https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aj1_cKpjG80

TWENTIETH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST—October 15, 2023

ZION EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH – LCMS   700 Main St.  P.O. Box 220   Clyman, WI  53016

I’ve Prepared a Banquet for you!  All have been invited and all who have faith in Christ as their Savior have been given the Robe of righteousness needed to attend.  Sadly many will reject God’s invitation to attend by rejecting His Son as their Savior and Lord!

 Pastor Dan 1-(920)-341-2025    shepherdatzion@gmail.com

Bulletin Announcement email: zionclyman@gmail.com

Guests.  Welcome to Zion.  We are glad to have you with us.  Please sign our guestbook located in the Narthex.  About Holy Communion:  We welcome to the Lord’s Table all who have repented of their sins and seek to amend their sinful life; all who believe that Jesus is truly present in, with, and under the bread and the wine; and all who believe that through the words “given and shed for you” forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given.  If this is your confession and you are a member of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, then come with a thankful heart and join us.   If you are a visitor and would like to commune, please talk with Pastor Dan before the service.  To help in preparing to receive Holy Communion open the front cover of the Burgundy hymnal or turn to pages 329 & 330.  Gluten free wafers are available, please talk with an Elder or Pastor before the service if you would appreciate them.  

 AS WE GATHER –  Living with the knowledge that God the Father has prepared a Heavenly Feast for us, allows us to look beyond this world to our eternal home of heaven.  Until He sends His Son to take us there, that Son our Lord and Savior, has given us a meal which forgives, refreshes, and sustains us in the one true faith.  As we celebrate our Lord’s meal of His body and blood, we rejoice and celebrate it as those who have gone before us into heaven, are rejoicing and celebrating at the wedding banquet face to face with their Lord, dressed in His robe of righteousness!  May we daily ask God the Holy Spirit to strengthen our faith, protect us in our faith, and keep us in the one true faith which will be rewarded with a seat at the same banquet table in heaven.

Ringing of the Bell and Welcome

Hymn  “We Praise You, O God”                             LSB 785

 Opening Sentences   Psalm 146:2; Isaiah 61:10 –  I will praise the LORD as long as I live; my soul shall exult in my God.  for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of righteousness.  Alleluia!  Amen

Invocation – In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.    Amen

 Confession and Absolution – Let us confess the sin that is in us and ask our heavenly Father for His forgiveness and mercy which comes to us through His Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Merciful Father, our Lord and King, we are sinful people.  We have inherited the legacy of original sin from our first parents, Adam and Eve.  We are by nature sinful and unclean.  In our daily lives we have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed.  We deserve Your eternal punishment.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit we repent of our sins and humbly ask Your grace and forgiveness in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  By the renewing work of the Holy Spirit, lead us to change what is sinful in our lives that each day we may grow in faith, righteousness, and godly living to the glory of Your holy name.  Amen

God is gracious and forgiving. He has shown His merciful power in ways that renew, restore, and heal us His children.  To those who come to Him with repentant and humbled  hearts, our heavenly Father promises forgiveness, life, and salvation in His Son.  As a called and ordained servant of His Son, 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.      Amen.

Psalm Psalm 23; antiphon: v. 5a –  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.     The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures.  He leads me beside still waters.  He restores my soul.  He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.      You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Salutation – The Lord be with you.         And also with you.

 Prayer of the Day – Merciful Father, in Your mercy You have visited us with Your Son that we might know the joy of His salvation. Grant that this joy we know in Christ may be with us in every circumstance and be fulfilled in us when we are delivered through death into everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.       Amen.

 Hymn of Praise “Glory Be to God the Father”   LSB  506

 Old Testament Reading   Isaiah 25:6–9        (On this mountain the Lord will make a feast for all peoples and will cast off the veil of death forever.)             

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.  The Lord has spoken.  In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us.  This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”

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

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.

 Verse Revelation 22:17 –    Alleluia. The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” Let the one who hears say, “Come.” Let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. Alleluia.

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

The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-second chapter.       Glory to You, O Lord.

 

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.”

This is the Gospel of the Lord.   Praise to You, O Christ.

Hymn:  “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”             LSB 803

Sermon

Credal Hymn “We All Believe in One True God”  LSB 953

Prayers of the Church

We Gather our Tithes and Offerings

Service of the Sacrament

Preface   2 Timothy 4:22 –   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 Him thanks and praise.

Proper Preface –  It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation.  Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent You only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally.  Because he is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life.  For those blessings of Your grace and love we give You all praise and glory, and singing:

 Sanctus  LSB 208

 Prayer of Thanksgiving –   Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us, and have given Your only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  We give You thanks for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ.  Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully eat and drink of the fruits of His cross and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come to us in His body and blood.  Amen   Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:

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 Words of Our Lord – Consecration of the Elements

 Pax Domini – The peace of the Lord be with you always.       Amen.

