October 18, 2026 Pentecost 21

6 days ago

13 min read

October 18, 2026 Pentecost 21

Prelude

Acknowledgement

Welcome

Gathering Hymn : CP 1 Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee:holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty,God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee,though our sinful human gaze thy glory may not see,only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,perfect in power, in love, and purity.Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!All thy works shall praise thy name in earth and sky and sea;holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty,God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

The Gathering

Name Unnamed, whose intriguing presence

is closer to home than we dare imagine, fill us with wonder of you

that we may be filled with wonder of ourselves.

Name Unnamed, whose creativity is a river is running, startle us with diversity and surprise us with difference

that we may be filled with wonder of others.

Name Unnamed, whose mystery and concern is revealed in Jesusreshape our perceptions,reshape our patterns of living, reshape our politics and prayer,

that we may be filled with wonder of a world made whole.

Prayer of Approach

We are here, God.We have felt your touch in the sunlight.seen your power in the wild wind.We have wondered at your mystery in the stars, and we marvel that the maker of the universe knows us by name.We are here, God.

We are here to praise and worship you.

We are here, Jesus.We know that you came to find us.We have listened to your wordsand smiled at your stories.We have felt the warmth of your love,and we thank you that you have called us friends. We are here, Jesus.

We are here to praise and worship you.

We are here, Holy Spirit.We are grateful for your presence, grateful for the way you bring us close –for the way you comfort us and challengus andnd keep us right.We are here, Holy Spirit.

We are here to praise and worship you.

We are here, God,in this moment, in this place.

And we thank you that you are here with us.

You know us, God.We do not have to pretend with you.

In the silence of your love, we bring you

the things that trouble us,that harm us,

that make us feel ashamed or afraid.

Silence

God have mercy on us.

Christ have mercy on us.

G od have mercy on us.SilenceListen to the words of Jesus,words that we can trust:“Don’t be afraid.Your sins are forgiven.I love you.Come and follow me.”

Thanks be to God. Amen.

Collect of the Day

Almighty and ever living God, increase in us your gift of faith, that forsaking what lies behind and reaching out to what is before, we may run the way of your commandments and win the crown of everlasting joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

The Proclamation of the Word

A READING FROM THE BOOK, EXODUS 33:12-23.

Moses said to the Lord, "See, you have said to me, 'Bring up this people'; but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, 'I know you by name, and you have also found favour in my sight.' Now if I have found favour in your sight, show me your ways, so that I may know you and find favour in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people." He said, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." And he said to him, "If your presence will not go, do not carry us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favour in your sight, I and your people, unless you go with us? In this way, we shall be distinct, I and your people, from every people on the face of the earth." The Lord said to Moses, "I will do the very thing that you have asked; for you have found favour in my sight, and I know you by name." Moses said, "Show me your glory, I pray." And he said, "I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you the name, 'The Lord'; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But," he said, "you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live." And the Lord continued, "See, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock; and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen."Listen for the leading of the Spirit Thanks be to God

Psalm 99 Refrain: Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God

The Lord is king; let the people tremble; God is enthroned upon the Cherubim; let the earth shake.The Lord is great in Zion; God is high above all peoples.

Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God

Let them confess his name, which is great and awesome; God is the Holy One. “O mighty King, lover of justice, you have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.” Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God and fall down before his footstool; God is the Holy One.

Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God

Moses and Aaron among God’s priests, and Samuel among those who call upon God’s name, they called upon the Lord, and God answered them. God spoke to them out of the pillar of cloud; they kept his testimonies and the decree that God gave them. “O Lord our God, you answered them indeed; you were a God who forgave them, yet punished them for their evil deeds.”

Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God

Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God and worship God upon God’s holy hill; for the Lord our God is the Holy One.

Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God

A READING FROM THE FIRST LETTER OF PAUL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1:1-10

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it. For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.Listen for the leading of the Spirit Thanks be to GodGradual Hymn: Peace Prayer

Lord make me a means of Your Peace

Where there’s hatred grown

Let me sow Your love

Where there’s injury Lord

Let forgiveness be my sword

Lord make me a means of Your Peace

Where there’s doubt and fear,

let me sow your faith.

In this world’s despair,

give me hope in you to share.

Lord make me a means of Your Peace

When there’s sadness here

Let me sow Your joy

When the darkness nears

May Your light dispel our fears

Lord make me a means of Your Peace

Lord grant me to seek and to share

to receive love less

than to give love free.

Just to give in thee,

just receiving from your tree.

Lord make me a means of Your Peace

The Lord be with you And also with you

THE HOLY GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING TO MATTHEW

Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ

Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?" But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax." And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, "Whose head is this, and whose title?" They answered, "The emperor's." Then he said to them, "Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's." When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away. (22:15-22)

The Gospel of Christ Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ

The Homily

An Affirmation of Faith (From Celebrations along the way by Dorothy McRae-McMahon)

We believe in a bright and amazing Go d,who has been to the depths of despair on our behalf; who has risen in splendour and majesty;who decorates the universewith sparkling water, clear white light,twinkling stars and sharp colours,over and over again.We believe that Jesus is the light of the world;that God believes in us, and trusts us,even though we make the same mistakesover and over again. We commit ourselves to Jesus, to one another as siblings, and to the maker’s business in the world.God said: Let there be light. Amen

Prayers of the People (used with permission of the author Bruce Pewter)

Our faith must never become self centred. At this point in our worship we deliberately become other centred.

Let us pray.

