Proper 23
October 11, 2026

You are welcome to print this liturgy at home and bring it with you on Sunday.

Call to Worship
The Lord be with you.
and also with you.

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

Opening Sentences
from the Northumbria Community

One thing I have asked of the Lord,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life;
to behold the beauty of the Lord
and to seek God in God’s temple.

Who is it that you seek?
We seek the Lord our God.

Do you seek God with all your heart?
Amen. Lord, have mercy.

Do you seek God with all your soul?
Amen. Lord, have mercy.

Do you seek God with all your mind?
Amen. Lord, have mercy.

Do you seek God with all your strength?
Amen. Christ, have mercy.

Processional
Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us (William Batchelder Bradbury, Dorothy A. Thrupp)

Savior, like a shepherd lead us
Much we need Thy tender care
In Thy pleasant pastures feed us
For our use Thy folds prepare
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus
Thou hast joined us, Thine we are
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus
Thou hast joined us, Thine we are

We are Thine, do Thou befriend us
Be the guardian of our way
Keep Thy flock, from sin defend us
Seek us when we go astray
Blessed Jesus, Blessed Jesus
Hear O hear us when we pray
Blessed Jesus, Blessed Jesus
Hear O hear us when we pray

Early let us seek Thy favor
Early let us do Thy will
Blessed Lord and only Savior
With Thy love our bosoms fill
Blessed Jesus, Blessed Jesus
Thou hast loved us, love us still
Blessed Jesus, Blessed Jesus
Thou hast loved us, love us still

Song of Praise
All the Poor and Powerless (Leslie Jordan, David Leonard, Isaac Wardell)

All the poor and powerless
And all the lost and lonely
All the thieves will come confess
And know that You are holy
And know that You are holy

All will sing out, "Hallelujah"
And we will cry out, "Hallelujah"

All the hearts who are content
And all who feel unworthy
All who hurt with nothing left
Will know that You are holy
Will know that You are holy

All will sing out, "Hallelujah"
And we will cry out, "Hallelujah"

All will sing out, "Hallelujah"
And we will cry out, "Hallelujah"

Often proud and discontent
We fail to join the lowly
You change our hearts so we repent
And know that You are holy
Will know that You are holy

All will sing out, "Hallelujah"
And we will cry out, "Hallelujah"

All will sing out, "Hallelujah"
And we will cry out, "Hallelujah"

The Collect of the Day from Common Worship: Additional Collects (2004)
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

Faithful God, whose steadfast love never ceases and whose mercies never come to an end: grant us the grace to trust you and to receive the gifts of your love, new every morning, in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

First Lesson Isaiah 25:1-9

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. For you have made the city a heap, the fortified city a ruin; the palace of oppressors is a city no more; it will never be rebuilt.

Therefore strong peoples will glorify you; cities of ruthless nations will fear you. 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, the noise of oppressors like heat in a dry place, you subdued the heat with the shade of clouds; the song of the ruthless was stilled.

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. And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the covering that is spread over all nations; 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.

This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not *want.
He makes me lie down in green *pastures;
he leads me beside still *waters;
he restores my *soul.

He leads me in right paths for his *name's sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest *valley,
I fear no evil, for you are *with me;
your rod and your staff, they *comfort me.

You prepare a table be*fore me
in the presence of my *enemies;
you anoint my head with *oil;
my cup over*flows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall *follow me
all the days of my *life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the *Lord
my whole life *long.

Glory Be to the Father, and to the *Son,
and to the Holy *Spirit.
As it was in the be*ginning,
is now, and ever shall be, world without end. A*men.

Second Lesson Philippians 4:1-9

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

I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, 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 coworkers, whose names are in the book of life.

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

Finally, brothers and sisters, 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. As for the things that you have learned and received and heard and noticed in me, do them, and the God of peace will be with you.

This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation

The Gospel Reading Matthew 22:1-14

+ This is the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Matthew.
Glory to you, Lord Christ.

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

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless. Then 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.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Gospel Acclamation

Homily

A Creed from the United Church of Canada

We are not alone,
    we live in God’s world.

 We believe in God:
    who has created and is creating,
    who has come in Jesus,
       the Word made flesh,
       to reconcile and make new,
    who works in us and others
       by the Spirit.

We trust in God. 

We are called to be the Church:
    to celebrate God’s presence,
    to live with respect in Creation,
    to love and serve others,
    to seek justice and resist evil,
    to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
       our judge and our hope.

In life, in death, in life beyond death,
    God is with us.
We are not alone.

