Recorded Worship Service for October 15, 2023






Watch this week’s service above.

Today’s Readings and Hymns:
(Click on each blue arrow to expand/collapse each section.)

1
O Lord, you are my God;
I will exalt you, I will praise your name;
for you have done wonderful things,
plans formed of old, faithful and sure.
2
For you have made the city a heap,
the fortified city a ruin;
the palace of aliens is a city no more,
it will never be rebuilt.
3
Therefore strong peoples will glorify you;
cities of ruthless nations will fear you.
4
For you have been a refuge to the poor,
a refuge to the needy in their distress,
a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat.
When the blast of the ruthless was like a winter rainstorm,
5
the noise of aliens like heat in a dry place,
you subdued the heat with the shade of clouds;
the song of the ruthless was stilled.

6
On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,
of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.
7
And he will destroy on this mountain
the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
the sheet that is spread over all nations;
8
he will swallow up death forever.
Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces,
and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken.
9
It will be said on that day,
Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.
This is the Lord for whom we have waited;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.


1   
The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not be in want.
2
The Lord makes me lie down in green pastures
and leads me beside still waters.
3
You restore my soul, O Lord,
and guide me along right pathways for your name’s sake.
4
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil;
for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil, and my cup is running over.
6
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.


1My brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.

2I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

4Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.


1Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: 2“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 3He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. 4Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’ 5But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, 6while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. 7The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ 10Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, 12and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless. 13Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14For many are called, but few are chosen.”



Christ, whose glory fills the skies,
Christ, the true and only light,
Sun of righteousness, arise,
triumph o’er the shades of night;
Dayspring from on high, be near;
Daystar, in my heart appear.

Dark and cheerless is the morn
unaccompanied by thee;
joyless is the day’s return,
till thy mercy’s beams I see,
till they inward light impart,
glad my eyes, and warm my heart.

Visit then this soul of mine,
pierce the gloom of sin and grief;
fill me, radiancy divine,
scatter all my unbelief;
more and more thyself display,
shining to the perfect day.



Now we join in celebration
at our Savior’s invitation,
dressed no more in spirit somber,
clothed instead in joy and wonder;
for the Lord of all existence,
putting off divine transcendence,
stoops again in love to meet us,
with his very life to feed us.

Lord, as round this feast we gather,
fill our hearts with holy rapture!
For this bread and cup of blessing
are for us the sure possessing
of your loving deed on Calv’ry,
of your living self, our vict’ry,
pledge of your unfailing presence,
foretaste here of heav’nly gladness.

Lord, we share in this communion
as one fam’ly of God’s children,
reconciled through you, our brother,
one in you with God our Father.
Give us grace to live for others,
serving all, both friends and strangers,
seeking justice, love, and mercy
till you come in final glory.



Rejoice, ye pure in heart!
Rejoice, give thanks, and sing;
your festal banner wave on high,
the cross of Christ your king.

Refrain
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Rejoice, give thanks, and sing!

With voice as full and strong
as ocean’s surging praise,
send forth the sturdy hymns of old,
the psalms of ancient days. Refrain

With all the angel choirs,
with all the saints on earth
pour out the strains of joy and bliss,
true rapture, noblest mirth. Refrain

Still lift your standard high,
still march in firm array,
as pilgrims through the darkness wend
till dawns the golden day. Refrain




Worship Leaders: Pastor Colleen Cox, Mady Nakonecznyj

Music: Deb Jenks (organ and piano), Senior Choir


Additional Resources:

View and print the pre-reader’s version of this Sunday’s children’s bulletin: Pre-reader’s Version
View and print the reader’s version of this Sunday’s children’s bulletin: Reader’s Version


The radio program Sing for Joy follows the weekly Sunday lectionary through music and reflection. To listen, click here: Sing for Joy. Program host Pastor Bruce Benson ties the biblical readings of the day with musical selections from a number of sources brought together by Dr. John Ferguson, retired professor of organ and church music. The program is produced by St. Olaf College.


Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE #A-730287 and CCLI licenses #21502973 and #21502966. All rights reserved.

Liturgies and music graphics from Sundays and Seasons, © 2022 Augsburg Fortress Publishers. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of Augsburg Fortress Publishers under license #SB143962.