The Service in PDF format is at: October 18,2020 Service
No video for this week’s service
Peace Lutheran Church
Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost
October 18, 2020
As We Gather: Countless times during Christ’s mission in human flesh for the sins of the world, the Pharisees and others tried to test, trap and trick Jesus, thinking He would suffer a setback to his ministry. Time and time again, Jesus in His divine wisdom and teaching would instead turn those times into a setup for teaching about many things regarding life on earth and the kingdom of heaven. We, too, face times of testing, trapping, and tricking, though not from the Pharisees, but from this world, the devil, and our own sinful flesh, and often we face setbacks. We are wise to turn to the one who has set us up for forgiveness, mercy and a new life through His own life, death and rising. Rejoicing in His grace, in response to His love, we faithfully, “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21).
OPENING SONG: “He Leadeth Me” (recorded on Saturday, September 12)
Text: Joseph H. Gilmore 1834-1918, alt. Tune: William B. Bradley, 1816-1868, © 1978 by Lutheran Church in America, The American Lutheran Church, The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada, The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod.
He leadeth me: oh, blessed thought!
Oh, words with heav’nly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be,
Still ‘tis God’s hand that leadeth me.
CHORUS:
He leadeth me, he leadeth me,
By his own hand he leadeth me.
His faithful foll’wer I would be,
For by his hand he leadeth me.
Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom,
Sometimes where Eden’s bowers bloom,
By waters calm, o’er troubled sea,
Still ‘tis God’s hand that leadeth me.
CHORUS
Lord, I would clasp thy hand in mine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine;
Content, whatever lot I see,
Since ‘tis my God that leadeth me.
CHORUS
And when my task on earth is done,
When by thy grace the vict’ry’s won,
E’en death’s cold wave I will not flee,
Since God through Jordan leadeth me.
CHORUS
INVOCATION & OPENING SENTENCES
P: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
P: Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your steadfast love;
C: according to Your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
P: Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!
C: For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
P: As we come and bow before the Lord to confess our sins, we admit that we have bowed down to other gods of this world and gods of our own choosing.
C: We confess we have trusted in ourselves and others rather than in You.
P: We have failed to rely on You in all times. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, and against others in what we have done and left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart
C: and have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We confess we have trusted in ourselves and others rather than in You.
P: Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
C: let the field exult, and everything in it!
P: Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
C: before the Lord, for He comes,
P: For He comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in His faithfulness.
C: Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.
Silence for personal reflection
P: Brothers and sister in Christ Jesus, God is a merciful and loving Father, of whom “There is no other, besides Him there is no God.” He has chosen you in the Gospel, which has come not only in word but with full conviction in power and in the Holy Spirit. Jesus died on the cross to redeem You. Through Him, in His stead, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
P: Let us pray. O God, the protector of all who trust in You, have mercy on us that with You as our ruler and guide we may so pass through things temporal that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
R: Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,
whose right hand I have grasped,
to subdue nations before him
and to loose the belts of kings,
to open doors before him
that gates may not be closed:
“I will go before you
and level the exalted places,[a]
I will break in pieces the doors of bronze
and cut through the bars of iron,
I will give you the treasures of darkness
and the hoards in secret places,
that you may know that it is I, the Lord,
the God of Israel, who call you by your name.
For the sake of my servant Jacob,
and Israel my chosen,
I call you by your name,
I name you, though you do not know me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other,
besides me there is no God;
I equip you, though you do not know me,
that people may know, from the rising of the sun
and from the west, that there is none besides me;
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
I form light and create darkness;
I make well-being and create calamity;
I am the Lord, who does all these things.
R: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God!
R: Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius.And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.
R: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise to You, O Christ!
ALL: I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and
earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell. 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 Christian Church, the communion of saints,
The forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body,
And the life everlasting. Amen.
P: Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
P: We offer to You, Lord, the sacrifice of our prayer and praise. You have blessed us with the gift of life in Your Son, Jesus. You provide for all our needs, even when we are unaware. Accept our humble thanksgiving, and empower us to demonstrate our thanks in words, actions, and dedicated service to You. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: Hear our prayer.
P: We acknowledge that You are the Lord, and there is no other. Strengthen us to resist temptations to serve other gods, whether things of this world, others, or ourselves. Open our eyes to see Your presence in all of our lives. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: Hear our prayer.
P: Our Savior Jesus, has reminded us to render to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to you what is Yours. As You have established all authority over us, we pray for our leaders in this world, nation, state, and community. Give them wisdom and courage to act with justice and mercy for all lives, including the aged, the vulnerable and needful. Bless also those who serve our Church as elected and called officials, and the leaders within our own congregation, that all actions bring glory to You. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: Hear our prayer.
P: We lift up all those in need, the hungry and homeless, the mourning and grieving, and all who seek healing, (especially…). Give peace, hope, and healing according to Your will. Lord, in Your mercy,
C: Hear our prayer.
P: Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C: Amen.
BENEDICTION
P: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and + give you peace.
C: Amen.
CLOSING SONG: “Our Awesome God”
(sung by the choir on May 5, 2019)
Music by Stan Pethel & Words by Daniel ben Judah Dayyan ©2004, GlorySound A division of Pawnee Press, Inc.
The God of Abr’ham praise, All praises to His name,
Who was and is, and is to be,
He is the same. The one eternal God Before us now appears;
The First, the Last, throughout all time, beyond the years.
His spirit flowing free, It surges where it will;
In prophet’s words He spoke and He is speaking still.
Established is His law, And changeless it shall stand,
It’s written on each heart throughout the land.
When the sky was starless in the void of the night,
Our God is an awesome God;
He spoke into the darkness and created the light.
Our God is and awesome God.
With judgment and wrath He poured out on Sodom,
the mercy and grace He gave us at the cross,
I hope that we have not too quickly forgotten,
Our God is an awesome God.
Our God is an awesome God,
He reigns from heav’n above with wisdom, pow’r, and love,
our God is an awesome God.
Eternal life He brings, Implanted in the soul;
His love shall be our strength and stay While ages roll.
We praise the living God! All praises to His name,
Who was, and is and is to be, He is the same.
Our God is an awesome God,
He reigns from heav’n above with wisdom, pow’r, and love,
our God is an awesome God.
Our God is an awesome God. Our God is an awesome God!
DISMISSAL