    Thanks be to God.

The Prayers of the People
by Rev. Terri Pilarski

For all the blessings of this life, we give thanks to you, Creator God. For families, friends, colleagues, neighbors, and strangers, who nurture us, that the love of God may grow within. That your love, your Word, like a seed, may grow to produce in us, good fruit.
May your love be like a seed, taking root and growing strong.

For the leaders of various nations and cities, that they may lead with strong hearts and gentle hands and generous spirits, with compassion and mercy, with wisdom and grace. May they reflect your will guiding all their actions and decisions.
May your love be like a seed, taking root and growing strong.

For those who serve in harms way, those who live in dangerous places, those who live in areas of war and strife, those who live in fear, those who worry about employment, bills, food, and struggle just to find dignity in life. May your grace bring peace and safety to all people, one to another.
May your love be like a seed, taking root and growing strong.

For those who suffer from any illness or dis-ease of mind, body, or spirit: Restore these, and all those we carry in our hearts, to fullness of health— health as only you, O God, can bring. May your mercy shower each of us with healing mercy and love.
May your love be like a seed, taking root and growing strong.

For those who are dying, and for those who have died: send forth your comforting love. Give solace to those who mourn. Console those who grieve. May your grace surround us like a mantle upon our heads,
a shawl upon our shoulders, a hand, to hold our hand.
May your love, be like a seed, taking root and growing strong.
Amen.

Prayer of Confession
Gracious God, we have hurt others, and we have been hurt. We have presumed upon others, and we have been presumed upon. We have taken others for granted, and we have been taken for granted. We have dishonored others, and we have been dishonored. As we receive your forgiveness for our wrongs, we extend forgiveness to others who have wronged us. Have mercy upon us all. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon
Be reminded my friends: as far as the east is from the west, so far has God removed our transgressions from us. So, let us heed God’s admonitions that we need not be afraid and that God has not come to condemn the world but to redeem it! Amen.

The Peace
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.

Song of Preparation
Crowded Table (Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Lori McKenna)

You can hold my hand
When you need to let go
I can be your mountain
When you're feeling valley-low
I can be your streetlight
Showing you the way home
If you can hold my hand
When you need to let go

I want a house with a crowded table
And a place by the fire for everyone
Let us take on the world
while we're young and able
And bring us back together
when the day is done

If we want a garden
We're gonna have to sow the seeds
Plant a little happiness
Let the roots run deep
If it's love that we give
Then it's love that we reap
If we want a garden
We're gonna have to sow the seed

I want a house with a crowded table
And a place by the fire for everyone
Let us take on the world
while we're young and able
And bring us back together
when the day is done

The door is always open
Your picture's on my wall
Everyone's a little broken
And everyone belongs
Yeah, everyone belongs

I want a house with a crowded table
And a place by the fire for everyone
Let us take on the world
while we're young and able
And bring us back together
when the day is done
And bring us back together
when the day is done

Presentation Hymn
Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise him all creatures here below
Praise him above ye heavenly hosts
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost
Amen

About Communion

On the night Jesus washed his disciples feet and promised to overcome the troubles of this world, he gave his friends a meal to remember their belonging to him and to one another. Friends of Jesus have continued to celebrate this communion meal since that night, and this table is open to all who desire the belonging and peace of Jesus.

Gluten free wafers and grape juice are available if you have those health needs. An usher will invite you to approach the kneelers to receive the meal. If for any reason you’re not prepared to join us, you’re welcome to remain in your seat. If coming to the front is physically difficult for you, please let an usher know and the elements will be brought to you. If you’d like to come up and simply receive a blessing, you can put your arms across your chest and a prayer of peace will be prayed over you.

The Great Thanksgiving
from the Children’s Sabbaths Celebration — Children’s Defense Fund (adapted)

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.

We give you thanks and praise, amazing God, who made heaven and earth and sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever, who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry; You watch over the strangers, uphold the children and most vulnerable caregivers, and have triumphed over sin and evil. And so we join the saints and angels in proclaiming your glory, as we say,

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
+ Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

We praise you, O God, for sending your beloved child Jesus born as a baby nurtured by his family, and protected by strangers, who grew as a child who was taught in his temple, surrounded by his community, and guided by his parents, who became an adult who loved and blessed the children, who cared for those who were sick, poor, and left out, who taught that God loves us like a parent, and who called us his friends. This one who was born a baby needing us died our Savior whom we all need, triumphant even over death, freeing us to live as your beloved children. 

