Bulletin – Sunday, November 19, 2023 – 25th Sunday after Pentecost
Sunday, November 19, 2023
25th Sunday after Pentecost
Approach
Welcome
Lighting the Christ Candle
One: Be still and breathe in the light of God’s love and presence, centre yourself in the peace and joy of Jesus Christ our Light.
All: We share the light and love of Christ.
Call to Worship
One: Rejoice and be glad for God takes delight in us.
All: We gather as God’s community.
One: Sing to God a new song.
All: We gather as God’s community that sings.
One: Come and hear God’s good news.
All: We gather as God’s community that listens to the good news of Christ’s Love.
One: Even when only two or three are gathered, Christ is in our midst.
All: We gather as God’s community that prays together.
One: With dance and song, with praise and prayer, let us worship God who is among us in this place.
Hymn – “We are Pilgrims” (VU #595)
We are pilgrims on a journey,
Fellow travellers on the road;
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load.
Sister, let me be your servant,
Let me be as Christ to you;
Pray that I may have the grace
To let your be my servant too.
I will hold the Christ light for you
In the nighttime of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you,
Speak the peace you long to hear.
I will weep when you are weeping,
When you laugh I’ll laugh with you;
I will share your joy and sorrow,
Till we’ve seen this journey through.
When we sing to God in heaven,
We shall find such harmony,
Born of all we’ve known together
Of Christ’s love and agony.
Brother, let me be your servant,
Let me be as Christ to you;
Pray that I may have the grace to
Let you be my servant too.
Prayer of Reflection
One: Generous God, you have created us in your image.
All: You have filled us – each one – with wondrous gifts.
One: Yet we confess that we do not always recognize those talents within ourselves or others.
All: Sometimes we use them to hurt rather than build up.
One: We confess that sometimes we want everyone to be the same as us.
All: To do the things our way.
One: Forgive us. Nurture within us the gifts you have given us.
All: Empower us to nurture our gifts and the gifts of others.
Words of Assurance
One: The God who created us continues to call forth great gifts from us.
All: We are one body in Christ. Thanks be to God! Amen!
Hymn – “For the Fruit of All Creation” (VU #227)
For the fruit of all creation, thanks be to God.
For the gifts to every nation, thanks be to God.
For the ploughing, sowing, reaping, silent growth while we are sleeping;
Future needs in earth’s safekeeping, thanks be to God.
In the just reward of labour, God’s will is done.
In the help we give our neighbour, God’s will is done.
In our world-wide task of caring for the hungry and despairing,
In the harvests we are sharing, God’s will is done.
For the harvests of the Spirit, thanks be to God.
For the good we all inherit, thanks be to God.
For the wonders that astound us, for the truths that still confound us,
Most of all that love has found us, thanks be to God.
The Word
Scripture Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 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! 4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; 5 for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. 6 So, then, let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober, 7 for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. 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. 9 For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.
Scripture Reading: Psalm 123 (from Psalms for Praying by Nan C. Merrill)
One: To you I lift up my Spirit, You, who are enthroned in every heart. For as the young child holds rightly the hand of its parent, as those in the throes of disease look to one who brings comfort…
All: So, our spirits seek the Heart of Love, that we might find mercy and forgiveness.
One: Have mercy on us, O Compassionate One, have mercy that we might turn from our blind and ignorant ways. Too long our souls have been veiled by fear and illusion.
All: Have mercy, lead us to the path of wholeness that we may know the abiding Peace of the Beloved. Amen.
Scripture Reading: Matthew 25:14-30
14 “For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; 15 to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. At once 16 the one who had received the five talents went off and traded with them and made five more talents. 17 In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. 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. 19 After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 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.’ 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.’ 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.’ 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.’ 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, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ 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? 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. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. 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. 30 As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Friends Listen to the Good News
God’s Wisdom for the World
Anthem – “All I Have”
All I have I give to Jesus,
All I am and all I hope to be.
There is nothing that I could give Him
That would repay His gift of love to me.
All my praise I give to Jesus,
Ev’ry song I have to sing.
Through His name I live victorious,
As I proclaim Him as my Lord and King.
Take my life and all it is;
Make it more completely yours.
Fill me now that I may live
In you love forevermore.
Use me Lord to do your Kingdom’s work;
In your plan, Lord, let me have a part.
