The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
Jesus, Living Bread, Renewing Our Hungry World
Pentecost begins with a rush–the rushing, life-giving wind of God’s Spirit. We also remember that Sunday is a day of rest. Rest is not meant to emphasize relaxation as much as it does renewal. The Church year season of Pentecost recognizes that God’s Spirit breathes into us life-giving re-creation. The readings for these months of Summer worship focus on who we are in Christ, what is the nature of faith, what is the living out of this faith, what the life of following Jesus is all about. The Bread of Life, like the manna in the wilderness, and like the bread on the Lord’s table, declares how near and involved our God actually is in our daily lives. Through Christ’s word and Spirit we have refreshment and renewal.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
WE REMEMBER OUR BAPTISMS, CONFESS OUR FAITHLESSNESS,
AND HEAR GOD’S FAITHFUL PROMISE OF FORGIVENESS
Pastor: Blessed be the holy Trinity:
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
who forgives all our sin,
whose mercy endures forever.
People: Amen.
Pastor: God of all mercy and consolation,
come to the aid of your people,
turning us from sin
to live for you alone.
Give us the power of your Holy Spirit
that, attentive to your Word,
we may confess our sins,
receive your forgiveness,
bear with one another in love,
maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,
and grow into the fullness of your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
People: Amen.
Pastor: Let us confess our sin in the
presence of God and of one another.
Reconciling God, People: you seek peace and unity among us, but too often we choose walls of isolation. You seek to be one with your creation, but we turn away your loving Spirit. In your forgiving love, break down the barriers we create, that we might see more clearly your love for us, be reconciled with our neighbour, and trust more deeply your promise of eternal life. Amen.
Pastor: We who once were far off
have been brought near to God
through the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and by the power of the Holy Spirit.
May our all-loving God through the Holy Spirit
grant you grace to forgive one another
as God in Christ has forgiven you.
People: Amen.
HOLDEN EVENING PRAYER
[click on the link below]
Listen through the Magnificat. It ends at 10:40
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Almighty and eternal God, you show perpetual lovingkindness to us your servants. Because we cannot rely on our own abilities, grant us your merciful judgment, and train us to embody the generosity of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. Amen.
FIRST READING
Jonah 3:10-4:11
When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.
But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord and said, ‘O Lord! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing. And now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.’ And the Lord said, ‘Is it right for you to be angry?’ Then Jonah went out of the city and sat down east of the city, and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, waiting to see what would become of the city.
The Lord God appointed a bush, and made it come up over Jonah, to give shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort; so Jonah was very happy about the bush. But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the bush, so that it withered. When the sun rose, God prepared a sultry east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint and asked that he might die. He said, ‘It is better for me to die than to live.’
But God said to Jonah, ‘Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?’ And he said, ‘Yes, angry enough to die.’ Then the Lord said, ‘You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labour and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?’
SECOND READING Philippians 1:21-30 For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labour for me; and I do not know which I prefer. I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith, so that I may share abundantly in your boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to you again.
Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel, and are in no way intimidated by your opponents. For them this is evidence of their destruction, but of your salvation. And this is God’s doing. For he has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as well— since you are having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
GOSPEL READING Matthew 20:1-16 ‘For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the labourers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the market-place; and he said to them, “You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.” So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, “Why are you standing here idle all day?” They said to him, “Because no one has hired us.” He said to them, “You also go into the vineyard.” When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, “Call the labourers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.” When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they
grumbled against the landowner, saying, “These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.” But he replied to one of them, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?” So the last will be first, and the first will be last.’
SERMON
[click on the link below]
HYMN OF THE DAY
“Lord of All Hopefulness”
TODAY IN OUR PRAYERS Bill, Carol, Curtis, and Christine Buchkowsky, Teri Peterson, Wayne Turner, Kyrie Parimi, Doris Turner, Hilda Anderson, Linda Wolfe, Naomi, Bev Gregory, Dale Robinson, Audrey Hedlin, Mona Neher, Oma Ywo, Owen Peterson, Helga Halldorsdottir, Evaline Sanders, Wayne Andre, Cari Schappert, the family of baby Mavrick Gallant (Bev Gregory’s great-grandson), the family of Katherine Meger (Joshua Bratvold’s great grandmother), the family of Lois Jenkins (Ann Salmon’s mother), the family of Carl Rausch, the family of Janet Gregory (Bev Gregory’s sister in-law), the family of Robert Gregory (Bev Gregory’s brother in-law).