Most loving God, while most of us have easy lives, yet around us there is bewilderment, suffering, injustice, and hopelessness. Want and grief are so overwhelming, that we sometimes try to disengage from the reality and pretend that it does not exist. But now, in these prayers, we engage our mind and soul once more with your passionate love for all human beings.

We pray for the persecuted minorities, the hungry, the dire poverty, the entrenched hatreds. Holy Friend, bless all who attempt to bring aid and peace,

and by your Holy Spirit, comfort your people.

We pray for the leaders of the nations; those powerful speech-makers and hand-shakers who head the large and prosperous nations, and those who govern the weak, poverty stricken countries. Bless every leader with humility and discernment appropriate to the needs of their people. Holy Friend, bless all who attempt to bring aid and peace,

and by your Holy Spirit, comfort your people.

We pray for our own political leaders; Prime Minister and Government, the Opposition; cabinet ministers and hard working backbenchers. Guide them in their deliberations and help them find a spirit of cooperation to best serve the people they are called to care for . Help our nation to better care for the weak, the exploited, the abused, the unemployed, the angry and alienated, the forgotten and the misunderstood. Holy Friend, bless all who attempt to bring aid and peace,

and by your Holy Spirit, comfort your people.

We pray for the heads of the churches; our Primate, Archbishops, Bishops, and Synods. We call to mind also the leaders of local congregations: parish councils, ministers, priests, deacons and elders, lay preachers and pastoral assistants. May they all have the mind that was in Christ Jesus, treating minorities with the same respect as majorities, and the fractious with the same patience as the easy going members. Holy Friend, bless all who attempt to bring aid and peace,

and by your Holy Spirit, comfort your people.

We pray for the sad and sick among us, the anxious and the painfully shy, the lonely and the awkward, the infirm and those of extreme age, those struggling with mental health issues, the terminally ill, the sorrowing and the disconsolate, those hurting badly from broken relationships or embroiled in misunderstandings. Holy Friend, bless all who attempt to bring aid and peace,

and by your Holy Spirit, comfort your people.

Most loving God, please gather up all the prayers, and the unspoken, secret yearnings of our hearts, and implement them according to your greater wisdom and love. Through Christ Jesus our Saviour.

Amen!

Offering Hymn They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love

We are one in the Spirit, We are one in the Lord,

And we pray that all unity may one day be restored.

And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,

Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

We will walk with each other, We will walk hand in hand,

And together we’ll spread the news that God is in our land.

And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,

Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

We will work with each other, We will work side by side,

And we’ll guard each one’s dignity and save each one’s pride.

And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,

Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

All praise to Creator, from whom all things come,

and all praise to Christ Jesus, God’s only Son,

And all praise to the Spirit, who makes us one.

And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,

Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

Prayer over the Gifts

Eternal God, your word inspires our faith. May we who offer you our praise trust you in all things. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen

Eucharistic Prayer 5

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

We give you thanks and praise, almighty God,

for the gift of a world full of wonder,

and for our life which comes from you.

By your power you sustain the universe.

Glory to you for ever and ever.

You created us to love you with all our heart,

and to love each other as ourselves,

but we rebel against you by the evil that we do.

In Jesus, your Son,

you bring healing to our world

and gather us into one great family.

Therefore, with all who serve you

on earth and in heaven,

we praise your wonderful name, as we sing (say),

Holy, Holy, Holy LordGod of power and mightHeaven and Earth of your glory are fullHosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest.Blessed is one who comes in the name of the Lord

Blessed is one who comes in the name of the Lord

Holy, Holy, Holy LordGod of power and mightHeaven and Earth of your glory are fullHosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest.

We give you thanks and praise, loving Father,

because in sending Jesus, your Son, to us

you showed us how much you love us.

He cares for the poor and the hungry.

He suffers with the sick and the rejected.

Betrayed and forsaken, he did not strike back

but overcame hatred with love.

On the cross

he defeated the power of sin and death.

By raising him from the dead

you show us the power of your love

to bring new life to all your people.

Glory to you for ever and ever.

On the night before he gave up his life for us,

Jesus, at supper with his friends,

took bread, gave thanks to you,

broke it, and gave it to them,

saying, “Take this, all of you, and eat it:

this is my body which is given for you.”

After supper, Jesus took the cup of wine,

said the blessing, gave it to his friends,

and said, “Drink this, all of you:

this is the cup of my blood,

the blood of the new and eternal covenant,

which is shed for you and for many,

so that sins may be forgiven.

Do this in memory of me.”

Glory to you for ever and ever.

Gracious God,

with this bread and wine

we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus,

and we offer ourselves to you in him.

Send your Holy Spirit on us and on these gifts,

that we may know the presence of Jesus

in the breaking of bread,

and share in the life

of the family of your children.

Glory to you for ever and ever.

Father, you call us to be your servants;

fill us with the courage and love of Jesus,

that all the world may gather in joy

at the table of your kingdom.

We sing your praise, almighty Father,

through Jesus, our Lord,

in the power of the Holy Spirit,

now and for ever.

Glory to you for ever and ever. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

As our Saviour taught us, let us pray

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen.

Breaking of the Bread

Creator of all, you gave us golden fields of wheat, whose many grains we have gathered and made into this one bread.

So may your church be gathered from the ends of the earth into your kingdom.

The Communion These are the gifts of God for the People of God.

Thanks be to God

Songs During Communion: Give Thanks

Prayer after Communion

God of peace, you have nourished us in this sacrament with the body and blood of Christ. May we who have taken holy things keep faith in our hearts and lives, in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen

Glory to God,

whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to God from generation to generation, in the Church and in Christ Jesus, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Blessing

Announcements

Sending Hymn: This Little Light of Mine

This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine