness. Any return he might have brought would have averted the Lord's rejection.

VISUAL

VISUALS FOR THE READINGS

Pictures or visual symbols could be displayed on banners or the overhead screen during the readings.

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 alternative first reading (1b) could be read by three readers: one reader to announce and close reading, Zephaniah, the Lord; and the gospel could be read by six readers: the pastor to announce and close the reading, Jesus, first servant, master, second servant, third servant.

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 talents (Matthew 24:14-30)'. Material for this story may be found in:

Original Edition, Year A, Semester 2, 25 Pentecost

OR

Revised RCL Edition, Year A, Semester 2, Proper 28.