October 8 online worship

Preparations for Worship:

• Do your best to eliminate distractions like the phone, TV, etc.
• Worship actively! Whether you are by yourself or with others, try reading the parts of the service aloud (responses, lessons, and prayers).
• This service is for children too. Help them participate. Ask those who have that ability to read a prayer or lesson aloud. Take a moment to describe what’s happening. Ask questions. Encourage little ones to draw what they are hearing while you all listen. Unlike our more typical Sunday worship at church, you can pause at any time for questions and discussion.
• Before you begin, load each of the videos below. (You might first have to get past a distracting ad.)
• Pause for a moment of quiet meditation. Then pray:
  “Heavenly Father, I have come to worship you. Draw near to me in your gracious Word, and assure me of your loving kindness. Curb my wandering thoughts, that with undivided attention I may hear your voice and speak your praise. Through Jesus Christ. Amen.”

CONFESSION OF SINS

The grace of our Lord (+) Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you. And also with you.

We have come into the presence of God, who created us to love and serve him as his dear children.  But we have disobeyed him and deserve only his wrath and punishment.  Therefore, let us confess our sins to him and plead for his mercy.

Merciful Father in heaven, I am altogether sinful from birth.  In countless ways I have sinned against you and do not deserve to be called your child.  But trusting in Jesus, my Savior, I pray: Have mercy on me according to your unfailing love.  Cleanse me from my sin, and take away my guilt.

God, our heavenly Father, has forgiven all your sins.  By the perfect life and innocent death of our Lord Jesus Christ, he has removed your guilt forever.  You are his own dear child.  May God give you strength to live according to his will. Amen.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Almighty God, in your bountiful goodness, keep us safe from every evil of body and soul. Make us ready, with cheerful hearts, to do whatever pleases you; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

LESSON – ISAIAH 5:1-7

Let me sing for my loved one a song about my loved one’s vineyard.

My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile ridge.

²He dug it up and gathered the stones out of it.

He planted it with the best vines.

He built a tower in the middle of it.

He also cut a winepress into it.

He expected it to produce clusters of sweet grapes,

but it produced only sour grapes.

³So now, you residents of Jerusalem and you men of Judah,

judge between me and my vineyard.

⁴What more could have been done for my vineyard

that I have not already done for it?

When I expected it to produce clusters of sweet grapes,

why did it produce sour grapes?

⁵Now, let me tell you what I will do to my vineyard.

I will take away its hedge, and it will become a pasture.

I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled down.

⁶I will make it a wasteland.

It will not be pruned or hoed.

So briers and thorns will shoot up.

I will also command the clouds not to pour rain on it.

⁷Yes, the vineyard of the Lord of Armies is the house of Israel,

and the men of Judah are the planting that was pleasing to him.

He expected justice, but instead there was oppression.

He expected righteousness, but there was an outcry.

GOSPEL – MATTHEW 21:33-43

³³“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower. He leased it out to some tenant farmers and went away on a journey. ³⁴When the time approached to harvest the fruit, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. ³⁵The tenant farmers seized his servants. They beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. ³⁶Then the landowner sent even more servants than the first time. The tenant farmers treated them the same way. ³⁷Finally, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. ³⁸But when the tenant farmers saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance!’ ³⁹They took him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. ⁴⁰So when the landowner comes, what will he do to those tenant farmers?”

⁴¹They told him, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end. Then he will lease out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his fruit when it is due.”

⁴²Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?

⁴³“That is why I tell you the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces its fruit.

DEVOTION – PHILIPPIANS 3:12-21

CONFESSION OF FAITH

I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.  He descended into hell.  The third day he rose again from the dead.  He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.  From there he will come 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.

OFFERING

Offerings may be given on-line at tithe.ly/risensavior, mailed to the church, or dropped off at the church.

Our members have joined together in faith and love to do the Lord’s work in this community and around the world.  Guests need not feel obligated to participate in this offering which supports our ministry.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH

O Lord, You have planted, nurtured and hedged around Your vineyard, the Church. You sent Your dear Son to give His life for her.

Inspire her by Your Holy Spirit to yield much fruit for Your kingdom and grant that many find shelter on her holy hill.

Shine Your light upon us, O Lord, that we may do what is good and right and live as faithful citizens in our nation.

Bless our president, our governor, and all those elected and appointed to make, administer and judge our laws.

Divine Vinedresser, You prune those whom You love.

Strengthen our hearts to heed Your Law, that we may never presume to sin nor trust in our own deeds, but look to the rainfall of Your grace for our source of life.

Heavenly Father, You bring forth from this barren earth a holy people to press forward to Your heavenly goal.

Direct our zeal toward Your good and gracious purpose, and prosper the work of the hands that labor in Your name.

Dear Lord God, bless the congregations that are assisted by the WELS Commission on Congregational Counseling. Guide the commission as they evaluate ministry in WELS. Be with them as they help congregations review biblical teachings and principles that impact ministry and move them to develop plans that adjust and expand the ministry of Christ according to your will.

We thank you, Lord, for giving our synod these dedicated and talented people, and ask you to give them courage and patience as they carry out their work.

Merciful Lord, You sing the song of Your love over the vineyard of Your Church. Lift her united voice through Your Spirit, that she in turn would freely praise Your lavish grace and proclaim Your salvation beyond her walls; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who taught us to pray…

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who 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 forever and ever.  Amen.

PRAYER

O Lord God, our heavenly Father, pour out the Holy Spirit on your faithful people. Keep us strong in your grace and truth, protect and comfort us in all temptation, and bestow on us your saving peace, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

Brothers and sisters, go in peace. Live in harmony with one another.

Serve the Lord with gladness.

The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.

The Lord look on you with favor and (+) give you peace.

Amen.

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