Lectionary-- All Saints, Ordinary 31 Year C

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Habakkuk 1:1-4;2:1-4 There is still a vision for the appointed time
Psalm 119:137-144 You are righteous O Lord, and your judgements are right.
2 Thessalonians 1:1-4,11-12 We must always give thanks to God for you
Luke 19:1-10 Zacchaeus meets Jesus and is a changed man

All Saints Day
Daniel 7:1-3,15-18 The holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom
Psalm 149 Let the faithful exalt in glory
Ephesians 1:11-23 May you come to know the riches of inheritance among the saints
Luke 6:20-31 ... your reward is great in heaven ... Do to others as you have them do ..
Numbers refer to The Australian Hymn Book and its supplement Sing Alleluia.)

Suggested Hymns (From Denis Towner. TIS = Together in Song; AHB = Australian Hymn Book; SA = Sing Alleluia)

lesson Hymns for Sunday 31, Yr.C TIS AHB SA
O All my hope on God is founded 560 465
G Amazing grace, how sweet the sound 129 56
O Be thou my vision 547 455
O Beyond the mist and doubt 13
G Come O fount of every blessing 152
G Come, thou long-expected Jesus 272 200
Father we praise you, now the night is over 2
From all who dwell below the skies 72 42
E God is my strong salvation 15 493
G God of freedom, God of justice 657 42
Ps How firm a foundation, you people of God 578 491
G I come with joy to meet my Lord 533 452
G I heard the voice of Jesus say 585 500
G Jesus calls us! O'er the tumult 589 505
G Jesus' hands were kind hands 236 178
G Joyful, joyful, we adore you 152
G Just as I am, without one plea 584 497
G Let all mortal flesh keep silence 497 418
E Lo! he comes with clouds descending 273 201
G Lord Jesus, think on me 546 122
O Lord keep us steadfast in your word 436
E May the grace of Christ our Saviour 777 373
E May the mind of Christ, my Saviour 609 537
O/E O day of God, draw near 616 547
G O for a closer walk with God 576 488
E O Jesus Saviour, grow in me 575 489
G O love how deep, how broad, how high 194 6
O Love that wilt not let me go 602 525
E O thou who camest from above 572 486
G Praise my soul, the King of heaven 134 68
E Put all your trust in God 555 464
G Robe yourself, my soul, with gladness 503 [424]
G Shout for joy! The Lord has let us feast 545
E Stand up and bless the Lord 449 383
Take my life, and let it be 599 520
O The God of Abraham praise 125 53
G There once was a man as mean as could be 748
G This is a day of new beginnings 653
G This is the day the Lord has made 368 289
G What does the Lord require of you 751
G When Christ was lifted from the earth 248 93

Other Possible Hymns (Numbers refer to The Australian Hymn Book and Sing Alleluia. TIS = Together in Song)

SA 41 Great God, your spirit, like the wind
38 We give immortal praise / to God the Father's love
54 God moves in a mysterious way
148 Love divine, all loves excelling
407 Father of peace, and God of love
408 Lord, in the strength of grace, / with a glad heart and true
490 Come let us to the Lord our God / with contrite hearts return
532 Where cross the crowded ways of life

543 God of grace and God of glory

All Saints
SA 73 Rejoice in God's saints, today and all days
8 A mighty stronghold is our God
46 O God, our help in ages past
87 Ye watchers and ye holy ones
179 Christ is the world's true light
384 For all the saints
385 The church's one foundation
389 Your hand, O God, has guided
454 I bind unto myself today the strong name of the Trinity
478 Guide me O thou great Redeemer [Jehovah]
551 I sing a song of the saints of God

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Sermon summary  (Click here for complete sermon )

Bringing an outsider into the family :

Membership in the Communion of Saints

Can you put yourself in the picture? [Luke 19:1-10]. In a crowded street in the oldest city in the world something new is happening. A man had come from Galilee on his way to Jerusalem with a band of followers. Everyone was talking about him. They wonder whether when he is the Messiah.

The street was so crowded that a small man, Zacchaeus, ran on ahead and climbed a tree to see him. When Jesus reached the spot he looked up and called him down, Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today. [Luke 19:5] Now where are you in this picture? -- amongst the band of followers from Galilee, ... up the tree with Zacchaeus, ... in the crowd watching and wondering?

If you were a citizen of Jericho you would have called Zacchaeus a sinner, a cheat and a traitor ... "dirty", and the idea of eating at his house would have filled you with revulsion. Yet Jesus invites himself to dinner at this man's house. But then he gives you have cause to think again. Zacchaeus says he is going to give away much of his wealth and repay four times over anyone he has cheated. He has changed! Jesus says, Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. He goes on to explain, the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost . [Luke 19:9-10].

