The Sunday Lectionary and Prayers for Sunday, September 10, 2023—Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

 

The Sunday Lectionary and Prayers
Sunday, September 10, 2023
Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
[Ordinary 23, Proper 18]
(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)
(Semi-continuous Reading Plan)

Ready to Go
Exodus 12:1-14; Psalm 149; Romans 13:8-14; Matthew 18:15-20

Opening Statement

God’s love protected the Israelites as death passed over them. God’s love preserves our lives with hope and new possibilities for the future. Paul reminds us that love is the true fulfillment of God’s law, and that the love of God allows us to love freely and abundantly. Because of God’s love for us, human reconciliation and forgiveness are possible. Sing for joy, for God’s love is a steadfast and faithful presence in our lives. 

Opening Prayer
(Exodus 12, Romans 13, Matthew 18)

Ancient of days, we enter your presence to remember and rejoice. We come looking for your steadfast faithfulness and your loving care. May we be a people who seek reconciliation and genuine forgiveness with one another. In remembrance and gratitude for your mercy and your grace, we pray. Amen.

Call to Confession
(Exodus 12, Romans 13, Matthew 18)

Gracious God, amidst our songs of joy, our hearts are touched by fear. Sin plagues our world, even as we strive to build your realm. Sorrow enters our lives, even as we put on false smiles and engage in empty conversations. Death lurks around every corner, even as we struggle against our own mortality. Reconcile us with your love and compassion, and bless us with your compassionate presence, that we may be filled with joy, love, and hope this day. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon
(Romans 13, Matthew 18)

Wherever two or three are gathered in Christ’s name, God is with us. Where God is, grace and compassion abide. In the grace of God and the love of Christ, we are made one in ministry to the world.

Today’s Verse-of-the-Day:

Isaiah 46:4

Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

As we grow older, we grow weaker and more frail, but God never does. He is the “Ancient of Days” (Dan. 7:9, 13, 22). He remains infinitely strong and sustains you today as He did Paul, Moses, Abraham, Noah, and Adam.

Introduction to the Word
(Exodus 3)

As we listen for the word of God, turn aside from the worries and cares that imprison us in cages of our own making. Listen with awe and wonder to the great I Am—the one who invites us to new and wondrous possibilities. Listen well, for we worship on holy ground.

Today’s Lectionary Readings:
First Reading

Exodus 12:1-14
The passover

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire—with the head, legs and internal organs. Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover.

“On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.

“This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance.

A Psalm and A Prayer
Responsive Readings from the Psalms and Prayers
for Public Worship and Private Devotions

Psalm 149
Sing praise in the congregation
Cantate Domino

Hallelujah!
    Sing to the LORD a new song; *
  sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful.

Let Israel rejoice in his Maker; *
  let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.

Let them praise his Name in the dance; *
  let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.

For the LORD takes pleasure in his people *
  and adorns the poor with victory.

Let the faithful rejoice in triumph; *
  let them be joyful on their beds.

Let the praises of God be in their throat *
  and a two-edged sword in their hand;

To wreak vengeance on the nations *
  and punishment on the peoples;

To bind their kings in chains *
  and their nobles with links of iron;

To inflict on them the judgment decreed; *
  this is glory for all his faithful people.
    Hallelujah!

Lord our God, we stand before your presence. Look in mercy upon us poor, weak children, who do not know where to turn unless you help us with your mighty hand. We trust in you. You will help us, you will always be with us, and even in hard times you will accomplish your will for what is good. Bless us today as we gather to hear your Word. May your Word always be our strength and joy. Your Word gives victory in us and in the whole world so that your will may be done on earth as in heaven. Amen.

Second Reading
From the Epistles

Romans 13:8-14
Live honorably as in the day

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.

Today’s Gospel Reading

Matthew 18:15-20
Reconciliation in the community of faith

“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

Here end the Readings

Click HERE to read today’s Holy Gospel Lesson message

The Nicene Creed

The Nicene Creed

• We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.

• And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and was made human. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried. The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom will never end.

• And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life. He proceeds from the Father and the Son, and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified. He spoke through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church. We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and to life in the world to come. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

The Lord's Prayer - Our Father Who Art in Heaven

Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that 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, for ever and ever. Amen.

Holy Communion

Holy Communion
A nondenominational serving of bread and wine

Though no video can truly replace the experience of celebrating together in our places of worship, we know that where two or more are gathered, the Lord is present. This table is open to all who recognize Jesus Christ as healer and redeemer. This table is open to all who work to bring God’s Kingdom here on earth. No one is turned away because of life circumstances. No one is barred from this table. No one seeking God’s abundant grace and mercy is turned aside. We see before us the abundance that a life of faith offers as we respond to God’s everlasting mercy in prayer and deed.

