Opening Hymn #423: Immortal, invisible, God only wise
Collect of the Day:
Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
A reading from the Book of Deuteronomy, Chapter 34, Verses 1 – 12
Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho, and the Lord showed him the whole land: Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, the Negeb, and the Plain—that is, the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees—as far as Zoar. The Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants’; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.” Then Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, at the Lord’s command. He was buried in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor, but no one knows his burial place to this day. Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died; his sight was unimpaired and his vigor had not abated. The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the period of mourning for Moses was ended.
Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him; and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. He was unequaled for all the signs and wonders that the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land, and for all the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.
The Word of the Lord / Thanks be to God!
Psalm 90: 1 – 6, 13 – 17
1 Lord, you have been our refuge *
from one generation to another.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
or the land and the earth were born, *
from age to age you are God.
3 You turn us back to the dust and say, *
“Go back, O child of earth.”
4 For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past *
and like a watch in the night.
5 You sweep us away like a dream; *
we fade away suddenly like the grass.
6 In the morning it is green and flourishes; *
in the evening it is dried up and withered.
13 Return, O Lord; how long will you tarry? *
be gracious to your servants.
14 Satisfy us by your loving-kindness in the morning; *
so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.
15 Make us glad by the measure of the days that you afflicted us *
and the years in which we suffered adversity.
16 Show your servants your works *
and your splendor to their children.
17 May the graciousness of the Lord our God be upon us; *
prosper the work of our hands;
prosper our handiwork.
A reading from Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians, Chapter 2, Verses 1 – 8
You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain, but though we had already suffered and been shamefully mistreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.
The Word of the Lord / Thanks be to God!
Sequence Hymn #602: Jesu, Jesus, fill us with your love
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ / Glory to you, Lord Christ!
A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew, Chapter 22, Verses 34 – 46
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: “What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” He said to them, “How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying,
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet”’?
If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?” No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.
The Gospel of the Lord / Praise to you, Lord Christ
Prayers of the People
Daryl C., Debbie L., Sydney F., Amy M., Ethan T., Polly T., the Mendez Family, Wayne F., Joan J., Chris K., Kelly C., Sam P., Marshall S., Pam S., Donald C., Marisa K., Shane R., Father Joseph, Jennifer M., Holladay S., the Johnson Family, Charles H., His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, Michael G.
Offertory Hymn #568: Father all loving, who rulest in majesty
Communion Taize – See Bulletin
Closing Hymn #505: O spirit of life, o spirit of God!
The Altar Flowers are given by Anita Wallinger, to the Glory of God!
Serving today:
8:00 A.M.
Celebrant: Fr. David Wettstein
Lectors: Stephanie Elder & Duncan Nims
Eucharistic Minister: Duncan Nims
Altar Guild: Dee Ann Goulet
10:00 A.M.
Celebrant: Fr. David Wettstein
Lectors: Al Borg-Borm & Lucy Groves
Eucharistic Minister: Lucy Groves
Altar Guild: Linda Stark & Anita Wallinger
Ushers: Ray Stark & Jim Reynolds
Sunday School: Penny Sites
Music Director: Shauna Emara
Music: Amy Hutchins
Camera: Mike Ritthaler
Coffee Hour: Nancy Foster
The Anglican Communion Cycle of Prayer Today we pray for the Church of the Province of Central Africa, which has some 600,000 members in the landlocked nations of Botswana, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Before European invasions threw everything into disarray, powerful African kingdoms occupied the region. Sustained by agriculture, gold mining, and extensive trade, the Kingdom of Zimbabwe built the stone structures of Great Zimbabwe, now designated a World Heritage Site. After a century of European settlement and commercial exploitation, the four nations have been independent for just a few decades. Each has unique assets: Zambia has copper mines, Malawi has fertile farms, Zimbabwe has stunning tourist attractions like Victoria Falls and wild game parks. Botswana, traditionally a cattle herding society in the Kalahari Desert, stands as the longest uninterrupted democracy in Africa. In the province as a whole, fertile areas and a few cities are densely populated, while other parts of the province are sparsely populated deserts. Eighty per cent of families are supported by subsistence farming, on family holdings averaging about two acres in size. Although some large settler plantations have been expropriated and broken up, land distribution is still uneven. especially in Zimbabwe. Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, with its population growth outpacing development. Many Malawian adult males are absent from their homes, working as migrant laborers in other regions, or in the copper mines of Zambia. Electricity powers city homes but few rural homes. Drought and desertification are a widespread threat, especially in desert areas. As a small fraction of a population that totals around 32 million, Anglicans in the Province of Central Africa are a vivid example of the small bit of leaven that leavens a large loaf.