MORRIS-ROSENFELD ECUMENICAL SHARED MINISTRY
ORDER OF SERVICE FOR SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2023
26TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
CHRIST THE KING
Due to copyright limitations, we are unable to print the words to many of the songs. However, our musicians have chosen music to fit the scriptures. We invite you to look up the words in your worship book and ponder them. If you do not have a worship book, ponder the words of one of your favourite hymns and listen for God’s voice. Those who have the internet may find the songs on YouTube.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Your Lord is a God of mercy and bountifulness: be a source of mercy and bountifulness to your neighbors. If you will be such, you will find salvation yourself with everlasting glory.
– John of Kronstadt
BEFORE WE WORSHIP, WE REFLECT…
When people would ask Mother Teresa how she was able to love people in the most desperate situations, she would respond by holding up her hand and speaking one word for each finger: “You; did; it; to; me,” referencing Matthew 25. She called this the “Gospel on five fingers.” Mother Teresa described her ministry as caring for “Jesus in his most distressing disguise,” that is, by caring for the poorest of the poor. Her words honor the spirit of the parable Jesus tells, in which even the righteous struggle to recognize the presence of the divine king in those in need. Today’s gospel passage reminds us not to look away from the faces of those in distress, remembering that Christ’s own face might be hidden there.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT – written by Joshua Lane
We acknowledge we gather and worship on Treaty 1 Territory, the original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation.
We pray for the courage to speak up for the marginalized and oppressed, and to be a voice for the generations that have suffered under the weight of racism and discrimination. May your love and grace inspire us to take action towards healing and reconciliation, and to work towards a future where all are treated with dignity and respect. Help us to listen to the voices of those who have been silenced for too long, and to work together to see restoration and healing. May we be guided by your love and grace, and may our actions be a reflection of your goodness. May your Holy Spirit guide us towards a future where love, mercy, and compassion reign. We pray for your hand to be upon us as we work towards reconciliation, and we entrust our efforts into your hands. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
CALL TO WORSHIP
Come to worship Jesus Christ, Alpha and Omega, the one who is, who was, and is to come.
We come to worship the one who rules justly.
Come to worship Jesus Christ, the faithful witness; the firstborn of the dead, the ruler of the kings of the earth!
Bread of Heaven, God with us!
Good Shepherd, True Vine!
Eternal Word, Great I AM.
Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace!
We come to worship Jesus Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords! To him be glory and dominion forever and ever! Amen.
CHILDREN’S SONG: MV 126 Are You A Shepherd?
CENTERING PRAYER
God of Eternity, we stand with the courage of those who insisted, even in perilous times, that not even the most powerful rulers of this earth hold our eternal destiny in their hands. We are secure in Christ, whose reign is just, whose power is endless, and whose love is unfathomable. God of Eternity, we join the chorus of saints who continue to declare that Christ is our King. Amen.
CANADIAN LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF – Working together
LUTHERAN CONGREGATIONS separated by almost 2,000 km are finding new ways to work together in providing welcome to refugees.
In Ontario, the three congregations that form the South Grey Bruce Lutheran Parish had been exploring what it means to be one in the body of Christ. Their pastor, Rev. Pam McNeil, presented the idea for a refugee sponsorship partnership, which she’d experienced during her seminary placement in Halifax, N.S. It was an easy ‘yes’ for the South Grey Bruce parish members — many of whom had refugee stories in their own families.
But since the Ontario churches knew their rural setting would make it difficult for refugee families to settle, they approached Halifax Lutheran Church, where Rev. McNeil had had her placement, to collaborate in the effort.
The Halifax church, which has a long history of welcoming refugees, agreed and has committed to welcoming an Eritrean family to Canada, while the South Grey Bruce parish has offered to provide financial support, committing to raising $27,000–$30,000 towards the resettlement of the refugee family.
We commend these four churches for their creative approach to serving as one, and for their generosity in providing hope using whatever they have!
