The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost – October 4, 2020
St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church of Folcroft
610.583.4977 + stjohns1500@gmail.com
https://stjohnslutheranfolcroft.org
Rev. Wende L. Bleam, Pastor
email: rev.w.bleam@gmail.com phone: 267-261-4321
Rick Vanstone – Organist/Choir Director
Sharon Modge – Church Secretary
MaryAnne Rossi – Financial Secretary
Sharon Modge – Treasurer
INTRODUCTION
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus tells a vineyard parable, which serves as an image of Israel, the prophets’ mission, and Christ’s death. For Christians, the vineyard also speaks of God’s love poured out in the blood of Christ, given to us for the forgiveness of sin. Grafted onto Christ the vine at baptism, we are nourished with wine and bread so that we may share Christ’s sufferings and know the power of his resurrection.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRELUDE Air Handel
* CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
Blessed be the holy Trinity, one God, who creates, redeems, and sustains us and all of creation. Amen.
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.
Faithful God,
have mercy on us. We confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. We turn from your loving embrace and go our own ways. We pass judgment on one another before examining ourselves.
We place our own needs before those of our neighbors. We keep your gift of salvation to ourselves. Make us humble, cast away our transgressions, and turn us again to life in you through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
God hears the cries of all who call out in need, and through his death and resurrection, Christ has made us his own. Hear the truth that God proclaims:
Your sins are forgiven in the name of Jesus Christ. Led by the Holy Spirit, live in freedom and newness to do God’s work in the world. Amen.
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
+ GATHERING +
+ The Holy Spirit calls us together as the people of God +
* GATHERING SONG How Clear Is Our Vocation, Lord (ELW 580)
* GREETING
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.
PRAYER OF THE DAY:
Let us pray.
Beloved God, from you come all things that are good. Lead us by the inspiration of your Spirit to know those things that are right, and by your merciful guidance, help us to do them, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
+ WORD +
+ God speaks to us in scripture reading, preaching and song +
FIRST READING: Isaiah 5:1-7
1Let me sing for my beloved
my love-song concerning his vineyard:
My beloved had a vineyard
on a very fertile hill.
2He dug it and cleared it of stones,
and planted it with choice vines;
he built a watchtower in the midst of it,
and hewed out a wine vat in it;
he expected it to yield grapes,
but it yielded wild grapes.
3And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem
and people of Judah,
judge between me
and my vineyard.
4What more was there to do for my vineyard
that I have not done in it
When I expected it to yield grapes,
why did it yield wild grapes
5And now I will tell you
what I will do to my vineyard.
I will remove its hedge,
and it shall be devoured;
I will break down its wall,
and it shall be trampled down.
6I will make it a waste;
it shall not be pruned or hoed,
and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns;
I will also command the clouds
that they rain no rain upon it.
7For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts
is the house of Israel,
and the people of Judah
are his pleasant planting;
he expected justice,
but saw bloodshed;
righteousness,
but heard a cry!
PSALM: Psalm 80:7-15
7Restore us, O | God of hosts;
let your face shine upon us, and we | shall be saved.
8You have brought a vine | out of Egypt;
you cast out the nations and | planted it.
9You cleared the | ground for it;
it took root and | filled the land.
10The mountains were covered | by its shadow
and the towering cedar trees | by its boughs.
11You stretched out its tendrils | to the sea
and its branches | to the river.
12Why have you broken | down its wall,
so that all who pass by pluck | off its grapes
13The wild boar of the forest has | ravaged it,
and the beasts of the field have | grazed upon it.
14Turn now, O | God of hosts,
look | down from heaven;
15behold and | tend this vine;
preserve what your right | hand has planted.
SECOND READING: Philippians 3:4b-14
[Paul writes:] 4bIf anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.
7Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. 8More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, 11if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
12Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.
GOSPEL: Matthew 21:33-46
The holy gospel according to Matthew. Glory to you, O Lord.
[Jesus said to the people:] 33“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. 34When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. 35But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. 37Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.’ 39So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants ” 41They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.”
42Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures:
‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is amazing in our eyes’
43Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. 44The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”
45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. 46They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.
The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
MEDITATION: Pastor Wende
HYMN OF THE DAY If You But Trust in God to Guide You (ELW 769)
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 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 OF INTERCESSION
With confidence in God’s grace and mercy, let us pray for the church, the world, and all those in need.
