Sunday Worship with Spiritual Communion
September 27th, 2020
Opening Hymn
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all.
Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hidden. Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Collect:
God, you are the power of liberation,
calling your servant Moses
to lead your people into freedom,
and giving him the wisdom to proclaim your holy law.
Be our Passover from the land of injustice,
be the light that leads us to the perfect rule of love,
that we may be citizens of your unfettered reign;
we ask this through Jesus Christ,
the pioneer of our salvation. Amen.
Let us now sing the Gloria:
The Epistle: Philipians 2:1-13
Introduction: In this passage, it is clear that Paul is making an appeal for unity based on common devotion to Christ and common possession of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort in love, any sharing in the Spirit,
any sympathy, complete my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, being united, and
agreeing with each other. Don’t do anything for selfish purposes, but with humility think of others
as better than yourselves. Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others. Adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus:
Though he was in the form of God, he did not consider being equal with God something to exploit.
But he emptied himself by taking the form of a slave and by becoming like human beings. When he found himself in the form of a human, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Therefore, God highly honored him and gave him a name above all names, so that at the name
of Jesus everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth might bow and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Therefore, my loved ones, just as you always obey me, not just when I am present but now even
more while I am away, carry out your own salvation with fear and trembling. God is the one who
enables you both to want and to actually live out his good purposes.
The Word of the Lord
Hymn:
The Gospel: Matthew 21:23-32
Introduction:
The question the chief priests and the elders of the people really wanted to ask Jesus was: ‘So do you think you are the Messiah?’ The answer is this: it was the Messiah who would have authority over the temple.
Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”
Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”
They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask,
‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people,
for they all hold that John was a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
“‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
“Which of the two did what his father wanted?”
“The first,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
The Gospel of Christ
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,
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,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and 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.
Confession & Absolution:
The Prayers of the People
Friends in Christ,
God invites us to hold the needs of our sisters and brothers
as dear to us as our own needs.
Loving our neighbors as ourselves,
we offer our thanksgivings and our petitions.
Lord God, friend of those in need,
your Son Jesus has untied our burdens
and healed our spirits.
We lift up the prayers of our hearts
for those still burdened,
those seeking healing,
those in need within the church and the world.
We pray to you, Loving God:
Leader: We pray to you, Lord God: We pray for the people mentioned in today’s Anglican Cycle of Prayer:
St. Luke, Smithville, The Reverend Eleanor Clitheroe-Bell, Rector and the people of that parish
We pray for the sick of our parish and for our friends, family, and loved ones who are unwell:
(Please add your own prayers for those in need of healing)
Prince of Peace, we pray for an end to violence and warfare, that your authority may continue to grow until there is endless peace in every land.
Hear us compassionate Abba.
Lord of hosts, establish your holy realm with justice and righteousness, from this time on and forevermore.
Hear us loving Christ Jesus.
Wonderful Counselor, we pray for wisdom for the world’s leaders, that they may use their power to lift burdens and break the bonds of oppression.
Hear us Holy Spirit, our Advocate.
We pray for Linda our primate, Susan our bishop, and Bahman and Don our priests.
We pray for Queen Elizabeth, the Governor General, and the Prime Minister.
Almighty God, lover of humankind, giver of every spiritual gift, hear the prayers of your people and give us the will and the courage to serve you throughout the world. We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life. We will exalt you, O God our king. Amen.
The Spiritual Communion:
Prayer of Reception
The following prayer may be used by those making spiritual communion from afar.
I worship and adore you, Lord Jesus Christ, present in bread and wine, and present in your people, who are gathered in spirit. In this moment I join with them to receive you in my heart, and in our community. May you, enthroned on the altar, be now enthroned in my heart, may you, present in bread and wine, feed and renew my soul, may you, who gives yourself to us again, fill us with grace, and heavenly blessing. Even as I am fed, may my hunger for you and for your reign of justice and peace increase, that I may, with your Spirit, work for that day when your kingdom shall come on earth as it is heaven. Amen.
Closing Hymn:
Postlude
