WELCOME! We extend a warm welcome to all who worship with us this morning, and a special welcome to any who are visitors to our church. Visitors are asked to sign our guest book in the narthex and introduce themselves to the pastor. May God bless you with His love and strengthen you in your faith. Please return whenever the opportunity presents itself. _________________________________________________________________________________
Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost November 20, 2020
Liturgy: Divine Service-Setting Three (pages 184-202) Hymns: #531, #781, #620, #783
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THE INTROIT
Ps. 143:2, 5-6, 10-11; antiphon: Ps. 143:1
Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my pleas for / mercy!
In Your faithfulness answer me, in Your / righteousness!
Enter not into judgment with Your / servant,
for no one living is righteous be- / fore You.
I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that / You have done;
I ponder the work / of Your hands.
I stretch out my / hands to You;
my soul thirsts for You like a / parched land.
Teach me to do Your will, for You / are my God!
Let Your good Spirit lead me on / level ground!
For Your name’s sake, O Lord, pre- / serve my life!
In Your righteousness bring my soul out of / trouble!
All: Glory be to the Father and / to the Son and to the Holy / Spirit;
as it was in the be- / ginning, is now, and will be forever. / Amen.
Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my pleas for / mercy!
In Your faithfulness answer me, in Your / righteousness!
COLLECT OF THE DAY
Pastor: Almighty and ever-living God, You hae given exceedingly great and precious promises to those who trust in You. Dispel from us the works of darkness and grant us to live in the light of Your Son, Jesus Christ, that our faith may never be found wanting; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. AMEN.
THE OLD TESTAMENT READING Zephaniah 1:7-16 (ESV) Be silent before the Lord God! 8For the day of the Lord is near; the Lord has prepared a sacrifice and consecrated His guests. And on the day of the Lord’s sacrifice — “I will punish the officials and the king’s sons and all who array themselves in foreign attire. On that day I will punish everyone who leaps over the threshold, and those who fill their master’s house with violence and fraud. “On that day,” declares the Lord, “a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate, a wail from the Second Quarter, a loud crash from the hills. Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar! For all the traders are no more; all who weigh out silver are cut off.And that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are complacent, those who say in their hearts, ‘The Lord will not do good, nor will He do ill.’ 13Their goods shall be plundered, and their houses laid waste. Though they build houses, they shall not inhabit them; though they plant vineyards, they shall not drink wine from them.”
The great day of the Lord is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter; the mighty man cries aloud there. A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, day of trumpet blast and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements.
GRADUAL
All: These are the ones coming out of the great tribu- / lation.
They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood / of the lamb.
Blessed are those whose strength is / in You, in whose heart are the highways to / Zion.
THE EPISTLE 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 (ESV)
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
THE HOLY GOSPEL Matthew 25:14-30 (ESV)
[Jesus said:] “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying,‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
* * * ANNOUNCEMENTS * * *
ALTAR FLOWERS are placed to the glory of God.
DRIVE THRU COMMUNION - We will be offering a drive-thru communion for members of the Tri-Parish who have been worshiping online but who are uneasy about attending in person worship or having the pastor visit their home with the Sacrament. The opportunity will be offered on Monday, November 16 from 1-3pm at Bethel Lutheran Church, 301 Scott Ave in Glenshaw. No appointment is necessary. Arrangements can be made for another time or for a home visit by calling the pastor.
What to expect: You will remain in your car. The pastor, masked, will remain at a distance. You will be given a paper outlining a brief service which will include: Confession and Absolution; Scripture; A Brief Devotional Reflection; Creed; Prayer; and Holy Communion. The elements will be extended to you in a way that maintains distancing. This brief service will be roughly 10minutes in length.
VICAR WOOLWEBER – will have regular office hours at Bethel every Wednesday from 8:30am until 4pm. You can call him at Bethel during those hours or you can also reach him by calling his cell phone at 747-232-4911.
CONGRATULATIONS – to Sherrie Purucker and Fred Heintz who have both been elected to the Board of Directors at Concordia.
BETHEL BOARD OF DIRECTORS - will meet on Tuesday, November 17th at 7pm.
TRI-PARISH COMMITTEE MEETING – has been postponed. The Tri-Parish Constitution Committee will meet instead on Wednesday, November 18th at 7pm at St. John’s.
THANKSGIVING EVE SERVICE - will be held on Wednesday, November 25th at 7pm at St. John’s. The Tri-Parish “Joyful Noise” Handbell Choir will be performing at the Thanksgiving Eve Service.