Benediction
(Exodus 12, Matthew 18)

Just as God has called us here, God now sends us forth. *

  Just as God has joined us here,

God goes with us now. Go with the power of God to love and serve the world.

Optional parts of the readings are set off in [square brackets].

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle, and Gospel lessons are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Responsive Readings from the Common Book of Prayer (1789).

The Daily Lectionary is a three year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year A. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2023, we will be in Year B. The year which ended at Advent 2022 was Year A. These readings complement the Sunday and festival readings: Thursday through Saturday readings help prepare the reader for the Sunday ahead; Monday through Wednesday readings help the reader reflect and digest on what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
The Sunday Lectionary and Prayers for Sunday, September 10, 2023
Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Exodus 12:1-14; Psalm 149; Romans 13:8-14; Matthew 18:15-20
God’s love protected the Israelites as death passed over them. God’s love preserves our lives with hope and new possibilities for the future. Paul reminds us that love is the true fulfillment of God’s law, and that the love of God allows us to love freely and abundantly. Because of God’s love for us, human reconciliation and forgiveness are possible. Sing for joy, for God’s love is a steadfast and faithful presence in our lives.

“Reconciliation in the Community of Faith” The Gospel Message for Sunday, September 10, 2023—Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Today, our gospel message comes to us from the 14th chapter of Matthew, beginning with the 15th verse, “Reconciliation in the community of faith.”

“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:15-20).

Heavenly Father, you sent your Son to reveal your will for our lives and redeem us from sin and death. Through the power of your Holy Spirit, inspire us with confidence that you are with us amid the storms of life, bring peace to our troubled souls, and lead your church throughout the ages. Enable us to live as your redeemed saints, that our lives may witness to our faith. This we ask in Christ’s holy name. Amen.

 “Reconciliation in the Community of Faith”

For the last several Sundays, we have seen examples of great faith and discussed how such faith applies to our lives today. In the story of Jesus beckoning Peter to walk on water, we learn that great faith involves getting out of the boat. The story of Jesus and the Canaanite woman with the demon-possessed daughter demonstrated the necessity of persistence in a life of faith. Last week we read what Jesus taught his followers concerning discipleship. Jesus calls his disciples to live in faith by denying themselves, taking up their crosses, and following him—even if we do this far from perfect.

This Sunday's gospel lesson reveals another element of living faithfully—the nurture and maintenance of relationships.

It should be no surprise to us that the God we worship is a God of relationships. Humankind was created in God's image. Our likeness to God allows us to be in a relationship with God. Even when we broke our relationship with God through sin, God moved to restore that relationship. The gospel of John proclaims that God so loved the world that he gave his only son.…

Our journey is imperfect as we walk with God. We are still sinful beings; at our core, we seek to be the lord of our lives and rebel against God. Our sins exhibit our sinfulness against God in thought, word, and deed by what we have done and left undone. The Holy Spirit moves in our lives to convict us of our sins and to move us to change our behavior. The Spirit may speak to us through our conscience, through Scripture, or through a friend's voice.

We frequently confess our sinfulness and our sins either in the privacy of our prayer closet or in our community worship. We seek God's forgiveness that is always freely given, and we avail ourselves of the Spirit's power to turn from our sin and walk along Jesus' path rather than trailblaze our own path through the wilderness of life.

God's movement in our lives is never vengeful or meant to cause us harm. God's purpose is to move in our lives and restore our relationship with him. God created us for a relationship with him, and he realizes that we do not experience either peace or abundant life until we have that relationship with him.

Today's gospel lesson invites us to be mirror images of God in our relationships with others—especially our brothers and sisters in Christ. Of course, this is easier said than done.

When we are offended and hurt, our natural human response is to avenge ourselves against the one who offended us. We may do this in various ways, of which the most destructive is gossip. Seeking to get sympathy, amass allies, and at the same time cause harm to the individual, we gossip. A follower of St. Francis had a problem with the sin of gossip. As punishment for his gossiping behavior, St. Francis had him lay a feather on every household's doorstep in the town of Assisi. When the man returned to St. Francis and reported that he had accomplished his penance, St. Francis then directed him to pick up all of the feathers. The man objected, "I can't do that," he said, "the feathers have been blown all around town by the wind." St. Francis slowly nodded his head and said, "So it is with gossip, the words you say can never be picked up again."

