INTRODUCTION
Jesus’ parable about two sons who don’t do what they say reveals surprises in the reign of God. In the reading from Ezekiel the people claim the ways of the Lord are unfair, while God offers repentance and new life. Paul urges us to look to Christ as a model of humility, putting the interests of others above our own. Nourished by the broken bread and shared cup, we offer our lives for the sake of our needy world.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
PRELUDE What a Beautiful Name (Fielding)
CONFESSION AND FORGIVENESS
Blessed be God, the one who forms us, Jesus who bears the cross,
the Spirit who makes our joy complete. Amen.
Let us bow before God in humility, confessing our sin.
Steadfast and faithful God,
you have revealed the ways of justice, yet we fail to follow you. We are overwhelmed by the world’s violence and suffering. We are afraid to risk what we have for the sake of others. For the harm we have caused,
known and unknown, forgive us. For the unjust demands we place on others and your creation, forgive us. For the ways we turn away
from you and our neighbor, forgive us. Lead us back to you and set us on the right path; in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.
Beloved in Christ, God’s justice stretches beyond all understanding.
God’s compassion is beyond compare. In Jesus, God is always making a new way for us. In Christ, you are already and always forgiven. Amen.
* PRAYER OF THE DAY
Let us pray.
God of love, giver of life, you know our frailties and failings. Give us your grace to overcome them, keep us from those things that harm us, and guide us in the way of salvation, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
GATHERING SONG At the Name of Jesus (ELW 416)
FIRST READING: Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32
1The word of the LORD came to me: 2What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, “The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge” 3As I live, says the Lord GOD, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. 4Know that all lives are mine; the life of the parent as well as the life of the child is mine: it is only the person who sins that shall die.
25Yet you say, “The way of the Lord is unfair.” Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way unfair Is it not your ways that are unfair 26When the righteous turn away from their righteousness and commit iniquity, they shall die for it; for the iniquity that they have committed they shall die. 27Again, when the wicked turn away from the wickedness they have committed and do what is lawful and right, they shall save their life. 28Because they considered and turned away from all the transgressions that they had committed, they shall surely live; they shall not die. 29Yet the house of Israel says, “The way of the Lord is unfair.” O house of Israel, are my ways unfair Is it not your ways that are unfair
30Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, all of you according to your ways, says the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions; otherwise iniquity will be your ruin. 31Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel 32For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the Lord GOD. Turn, then, and live.
PSALM: Psalm 25:1-9
1To | you, O LORD,
I lift | up my soul.
2My God, I put my trust in you; let me not be | put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph | over me.
3Let none who look to you be | put to shame;
rather let those be put to shame | who are treacherous.
4Show me your | ways, O LORD,
and teach | me your paths.
5Lead me in your | truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation; in you have I trusted all the day long.
6Remember, O LORD, your compassion and love,
for they are from | everlasting.
7Remember not the sins of my youth and | my transgressions;
remember me according to your steadfast love and for the sake of your goodness, O LORD.
8You are gracious and upright, O LORD;
therefore you teach sinners | in your way.
9You lead the lowly in justice
and teach the lowly your way.
SECOND READING: Philippians 2:1-13
1If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
6who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
7but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
8he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross.
9Therefore God also highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
10so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
12Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Gospel: Matthew 21:23-32
The holy gospel according to Matthew. Glory to you, O Lord.
23When [Jesus] entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority” 24Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him’ 26But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” 27So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
28“What do you think A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. 30The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. 31Which of the two did the will of his father” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.”
The gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.
MEDITATION Pastor Wende Bleam
HYMN OF THE DAY O God, My Faithful God (ELW 806)
With the whole church, we profess our faith using the Apostles' Creed
APOSTLES' CREED
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God's 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 to the dead.* On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
Remembering the caring and generous works of God, we pray for the church, creation, and the needs of our neighbors.
We put our trust in you as we pray for the church. Give bishops, pastors, deacons, and teachers the gifts of wisdom and discernment. Be with them in bold truth and faithful witness. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
Lead us in your truth as we pray for creation. Empower us to look to the interests of others as we make choices that impact the environment. Summon us to be advocates for healthy waterways, habitats, and air. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
Lead us in justice as we pray for those in government, the military, and other positions of authority. Give them humble and willing hearts, looking to the needs of others. We pray also for our enemies. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
Lord, we pray for the Ukrainian people that they be surrounded by your love and protection against the attacks on their country. Lift them up, and protect, them, end this war against them and let your peace reign. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
Trusting your goodness, we pray for all caregivers and people who are sick or suffering in any way. Give them encouragement and consolation in your presence. We pray especially for Dan, Sue, Jennifer, Ray, Ashton, Justin, Lois, Kathy and Rich McLaughlin, Carol, Connor, Ana, Helen, Jose, Hoon, Connie, Pat, Hazel, Deb, Joe, Ruth, Lisa, Rick, Dick, Alisia, Jacklyn, Lillian, Alexis, Jim and those we now raise before you in our hearts. We pray for those affected by the Covid virus in mind, body or spirit. Grant them healing and wholeness. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
Teach us your paths as we pray for this congregation. Be at work in us and unite us in your love as we labor together for the sake of the gospel. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
We give thanks for all the saints who died secure in the knowledge of salvation. Keep us fearless in our faith and certain of your resurrection. Merciful God, receive our prayer.
Remember us according to your steadfast love as we offer these and the prayers of our heart, trusting in your compassion made known through Jesus Christ. Amen.