On the night before he died for us, Jesus was at the table with his friends. He took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them, and said: “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. As you do this, remember me.”

As supper was ending, Jesus took the cup of wine. Again, he gave thanks, gave it to them, and said: “Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is poured out for you and for all for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, remember me.” 

Around your table, as your children, O God, we remember Jesus Christ, who came in love, lived in love, and died in love, who was and is and is to come. We offer to you our gifts of bread and wine, and we offer to you our lives. 

Pour out your Spirit upon these gifts that they may be for us the body and blood of Christ, that they strengthen us to welcome the children, to show your love, to work for your justice, to bring your peace. Through Christ and with Christ and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, to you be honor, glory, and praise, for ever and ever. Amen.

As Christ teaches us, we pray:

The Lord’s Prayer
You are welcome to pray in any language. 

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your Name. Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Padre nuestro que estás en el cielo, santificado sea tu Nombre, venga tu reino, hágase tu voluntad, en la tierra como en el cielo. Danos hoy nuestro pan de cada día. Perdona nuestras ofensas, como también nosotros perdonamos a los que nos ofenden. No nos dejes caer en tentación y líbranos del mal. Porque tuyo es el reino, tuyo es el poder, y tuya es la gloria, ahora y por siempre. Amén.

The Breaking of the Bread
The bread which we break is a sharing in the body of Christ. 
We being many are one body, for we all share in one bread.

The Invitation
The gifts of God for the people of God. 
Jesus Christ is holy, Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Communion Music
For Everyone Born (Shirley Erena Murray)

For everyone born, a place at the table,
for everyone born, clean water and bread,
a shelter, a space, a safe place for growing,
for everyone born, a star overhead,

and God will delight when we are creators
of justice and joy, compassion and peace
yes, God will delight when we are creators
of justice, justice and joy!

For woman and man, a place at the table,
revising the roles, deciding the share,
with wisdom and grace, dividing the power,
for woman and man, a system that's fair,

and God will delight when we are creators
of justice and joy, compassion and peace
yes, God will delight when we are creators
of justice, justice and joy!

For young and for old, a place at the table,
a voice to be heard, a part in the song,
the hands of a child in hands that are wrinkled,
for young and for old, the right to belong,

and God will delight when we are creators
of justice and joy, compassion and peace
yes, God will delight when we are creators
of justice, justice and joy!

For everyone born, a place at the table,
to live without fear, and simply to be,
to work, to speak out, to witness and worship,
for everyone born, the right to be free,

and God will delight when we are creators
of justice and joy, compassion and peace
yes, God will delight when we are creators
of justice, justice and joy!

As We Gather At Your Table (Carl P. Daw)

As we gather at your table,
as we listen to your word,
help us know, O God, your presence;
let our hearts and minds be stirred.

Nourish us with sacred story
till we claim it as our own;
teach us through this holy banquet
how to make Love's vict’ry known.

Turn our worship into witness
in the sacrament of life;
send us forth to love and serve you,
bringing peace where there is strife.

Give us, Christ, your great compassion
to forgive as you forgave;
may we still behold your image
in the world you died to save.

Gracious Spirit, help us summon
other guests to share that feast
where triumphant Love will welcome
those who had been last and least.

There no more will envy blind us
nor will pride our peace destroy,
as we join with saints and angels
to repeat the sounding joy.

The Great Silence
When all have received communion, ministers and people keep silence for reflection.

Prayer After Communion
Let us pray.

Eternal God, heavenly Father, you have graciously accepted us as living members of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, and you have fed us with spiritual food in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood. Send us now into the world in peace, and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Blessing

Closing Song
We Will Feast in the House of Zion (Sandra McCracken)

We will feast in the house of Zion
We will sing with our hearts restored
He has done great things, we will say together
We will feast and weep no more

We will not be burned by the fire
He is the Lord our God
We are not consumed, by the flood
Upheld, protected, gathered up

We will feast in the house of Zion
We will sing with our hearts restored
He has done great things, we will say together
We will feast and weep no more

In the dark of night, before the dawn
my soul, be not afraid
For the promised morning, oh how long?
Oh God of Jacob, be my strength

We will feast in the house of Zion
We will sing with our hearts restored
He has done great things, we will say together
We will feast and weep no more

Every vow we’ve broken and betrayed
You are the Faithful one
And from the garden to the grave
Bind us together, bring shalom.

We will feast in the house of Zion
We will sing with our hearts restored
He has done great things, we will say together
We will feast and weep no more

The Dismissal
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God. Alleluia, Alleluia!