11/07/26

As We Gather

 It is easy to assume that tomorrow will be little or no different from today. However, the day is coming when life as we know it will end. The final Sundays of the Church Year remind us that our comfortable routines will be interrupted by the God who cares enough to interrupt them. Micah addresses what the Church will be when it is established even as Jesus calls for our attention as we wait for that day: “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour”. As we wait for that day, Paul reminds us that our waiting is filled with hope Jesus died and rose again, and that forever changes our waiting.

Family Room & Children Activity Bags- We value children in our worship services. If needed, there is a family room available for families with children. The family room has a diaper changing table, a closed-circuit T. V. to watch the worship service, toys and books for children. The family room is located across from the kitchen in the long hallway, the first door on the right, just past the bathrooms. There are “King’s Kids” bags with activities for children to help them worship. They are near the usher’s station. Please return the bag to the rack after the service.

Holy Communion- The Scripture teaches the Lord’s Supper is a precious gift of God in which Christ gives us His true body and blood (in a miraculous way), together with the bread and wine, for the forgiveness of our sins and the strengthening of our faith. Because the Bible teaches that this Sacrament may also be spiritually harmful if misused the LCMS ordinarily communes only those who have been instructed in the teachings of our church and who have confessed their faith in these teachings. Please speak to Pastor Ralph before the service if you have a question about this. For those who prefer a non-alcoholic alternative, there is grape juice at the center of each tray. Those not receiving the Sacrament, including children, are invited to come to the altar, cross their arms over their chest, and receive a special blessing.

What the Gospel Is “If you ask: What is the Gospel? No better answer can be given than these words of the New Testament: Christ gave His body and shed His blood for us for the forgiveness of sins. This alone is to be preached to Christians, impressed upon them, and faithfully commended to them for a constant meditation.”  What Luther says # 1700

Twenty Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

November 8, 2026

Welcome

Opening Hymn                    In Christ There is No East or West                           LSB 653

Invocation, Confession and Absolution (Psalm 84:9-12)

P:   We gather in the name and at the invitation of our great and gracious triune God;

C:   In the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

P:   Look upon our shield, O God; 

C:   look with favor on your anointed one. 

P:   Better one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; 

C:   I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. 

P:   For the Lord God is a sun and shield; 

C:   the Lord bestows favor and honor; 

P:   No good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. 

C:   O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.

C:   Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We confess the ways that our worship has fallen into empty words, disconnected from the life to which You have called us. We confess that we have been inattentive in our waiting for Christ’s return. Forgive us, renew us, and call us back to You, that we may wait with hope and joy, to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.

(Silence for Meditation)

P:   Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. He does not delay! His righteousness flows like an ever-flowing stream. As a called and ordained servant of Christ and by His authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C:   Amen. We are forgiven. We look for the return of Jesus.

Hymn of Praise           Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise                                LSB 802

Prayer of the Day

All:  Lord God, heavenly Father, You have called Your church to wait for her Bridegroom with repentance and hope. Call to our attention the ways we have been unprepared for Christ’s return, that we may meet Him with joy when the eternal wedding feast commences; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever..

O T Lesson                           (God’s temple in the Last Days)                                      Micah 4: 1-5

In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. ² Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. ³ He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. ⁴ Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has spoken. ⁵ All the nations may walk in the name of their gods; we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever. 

N T Lesson                         (We will always be with the Lord)     1 Thessalonians 4:13–18

¹³ Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. ¹⁴ We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. ¹⁵ According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage each other with these words.                                                                                           

Gospel Lesson                          (The parable of the ten virgins)             Matthew 25:1–13

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish and five were wise. ³ The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. ⁴ The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. ⁵ The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. ⁶ “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ ⁷ “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ “ ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. ¹¹ “Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’ ¹² “But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’ ¹³ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Message Song                              Give Me Oil For my Lamp

Give me oil for my lamp, keep me burning, burning, burning

Give me oil in my lamp I pray

Give me oil for my lamp, keep me burning, burning, burning

Keep me burning till the break of day!

      Chorus:          Sing Hosanna, Sing Hosanna, Sing Hosanna to the King of kings

Sing Hosanna, Sing Hosanna, Sing Hosanna to the King 

Help me wait, watch and pray, to be faithful, faithful, faithful

Help me wait, watch and pray right now.

Help me wait, watch and pray, to be faithful, faithful, faithful

                        Keep me faithful through the break of day!        Chorus

Give me joy in the journey, as I serve You daily, daily, daily.

Give me joy in the journey I pray!

Give me joy in the journey, as I serve You daily, daily, daily.

                           Daily serve you till the break of day!             Chorus

Message                                              Give Me Oil for My Lamp!

We need…

1. The oil of God’s forgiveness      of our sin and inclusion        into God’s family.

                                                                              John 1: 12-13; Rev 19: 10; Rom 1:16-17

2. The oil of God’s mercy and grace           in our family responsibility             .     

                                                                                                              1 Cor 12-13; Gal 5:22ffThe oil of God’s mighty strength           in Christ to persevere          in our faith journey. 

The Apostle’s Creed                                      

C:   I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.  

1. And 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 from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence 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.  

Prayers of the Church  

 After each petition:

 P:  Lord, in your mercy,

 C:  hear our prayer.

The Lord’s Prayer

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.

The Lord’s Supper

Preface                                                                       page 160 in the hymnal

P:  The Lord be with you.

C:  ♪ And also with you.

P:   Lift up your hearts.

C:  ♪ We lift them to the Lord.

P:   Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

C:   ♪ It is right to give Him thanks and praise.

P:   It is truly good, right, and salutary …. And ever more praising You and singing:

Sanctus — Holy, Holy, Holy                                         page 161 in the hymnal

C:  ♪ Holy, holy, holy Lord God of pow’r and might: Heaven and earth are full of Your glory. Hosanna. Hosanna. Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

The Words of Institution (Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper)

Pax Domini—The Peace of the Lord                                                   page 163 in the hymnal

P:   The peace of the Lord be with you always.

C:   ♪ Amen.

Agnus Dei – Lamb of God                                                                    page 163 in the hymnal

C:  ♪ Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.

         Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.

         Lamb of God, You take away the sin of the world; grant us peace.

Distribution of Communion

Dismissal of Communicants

Post Communion Canticle                                                        page 164 in the hymnal

C:  ♪ Thank the Lord and sing His praise; tell ev’ryone what He has done.  Let all who seek the Lord rejoice and proudly bear His name.  He recalls His promises and leads His people forth in joy with shouts of thanksgiving. Alleluia, alleluia. 

Post Communion Thanksgiving

All: We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have graced us with Your presence in this Sacrament, and we pray that You would continually make Your presence known as we await the return of Your Son; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Benediction                                                                                   

P:   The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and ✠ give you peace.

C:   Amen.

Offering                        (Please place offering in plate in Narthex.  Thank you!)                              

Sending                                             Jesus, Lead Thou On                                                 LSB 718              

Announcements
Dismissal

P:  Go in peace as you serve the Lord.

C:  Thanks be to God!

Postlude 

¹² Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”