* LORD'S PRAYER
Gathered into one by the Holy Spirit, let us pray as Jesus taught us.
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.
PEACE
The peace of Christ be with you always. And also with you.
OFFERING OF TITHES AND GIFTS TO GOD
Please place your offering in the plate near the Sanctuary door any time during or following worship. Your offering and tithes may be made on line through our website: stjohnslutheranfolcroft.org or sent by mail to
St. John’s Lutheran church, 1500 Glen Avenue, Folcroft, PA 19032.
* OFFERING PRAYER
Let us pray. Merciful God, as grains of wheat scattered upon the hills were gathered together to become one bread, so let your church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into your kingdom, for yours is the glory through Jesus Christ, now and forever. Amen.
* THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift the to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.
It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and in all places offer thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God,
through our Savior Jesus Christ; who on this day overcame death and the grave, and by his glorious resurrection opened to us the way to everlasting life. And so with all the choirs of angels, with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn:
* HOLY, HOLY, HOLY
In the night in which he was betrayed,
our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks;
broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take and eat; this is my body, given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks,
and gave it for all to drink, saying:
This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
* INVITATION TO COMMUNION
Come to the banquet, for all is now ready.
COMMUNION SONG
CHOIR COMMUNION SON G In This Feast of Love (Maukonen)
May the body and blood of our Lord Jesus strengthen you and keep you in His grace. Amen.
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Blessed be your name, O God, for we have feasted on your Word,
Christ Jesus, the joy and delight of our hearts. Strengthened by this food,
send us to gather the world to your banquet, where none are left out and all are satisfied. In Jesus’ name we pray.
*BLESSING
The God of glory, Jesus Christ, name above all names, and the Spirit who lives in you, bless you now and forever. Amen.
* SENDING SONG The Lord Now Sends Us Forth (ELW 538)
DISMISSAL - Go in peace. God is at work in you. Thanks be to God.
POSTLUDE: How Majestic Is Your Name (M. Smith)
We hope that this service was meaningful for you and brought God’s peace and comfort into your homes. Continue to wear a mask and wash your hands frequently and to love others as yourself. Pray, trust, believe and wait. See you next week.
You are welcome to watch the live service at 10:15 am at https://www.facebook.com/stjohnslutheranfolcroft
Or you can watch live streaming on the St. John's website: https://stjohnslutheranfolcroft.org
If you are having trouble accessing, please let us know.
The ETERNAL CANDLE is sponsored for the month of October by the Short family in memory of Virginia Lewis.
Thanks for all of your generosity! This June, we collected 8 pairs of socks and 22 pairs of underwear for David’s Drive 831 who helps local veterans in need at the VA Hospital in Coatesville.
In July, you donated to our 5 school aged St. John’s children so each student could have a $55 gift card to purchase what they needed for their upcoming school year.
An overflowing box full of notebooks, crayons, pencils and more will be dropped off at Delcroft Elementary to keep classrooms stocked with supplies.
And on Sunday, September 10 we celebrated God’s Work, Our Hands as we set up a table next to the Save A Lot in the Delcroft Shopping Center. We gave shoppers a free St. John’s grocery bag (a definite collector’s item) while we asked if they would be willing to donate food to Mt. Zion’s CME Church’s Food Bank in Sharon Hill. Folks were so generous donating non-perishable foods along with monetary gifts. We were all pleasantly surprised and grateful to those who flashed us a smile and a “thank you” and helped us help others. Shout out to the manager of Save A Lot who made a donation of 48 large cans of tomato sauce. Thanks also to all who generously donated food at church Sunday morning. Thanks to all who volunteered their time manning the table including MaryAnne Rossi and John Bindi who were extra active and engaging with the community. The food bank at Mt. Zion is open every Saturday from 10 am to noon if you are in need. You can also let Pastor Wende know if you are experiencing food insecurity.
The Social Ministry Committee would love to hear from you if you have any ideas for small fundraising and/or social ministry events that we could pull off with minimal effort. Challenge us with your ideas!!
With our church building getting older, we need everyone’s eyes and ears to help keep her in good repair. If you see any problems like a burnt out light bulb, please let Charlotte, Barb or Bud know or drop a note in the offering plate on Sunday. We need to get a jump on current or upcoming problems.
Each week, we collect food for our hungry neighbors in need in our SHARING GOD'S BOUNTY WAGON. Hunger doesn’t take a vacation. Please consider making a donation of a food item each week. If you are in need of food, please notify Pastor Wende and she will let you know what we have available.
YOU CAN HELP! You can be a good steward AND get your grocery shopping done. Did you know that if you purchase a grocery food gift card from St. John’s, our congregation will receive 5% of all sales of gift cards. Please see Ruth Weaver if you wish to purchase and gift cards. Thank you for helping us raise that 5% for helping to continue our ministry.
Our Financial Response (September)
CURRENT
Budgeted costs per month $ 8,510.68
Offering last month $ 5.158.29
Budget required to date (9 months) $ 76,596.12
Total received to date $ 47,460.61
MISSION SUPPORT
Budget required to date (9 months) $ 3,600.00
Total received to date $ 3,526.99
Please continue to support St. John's. Our expenses continue each month even if we are not all worshipping together inside our building.
Your offering and tithes may be made on line through our website: stjohnslutheranfolcroft.org or sent by mail to
St. John’s Lutheran church, 1500 Glen Avenue, Folcroft, PA 19032.
