PENTECOST 24 Order of Service – St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church

We will gather together for worship service on Zoom using the following information:
MEETING ID: 5977365682
MEETING PASSWORD: 204934

=============================================================================

PENTECOST 24 Coronavirus 11-15-2020 10:00AM Worship

(Welcome / Greeting by the Pastors)

OPENING SONG:

THE OPENING RITE:

L The day of the Lord is at hand, it might arrive any moment, and if we are not awake or sober…

C we might not be ready!

L And if we are not careful and prepared…

C one day it will be too late!

L And if we are not very wise and responsible…

C one day we will come up short!

L Therefore, on this day, we want to be honest about our lives and seek God’s mercy.

C We confess, Lord, that we have been forgetful of your many blessings,
and neglectful of our God-given time and abilities.
We confess, Lord, that we have placed our trust in silver or gold, in anything and everything,
rather than in your saving activity.
We confess, Lord, that we have followed our lust in searching for pain or pleasure
rather than in serving you by loving others.
While there is still life in us, forgive us our sins and failings.
While there is still time before us, give us a second chance. Have mercy on us, Lord! Amen.

L You are all children of light and of the day… we are not children of the night or of darkness… and through the salvation that is in (+) Jesus Christ, you are saved, you are forgiven, you are God’s children now. So take the grace now, live the grace now, follow Christ now, believe now, serve God now, be worthy of God’s trust, invest yourself and don’t bury your light, don’t bury your life, don’t watch your God-given gifts rust and fade away! Hallelujah!

THE PRAYER OF THE DAY

Righteous God, you are our merciful master, you own the earth and all its peoples, and you give us all that we have.
     And your gift of your Son Jesus Christ is the life-changing treasure that is truly beyond all value!
     Inspire us to serve you with justice and wisdom, to be worthy of your love and your trust.
     We want to be ready when the trumpet sounds, when the saints go marching in. Amen.

FIRST READING: ZEPHANIAH 1:7, 12-18 [The DAY OF THE LORD will be a day of wrath and distress. Look out!]

1:7 Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the day of the LORD is at hand; the LORD has prepared a sacrifice, he has consecrated his guests.

1:12 At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the people who rest complacently on their dregs, those who say in their hearts, “The LORD will not do good, nor will he do harm.”

1:13 Their wealth shall be plundered, and their houses laid waste. Though they build houses, they shall not inhabit them; though they plant vineyards, they shall not drink wine from them.

1:14 The great day of the LORD is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the LORD is bitter, the warrior cries aloud there.

1:15 That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

1:16 a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements.

1:17 I will bring such distress upon people that they shall walk like the blind; because they have sinned against the LORD, their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung.

1:18 Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord’s wrath; in the fire of his passion the whole earth shall be consumed; for a full, a terrible end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.

SONG SELECTION

SECOND READING: 1 THESSALONIANS 5:1-11 [The DAY OF THE LORD will arrive like a thief in the night. Be ready!]

5:1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you.

5:2 For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

5:3 When they 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!

5:4 But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief;

5:5 for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness.

5:6 So then let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober;

5:7 for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night.

5:8 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.

5:9 For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

5:10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him.

5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.

GOSPEL VERSE: “Victory is mine, victory is mine, victory today is mine!

I TOLD SATAN ‘GET THEE BEHIND!’… victory today is mine!

(2) Joy is mine…

(3) Peace is mine…”

HOLY GOSPEL: MATTHEW 25:14-30 [The DAY OF THE LORD will bring joy or judgment. Be faithful!]

25:14 “For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them;

25:15 to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.

25:16 The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents.

25:17 In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents.

25:18 But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

25:19 After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them.

25:20 Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’

25:21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

25:22 And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’

25:23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

25:24 Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed;

25:25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’

25:26 But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter?

25:27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest.

25:28 So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents.

25:29 For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.

25:30 As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'”

THE SERMON Pastor Neil or Pastor Gwen

SONG SELECTION:

THE APOSTLES’ CREED:

I believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord.

He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into hell.

On the third day he rose again.

He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again 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.

OFFERTORY SONG: “Thank you, Lord… thank you, Lord… thank you, Lord… I just want to thank you, Lord!

(2) Been so good…

(3) Love you, Lord…”

OFFERING PRAYER:

God of grace and glory, we thank you for the gift of creation and the gift of our lives,

for the gift of salvation and the gift of Jesus Christ,

for the gift of your Holy Spirit and the gift of your Church.

Take our attitude of gratitude and transform it into caring and sharing towards the least, the lost,

and the lonely all over the face of this earth.

Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream. Amen.

MUSIC SELECTION Dennis Fortune

THE PRAYERS… We pray for NEW LIFE in the Spirit and the MISSION of the Church to the world!

THE LORD’S PRAYER

SONG SELECTION

THE BENEDICTION by one of the Pastors.

Month of November… Give thanks, live thanks, share love.

“We Have Come into This House”

“I Surrender All”

“When We All Get to Heaven”