After Pentecost | Sunday 21 Sep 2025: Amos 8:4-7; Psalm 113; 1 Timothy 2:1-7; Luke 16:1-13 ~ Faithful stewardship begins with little things.

After Pentecost | Sunday 21 Sep 2025

+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening prayer:

O Lord,
you have taught us that without love,
all our deeds are worth nothing:
Send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts
that most excellent gift of charity,
the true bond of peace and of all virtues,
without which whoever lives is counted dead before you;
grant this for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

“One who is faithful in a very little
is also faithful in much,
and one who is dishonest in a very little
is also dishonest in much.”
(Luke 16:10)

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Praise My Soul the King of Heaven – Northern Baptist Association

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OT Reading: Amos 8:4-7 (ESV

8:4 Hear this, you who trample on the needy
and bring the poor of the land to an end,
saying, “When will the new moon be over,
that we may sell grain?
And the Sabbath,
that we may offer wheat for sale,
that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great
and deal deceitfully with false balances,
that we may buy the poor for silver
and the needy for a pair of sandals
and sell the chaff of the wheat?”

8:7 The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob:
“Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.

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From the Psalms: Psalm 113 | Psalm 113 – Praise the Lord Who Lifts up the Poor | Francesca LaRosa

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NT Reading: 1 Timothy 2:1-7 (ESV)

Pray for All People

2:1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

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“Mediator” | Ghost Ship / thisismarshillmusic

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Gospel Reading: Luke 16:1-13 (ESV)

The Parable of the Dishonest Manager

16:1 He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.

16:10 “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

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All I Once Held Dear (Knowing You, Jesus) | Robin Mark / Chet Valley Churches

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP 2019

Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear our prayers, and grant that in our local assemblies the pure Word of God may be preached and the Sacraments duly administered. Strengthen and confirm the faithful; protect and guide the children; visit and relieve the sick; turn and soften the wicked; arouse the careless; recover the fallen; restore the penitent; remove all hindrances to the advancement of your truth; and bring us all to be of one heart and mind within your holy Church, to the honor and glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O God, the creator and preserver of all mankind, we humbly pray for all sorts and conditions of men; that you would make your ways known to them, your saving health to all nations. More especially we pray for your holy Church universal, that it may be so guided and governed by your good Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally, we commend to your fatherly goodness all those who are in any ways afflicted or distressed, in mind, body, or estate; that it may please you to comfort and relieve them according to their several necessities, giving them patience under their sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions. And this we pray for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

O God, our heavenly Father, you manifested your love by sending your only-begotten Son into the world, that all might live through him: Pour out your Spirit on your Church, that we may fulfill his command to preach the Gospel to all people. Send forth laborers into your harvest; defend them in all dangers and temptations; and hasten the time when the fullness of the Gentiles shall be gathered in, and faithful Israel shall be saved; through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil,
and keep us in eternal life.

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Thanksgiving Day USA / Thursday, 25 Nov 2021: Joel 2:21-27; Psalm 126; 1 Timothy 2:1-7; Matthew 6:25-33 ~ Seek first the kingdom of God.

Thanksgiving Day USA / Thursday, 25 Nov 2021:

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening:

Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all
things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of
lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and
enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his
most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

“Do not be anxious, saying,
‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’
or ‘What shall we wear?’
For the Gentiles seek after all these things,
and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be added to you.”
(Matthew 6:31-33)

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HOPE FOR NIGERIA – Fear Not Oh Land by Amazing Grace Music Group
(Please join in prayer for your own nation.)

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OT Reading: Joel 2:21-27 (ESV)

2:21 “Fear not, O land;
be glad and rejoice,
for the Lord has done great things!
22 Fear not, you beasts of the field,
for the pastures of the wilderness are green;
the tree bears its fruit;
the fig tree and vine give their full yield.

23 “Be glad, O children of Zion,
and rejoice in the Lord your God,
for he has given the early rain for your vindication;
he has poured down for you abundant rain,
the early and the latter rain, as before.

