Reign of Christ Sunday

 Gathered In To Be Called Out

Pentecost begins with a rush–the rushing, life-giving wind of God’s Spirit. Now the latter part of the season of Pentecost centers on the lush green of growth and glorious yellow of harvest. We are constantly reminded that God has inexorably linked the experience of grace to the life and work of human beings.  It is ordinary for the community of faith to be about the work of God’s reign.  It is extraordinary that this labor bears the very power of the cross and resurrection.  This part of the Pentecost season pushes us to see our work as sacramental, an incarnational expression of Christ’s own life, death, and resurrection.

CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION

We remember our baptisms, confess our faithlessness, 

and hear God’s faithful promise of forgiveness

Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

People: Amen.

Pastor: Before God, our rock, our refuge, and our dwelling place,

let us confess our sin.

Silence for reflection and self-examination.

Most Holy and Most Merciful God,

People: you know our failings better than we do.

Some of our sins we know —

the thoughts and words and deeds

against our sisters and brothers.

We are more ready to be forgiven than to forgive others.

Turn us again toward you and toward others.

Guide us again to the water of life,

and renew in us the grace of baptism,

that we may live for you and die in you,

for the sake and in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

Pastor: You are all children of God.

In the mercy of almighty God,

Jesus Christ was given to die for you,

and through Christ God forgives you all your sin.

With all the faithful in heaven and on earth,

rejoice and be glad,

your sins are forgiven!

People: Amen.

GATHERING

WE RESPOND TO GOD’S CALL WITH PRAISE AND PRAYER,
AND PREPARE TO HEAR GOD’S WORD OF LIFE

GREETING

Pastor: The grace given to us in Christ Jesus,                                                                          the rich presence of the Holy Spirit living in us,                                                      and the power of God who calls us with a holy calling be with you all.

People: And also with you.

PRAYER OF THE DAY        

Almighty and ever-living God, you anointed your beloved Son to be priest and sovereign forever.  Grant that all the people of the earth, now divided by the power of sin, may be united by the glorious and gentle rule of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

First Reading

2 Samuel 23:1-7

Now these are the last words of David:
The oracle of David, son of Jesse,
   the oracle of the man whom God exalted,
the anointed of the God of Jacob,
   the favourite of the Strong One of Israel: 

The spirit of the Lord speaks through me,
   his word is upon my tongue.
The God of Israel has spoken,
   the Rock of Israel has said to me:
One who rules over people justly,
   ruling in the fear of God,
is like the light of morning,
   like the sun rising on a cloudless morning,
   gleaming from the rain on the grassy land. 

Is not my house like this with God?
   For he has made with me an everlasting covenant,
   ordered in all things and secure.
Will he not cause to prosper
   all my help and my desire?
But the godless are all like thorns that are thrown away;
   for they cannot be picked up with the hand;
to touch them one uses an iron bar   or the shaft of a spear.
   And they are entirely consumed in fire on the spot.

Second Reading                                                                                              Revelation 1:4b-8                                                                                                         John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Look! He is coming with the clouds;
   every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
   and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail.
So it is to be. Amen. 

‘I am the Alpha and the Omega’, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. 

Gospel Reading                                                                                                John 18:33-37                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?’ Pilate replied, ‘I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?’ Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.’ Pilate asked him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’ 

SERMON

[click on the link below]

HYMN OF THE DAY

“O Jesus, I Have Promised”

NICENE CREED  (recited on festival Sundays)

Pastor: Let us confess our faith in the words of the Nicene Creed.

All: We believe in one God,

the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the only Son of God,

eternally begotten of the Father,

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made,

of one Being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation

he came down from heaven;

was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary 

and became truly human.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;

he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again

    in accordance with the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven

    and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,

and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father and the Son.

who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified.

who has spoken through the prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead,

and the life of the world to come. Amen.

