Prelude
His Eye is on the Sparrow
The Gathering Hymn All Creatures of our God and King
All creatures of our God and KingLift up your voice and with us sing,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam!
Refrain:
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Dear mother earth, who day by day
Unfoldest blessings on our way,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
The flowers and fruits that in thee grow,
Let them His glory also show. Refrain
Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship Him in humbleness,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One! Refrain
The Gathering
The heavens declare the glory of God, the Milky Way reveals God’s handiwork.
Yet I would mark all things down as a loss, compared to knowing the perfection of Christ Jesus my lord.
The stone which builders once rejected has now become the corner stone.
This is God’s own doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes.
Holy, holy, holy are you most beautiful and mysterious God.
Holy, holy, holy are you, Christ Jesus, the very radiance of God.
Holy, holy, holy are you, True Spirit, the joy that lives in our hearts.
God our Friend, please do not allow familiarity to dull our awareness of your unspeakable love. May worship be the holiest aspiring and the dearest pleasure of our souls. In the name of Christ our Lord. Amen
Jubilate Psalm 100
Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; * serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with a song.
Know this: The Lord himself is God; * he himself has made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise; * give thanks to him and call upon his name.
For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; * and his faithfulness endures from age to age.
Psalm 19
REFRAIN The statutes of the Lord rejoice the heart.
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork. One day tells its tale to another, and one night imparts knowledge to another. Although they have no words or language, and their voices are not heard, Their sound has gone out into all lands, and their message to the ends of the world.
The statutes of the Lord rejoice the heart.
In the deep has he set a pavilion for the sun; it comes forth like a bridegroom out of his chamber; it rejoices like a champion to run its course. It goes forth from the uttermost edge of the heavens and runs about to the end of it again; nothing is hidden from its burning heat.
The statutes of the Lord rejoice the heart.
The law of the Lord is perfect and revives the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure and gives wisdom to the innocent. The statutes of the Lord are just and rejoice the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear and gives light to the eyes.
The statutes of the Lord rejoice the heart.
The fear of the Lord is clean and endures for ever; the judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, more than much fine gold, sweeter far than honey, than honey in the comb.
The statutes of the Lord rejoice the heart.
By them also is your servant enlightened, and in keeping them there is great reward. Who can tell how often he offends? cleanse me from my secret faults.
The statutes of the Lord rejoice the heart.
Above all, keep your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not get dominion over me; then shall I be whole and sound, and innocent of a great offence. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.
The statutes of the Lord rejoice the heart.
A READING FROM THE BOOK OF EXODUS (20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20)
Then God spoke all these words: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work. Honour your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour. You shall not covet your neighbour's house; you shall not covet your neighbour's wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to neighbour. When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they were afraid and trembled and stood at a distance, and said to Moses, "You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we will die." Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin."
Listen for the Leading of the Spirit R: Thanks be to God
Circle of Praise – A Version of Psalm 148 for St. Francis of Assisi Day
All dogs and dingoes, large and small:
Praise the Lord!
All rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs:
Praise the Lord!
All goldfish, guppies and swimming creatures:
Praise the Lord!
All eagles, budgies and singing birds:
Praise the Lord!
All wombats, koalas and wallabies:
Praise the Lord!
All horses, cows and sheep:
Praise the Lord!
All lizards, snakes and crawling creatures:
Praise the Lord!
Every animal in the sky, the sea and the forest:
Praise the Lord!
A READING FROM THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE PHILIPPIANS (3:4B-14)
If anyone has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised 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; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More 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 and 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. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not 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. Beloved, 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, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.
Listen for the Leading of the Spirit R: Thanks be to God
Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me bring your love.
Where there is injury, your pardon, Lord,
And where there’s doubt, true faith in you.
Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there’s despair in life, let me bring hope.
Where there is darkness, only light,
And where there’s sadness ever joy.
O Spirit, grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled, as to console,
To be understood, as to understand,
To be loved as to love, with all my soul.
Make me a channel of your peace.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
In giving of ourselves that we receive,
And in dying that we’re born to eternal life.
O Spirit, grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled, as to console,
To be understood, as to understand,
To be loved as to love, with all my soul.
Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me bring your love.
Where there is injury, your pardon, Lord,
And where there’s doubt, true faith in you.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
In giving of ourselves that we receive,
And in dying that we’re born to eternal life.
O Spirit, grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled, as to console,
To be understood, as to understand,
To be loved as to love, with all my soul.
Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me bring your love.
Where there is injury, your pardon, Lord,
And where there’s doubt, true faith in you.
The Gospel
THE HOLY GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING TO MATTHEW (21:33-46)
R: Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ
Jesus said, "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. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.' So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" They 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." Jesus 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'? Therefore 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. The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls." When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.
The Gospel of Christ R: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ
The Homily
An Affirmation of Faith (from The Modern Liturgist)
We believe in God, the Creator!
Maker of everything,
Author of the Universe,
And Mystery behind every matter.
We believe in Jesus Christ!
God from God, Light from Light, true God and true human,
One with the Creator.
He is the Word made flesh and the Savior of all creation!
We believe in the Holy Spirit!
