Worship Guide - 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Worship with One Click

You can choose to watch all of this Sunday's worship service in a series of linked videos, one after the other, by clicking this link. Just press the button that says "PLAY ALL" and sit back and relax. You can also just click on the graphic to the left.​ Otherwise, proceed as normal through the sections.

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Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
~Matthew 25:13
 
How do we keep awake? In these fraught and uncertain times, how do we remain aware of the dangers before us, while always attuned to the hope of our faith?
 
The ancient writer Pliny tells of cranes who kept watch for one another: “During the night they … place sentinels on guard, each of which holds a little stone in its claw: if the bird should happen to fall asleep, the claw becomes relaxed, and the stone falls to the ground, and so convicts it of neglect. The rest sleep in the meanwhile, with the head beneath the wing, standing first on one leg and then on the other: the leader looks out, with neck erect, and gives warning when required.”

​Who might we identify as our “sentry cranes”? Who are those in our midst who remain awake even as the rest of us sleep? Who are the ones crying out to warn us of impending danger? Amos has his own take on what puts us in danger—empty religion as a tool of oppression, lacking justice and righteousness. Jesus’ parable remains more troublesome to understand in our own time. But stay awake, we must, to the Word coming to us.
 
Enter into worship. Join the celebration awaiting us. 

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Connections with Andrea

If you have prayers you would like to share, please do so here. These will be shared by email to our St Andrew prayer list so that we pray for what you hold by name. This information is not shared online in a searchable form.

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Gathering Song

O great and loving God,
your wisdom is radiant and unfading,
easily discerned by all who seek your way.
When faithful people live in love and work for justice,
heaven breaks into earth.
Give us the grace to live confidently and expectantly,
trusting that the Lord of history,
comes into life continually with compassion, redemption, and hope. Amen.

Hymn of Praise

Confess and Turn

S​end a text to a couple of people. Make a call. Who comes to mind for you? Wish them well. More than that, wish them the peace that comes with justice. Then click below.

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The Word

Send your Spirit to move in our world
and stir the water of our souls
that we may desire a word of instruction
that awakens us to the joy of your coming reign.
Amen.


Amos 5:18-24 † Psalm 70 † 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 † Matthew 25:1-13
*In the season after Pentecost (also known as Ordinary Time, or "Proper" Sundays, the first reading can follow one of two tracks—either a semi-continuous track that stays with a story over a number of Sundays or a paired track that companions more closely the gospel reading. This season we are mostly using the paired readings. ​

Psalm Response

Meditation

A text version of the sermon can be found here.

Respond in Song

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The Eucharist

If you haven’t already, set the elements—some bread, some juice or wine—in the room or space where you worship in these days with our faith community. Set a table with things that remind you of hope in this world and the world to come—something that symbolizes hope for you, something that will last beyond you.

​If a joy or a concern has come to mind, please share it with the assembly here so you do not carry it alone. These will be shared by email to our St Andrew prayer list so that we pray for what you hold by name. This information is emailed to a curated group, not shared or posted online in a searchable form.

As we respond to God's grace and new life, consider those ways you can express gratitude, thanksgiving and blessing. And remember that we continue to keep our financial commitments to our mission partners and staff. Thank you for remembering to send in your financial pledges and offerings.

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Sending Song

Blessing and Charge