Order of Worship
September 24th, 2023 ~ 17th Sunday after Pentecost
Prelude
Welcome, Announcements, and Peace
Call to Worship
Amen.
~ written by Katherine Hawker
Hymn of Praise
The Gospel Changes Everything
WS #232
Benji Cowart, Meredith Andrews, Paul Mabury
CCLI Song #6378147
© 2012 Curb Songs; Mesmerized Music; So Essential Tunes; Spirit Nashville Three
For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com
CCLI License #3154366
Opening Prayer
Come!
Come and worship,
you who woke early and you who slept late;
you who come often, and you who don’t.
Whether we are first or last or somewhere in between,
there is room for all of us in God’s kingdom,
and more than enough grace to go around.
Let’s worship God together!
Amen.
Special Music
Dove Sei from Rodelinda
G. F. Handel
Baptism of Harriett Florence Rispoli (Hattie)
Scripture Reading
Matthew 20:1-16
New Living Translation
“For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay the normal daily wage and sent them out to work.
3 “At nine o’clock in the morning he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing. 4 So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day. 5 So they went to work in the vineyard. At noon and again at three o’clock he did the same thing.
6 “At five o’clock that afternoon he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them, ‘Why haven’t you been working today?’
7 “They replied, ‘Because no one hired us.’
“The landowner told them, ‘Then go out and join the others in my vineyard.’
8 “That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first. 9 When those hired at five o’clock were paid, each received a full day’s wage. 10 When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day’s wage. 11 When they received their pay, they protested to the owner, 12 ‘Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’
13 “He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? 14 Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. 15 Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’
16 “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Sermon
It’s Not Fair – Precisely
Senior Pastor, The Rev. Dr. Robert de Wetter
Pastoral Prayer
Prayers of the People
Offertory
Alleluja from Exultate Jubilate
W. A. Mozart
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above ye heav’nly host
Praise Father Son and Holy Ghost
Amen
CCLI Song # 6115489
Thomas Ken
Public Domain
For use solely with the SongSelect®. Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com
CCLI License # 3154366
Communion
Lord’s Prayer
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. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Closing Hymn
Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
RH #648
Andy Green, Charles Wesley, Christopher Norton, John Zundel
CCLI Song #4506966
Words: Public Domain; Music: 2005 Thankyou Music
For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com
CCLI License #3154366
Closing Prayer
To God be all glory,
the One who visits us in three persons,
the Holy Trinity of hope and love.
For there is no place which is without you, O God,
and no time when you are not there.
For you are the beginning and the end,
the source of all that is
in the wonder of universal life.
And yet, you take us by the hand and lead us,
as the life of Christ walks our human way
and shows us that life is stronger than death.
In the Holy Spirit, we are gifted, again and again,
and are called onwards toward a future
in which we are surrounded with love and grace,
We praise and worship you, O God,
for there is no other God like you.
Amen.
~ from Words for Worship
Blessing
Postlude
Our love in action now begins…
This Sunday’s Special Music is brought to you by
Nikki Boxer & Terry Lee,
Micha Schoepe & Paul Dankers.
Thank you to all of this Sunday’s volunteers!
Altar Setter – Sue de Campo
Greeters – Joan Bemis and Bob Wolfe
9am Scripture Reader and Prayers of the People – Jacqui Horton
10:30am Scripture Reader – Bode McDowell
