October 4, 202027th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Life at Grace Announcements

Opening Voluntary “Bread of the World” arr. Jack Goode

Call to Worship (responsive)All around the world,People rise to greet the morning and sing praise to God.All over the earth,People hold hands around the table of our Lord Jesus Christ and offer thanks.All around the globe,Some cry for food, some are filled with laughter, all search for truth.All around the world,Hearts hear a sacred melody and yearn for peace.Throughout this day, across many lands,Sisters and brothers in Christ touch the bread of life and drink the cup of joy.All around the world,People sing, and we join the unending chorus of praise.

Opening Prayer

Hymn 327 “From All that Dwell Below the Skies” LASST UNS ERFREUEN 1From all that dwell below the skies

let the Creator's praise arise:Alleluia! Alleluia!

Let the Redeemer's name be sungthrough every land, in every tongue.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

2 In every land begin the song;to every land the strains belong:

Alleluia! Alleluia!In cheerful sound all voices raise

and fill the world with joyful praise.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!Alleluia! Alleluia!

3 Eternal are thy mercies, Lord;eternal truth attends thy word:

Alleluia! Alleluia!Thy praise shall sound from shore to shore,

till suns shall rise and set no more.Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Alleluia! Alleluia!

Prayer of Confession and Silent Confession

Risen Savior, you call us to your table of grace to enjoy your presence, to experience your healing, to be made one with your people of every time and place. Before we respond to your invitation, we must confess we have edged you to the fringes of our lives. We confess we have believed we are too busy to pray and too exhausted to serve. We have devised clever justifications for ignoring the poor and avoiding those in despair. Forgive us, Lord, and help us order our days and our deeds according to your will. Open our hearts to the needs of those who cannot return our favors. Grant us pardon, and then shall we be free to celebrate your feast of love with the saints of this and every time and place. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon Isaiah 53:3-5

He was despised and rejected by others, a man of suffering and acquainted with grief . . . But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. Believe the good news of the gospel: In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. Hallelujah! Amen

Response (Hymn 582) Glory To God Glory to God(Vasile)

Passing the Peace of Christ

Praise Music “1000 Tongues”. Chris Tomlin, Jonas Myrin,Matt Redman, Andi Rozier,

Jason Ingram, and Matt Maher

Verse 1We are a sea of voices

We are an ocean of Your praiseGathered under one nameWe are a tide that's rising

And we cannot be containedGathered under one name

ChorusO for a thousand tongues to sing

The glories of our Lord God Almighty

O to sing the Savior's praiseA triumph of His grace You are worthy(You are) (Yes You're so) worthy God

Verse 2We have found our anthem

At the cross where sin was slainGathered under one name

Where ev'ry chain is brokenAnd ev'ry sorrow swept away

Gathered under one nameBridge

With all Heaven singAnd all earth below

One Holy KingOne highest throne

1st Scripture Lesson Revelation 7:9-17

After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying,

“Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!”And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, singing,

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdomand thanksgiving and honorand power and mightbe to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat;for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Gospel Reading Matthew 21:33-46

“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.’ So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.”

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures:

‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes’?Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.

Message “Rejected”

Affirmation of Faith - The Apostles’ Creed

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 Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to juge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

Pastoral Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer

Time of Commitment

Tithes & Offerings “Make Us One” Chris Quilala, Ricky Jackson, Ran Jackson, and Joshua Silverberg

Verse 1One with the Father one with the Spirit

One with the Son of GodOne with our sister one with our brother

One family by the bloodChorus 1

Make us one make us oneYour will be done make us one

Verse 2One heart with heaven one mind connected

One body unifiedBind us together now and forever

Jesus be glorifiedBridge

We confess all our offensesWe confess we've been afraid

We repent of all our prideLet all the hurt be washed away

For all the wars and violence against our enemyCome heal our land with Your great river

Restore the family andChorus 2

Make us one make us oneLet Your kingdom come

Make us one make us one

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise God all creatures here below. Alleluia! Alleluia!Praise God the Father, God the Son. Praise God the Spirit: Three in One!Sing praises! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Prayer of DedicationAnthem

"At the Table of the Lord"

Sacrament of Communion

Great Thanksgiving The Lord be with you! And also with you!

Beloved, God has created us all for faithful living: people from the United States, Peru, Brazil, Scotland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, Togo, Malawi, Morocco, Iran, Syria, Nepal, Kazakhstan, Japan, The Philippines, Australia, and everywhere else, to be one in Christ.We lift our hearts to the One who calls us to be Christ's Body. People of God, sing to the One who cleanses us of our fears.We will dance with joy to the Table of peace and hope.

Rock and Redeemer of all, creation sang oratorios for you, … and with those who press on to follow you, we join our voices in praise to you: Your Word opens our eyes to all creation; your Word is the sweet taste of joy for hungry hearts; your Word endures through every trial and triumph. Blessed is your Word who comes in your name! Hosanna in the highest!

Holy are you, God of all creation, and blessed is Jesus Christ, …as we celebrate his life in us, we would speak of that mystery we call faith: Setting aside all he valued, Christ became our treasure; setting aside his own life, Christ rescued us from sin; setting aside our doubts and fears, we yearn for Christ's return in glory.

Here at your Table, Redeemer of all creation, pour out your Spirit on the gifts of the bread and the cup, and on our sisters and brothers in Christ all over this earth. Your Spirit gives us life, so we may go and serve others. Your Spirit heals our brokenness,so we may bring healing to all. Your Spirit graces us with peace,so we may be peacemakers for our communities. And when we stand around your Table, all hurtful words silenced, all pain left behind, with hope and grace our closest friends, we will join our hearts and voices with our sisters and brothers who forever sing of your glory:Holy as Three, Holy in One. Amen.

Words of InstitutionCommunion of the PeoplePrayer after Receiving

Hymn 265 “Jesus Shall Reign” DUKE STREET

1 Jesus shall reign where'er the sundoes its successive journeys run,

his kingdom stretch from shore to shore,till moons shall wax and wane no more.

2 To him shall endless prayer be made,and praises throng to crown his head.His name like sweet perfume shall rise

with every morning sacrifice.

3 People and realms of every tonguedwell on his love with sweetest song,

and infant voices shall proclaimtheir early blessings on his name.

4 Blessings abound where'er he reigns:the prisoners leap to lose their chains,

the weary find eternal rest,and all who suffer want are blest.

5 Let every creature rise and bringthe highest honors to our King,

angels descend with songs again, and earth repeat the loud amen.

Benediction

Closing Voluntary “Toccata in Seven” John Rutter

Participating in WorshipRev. Dr. Tracey Davenport Pastor, Head of StaffMichael King Director of Music MinistriesTrenton Hull Worship Leader Andrew Packard OrganistStephanie Jasper SopranoEme Thomas LiturgistSan Chow LiturgistInka Durcanska LiturgistRoy Davis A/VMark Kinney A/VDeann Collins A/V