24 “The threshing floors shall be full of grain;
the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
25 I will restore to you the years
that the swarming locust has eaten,
the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter,
my great army, which I sent among you.

26 “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
and praise the name of the Lord your God,
who has dealt wondrously with you.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.
27 You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel,
and that I am the Lord your God and there is none else.
And my people shall never again be put to shame.

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Psalms: Psalm 126
Shir Ha Ma’alot – Song of Ascents
(Messianic worship from Israel)

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NT Reading: 1 Timothy 2:1-7 (ESV)

Pray for All People

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If My People Pray – AvalonTheGroup

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Gospel Reading: Matthew 6:25-33 (ESV)

Do Not Be Anxious

6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

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Seek Ye First– PCEA St. Andrew’s Youth Choir, Nairobi
[done by the Youth Choir during their mission to Sweden.]

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Prayer:

THANKSGIVING PRAYER

Accept, O Lord, our thanks and praise for all that you have done for us.

+ We thank you for the splendor of the whole creation, for the beauty of this world, for the wonder of life, and for the mystery of love.

+ We thank you for the blessing of family and friends, and for the loving care which surrounds us on every side.

+ We thank you for setting us at tasks that demand our best efforts, and for leading us to accomplishments that satisfy and delight us.

+ We thank you also for those disappointments and failures that lead us to acknowledge our dependence on you alone.

+ Above all, we thank you for your Son Jesus Christ; for the truth of his Word and the example of his life; for his steadfast obedience, by which he overcame temptation; for his dying, through which he conquered death; and for his rising to life again, in which we are raised to the life of your kingdom.

Grant us the gift of your Spirit, that we may know Christ and make him known; and through him, at all times and in all places, may give thanks to you in all things. Amen.

Tuesday of the 9th Week in Ordinary Time, 02 Jun 2020 – 1 Timothy 1:18-2:15, Psalm 110 ~ “Pray for all people.”

Tuesday of the 9th Week in Ordinary Time, 02 Jun 2020

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening:

Lord God, let the grace of the Holy Spirit come upon us, so that we may hold fast to your will with fidelity and show it forth in a holy life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Pray for all people…
with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy.

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A Reading from the Pastoral Epistles: 1 Timothy 1:1-17 (NLT)

Timothy’s Responsibility

Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they help you fight well in the Lord’s battles. Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked. Hymenaeus and Alexander are two examples. I threw them out and handed them over to Satan so they might learn not to blaspheme God.

Instructions about Worship

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For,

There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.

This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time. And I have been chosen as a preacher and apostle to teach the Gentiles this message about faith and truth. I’m not exaggerating—just telling the truth.

In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy.

And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do.

Women should learn quietly and submissively. I do not let women teach men or have authority over them. Let them listen quietly. For God made Adam first, and afterward he made Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived by Satan. The woman was deceived, and sin was the result. But women will be saved through childbearing, assuming they continue to live in faith, love, holiness, and modesty.
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Morning Prayer:

Merciful God: you want everyone to be reconciled to you through your Son Jesus Christ.

We pray for our Nation, this good land you have given us for our heritage – May we always remember your favor, and be glad to do your will.

Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure conduct.
Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way.
Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes who came here from all over the world.
Give the spirit of wisdom, charity, and justice to all entrusted with governing authority, especially our President Donald Trump.
Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness, they may faithfully serve in their offices to promote the well-being of all people.

We pray for all people who are called by your name – May we live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.

Merciful God: you have purchased freedom for everyone, extend your kingdom to the ends of the earth;
Through your Son Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.
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(Psalm 110) – John Alexander Wilson

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Closing: 1 Timothy 2:5 (NLT)

There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

25th Ordinary Sunday, 18 September: Amos 8:4-7; Psalm 113:1-2, 4-6, 7-8; 1 Timothy 2:1-8; Luke 16:1-13 ~ help others and make friends

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Lord of glory: Help us to be your faithful servants before all else.

Opening Prayer:

God our Savior, you call us into your service. Make us wise and resourceful: children of the light who continue your work in this world with untiring concern for integrity and justice. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.
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“Praise, my soul the King of heaven” – The Northern Baptist Association (UK)

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A Reading from the Old Testament: Amos 8:4-7 (NLT)
[A warning to treat others justly.]