Agnus Dei – Responsive form of page 210 – O Jesus Christ, true Lamb of God, You take the sin of the world away.       O Jesus Christ, true Lamb of God, Have mercy on us, Lord, we pray.      O Jesus Christ, true Lamb of God, You take the sin of the world away;  Have mercy on us, Jesus Christ, and grant us peace, O Lord, we pray.    

We Celebrate our Lord’s Supper

Distribution Hymns:

“At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing”                    LSB 633

“Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice”                LSB 556

“Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us”                        LSB 711

Post-Communion Collect –  We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, You Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.   Amen

 Nunc Dimitis–   “Lord Bid Your Servant Go…”      LSB 937

Benedicamus and Benediction – Let us Bless the Lord.     Thanks be to God.   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.              Amen.

Hymn:  “Seek Ye First”                                       LSB 712

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*Announcements*

From the Board of Stewardship and Evangelism:  Matthew 22:5 – “But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business.” The invitation to join God in His feast and in His work is easily ignored. The rest of life seems so much more pressing, and we always think that there will be another time when we can catch back up with God. But what joys are we missing when we set aside God’s invitation to join Him in His plans and purposes? What inheritance are we trading for the world’s bowl of pottage?

The Pewpoint – THEME OF THE DAY – Clothed in the Righteousness of Christ, We Partake of His Wedding Feast      By His cross and resurrection, the Lord has swallowed up death forever, and by His Gospel He “will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth” (Is. 25:8). Therefore, “let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation” (Is. 25:9). On the mountain of the Lord of hosts — in His Church on earth, as in the kingdom of heaven — He has made “for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine” (Is. 25:6). It is the royal “wedding feast” of the Son of God, “and everything is ready” (Matt. 22:1, 4). Thus, His servants are sent into the highways and byways to invite and gather as many as they find, “both good and bad,” to fill the wedding hall with guests (Matt. 22:8–10). In Holy Baptism, He clothes them all in the “wedding garment” of His own perfect righteousness (Matt. 22:11). Therefore, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God,” and “rejoice in the Lord always” (Phil. 4:4–6).

YES IN CHRIST  —  Saying Yes With Our Treasures –  Needed per week to make budget: $3,072

Sunday Envelopes $1,538     Plate $30    Eli Dornfeld- General Memorial $50     Cemetery Fund $ 60

Attendance:  Sunday Service:  44   Communed:   37       Mid-Week Service:  11    Communed:   11

Brothers and sisters in Christ to lift up in prayer!

• Ron, DeeDee, and all in our congregation who are facing health challenges or are in need of God’s healing and strength in their lives.
• Betty Hoeft whom is home recuperating from a fall.

Wish a Happy Birthday to these members

Doyle R	10/17
Ashley B	10/18
DeeDee W	10/20
Steven D	10/24
Lisa J	10/28
Chris S	10/28

These coupes are celebrating another year of God’s blessings in their marriages!

Lonnie & Faye H	10/16
Mark & Lisa F	10/17
Ralph & Nancy K	10/23

30 years or marriage for Lonnie and Faye Hoeft – if you happen to see them, wish them many more.

Just received the October Lutheran Witness. Pick up a copy in the back of church or in the narthex.

The Chosen Bible Study has had one class! If you missed it and want to be a part of the study, the next class will be October 17^th! The Bible Study meets at 6pm at the Parsonage/Office next to the church.   Mark your calendars as classes will also be held October 31st. November 7th, 21st, December 5th, and 19th! Class will then take a break until the new year!

Dates to Remember: 

Oct. 15^th – Voice Choir immediately after church

Oct. 29^th – Zion Cemetery meeting immediately after church

Nov. 5^th   Clocks will fall back!!  Pastor always says if you forget to change your clocks and you come early – he’ll have the coffee ready.

Nov. 5^th   Semi Annual Meeting immediately after church

Nov 12^th – Last day for Shoe boxes

 Operation Christmas Child Shoe Boxes have arrived.  Please take how many you want to make some child feel special. Zion will be covering the $10.00 shipping cost for up to 50 shoe boxes. We encourage you to participate in this project by picking up a box in the narthex (or use your own), fill it with appropriate age items and attach the label on the outside of the box. Please place your box(es) on the altar, on or before Sunday November 12^th.

Most importantly, pray for the child who will receive your gift. You can include a personal note or photo and the child may write back.

 Questions? Contact Tracy Schwartz @ 262-366-2069

 Shoebox Gift Suggestions – there are printouts in the narthex by the shoeboxes if you want to pick one up.