When offended and when our relationship with another is strained, bruised, or broken, our goal is to heal, restore, and renew that relationship. We are called not to hurt, insist on our own way or the correctness of our position, and not get even. Relationships are too important to suffer the attacks of bruised egos.

The first thing we do when offended or hurt is to communicate with the one who hurt us. We do not confront him and tell him or her that he or she is wrong. Instead, we simply share how we were hurt by what they said or did.

Forgiveness is a constant. Forgiveness is given whether the individual asks for our forgiveness or remains unrepentant. This is not only for the sake of the relationship but also for our own physical, spiritual, and emotional health.

We live with the hope and prayer that the relationship will be restored, even if it takes some time for that to happen. Christ's example challenges us never to close the door to a relationship.

We, at times, downplay the importance of relationships. Assets, prestige, career, and ego are sometimes considered more important. Relationships are broken because of what people have done or said. We have severe relationships with people who don't do what we want them to do or don't believe as we do. Relationships, though, are one of the most important parts of our lives. We are social beings who were created for relationships with our creator and with our fellow creatures.

Healthy, vibrant relationships between brothers and sisters in Christ are essential for a bold and loving witness to those around us. Many of us have experienced the fighting and bickering of congregations, have soured those outside the church on the Christian faith, and darkened the congregation's witness.

Strong, dynamic relationships are necessary for Christian service. We have to be able to work together if we are to be about Christ's tasks. Hard feelings, bruised egos, and the unwillingness to forgive all hinder our ability to meet others' needs and share with them the gospel of Jesus Christ through our deeds.

We are a people of faith who seek to live out our faith in our daily lives. Faithfulness to Jesus Christ is more than simply knowing the right things and believing certain truths. Faithful living is allowing our faith to motivate and drive our words and actions.

Faithfulness compels us to live in relationships with others as friends rather than enemies because Christ died for us while we were enemies of God. Christ died so that we might call God our father, and God might call us his sons and daughters.

Prayer: Gracious and merciful God, our human family's problems are very grave, and we are no longer isolated from one another. We are confronted daily with our addiction to violence, our hatred, and our greed. We are heartbroken. The media are relentless in their presentation and critique, and we all long for some good news. It is so easy to forget that your Son, Jesus, is always the good news and has given us the remedy for our brokenness. "Father, forgive them, they don't know what they are doing." He spoke so clearly. We ask your Holy Spirit to remind us of this again and again. We ask you for the gift of hope in our lives and know that we need to turn to one another for the confidence and assurance that we will emerge from situations that seem hopeless in the short term. Banish fear and anxiety from our hearts.

Father, affirm us to one another and remove the barriers that seem to sour our relationships and keep us at a distance. Heal the short tempers, the crabbiness, and the grudges we hold, against one another, against our political system, against our Church, against our financial institutions. We could go on and on. Prompt us to be beacons in the present darkness, especially beacons to one another. We are all guilty of some selfishness, many of us have lived beyond our means, and we become angry and irrational and embrace ideologies that protect our acquisitions. We need your help to stop contributing to the larger greed that tears at our world. We believe in your grace's power to change our lives and promise to be again open to that grace today. Bless us with a peaceful spirit and a desire to be reconciled with one another. Amen.

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Scripture is taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Sermon contributed by Kevin Ruffcorn.
Jesus gives his followers rules for the community to live by. They are good rules as we strive to live our Christian lives together in ministry and fellowship.

The Morning Prayer for Sunday, September 10, 2023

 

Prayer of the Day
Sunday, September 10, 2023

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
Psalm 119:105 (NIV)

Lord our God, we stand before your presence. Look in mercy upon us poor, weak children, who do not know where to turn unless you help us with your mighty hand. We trust in you. You will help us, you will always be with us, and even in hard times you will accomplish your will for what is good. Bless us today as we gather to hear your Word. May your Word always be our strength and joy. Your Word gives victory in us and in the whole world so that your will may be done on earth as in heaven. Amen.

Verse of the Day for Sunday, September 10, 2023

 

Verse of the Day
Sunday, September 10, 2023

Isaiah 46:4

Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

As we grow older, we grow weaker and more frail, but God never does. He is the “Ancient of Days” (Dan. 7:9, 13, 22). He remains infinitely strong and sustains you today as He did Paul, Moses, Abraham, Noah, and Adam.

Read all of Isaiah Chapter 46

Listen to Isaiah Chapter 46

Scripture from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.