Readings for Sunday, 10/22/23 (8:00am Service)
THE COLLECT
Almighty and everlasting God, in Christ you have revealed your glory
among the nations: Preserve the works of your mercy, that your Church
throughout the world may persevere with steadfast faith in the
confession of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
OLD TESTAMENT
FIRST READING: Exodus 33:12-23
Moses said to the LORD, “See, you have said to me, ‘Bring up this
people’; but you have not let me know whom you will send with me.
Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor
in my sight.’ Now if I have found favor in your sight, show me your
ways, so that I may know you and find favor in your sight. Consider too
that this nation is your people.” He said, “My presence will go with
you, and I will give you rest.” And he said to him, “If your presence
will not go, do not carry us up from here. For how shall it be known that
I have found favor in your sight, I and your people, unless you go with
us? In this way, we shall be distinct, I and your people, from every
people on the face of the earth.” The LORD said to Moses, “I will do the
very thing that you have asked; for you have found favor in my sight,
and I know you by name.” Moses said, “Show me your glory, I pray.”
And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will
proclaim before you the name, ‘The LORD’; and I will be gracious to
whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show
mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me
and live.” And the LORD continued, “See, there is a place by me where
you shall stand on the rock; and while my glory passes by I will put you
in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have
passed by; then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my
back; but my face shall not be seen.”
THE PSALM
Psalm 99
Dominus regnavit
1 The LORD is King;
let the people tremble; *
he is enthroned upon the cherubim;
let the earth shake.
2 The LORD is great in Zion; *
he is high above all peoples.
3 Let them confess his Name, which is great and awesome; *
he is the Holy One.
4 “O mighty King, lover of justice,
you have established equity; *
you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.”
5 Proclaim the greatness of the LORD our God
and fall down before his footstool; *
he is the Holy One.
6 Moses and Aaron among his priests,
and Samuel among those who call upon his Name, *
they called upon the LORD, and he answered them.
7 He spoke to them out of the pillar of cloud; *
they kept his testimonies and the decree that he gave them.
8 O LORD our God, you answered them indeed; *
you were a God who forgave them,
yet punished them for their evil deeds.
9 Proclaim the greatness of the LORD our God
and worship him upon his holy hill; *
for the LORD our God is the Holy One.
THE EPISTLE
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in
God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. We
always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our
prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work
of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus
Christ. For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has
chosen you, because our message of the gospel came to you not in word
only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction;
just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for
your sake. And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite
of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy
Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia
and in Achaia. For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not
only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has
become known, so that we have no need to speak about it. For the
people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had
among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and
true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the
dead– Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.
GOSPEL HYMN: Spirit of God
Spirit of God, un-seen as the wind, gentle as is the dove:
teach us the truth and help us believe, show us the Saviour’s
love!
- You spoke to us long, long a-go, gave us the written word;
we read it still, needing its truth, through it God’s voice is heard - With-out your help we fail our Lord, we can-not live his way;
we need your power, we need your strength, following Christ
each day
THE GOSPEL
GOSPEL: Matthew 22:15-22
The Pharisees went and plotted to entrap Jesus in what he said. So, they
sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher,
we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance
with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people
with partiality. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to
the emperor, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are
you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for
the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them,
“Whose head is this, and whose title?” They answered, “The
emperor’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to the emperor the
things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went
away.