Breath of God moving among us,
One with the Creator and one with Christ,
He is our Guide and the Mentor of all creation! Amen.
The Offering Hymn Creative God, you spread the Earth
Creative God, you spread the earth with life in many forms The deer and elk and columbine, the bee in humming swarms.
Forgive us for each flow’r and bird now vanished by our hand.
Teach us to treat with loving care the creatures of the land.
The planet teemed with living things before all human birth,
And even fire and beasts of prey renewed the life of earth.
Forgive us, that the last to come, we threaten sea and air.
Teach us to tend life’s fragile web with wise and tender care.
O playful God, you fill the field with lavender and blue.
You paint the bird with indigo, with red or tawny hue.
Forgive us that we grieve your heart, destroying what you do,
And teach us simpler, gentler ways to live on earth with you.
Prayer over the offering
God of truth, receive all we offer you this day. Make us worthy servants, strong to follow in the pattern of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen
THE BLESSING OF ANIMALS
May your pets be blessed in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. May you enjoy your life together and find joy with the God who created you.
THE BLESSING PRAYER (together)
Most high, almighty Lord, our Creator, yours are the praise, the glory, the honour and all blessings! To you alone do all things belong. Be praised for giving us the animals, birds and fish which fill your world. May we think of you and thank you when we play with and care for our pets. Be praised for making us so happy to have our pets and to have them to play with. We ask you, Lord, that we may be good to our pets always, so that they may be happy also. Help us always to take care of them so that they will be healthy. O God, your world is wonderful. May we all come into your even greater world of the kingdom of heaven where we shall see even more wonderful things and where we shall live and love for ever. This we ask to your eternal praise, and to our blessing. Amen.
Intercessions and Thanksgivings (written by Bruce Prewer)
Eternal God, we thank you for this week which has presented us with a panorama of exploding autumn colors. We thank you that you have so painted this world with colors that our eyes almost catch a glow from the brilliance.
Holy Friend, health of the sick, comfort of the sad, rebuke of the oppressor,
judge of the greedy, hope of the repentant, friend of the downtrodden;
in prayer we lift up to you this world with its outrageous injustices
yet also its outpouring of human kindness from ordinary people.
O Lord hear our prayer, and in your love answer
We pray for those who live with serious illness,
those with chronic pain, those with mental health issues,
those who because of the uncertainty of the pandemic find that their anxiety is increasing,
those who find themselves feeling isolated and more alone than ever,
those without access to proper medical care,
those for whom treatment is no longer an option.
O Lord hear our prayer, and in Your love, answer.
Loving God, let your blessing be upon those
who serve their neighbours without thought of reward,
who forgive their enemies seventy times seven,
who care for broken strangers as if they were dearest friends,
who weep with the bereaved as if they were siblings,
who heal the diseased not counting the risk to themselves
O Lord hear our prayer, and in your love answer
Let your blessing encourage those
who work for peace when the only result seems to be more violence,
who preach and live the Gospel in the face of persecution,
who feed the hungry although their efforts get misinterpreted,
who stand up for the downtrodden in spite of public scorn,
and who maintain the church when those around belittle it.
O Lord hear our prayer, and in your love answer
Holy Friend,
please reach out your hand over each of us gathered here now,
that our faith may be enlarged and fortified,
our vision enlightened and extended,
and our compassion refreshed and widened.
O Lord hear our prayer, and in your love answer
Through Jesus of Nazareth,
whose love was good enough for the simple,
too much for the proud and powerful,
and absolutely amazing for all who shared his cup. Amen!
The Collect of the Day
Almighty God, you have built your Church on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. Join us together in unity of spirit by their teaching, that we may become a holy temple, acceptable to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
The Lord’s Prayer
As our Saviour taught us, let us pray,
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 for ever. Amen
Announcements
Closing Hymn Lord of the Dance
I danced in the morning when the world was begun,
And I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun;
And I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth,
At Bethlehem I had my birth.
Chorus
Dance then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the Dance, said he.
I danced for the scribe and the pharisee,
But they would not dance and they wouldn’t follow me.
I danced for the fisherman, for James and for John-
They came with me and the dance went on. Chorus
I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black;
It’s hard to dance with a devil on your back.
They buried my body and they thought I’d gone;
But I am the Dance, and I still go on. Chorus
They cut me down and I leapt up high;
I am the life that’ll never, never die.
I’ll live in you if you’ll live in me.
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he. Chorus
The Sending Out
I danced in the morning when the world was begun,
And I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun;
And I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth,
At Bethlehem I had my birth.
Chorus
Dance then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the Dance, said he.
I danced for the scribe and the pharisee,
But they would not dance and they wouldn’t follow me.
I danced for the fisherman, for James and for John-
They came with me and the dance went on. Chorus
I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black;
It’s hard to dance with a devil on your back.
They buried my body and they thought I’d gone;
But I am the Dance, and I still go on. Chorus
They cut me down and I leapt up high;
I am the life that’ll never, never die.
I’ll live in you if you’ll live in me.
I am the Lord of the Dance, said he. Chorus
The Sending Out
What does the Lord require of you,
except to do justice,
and to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God. These we will strive to do! Thanks be to God. Alleluia!!
Postlude
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