The challenge of meeting Jesus and responding to him personally and socially is an essential part of the life of a Christian fellowship. Sadly many people today, both within the Church and outside, think of evangelism as a distasteful sectarian activity. There should be no need for pressure tactics. A faithful witness to Jesus, as the Christ, will be a challenge in itself, and people respond in their own way.

All Saints Day reminds us of the great host of people in the universal communion. We who engage out of love in evangelism are joined in the same fellowship with those who have lived and died before us. That is the communion of saints. Evangelism is not about conformity. We rejoice in the diversity of the universal fellowship. All who respond to Jesus in faith belong with all their differences.

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Order of Service - Pentecost 24 (All Saints, Ordinary 31) Year C

The Gathering of the People of God

CALL TO WORSHIP Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. -- 2 Thessalonians 1:2

Let us worship God.
In the name of Christ. Amen

HYMN SA 73 Rejoice in God's saints, today and all days

PRAYER OF ADORATION Te Deum Part 1 [Front of Hymn Book]

CONFESSION [In three parts, concluding ...]
Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy. Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy.

DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS

The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. -- 1 Timothy 1:15
Hear then Christ's word of grace to us: Your sins are forgiven.
Thanks be to God.

DOXOLOGY: Gloria in Excelsis [Sing Alleluia 100b]

Service of the Word

INTRODUCTION OF THEME: Evangelism, differences and acceptance.
A word to the children.

OLD TESTAMENT Habakkuk 1:1-4;2:1-4 There is still a vision for the appointed time
[Readings for All Saints Day
PSALM 149 Let the faithful exalt in glory [Responsive reading]
EPISTLE Ephesians 1:11-23 ...come to know the riches of inheritance among the saints]
GOSPEL Luke 10 19:1-10 Zacchaeus meets Jesus and is a changed man: salvation

HYMN 54 God moves in a mysterious way

SERMON

NICENE CREED

OFFERING

THANKSGIVING The Great Crowd of Witnesses

We give thanks to you, O Lord our God, for all your servants and witnesses of time past:
For Abraham, the father of believers, and Sarah his wife, for Moses the lawgiver, and Aaron, the priest:
We give you thanks, O Lord.
For Miriam and Joshua, Deborah and Gideon, for Samuel with Hannah his mother;
We give you thanks, O Lord.
For David, king and psalmist of Israel, for Isaiah and the prophets;
We give you thanks, O Lord.
For Mary, the mother of our Lord, for Joseph, Elizabeth and John the Baptist;
We give you thanks, O Lord.
For Peter and Paul and the apostles, for Mary and Martha, and Mary Magdalene;
We give you thanks, O Lord.
For Stephen, the first martyr, for Ignatius and Polycarp, for Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Oscar Romero, and all the martyrs ancient and modern;
We give you thanks, O Lord.
For Augustine, Luther, Calvin and Wesley and all reformers and evangelists, for Hilda, Julian of Norwich, Teresa of Avila and saintly women whose example of devotion inspires us to be your saints and faithful witnesses;
We give you thanks, O Lord.
In your mercy, O Lord our God, give us, as you give to all the faithful, the hope of salvation and the promise of eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the first born of many from the dead. Amen.
[Adapted from Uniting in Worship and the Episcopal Church USA]

SHARING TIME [Notices, Celebrations and requests for intercessions]
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Choir: Jesus, stand among us

THE COLLECT FOR ALL SAINTS DAY

We praise use, heavenly Father, that you have knit together your chosen people in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son, Christ our Lord. Give us grace so to follower your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, to that we may come to those inexpressible joys that you have prepared for those who love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Lord's Supper

THE PEACE

HYMN 505 Jesus calls us! O'er the tumult

GREAT PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

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.

Thanks and praise ..... in the eternal hymn: [SA 100c and 100d]
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

We thank you ....
[The great prayer of thanksgiving continues, recalling God's goodness in caring for his people, the life and saving work of our Lord Jesus Christ, how he commanded his disciples to remember him with the bread and the wine, and we pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit on us and what we do.]

THE LORD'S PRAYER 

BREAKING THE BREAD
THE LAMB OF GOD [Sing Alleluia 100e]
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world,
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world,
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world,
grant us peace.

COMMUNION
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION

The Sending Forth of the People of God

HYMN 384 For all the saints

WORD OF MISSION

BLESSING

DISMISSAL
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord:
In the name of Christ. Amen.| RCL Resources Index

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