10/11/26

As We Gather

Food is at the center of our lives—we either live to eat or eat to live, but we always eat. Our Gospel lesson show the intent of our Lord gathering all His children together to share in His table preparations. While all are invited, those not clothed in God’s grace through faith in Christ, will be cast out. Maybe the thought is that we come when He calls because He calls us in grace to simply partake of the gracious gifts He offers to all in the hope that they receive it not in vain.

Family Room & Children Activity Bags- 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 TV 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 on a small rack. 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.

Only He That Believeth Not Shall Be Damned “What sin, then, remains on earth? Nothing but the failure to accept this Savior and the will not to have Him who puts away sin. For if He were accepted, sin would be gone, because, as I have said, He brings with Him the Holy Spirit, who sets the heart aflame and makes it desirous of doing good. Therefore, the world is no longer punished or damned because of other sins, since Christ has wiped out all of them. Only the resolve not to acknowledge or accept Him remains sin in the New Testament… Therefore God will pass this judgment on them on judgement Day…” What Luther Says # 452

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

October 11, 2026

Welcome

Opening Hymn                               O Worship the King             LSB 804 vs 1-3

Invocation, Confession and Absolution      (Psalm 118:1, 5-9)

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:   Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; 

C:   his love endures forever. 

P:   In my anguish I cried to the Lord, 

C:   and he answered by setting me free. 

P:   The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. 

C:   What can man do to me? 

P:   The Lord is with me; he is my helper. 

C:   I will look in triumph on my enemies. 

P:   It is better to take refuge in the Lord 

C:   than to trust in man. 

P:   It is better to take refuge in the Lord 

C:   than to trust in princes.

P:   Let us confess our sins to God our Father.

C:   Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways 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. May this grace be multiplied unto you so that your heart may not fear but always rejoice in His goodness! In the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C:   Amen.

Hymn of Praise                            O Worship the King             LSB 804 vs 4-6

Prayer of the Day

All:   Almighty God, You invite us to trust in You for our salvation. May we heed Your call of mercy so that we are not subject to the severity of Your judgment; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

OT Lesson                      (The Lord prepares a feast for His people.)                 Isaiah 25:6–9

On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. 

NT  Lesson              (“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.”)    Phil. 4:4–13

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Gospel Lesson                       (Many are called; few are chosen.)             Matthew 22:1–14 

Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’ “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless. “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” 

Message Hymn                10,000 Reasons  (Bless the Lord)                       Matt Redman                  

          Chorus:       Bless the Lord oh my soul   Oh my soul     Worship His holy name   
                            Sing like never before     Oh my soul   I worship Your holy name                               

           The sun comes up     Its a new day dawning      Its time to sing your song again  

         Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me       

            Let me be singing when the evening comes    Chorus              

You’re rich in love and you’re slow to anger     Your name is great and your heart is kind

For all your goodness I will keep on singing       10,000 reasons for my heart to find       Chorus

And on that day when my strength is failing   The end draws near and my time has come

       Still my soul will sing your praise unending    10,000 years and then forevermore         Chorus

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Message                   It Doesn’t Seem Fair or What You Wear Does Matter

1. The first invitees should have been the _______________________         say “Yes!” to the invitation.
2. Those who were brought in from the highways and by-ways are the _____________________              _______     .
3. The ______      ____          __________   _____           comes when unbelief remains.

Notes:

The Apostle’s Creed                                      

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

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. Amen.

Offering

Offertory                Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow                       LSB  805

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

Distribution Hymn                    At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing         LSB 633 vs 1-4

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, for Your gift of forgiveness and deliverance from the fear of death won for us by the sacrifice of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and for strengthening our faith and hope by this Sacrament. Help us to live faithfully in that hope of eternal life in the ways of Your mercy and love; through 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.

Sending Hymn                                  Savior, like a Shepherd Lead Us           LSB 711

 
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.”