Reformation Sunday, the Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost

St John the Evangelist

25 October 2020
Entrance Hymn: A Mighty Fortress is Our God

1. A mighty fortress is our God,
A trusty shield and weapon;
He helps us free from ev'ry need
That has us now o'ertaken.
The old evil foe
Now means deadly woe;
Deep guile and great might
Are his dread arms in fight;
On earth is not his equal.
3. Though devils all the world should fill,
All eager to devour us,
We tremble not, we fear no ill:
They shall not overpow'r us.
This world's prince may still
Scowl fierce as he will,
He can harm us none.
He's judged; the deed is done!
One little word can fell him.

2. With might of ours can naught be done;
Soon were our loss effected.
But for us fights the valiant One
Whom God Himself elected.
You ask, "Who is this?"
Jesus Christ it is,
The almighty Lord.
And there's none other God;
He holds the field forever.
4. The Word they still shall let remain,
Nor any thanks have for it;
He's by our side upon the plain
With His good gifts and Spirit.
And do what they will--
Hate, steal, hurt, or kill--
Though all may be gone,
Our victory is won;
The kingdom's ours forever!

Text: Martin Luther, 1483-1546

Confession and Forgiveness

P In the name of the Father, and of the Son, T and of the Holy Spirit,
C Amen.
P Let us confess our sin in the presence of God and of one another.
(silence is kept for private confession)
P Faithful God,
C have mercy on us.
We confess that we are captive to sin
and cannot free ourselves.
We turn from your loving embrace
and go our own ways.
We pass judgment on one another
before examining ourselves.
We place our own needs before those of our neighbors.
We keep your gift of salvation to ourselves.
Make us humble, cast away our transgressions,
and turn us again to life in you
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
P God hears the cries of all who call out in need,
and through his death and resurrection,
Christ has made us his own.
Hear the truth that God proclaims:
Your sins are forgiven in the name of T Jesus Christ.
Led by the Holy Spirit, live in freedom and newness
to do God’s work in the world.
C Amen.

Kyrie

Kyrie, O Lord, eleison. Kyrie, O Lord, eleison. Kyrie, O Lord, eleison, O Lord, eleison.
Christe, O Lord, eleison. Christe, O Lord, eleison. Christe, O Lord, eleison, O Lord, eleison.
Kyrie, O Lord, eleison. Kyrie, O Lord, eleison. Kyrie, O Lord, eleison, O Lord, eleison.

Gloria

Glory to God, we give you thanks and praise; of heavenly joy we sing. We worship you, to you our hearts we
raise, Lord God, almighty king.
Lord Jesus Christ, the Father’s only Son, you take our sin away. O precious Lamb of God,
the victory you’ve won, receive our thanks today.
Alone, O Christ, you only are the Lord, at God’s right hand most high: who, with the Spirit,
worshiped and adored, Three-in-One, we glorify.

P The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray,

P Gracious Father, we pray for your holy catholic church. Fill it with all truth and peace. Where it is corrupt,
purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in anything it is amiss, reform it; where it is right, strengthen it;
where it is in need, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, our
Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Lessons

The First Reading - Jeremiah 31:31-34

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the
house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand
to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says
the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will
put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no
more.
L The word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.

Psalm 46

A God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

C Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of
the sea;
A though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult.
C There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.
A God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns.
C The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.
A The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.
C Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
A He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the
shields with fire.
C “Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.”
A The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

The Second Reading - Romans 3:19-28

Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may
be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For “no human being will be justified in his
sight” by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.
But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the
prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no
distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift,
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his
blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had
passed over the sins previously committed; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and
that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law?
By that of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works
prescribed by the law.

L The word of the Lord.

C Thanks be to God.

Halle-halle-hallelujah,
Halle-halle-hallelujah,
Halle-halle-hallelujah,
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

P The Holy Gospel according to St. John the Evangelist, the 8th chapter.
C Glory to you, T O Lord.

The Gospel – John 8:31-36

Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples;
and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” They answered him, “We are descendants of
Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?” Jesus
answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not have a
permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be
free indeed.

P The Gospel of the Lord.

C Praise to you, T O Christ.

Halle-halle-hallelujah,
Halle-halle-hallelujah,
Halle-halle-hallelujah,
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Homily

A Selection

The Apostles’ Creed

C I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, T
and the life everlasting. Amen.