Holy God, you call us to work for peace and justice in your vineyard. Refresh the church with your life, that we may bear fruit through work and service. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Thank you for the abundant harvest of the earth. Bless and care for those whose hands bring the fruits of the earth to the tables of all who hunger. May we be inspired by your servants who cared deeply for your creation. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Curb the impulses of greed and pride that lead us to take advantage of others. Grant that world leaders seek the fruits of the kingdom for the good and welfare of all people. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Sustain all who suffer with the promise of new life. Assured of your presence, heal our pain and suffering, and equip us to embrace all bodies aching for wholeness of mind, body, and soul. We call to mind those who are struggling today. We especially pray for those who are affected by the wild fires in our western states and for the firefighters who are battling the fires, those who are all affected by the covid virus in mind, body or spirit and for Shawn, Erin and baby Evie, Derek, Morgan, Priscilla, Connie and her family, Lois, Pat, Hazel, Bill, Jacklyn, Addison, Joe, Deb, Tim, Ash, Sue, Gavin, Donna, Robert, Alannah, Lillian, Alexis, Sarah, Bob, Sharon, Shane, Tom, Carl, Cindy, Chrissy, Monica, Norman, Tucker, Marc, Helen, Lucas the Folcroft Police, Holy Spirit Secane, St. Timothy Aston, and those we now raise before you in our hearts; Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We pray for all managers in our community and for all who seek employment. Give hope and a future to those who lack meaningful work, those who have been marginalized or abused in the workplace, and those who desire new opportunities. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Thank you for the saints who teach us to live faithfully in your vineyard . May our chorus join theirs until our labor is complete. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Listen as we call on you, O God, and enfold in your loving arms all for whom we pray, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
PEACE
The peace of Christ be with you always. And also with you.
+ MEAL +
+ God feeds us with the presence of Jesus Christ +
We will now receive the offering of tithes and gifts to God.
OFFERING
Offerings may be made on line through our website: stjohnslutheranfolcroft.org or sent by mail to
St. John’s Lutheran Church, 1500 Glen Avenue, Folcroft, PA 19032.
COMMUNION HYMN What Feast of Love (ELW 487)
* DIALOGUE
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord Our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
* PREFACE
It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and in all places offer thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God,
through our Savior Jesus Christ; who on this day overcame death and the grave, and by his glorious resurrection opened to us the way to everlasting life. And so with all the choirs of angels, with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
* HOLY, HOLY, HOLY
Holy, holy, holy, Lord
God of power and might
Heaven and earth are full of your glory
Hosanna in the highest
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord
Hosanna in the highest
* THANKSGIVING AT THE TABLE
In the night in which he was betrayed,
our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks;
broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take and eat; this is my body, given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks,
and gave it for all to drink, saying:
This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.
* 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;
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.
* INVITATION TO COMMUNION
Come to the banquet table
where Christ gives himself as food and drink.
COMMUNION
The body of Christ, given for you.
The blood of Christ, shed for you. Amen.
TABLE BLESSING
The body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace. Amen.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
We give you thanks, gracious God, that you have once again fed us with food beyond compare, the body and blood of Christ. Lead us from this place, nourished and forgiven, into your beloved vineyard to wipe away the tears of all who hunger and thirst, guided by the example of the same Jesus Christ
and led by the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
+ SENDING +
+ God blesses us and sends us in mission to the world +
BLESSING
Mothering God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
bless you and lead you into the way of truth and life. Amen.
* SENDING SONG How Firm a Foundation (ELW 796)
DISMISSAL - Go in peace. Remember the poor. Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE: Water Music Handel
We hope that this service was meaningful for you and brought God’s peace and comfort into your homes. Continue to shelter in place to love others as yourself. Pray, trust, believe and wait. See you next week.
You are welcome to watch the live service at 10:15 am at https://www.facebook.com/wende.bleam
Or you can watch live streaming on the St. John's website: https://stjohnslutheranfolcroft.org
If you are having trouble accessing, please let us know.
From Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2013 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #44714. New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Our Financial Response (September)
CURRENT
Budgeted costs per month $ 9,021.10
Offering last month $ 4,346.00
Budget required to date (9 months) $ 81,189.82
Total received to date $ 43,063.26
MISSION SUPPORT
Budget required to date (9 months) $ 5,625.00
Total received to date $ 3,974.00
Please continue to support St. John's.
Our expenses continue each month even if we are
not worshipping together inside our building.
Your offering and tithes may be made on line through our website: stjohnslutheranfolcroft.org or sent by mail to St. John’s Lutheran Church, 1500 Glen Avenue, Folcroft, PA 19032.
