,

After Pentecost Week 24

,

After Pentecost Week 24

12 November 2023

A Service of Praise, Prayer and Proclamation

Sentence

Watch and be ready, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. Matthew 24.42, 44

  • Gracious God, we humbly thank you for life and health and safety, for freedom to work, leisure to rest, and for all that is beautiful in creation and human life. But, above all, we praise you for our Saviour, Jesus Christ, for his death and resurrection; for the gift of your Spirit; and for the hope of sharing in your glory. Fill our hearts with all joy and peace in believing; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

  • Eternal God,

    you have taught us that the night is far spent

    and the day is at hand:

    keep us awake and alert,

    watching for your kingdom,

    so that when Christ, the bridegroom, comes

    we may go out joyfully to meet him,

    and with him enter into the marriage feast

    that you have prepared for all who truly love you;

    through Jesus Christ our Lord,

    who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

    one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Ministry of the Word

  • 1 Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. 2 And Joshua said to all the people, ‘Thus says the LORD , the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors—Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor—lived beyond the Euphrates and served other gods. 3 Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac; 14 ‘Now therefore revere the LORD , and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD . 15 Now if you are unwilling to serve the LORD , choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD .’ 16 Then the people answered, ‘Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods; 17 for it is the LORD our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; 18 and the LORD drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the LORD , for he is our God.’ 19 But Joshua said to the people, ‘You cannot serve the LORD , for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. 20 If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm, and consume you, after having done you good.’ 21 And the people said to Joshua, ‘No, we will serve the LORD !’ 22 Then Joshua said to the people, ‘You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD , to serve him.’ And they said, ‘We are witnesses.’ 23 He said, ‘Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your hearts to the LORD , the God of Israel.’ 24 The people said to Joshua, ‘The LORD our God we will serve, and him we will obey.’ 25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem.

  • 1 Give heed to my teaching, O my people: incline your ears to the words of my mouth;

    2 For I will open my mouth in a parable: and expound the mysteries of former times.

    3 What we have heard and known: what our forebears have told us,

    4 We will not hide from their children, but declare to a generation yet to come: the praiseworthy acts of the Lord, his mighty and wonderful works.

    5 He established a law in Jacob and made a decree in Israel: which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children,

    6 That future generations might know, and those yet unborn: that they in turn might teach it to their children;

    7 So that they might put their confidence in God: and not forget his works, but keep his commandments,

  • 9 Now concerning love of the brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anyone write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another; 10 and indeed you do love all the brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, beloved, to do so more and more, 11 to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we directed you, 12 so that you may behave properly towards outsiders and be dependent on no one. 13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. 15 For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord for ever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

  • 1 ‘Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a shout, “Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” 7 Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” 9 But the wise replied, “No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.” 10 And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. 11 Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” 12 But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” 13 Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

  • 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 from the dead;
    he ascended into heaven,
    and is seated at the right hand of the Father;
    from there he will come 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.

  • Let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4.16

    Let us now confess our sins to almighty God.

    Heavenly Father,
    you have loved us with an everlasting love, but we have broken your holy laws and have left undone what we ought to have done.
    We are sorry for our sins and turn away from them. For the sake of your Son who died for us, forgive us, cleanse us and change us.
    By your Holy Spirit, enable us to live for you;
    through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    God desires that none should perish, but that all should turn to Christ, and live. In response to his call we acknowledge our sins. God pardons those who humbly repent, and truly believe the gospel. Therefore we have peace with God, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Ministry of Prayer

  • SEASON OF CREATION 2023 PRAYER

    Creator of All,

    From your communion of love life sprung forth like a mighty river and the whole cosmos came into being.

    On this Earth of overflowing love, the Word was made flesh and went forth with

    the life-giving waters proclaiming peace and justice for all creation.

    You called human beings to till and keep your garden. You placed us into right

    relationship with each creature, but we failed to listen to the cries of the Earth

    and the cries of the most vulnerable. We broke with the flowing communion of

    love and sinned against you by not safeguarding the conditions for life.

    We lament the loss of our fellow species and their habitats, we grieve the loss

    of human cultures, along with the lives and livelihoods that have been displaced

    or perished, and we ache at the sight of an economy of death, war and violence

    that we have inflicted on ourselves and on the Earth.

    Open our ears to your creative, reconciling and sustaining Word that calls to us

    through the book of Scripture and the book of creation. Bless us once again

    with your life-giving waters so that the Creator Spirit may let justice and peace

    flow in our hearts and overflow into all creation.

    Open our hearts to receive the living waters of God’s justice and peace, and to

    share it with our suffering brothers and sisters, all creatures around us, and all

    creation.

    Bless us to walk together with all people of good will so that the many streams

    of the living waters of God’s justice and peace may become a mighty river all

    over the Earth.

    In the name of the One who came to proclaim good news to all creation,

    Jesus Christ.

    Amen.

    See Parish Focus

    Link to Pray Daily from ACSQ

  • Our Father in heaven,
    hallowed be your name,
    your kingdom come,
    your will be done,
    on earth as in heaven.
    Give us today our daily bread.
    Forgive us our sin
    as we forgive those who sin against us.
    Save us from the time of trial
    and deliver us from evil.
    For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
    now and for ever. Amen.

The Sending out of God’s People

  • Loving God, we thank you for hearing our prayers, feeding us with your word, and encouraging us in our meeting together.

    Take us and use us to love and serve you and all people, in the power of your Spirit and in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

  • May the God of peace equip you with everything good for doing his will, working in you what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.