TODAY IN OUR PRAYERS

Bill, Carol, Curtis, and Christine Buchkowsky, Teri Peterson, Wayne Turner, Janet Gregory, Marge McMillan, Kyrie Parimi, John Beaven, Doris Turner, Hilda Anderson, Linda Wolfe, Naomi, Bev Gregory, Dale Robinson, Bryan Matschke, Audrey Hedlin, Liz Sand, Robin Stamm and baby Constantine, Mona Neher, Carl Rausch, Joanne, Bill, and Jocelyn Adams, Oma Ywo, Joan Schock, Jennipher Karst, Jody Giesbrecht, Hannah, Wendell and baby Russell Francis, Helen Neher, the family of Norm Gregory, the family of Mary Anderson (Evelyn Robson’s mother), the family of Joel Zimmerman, the family of Roger Nostbakken, the family of baby Maverick Gallant (Bev Gregory’s great-grandson), and the family of Ray Johnson (the brother of Doris Turner).

We remember the missing and murdered indigenous women in Canada, the children and people buried in unmarked graves at residential schools and First Nation lands, and all those who have suffered the trauma of residential schools, the people of Syria, Iraq, Iran, Ukraine, the coup in Sudan, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Venezuela, Somalia, Libya, Mozambique, Hong Kong, the Palestinians and Israelis, the civil war in Ethiopia, Myanmar, Belarus, Lebanon, the Rohingya Muslim refugees and the ethnic Karen of Myanmar, all at the Mexico/United States border seeking refuge, the people of Haiti suffering from earthquake, hurricane, and political disasters and the 17 kidnapped persons, the people of Iqaluit dealing with contaminated drinking water, those in northwestern Washington and southern B.C., especially the communities of Abbotsford, Merritt, and Princeton devastated by torrential rains and flooding, those in the United States, Canada, and throughout the world caught up in racism and injustice and the resulting violence, and those throughout the world, in Canada, in our province, and in our community still threatened by the coronavirus.

THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE OF FAITH

 [The congregational response after each petition is:“CAUSE YOUR FRUITS OF LOVE TO ABOUND.”]

Pastor:  With confidence in God’s saving grace, let us pray to the Lord of the Harvest for the Church, the world, and the needs of all people everywhere, saying, “God, in your goodness,” and responding, “Cause your fruits of love to abound.”

Petitioner:  Loving God, through the water of our baptism, through the nourishing food of your Supper, and through the power of your Word, shine your light into our hearts and our minds, revealing to us the glory of your Son.  Strengthen us as we seek to follow you amid all the conflicting voices that surround us that we might testify to your truth in the world.  God, in your goodness…

Petitioner:  God of justice and wisdom, you rule the world in truth and grace, yet our world is too often ruled by violence and bloodshed. Provide wisdom and humility to all nations and their leaders that under your rule of love, all might know and do the things that make for peace. Establish your gentle justice over the nations and those who govern them, that all families of the earth would gather under the servant leadership of Christ and live in peace.   God, in your goodness…

Petitioner:   Sustaining God, the heavens and earth declare your glorious rule.  Sustain your handiwork of space and sea, of sky and soil, of stars and seeds, that all creatures would praise and thank  you with one voice.  Help us to cherish, celebrate and restore your life-giving gift of creation.  God, in your goodness… 

Pastor:   God of healing, you reign in all conditions of life.  Extend your reign of healing to all who suffer illness, pain, loneliness, depression, addictions, conflict, abuse, or grief.  We remember especially before you …   Lift their oppression and embrace them in your reign of promise and hope.  God, in your goodness…

Petitioner:  Faithful God, you nourish and sustain us as a shepherd cares for his flock. Through your Word you hold all things together in divine harmony.  Help us to cherish and to heal relationships that have been broken through our neglect, and to love all people, especially those who are most different from us. Enable us to seek the lost, bring back the straying, bind up the injured, and strengthen the weak. God, in your goodness …

Petitioner:  God of hope, confound our ways of self-serving behaviour.  Pour out your abundant grace and mercifully engage those who wrestle with faith or belief in you, especially those who have been hurt by the Church when it rules through law, force, and punishment and not love.  Hold them fast and draw them into your gracious reign of love.   God, in your goodness …. 

Petitioner:  Christ of mission, we pray for your Spirit as we count our days together in this community.  On this day when we call Christ “king” and “Lord” share with us the spirit of his strong, vulnerable love to unite our community.  In word, font, and table turn talk of death into abundant life and feelings of powerlessness into acts of redeeming care and signs of joy.  God, in your goodness…

Pastor:  Empowering God, your gracious Spirit intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.  Keep us in the faith, call, gather, and enlighten us with your Word, search our hearts and renew our lives to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ our living Lord.

