Gathering
Welcome
Prelude
Call to Worship
A: Lift up your eyes, seeking to know your God.
Tune your spirit to the One in whom we dwell.
C: God’s love surrounds us here today.
God calls us to be children of the light.
We belong to the day when we have faith.
We live confidently in the hope of salvation.
We seek to be faithful.
We want to invest the talents God gives us.
Faithfulness gives us a sense of greater abundance.
Doing justice adds to our sense of worth and dignity.
We are here to build one another up.
May our worship be pleasing to God and encourage each of us.
Gathering Song “God, Whose Giving Knows No Ending”
# 678 [Tune: Hymn To Joy, 836]
Greeting
P: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And also with you.
P: Let us pray,
Good and righteous God,
you created the earth and all its peoples, and you give us all that we have. Inspire us to serve you with justice and wisdom, and prepare us for the joy of the day of your coming, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. Amen
A reading from Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, the 5thchapter.
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. 2For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3When they say, ‘There is peace and security’, then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labour pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! 4But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; 5for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. 6So then, let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; 7for those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. 8But 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. 9For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. 11Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.
Word of God. Word of Life. Thanks be to God!
Gospel Acclamation(sung together) page 142
Alleluia, Lord to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Gospel
P: The holy gospel according to Matthew, the 25ndchapter.
Glory to you, O Lord.
Jesus said, ‘For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; 15to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
16The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. 17In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. 18But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20Then 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.” 21His 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.” 22And 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.” 23His 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.”
24Then 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; 25so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.”
26But 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? 27Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. 28So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. 29For 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. 30As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon
Hymn of the Day “Day By Day” # 790
- Day by day, your mercies, Lord attend me,
bringing comfort to my anxious soul.
Day by day, the blessings, Lord, you send me
draw me ne’er to my heavenly goal.
Love divine, beyond all mortal measure,
brings to naught the burdens of my quest;
Saviour, lead me to the home I treasure,
where at last I’ll find eternal rest.
- Day by day, I know you will provide me,
strength to serve and wisdom to obey;
I will seek your loving will to guide me
o’er the paths I struggle day by day.
I will fear no evil of the morrow,
I will trust in your enduring grace.
Saviour, help me bear life’s pain and sorrow
till in glory I behold your face.
- O what joy to know that you are near me
when my burdens grow too great to bear;
oh, what joy to know that you will hear me
when I come, O Lord, to you in prayer.
Day by day, no matter what betide me,
you will hold me ever in your hand.
Saviour, with your presence here to guide me,
I will reach, at last, your promised land.
Words: Carolina Sandell Berg, 1832-1903, translated by Robert Leaf, 1936-2005, © 1992, Augsburg Fortress. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #A-736296. All rights reserved.
Creed
P: We are made God’s people through our baptism into Christ. Living together in trust and hope, let us confess our faith:
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
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
Prayers
Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
P: Into your hands, O God, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy, through Jesus Christ our Lord who teaches us to pray:
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; and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen
Sending
Announcements may be made.
Benediction
Sending Hymn “Beautiful Saviour” # 838
Beautiful Saviour, King of creation, Son of God and Son of Man!
Truly I’d love thee, truly I’d serve thee, Light of my soul, my joy, my crown.
Fair is the sunshine, fair is the moonlight, bright the sparkling stars on high;
Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer than all the angels in the sky.
Beautiful Saviour, lord of the nations, Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honour, praise, adoration, now and forevermore be thine!
Dismissal
A: Beloved of God,
go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
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