Pentecost 23

November 8, 2020
9:30 a.m.

Holy Spirit Lutheran Church
Lancaster, PA

Welcome

Welcome to worship in the time of both COVID-19 and fire recovery. By coming in the building you have already experienced some of the necessary changes to worship dedicated to keeping us safe during this time of pandemic. Within the worship liturgy two distinctive changes center around the sharing of the peace and the distribution of the sacrament of Holy Communion.

When sharing the peace of Christ, remain at your seat, make eye contact with someone and wave and say “peace.” Your smile is visible beneath your mask.

At the time of the Holy Communion, the pastor and assisting minister will come to you, at the end of the aisle. Bring your communion cup with you that you picked up in the narthex. If you forgot, there are some at the front of the church. Keep your face mask on.

To receive the host, just hold out your hand. The pastor will drop (not place) the host onto your hand. Move immediately to the Assisting Minister, who will fill your cup. After having your cup filled, step to the side, and this is where you may lower you mask to consume the communion. Then raise your mask and return to your seat. There are receptacles provided for the used communion cups.

As you approach to receive, remember to maintain the proper distancing. The floor is marked for that purpose.

At the conclusion of the service, if you took a paper bulletin, keep your bulletin with you, and exit the building by way of the designated exit doors. The pastor will greet you outside. Because of the spacing requirements if you wish to have a conversation with someone, do so outside.

Thank you for your attendance and consideration as we all work to keep each other healthy. As the weeks go by you may notice some other changes in order to make our Sunday experience both worshipful and as safe as possible.

Stay well.

Welcome and Announcements

Gathering Music

The Brief Order for Confession and Forgiveness

Please stand
P
In the name of the Father and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C
Amen

P
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.
Silence is kept for reflection.
P
Faithful God, have mercy on us. We confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. We turn from your loving embrace and go our own ways. We place our own needs before those of our neighbors. Make us humble, forgive our sin, and turn us again to life in you through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
C
Amen.

P
Friends in Christ, God hears the cries of all who call out in need, and through his death and resurrection, Christ has made us his own. Your sins are forgiven in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C
Amen.

The Apostolic Greeting & Prayer of the Day

P
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C
And also with you.

P
Let us pray. O God of justice and love, you illumine our way through life with the words of your Son. Give us the light we need, and awaken us to the needs of others, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
C
Amen.
Please be seated.

Children’s Message

The children remain at their seat as the pastor share a message with them.

First Reading

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
A reading from First Thessalonians: We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
A
The word of the Lord
C
Thanks be to God

Please stand.

The Holy Gospel

The congregation stands for the reading of the Holy Gospel.
Matthew 25:1-13
P
The Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew the twenty-fifth chapter.
C
Glory to you, O Lord
[Jesus said to the disciples:] “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
P
The Gospel of the Lord.
C
Praise to you, O Christ.
Please be seated.

The Sermon

Silence for reflection follows.

The Prayers of the Church

A
Drawn together in the compassion of God, we pray for the church, the world, and all those in need.

After each portion of the prayers:
A
Lord, in your mercy,
C
Hear our prayer.

The prayers conclude:
P
Into your hands, Gracious God, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Savior.
C
Amen.

The Peace

P
The peace of Christ be with you always.
C
And also with you.
Without leaving your seat offer a wave to your neighbor, sharing God’s peace., in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Please be seated.

Music as the Table is Prepared

Please stand.

The Offertory Prayer

A
Let us pray. Blessed are you, O God, maker of all things. You have set before us these gifts of your good creation. Prepare us for your heavenly banquet, nourish us with this rich food and drink, and send us forth to set tables in the midst of a suffering world, through the bread of life, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

The Great Thanksgiving

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 our thanks and praise.

Eucharistic Prayer

P
Holy, mighty, and merciful Lord,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
In great love you sent to us Jesus, your Son,
who reached out to heal the sick and suffering,
who preached good news to the poor,
and who, on the cross, opened his arms to all.

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.

Remembering, therefore, his death, resurrection, and ascension,
we await his coming in glory.
Pour out upon us the Spirit of your love, O Lord,
and unite the wills of all who share this heavenly food,
the body and blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord;
to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be all honor and glory, now and forever.
C
Amen

The Lord’s Prayer

C
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 Fraction

P
Come to the banquet table where Christ gives himself as food and drink.
C
Thanks be to God.
Please be seated.

The Distribution of Holy Communion

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America practices open table hospitality. Baptized communicants of other Christian denominations, of all ages, are welcome to receive the sacrament. An usher will direct each seating area to come forward to receive the sacrament. Bring your communion cup with you, or take one from the usher. The pastor will drop the host into your hand. Next move to receive the wine from the Assisting Minister. Then take another step to consume the sacrament. As you return to your seat, place the empty cup into the receptacle. Those persons not receiving communion are welcome to come forward to receive a blessing.

Please stand

The Post Communion Blessing

P
The body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
C
Amen.

The Post Communion Prayer

A
Let us pray. We give you thanks, gracious God, that you have once again fed us with food beyond compare, the body and blood of Christ. Lead us from this place, nourished and forgiven, into your beloved vineyard to wipe away the tears of all who hunger and thirst, guided by the example of the same Jesus Christ and led by the Holy Spirit, now and forever.
C
Amen.

The Blessing

P
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord’s face shine on you with grace and mercy. The Lord look upon you with favor, and give you peace. In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
C
Amen.

Sending Music

Dismissal

A
Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C
Thanks be to God. We will!

Postlude

+++

The flowers today are sponsored by
The Dandridge Family in honor of Melanie’s Birthday!

Acknowledgments

Portions of this service are reprinted from Sundays and Seasons.com. Copyright 2013 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #45652.

The Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission. All rights reserved.