Prayers of Intercession
P Lord, in your mercy,
C hear our prayer.
 Offering Prayer
P Blessed are you, O God, maker of all things.
You have set before us these gifts of your good creation.
Prepare us for your heavenly banquet,
nourish us with this rich food and drink,
and send us forth to set tables in the midst of a suffering world,
through the bread of life, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
C Amen.
 A Blessing for Those Joining Virtually
C My Jesus,
I believe that You are present
in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things,
and I desire to receive
You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment
receive You sacramentally,
I am confident
of the perfect righteousness
I have by grace
through your Word.
Never permit me
to be separated from You.
Amen.

Preface

P The Lord be with you.

C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give our thanks and praise.

P It is indeed right, our duty and our joy,

that we should at all times and in all places
give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God,
through our Savior Jesus Christ.
By the witness of your saints
you show us the hope of our calling,
and strengthen us to run the race set before us,
that we may delight in your mercy and rejoice with them in glory.
And so, with St. Simon and St. Jude and all the saints, T
with the choirs of angels and all the hosts of heaven,
we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

Acclamation

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

Eucharistic Prayer

P God of our weary years, God of our silent tears,

you have brought us this far along the way.
In times of bitterness you did not abandon us,
but guided us into the path of love and light.
In every age you sent prophets
to make known your loving will for all humanity.
The cry of the poor has become your own cry;
our hunger and thirst for justice is your own desire.
In the fullness of time, you sent your chosen servant
to preach good news to the afflicted,
to break bread with the outcast and despised,
and to ransom those in bondage to prejudice and sin.

In the night in which he was betrayed,

our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks;
broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take and eat; this is my body, T given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.

Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks,

and gave it for all to drink, saying:
This cup is the new covenant in my blood, T
shed for you and all people for the forgiveness of sin.
Do this for the remembrance of me.

For as often as we eat of this bread and drink from this cup
we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
C Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.

P Remembering, therefore, his death and resurrection,

we await the day when Jesus shall return
to free all the earth from the bonds of slavery and death.
Come, Lord Jesus! And let the church say, “Amen!”
C Amen!
P Send your Holy Spirit, our advocate,
to fill the hearts of all who share this bread and cup
with courage and wisdom to pursue love and justice in all the world.
Come, Spirit of freedom! And let the church say, “Amen!”
C Amen!
P Join our prayers and praise with your prophets and martyrs of every age,
that, rejoicing in the hope of the resurrection,
we might live in the freedom and hope of your Son.
Through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honor is yours, almighty Father, now and forever.
C Amen.
 Our Father

P Lord, remember us in Your kingdom, and teach us to pray:

C Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen
P We give you thanks, gracious God,
that you have once again fed us with food beyond compare,
the body and blood of Christ.
Lead us from this place, nourished and forgiven,
into your beloved vineyard
to wipe away the tears of all who hunger and thirst,
guided by the example of the same Jesus Christ
and led by the Holy Spirit, now and forever.
C Amen.

Blessing

P God, the Father, T Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you and lead you into the way of truth and life.
C Amen
 Dismissal

A Go in peace. Serve the Lord!

C Thanks be to God!
 Announcements
Sunday School is Back! We are rejoicing at the return of our Sunday school program! Please contact Kathy
Witto if you are interested or are aware of families who might be. She can be reached at 718-963-2100
or by email at parish@sjebrooklyn.org.

A Note Our Online Church: Thank you! Also, we want to support you better, if you are having trouble
connecting have ideas to improve the online experience, or just need to talk–please do!

We Are Open: The church is opening more and more each week and it’s so good to be back. We honor your
decision to stay home whenever you’d like. But, for those of you that are ready we’d love to hear from you.
Even if you cannot come in person, there are ways to plug in.

Covid-19 Reminders: It’s important that we keep proper distance in the pews and stick to touchless greetings.
We have to remain vigilant about these guideline especially during communion.

Prayer Line: Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 3:30pm 712-770-5505 Code: 853637

Giving Options: Go to sjebrooklyn.org/donate or mail a check to the church office.

Call Committee: Do you want to be involved in how we select our next pastor? Contact Charles Houston, our
council president by email at councilchair@sjebrooklyn.org.

Need to talk to someone? Call the office at 718-963-2100. We have pastoral care at the ready.

St. John The Evangelist

718-963-2100
sjebrooklyn.org Check out our website! sjebrooklyn.org
195 Maujer Street Visit Us on Facebook /sjebrooklyn
Brooklyn, NY 11206 Get updates by text! Text @SJEinfo to 81010

Next week’s readings: Joshua 3:7-17; and Psalm 107:1-7, 33-37; Thessalonians 2:9-13; Matthew 23:1-12