Saudi Arabia, thousands of Nepalese immigrant workers die from exploitation, torture and alcoholism. [Click on picture for full article]

Listen to this, you who rob the poor and trample down the needy! You can’t wait for the Sabbath day to be over and the religious festivals to end so you can get back to cheating the helpless. You measure out grain with dishonest measures and cheat the buyer with dishonest scales. And you mix the grain you sell with chaff swept from the floor. Then you enslave poor people for one piece of silver or a pair of sandals.

Now the Lord has sworn this oath by his own name, the Pride of Israel: “I will never forget the wicked things you have done!”
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A Reading from the Psalms: Psalm 113:1-2, 4-6, 7-8 (NLT)
[God lifts up the poor.]

Praise the Lord!

A Coptic Christian man picks up trash before it is recycled inside Garbage City in Cairo. [Cairo’s zabbaleen are primarily Coptic Christians, a sizable minority who have a history of being ostracized by Islamist powers in the country.] For more on Cairo's "Town of Trash," please click on picture. — A Coptic man picks up trash before it is recycled inside Garbage City in Cairo. Cairo’s zabbaleen are primarily Coptic Christians, a sizable minority who have a history of being ostracized by Islamist powers in the country.
[Click on picture for full article.]

Yes, give praise, O servants of the Lord. Praise the name of the Lord! Blessed be the name of the Lord now and forever.
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For the Lord is high above the nations; his glory is higher than the heavens.

Who can be compared with the Lord our God, who is enthroned on high? He stoops to look down on heaven and on earth.
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He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, even the princes of his own people!
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“Psalm 113: Praise the Lord Ye Servants” – Elizabeth C. Patterson and Gloriae Dei Cantores

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A Reading from the Letters: 1 Timothy 2:1-8 (NLT)
[Paul reminds us to offer prayers for everyone.]

There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.

In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy.
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A Reading from the Gospels: Luke 16:1-13 (NLT)
[We cannot be slaves both of God and money.]

Jesus told this story to his disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a manager handling his affairs. One day a report came that the manager was wasting his employer’s money. So the employer called him in and said, ‘What’s this I hear about you? Get your report in order, because you are going to be fired.’

“The manager thought to himself, ‘Now what? My boss has fired me. I don’t have the strength to dig ditches, and I’m too proud to beg. Ah, I know how to ensure that I’ll have plenty of friends who will give me a home when I am fired.’

“So he invited each person who owed money to his employer to come and discuss the situation. He asked the first one, ‘How much do you owe him?’ The man replied, ‘I owe him 800 gallons of olive oil.’ So the manager told him, ‘Take the bill and quickly change it to 400 gallons.’

“‘And how much do you owe my employer?’ he asked the next man. ‘I owe him 1,000 bushels of wheat,’ was the reply. ‘Here,’ the manager said, ‘take the bill and change it to 800 bushels.’

“The rich man had to admire the dishonest rascal for being so shrewd. And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of the light. Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.

“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”
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“If My People” – Brenda James

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Intercessory Prayer:

Gracious God: We come confidently before Your throne of grace. Grant your mercy and help to those on our hearts today –

+ For all who minister among your people…. Lord, hear us.
+ For our current leaders and everyone in authority over us…. Lord, hear us.
+ For those seeking public office and positions of authority…. Lord, hear us.
+ For the preservation of righteousness throughout our land…. Lord, hear us.
+ For peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity…. Lord, hear us.
+ For freedom of religion and an end to religious persecution…. Lord, hear us.
+ For those who have been unjustly treated in any way…. Lord, hear us.
+ For people in difficulty, particularly those whom we know…. Lord, hear us.
+ For for all who have died in Christ, especially through conflict and violence in the Middle East…. Lord, hear us.

God of glory and majesty, you stoop from the heights to lift up the poor: hear the prayers of all who praise you, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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“Jesus at the Center” – Darlene Zschech

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Benediction:

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.

Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

– Colossians 1:15-20

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

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