People:  Amen.

THE GREETING AND SHARING OF PEACE

Pastor: The peace of Christ be with you always.

People: And also with you.

(The congregation greets one another with a gesture of peace, using these or similar words:
“Christ’s peace be with you.”)

THE OFFERING

(We worship God with the offering of our selves, our time, our talents, and our possessions.)

OFFERTORY PRAYER

Pastor:: Let us pray.
God of harvest,

People: to your table we bring wine and bread,

and gifts from the labor of our hands.

Receive the offering of our lives,

and feed us with your living bread from heaven,

that our lives may proclaim your care for all creation,

and that we may serve others in your name;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Pastor: Let us pray with confidence in the words our Saviour gave us:

People: 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 sins

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 forever. Amen.

BENEDICTION

Pastor: Almighty God, 

who makes all things new in Jesus Christ,

uphold you by the Spirit in times of trial, 

and give you peace, now, and always.

People: Amen.

CLOSING HYMN

“Oh, For a Thousand Tongues to Sing”

DISMISSAL 

Pastor: Go in peace.

Welcome others as Christ has welcomed you

People: Thanks be to God.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

TODAY AT KOG 

THIS WEEK AT KOG

• – Wednesday, November 24, Church Council meeting at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom

COMING UP AT KOG

King of Glory will hold our regular in-person worship services—following the provincial protocols recommended—on a weekly basis at the regular time 6:30 p.m.  Of course, should there be any significant changes with regard to the pandemic situation the Church Council will revisit the issue.

October, November, and Year-to-Date Budget and Contribution Report for KOG

2021 Budget:  $49,536       Monthly Budget:  $4,180.50     Weekly Budget:  $964.73

2021income/expenses: –$1,304.87

September income/expenses: –$2,043.59

Weekly contributions for October:  October 3: $520  October 10: $0

October 17: $320    October 24: $0  October 31: $370

Weekly contributions for November:  November 7: $ 1,540   November 14: $100

One of King of Glory’s service projects for the year is support of the Alzheimer’s Society.  Church Council has designated the Sundays in November for  a free will offering to be collected for the Alzheimer Society.  Please give generously.  To date $92 has been contributed.

On Eagle’s Wings Advent Reflections are available at the back of the church.

Massive floods and landslides have devastated parts of British Columbia. CLWR is accepting donations now on its website at clwr.org/BCfloods. Donations can also be made by phoning our office at 1.800.661.2597 (Monday to Thursday, 9:00 – 16:00 CDT) or by mailing a cheque to 600-177 Lombard Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3B 0W5.

Congratulations and God’s richest blessings to Jennipher Karst, Jody Giesbrecht, Hannah, and Wendell on the birth of Russell Francis.  God’s spirit of health, well-being, and joy be with you all.

The website  for all seven ELCIC congregations in Saskatoon is now up and the address is https://saskatoonelcic.com/   It will be used now mainly for sharing information during the pandemic.

We acknowledge the officers and members of the Church Council:  Wayne Turner, Chairperson, Jennipher Karst, Vice-chairperson.  Lauren Sarich, Secretary, Pat Sarich, Co-treasurer, Karen McKenzie, Financial Secretary and Evelyn Robson, Kyle Sarich, Karen Larson and Don Sanders as Council members at large.  We keep these people and their ministry of servant-leadership in our prayers asking the Spirit to send them wisdom, guidance, and understanding.

Co-Treasurer position for King of Glory 

King of Glory is looking for a co-treasurer primarily responsible for documenting and filling out the forms for the province, the Canada Revenue Agency and the ELCiC.  They will work Pat Sarich whose primary responsibility is oversight of the budget and the bookkeeping with respect of receipts and expenditures.  Please contact Pastor Michael about this position.

Checklist and Guidelines for Re-opening Worship Services

Disinfect/sanitize worship space and entrance etc before the service

One person preps worship materials [pastor]

Six feet distancing  recommended

No sharing of pencils, pens, etc.

No serving of food or beverages

Try not to use the washrooms

Open doors and windows if possible

Use/wear face masks, but you may sing quietly recommended

Hand sanitizer available

No physical contact (e.g. sharing of the peace, no passing of offering plate)

Communion procedure: distribution in a way that maintains physical distancing

Disinfect/sanitize worship space and entrance etc after the service