Make each day I live a tribute Lord,
Let your Spirit overflow my heart.
Help me find a place of service Lord,
That I may show the way of truth.
All I am and all I hope to be,
Lord, I give it all to you.
Take my life and all it is;
Make it more completely yours.
Fill me now that I may live
In your love forevermore.
All I have I give you, Lord.
Reflection – “The Parable of the Talents”
Hymn – “Take My Life and Let it Be” (VU #506)
Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, all for thee;
Take my moments and my days;
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of thy love;
Take my feet, and let them be
Swift and purposeful for thee.
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from thee;
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as thou shalt choose.
Take my will, and make it thine,
It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart, it is thine own;
It shall be thy royal throne.
Take my love: and I will pour
At thy feet its treasure store;
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for thee.
Offering Invitation
One: God gives us many gifts and talents with expectation that we will use them in God’s service. Let us now give to God what is right and meaningful to God’s service.
Offering Response – “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow” (VU #541)
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures high and low;
Give thanks to God in love made known:
Creator, Word, and Spirit, One. Amen.
Prayer of Dedication
One: To you God we joyfully present our gifts and talents, not just our money. Through them all may faith counter unbelief, hope counter despair, fellowship counter loneliness. Bless our gifts and talents, O God, for action, in the Spirit and the name of Christ Jesus.
The Response
Prayers of the People
One: God who dwells among us
All: God who dwells within us.
One: Lord God who calls us to dwell together. Lord God, we give you thanks for all your gifts to us…for daily food…for health…for each breath we take…for freedom to choose and for the gifts of your word, your spirit, and your love. Our hearts are truly overwhelmed, O God, when we consider all that you are and how you have entrusted so much to us. May we be worthy of that trust…may we be a people who are unafraid to live fully and as richly as you want us to live…
All: Holy One, hear our prayers.
One: Help us O God as followers of Jesus, to multiply all that you have given us…to risk spreading your word and perhaps see it misunderstood…to gamble by loving those whom others think worthy only of hate…to make changes by doing good to those who have not done good to us. Help us be faith-filled and to desire to increase your glory and goodness in this world. Make us one who share in both word and deed that which you have given to us.
All: Holy One, hear our prayers.
One: We pray, O God, for the church and community here today that it may encourage all to discover, develop and use their gifts, those of nature and those of grace.
All: Holy One, hear our prayers.
One: We pray for those who are poor in body and in spirit…for those who are oppressed and heavy laden…for those who are sick or in despair especially those we name aloud or hold dear in our hearts…
One: Minister, O God, by your Spirit and by us to all those for whom we have prayed and help them walk faithfully in the path of our Lord Jesus the Christ…who taught us to pray together as one family, saying…
All: Our Father / Mother, who are 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, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
Hymn – “One More Step Along the World I Go” (VU #639)
One more step along the world I go,
One more step along the world I go,
From the old things to the new,
Keep me travelling along with you:
And it’s from the old I travel to the new;
Keep me travelling along with you.
Round the corner of the world I turn,
More and more about the world I learn;
All the new things that I see
You’ll be looking at along with me:
And it’s from the old I travel to the new;
Keep me travelling along with you.
As I travel through the bad and good,
Keep me travelling the way I should;
Where I see no way to go
You’ll be telling me the way, I know;
And it’s from the old I travel to the new;
Keep me travelling along with you.
Give me courage when the world is rough,
Keep me loving though the world is tough,
Leap and sing in all I do,
Keep me travelling along with you:
And it’s from the old I travel to the new;
Keep me travelling along with you.
You are older than the world can be,
You are younger than the life in me,
Ever old and ever new,
Keep me travelling along with you:
And it’s from the old I travel to the new;
Keep me travelling along with you.
Sending Forth
One: By the power of the Holy Spirit go forth into the world, to fulfill your calling as the people of God, the body of Christ. Go in peace; love and care for one another in Christ’s name. May God bless you with every gift needful of His work and may the Spirit grant you the willingness to risk yourself completely for the sake of the Good News. May the love and the compassion, the hope and the faith of Jesus dwell richly within you, both now and forever. Amen.
Response – “May the God of Peace” (MV #224)
May the God of peace and of all good,
May the God of peace and of all good
Be always with you. Amen!
May God’s peace be with you. Amen!