CHILDREN’S CHAT
I recently read a news article about a small, family-owned restaurant. I do not recall the city; I do recall that the area was a poorer area mixed with wealthier people. This little restaurant wanted to help the struggling people in their neighbourhood. They knew many of these folks by name. So, they started a ‘help your neighbour’ project. Those who could afford it would pay for a meal. The receipt for that meal would be taped to the front window. Then, if someone was in need of something to eat, they could take that receipt off the window, and have the meal.
The family that owned the restaurant wanted to give back to the community that supported their business. Sometimes it was the restaurant owners who put receipts on the window! They knew some of their patrons wanted to help others, and this was a wonderful way to make sure a hungry person had a meal, and was able to sit in the restaurant and visit with others and make friends.
I can see Jesus serving the tables and visiting with the guests. What a beautiful image of the kin-dom of God!
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Gracious Spirit who is, was, and is to come, bless us with your wisdom as we gather around your Word. Help us to hear what you are saying to your Church this day. Amen.
READINGS AND PSALM
First Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
Because Israel’s kings proved to be bad shepherds, Ezekiel declares that the Lord will assume the role of shepherd in Israel. The Lord will also set over them a shepherd-messiah, “my servant David,” who will feed and care for the people.
11Thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. 12As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land. 14I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. 16I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice.
20Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21Because you pushed with flank and shoulder, and butted at all the weak animals with your horns until you scattered them far and wide, 22I will save my flock, and they shall no longer be ravaged; and I will judge between sheep and sheep.
23I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken.
Psalm 95:1-7a
1Come, let us sing to the Lord; let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation.
2Let us come before God’s presence with thanksgiving and raise a loud shout to the Lord with
psalms.
3For you, Lord, are a great God, and a great ruler above all gods.
4In your hand are the caverns of the earth; the heights of the hills are also yours.
5The sea is yours, for you made it, and your hands have molded the dry land.
6Come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our maker.
7aFor the Lord is our God, and we are the people of God’s pasture and the sheep of God’s hand.
Second Reading: Ephesians 1:15-23
In this passage, God is praised for revealing ultimate divine power in raising Jesus from the dead. The resurrected, exalted Christ is Lord of both the church and the entire universe, now and in the age to come.
15I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason 16I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 17I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, 18so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, 19and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. 20God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. 22And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, 23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46
Jesus compares himself to a king who moves among his subjects to see how he is treated: what is done for the least of those who belong to his family is truly done for him.
31“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? 39And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family you did it to me.’ 41Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ 45Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
HYMN: VU 235 O Worship The King
SERMON:
The power of the Spirit is active, because the nature of God is active. God was not content to be passive. God SPOKE to the prophets, OPENED rivers, WRESTLED with Jacob, COMFORTED Hagar, ARGUED with Abraham, LIVED among us in the person of Jesus and remains active in the movement of the Spirit. It follows, then, that we, who are created in the image of God, being baptized into the body of Christ, and endowed with the gifts of the Spirit, should be active in our faith.
How is the world to know about the risen Christ unless Christians proclaim Christ? What Jesus is saying in today’s Gospel is more than, “If you have faith, prove it.” Even the scribes and Pharisees do that, but their hearts are not in it. No, we are to show it, but more importantly, we are to mean it. The fact that Jesus holds value and meaning in our everyday lives needs to be expressed. This is easier said than done.
It was a balmy summer night in Ottawa. Me and my boyfriend, and my younger sister and her boyfriend were out having a stroll along the Rideau canal. Up ahead was a man sitting on a bench, bent over, head in hands in obvious emotional pain. And what did we do? We walked right past him in silence. When we were a good distance away, we all said we felt we should go back. It didn’t feel right to ignore the man. And what did we do? We kept on walking. But I found out later that individually we had all said a prayer for the man, and asked God to forgive us for not stopping.
I was walking through a mall in Calgary with a friend. She had driven us there. Up ahead there was a commotion. A woman was standing in a fountain yelling at two police officers who were trying to calm her down and get her out of the fountain. Their means of doing this was not very helpful, and as we passed, I had a strong urge to go over and talk with the woman to find out why she was so upset. Many others kept walking trying not to notice this person in the fountain. And what did I do? I kept walking. After all, I had come with Cindy, and I couldn’t just leave her. And besides, she had the car. To get home I would have to take a bus. But I said a prayer for the woman and asked God to forgive me for not stopping.