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, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the people of Syria, Iraq, Iran, the fighting in Sudan, the flooding in South Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan, Yemen, Venezuela, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, the Palestinians and Israelis, Ethiopia and Tigray, Myanmar and the Rohingya Muslim refugees, Lebanon, Niger, all at the Mexico/United States border seeking refuge, the 100 million refugees and displaced persons, the 345 million people suffering from food insecurity, the people of Haiti suffering political disasters, those across Canada, threatened by wildfires and smoke-filled air, the people in Libya devastated by flooding, the people in Morocco recovering from earthquake, and those in the United States, Canada, and throughout the world caught up in racism and injustice and the resulting violence.
HOLDEN EVENING PRAYER
[click on the link below]
Begin listening at 10:40, The Prayers
CLOSING HYMN
“O God Beyond All Praising”
DISMISSAL
Pastor: Go in peace, renewed with Christ’s Spirit to love and to serve.
People: Thanks be to God.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
TODAY AT KOG
– Sunday, September 24, Worship led by King of Glory (communion) Blessing of the Animals, 6:30 p.m. – Coffee Social after the service. Hosted by Carol and Pat Sarich
THIS WEEK AT KOG
– Tuesday, September 26, Church Council meeting via Zoom, 7:30 p.m. – Wednesday, September 27, Women’s Breakfast Out, at Mulberry’s Restaurant 2326 B Millar Avenue, 10:00 a.m.
– Saturday, September 30, Men’s Breakfast Out at Mulberry’s Restaurant 2326 B Millar Avenue, 8:30 a.m
COMING UP AT KOG – Sunday, October 1, Worship led by St. David’s/Trinity (communion), 10:30a.m. – Potluck meal after the service – Thursday, October 5, Bible Study, “A Short History of Grace,” 7:30 p.m. Hosted by Doreen Matschke. We meet in Pastor Michael’s home, 1010 Duke Street.
– Sunday, October 8, Worship led by St. David’s/Trinity (no communion), Thanksgiving Sunday, 10:30 a.m. – Coffee Social after the service
– Sunday, September 17, Worship led by King of Glory (communion) 10:30 a.m. – Coffee Social after the service. Host needed – Thursday, September 21, Bible Study, “A Short History of Grace,” 7:30 p.m. Hosted by Renita Falkenstern. We meet in Pastor Michael’s home, 1010 Duke Street.
August, September, and Year-to-Date Budget and Contribution Report for KOG
2023 Budget: $50,471 Monthly Budget: $4,260 Weekly Budget: $971
2023 income/expenses: -$6,173.64
July income/expenses: -$1,878.71 Weekly contributions for August: For the month $870
Weekly contributions for September: September 10: $1370 September 17: $634
The women of St. David’s/Trinity are invited to join the women of KOG on– Wednesday, September 27, for Women’s Breakfast Out, at Mulberry’s Restaurant 2326 B Millar Avenue, 10:00 a.m. Mulberry’s would like us to make a reservation. If you plan to attend please call Carol Sarich: 306-382-9868 by noon Tuesday September 26.
The men of St. David’s/Trinity are invited to join the men of KOG on– Saturday, September 30, for Men’s Breakfast Out, at Mulberry’s Restaurant 2326 B Millar Avenue, 8:30 a.m. Mulberry’s would like us to make a reservation. If you plan to attend please call Pastor Michael: 306-653-1929 by noon Friday September 29.
“A Short History of Grace”. This Bible and theology study looks at the ways grace is interpreted from the time of the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament, through St. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther and to contemporary theologies of liberation.
Offerings.
Even though we are meeting together we still have expenses and need your offerings so that we can pay them. If you are not attending worship services Church Council has decided that best way to receive your offerings is that you mail a cheque (Please no cash for mail security reasons) to the church and we can process them from there.
Send your contributions to: King of Glory Lutheran Church
3318 Merritt Street
Saskatoon, SK S7M 3P6
Thank you for your generosity.