The price for entering into God’s rule over us is nothing less than all we have. We have heard the stories over the last year: the treasure or the pearl costs everything. Jesus asked his disciples if they had understood all this and they answered yes. It is doubtful they did. It takes a whole lifetime to comprehend what it means to love God above all things and our neighbour as ourselves.
We want often to discount that ancient teaching. We want a better price. We arrive at that commandment like confronting a brick wall and are tempted to turn to an easier path. Jesus says: to gain everything you must risk everything. Jesus did NOT add, “Only when convenient.” If he had, then we WOULD be like the scribes and Pharisees, and Jesus would NOT have value and meaning in our everyday lives.
I do not believe it is ever convenient or easy to be ministers to the Christ in the eyes of the other. There is always something else we could/should be doing, always someplace else we would/should rather be, yet to give up those opportunities may mean missing out on an opportunity to serve Jesus himself. And when we do say YES to the moving of the Spirit within us, convenient or not, we cannot help but be changed, for we are in the presence of God.
Matthew draws a picture for us today: the risen Christ comes in glory. God had to crown him in glory because he taught us how to die. He died on our behalf. He redeemed us. He shared not only our life but its possible tragic ending. This is the shepherd-king who judges us–who judges the extent and quality of OUR compassion. We must see the image in context. If we focus on reward and punishment we miss the point completely.
The word compassion means ‘to suffer with.’ And what does THAT mean, you may be thinking. I can only speak from personal experience. I would sum up the definition ‘to suffer with’ with the phrase, “a theology of presence.” Great, you think, I am no further ahead than before! Simply put, just BE THERE! Physically there, embracing the one who hurts, weeps, knows only despair and hopelessness; be silently there, listening to the story, the pain, the confusion, the guilt; be actively there with words of affirmation, the love, acceptance, forgiveness and hope of the Gospel, and live those words in walking with the person to wherever they need to go, for however long the journey is. THIS is compassion.
‘Here I am,’ says Jesus, ‘in the eyes of the one in need who stands before you. Do not be afraid, for the power of the Spirit is with you.’ It’s true, the Spirit does remove the fear. Suddenly you find yourself with strength you never knew you had; vision you never believed you would gain; love you never thought you would experience; a closeness with God that you never thought possible. There is a danger in ‘being with’ another. We can no longer look at ourselves, or others, the same way. It is we, not they, who are transformed. The choice is ours. We can function out of guilt or duty, rather than faith and compassion. When that happens, we pay dearly. Yet Jesus did not advocate self-destruction, but wholeness. At all times our motivation should be the risen Christ for that is what brings us our fullest joy – Christ in people. Amen.
HOM: MV 42 Praise God For This Holy Ground
PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
Let us turn our hearts to God, our breath and life, as we pray for the church, the world, and all who are in need.
Holy God, from Christ we receive our call to feed, clothe, and welcome. Direct your church to respond to this call with faithfulness and generous love. We pray for all organizations with global feeding ministries. Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
In Christ, the rock of our salvation, we are brought into union with all of creation. With mountains, seas, dry lands, and animals of the field, we seek your guidance and protection. Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
In Christ we know merciful judgment. Guide rulers of every nation in ways of humble leadership and wise decision-making. Allow aid to come to all who are underserved and care to any who are neglected. Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
In Christ we feel the depth of your love and care toward us. Nourish all who hunger, connect any who are isolated, and surround all who experience rejection or abuse. We pray for those who suffer. Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
In Christ we are made the people of his pasture. Inspire the outreach and social ministries of this congregation. We pray for all people who serve and attend to the needs of others. Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
Holy God, in Christ we are welcomed home. We praise you for the faithful witness of those who have served you and extended your welcome and love to us. Unite us with them as one body of Christ. Hear us, O God.
Your mercy is great.
We offer our spoken prayers and those held in our hearts trusting in your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
SENDING SONG: VU 541 Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow
BENEDICTION
Let the majesty of God be the light by which you walk, the compassion of the Christ be the love by which you walk, the presence of the Spirit be the power by which you walk. Amen.