BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//https://www.messiahofthemountains.org///NONSGML kigkonsult.se iCalcreator 2.10.15// METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT UID:20261104T174201UTC-2113u4Phpr@https://www.messiahofthemountains.org/ DTSTAMP:20261104T174201Z DESCRIPTION: \nWe gather each Sunday at 11:00 am for worship by singing hym ns\, hearing readings from the bible\, praying together and a celebration of Holy Communion. Communion is the spiritual bread our bodies need to liv e. All are invited to join us at the Lord's table to be fed by his heavenl y food\, There are no strangers in God’s house\, and if you choose to wors hip with us\, we would be honored by your presence.\n \nIntroduction to to days service.\nOn this final Sunday of the church year our gospel is Jesus ’ great story of judgment. In the end\, the faithful are those who served Christ by ministering to those who are poor\, hungry\, naked\, sick\, or e stranged. In the first reading God is the shepherd who seeks the lost\, we ak\, and injured and feeds them with justice. We gather this day to celebr ate the reign of Christ and his victory over death\, yet we await the cons ummation of all things yet to come. Acknowledging Christ as our merciful r uler\, we go forth that his reign may be known in our loving words and dee ds.\n \nPrayer of the Day\nO God of power and might\, your Son shows us th e way of service\, and in him we inherit the riches of your grace. Give us the wisdom to know what is right and the strength to serve the world you have made\, through Jesus Christ\, our Savior and Lord\, who lives and rei gns with you and the Holy Spirit\, one God\, now and forever.\n \n \nAmen. \n \nFirst Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-16\, 20-24\nBecause Israel’s kings prove d to be bad shepherds\, Ezekiel declares that the Lord will assume the rol e of shepherd in Israel. The Lord will also set over them a shepherd-messi ah\, “my servant David\,” who will feed and care for the people.\nPsalm:  95:1-7a\nWe are the people of God’s pasture and the sheep of God’s han\n  \nSecond Reading:  Ephesians 1:15-23\nIn this passage\, God is praised for revealing ultimate divine power in raising Jesus from the dead. The resur rected\, exalted Christ is Lord of both the church and the entire universe \, now and in the age to come.\n \nGospel:  Matthew 25:31-46\nJesus compar es himself to a king who moves among his subjects to see how he is treated : what is done for the least of those who belong to his family is truly do ne for him. [Jesus said to the disciples:]\n31  “When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him\, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.\n32  All the nations will be gathered before him\, and he w ill separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep fro m the goats\,\n33  and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goa ts at the left.\n34  Then the king will say to those at his right hand\, ‘ Come\, you who are blessed by my Father\, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world\,\n35  for I was hungry and you gave me food\, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink\, I was a stra nger and you welcomed me\,\n36  I was naked and you gave me clothing\, I w as sick and you took care of me\, I was in prison and you visited me.’\n37  Then the righteous will answer him\, ‘Lord\, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food or thirsty and gave you something to drink?\n38  And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you or naked and gave you clothing?\n39  And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’\n40  And the king will answer them\, ‘Truly I tell you\, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of m ine\, you did it to me.’\n41  Then he will say to those at his left hand\, ‘You who are accursed\, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels\,\n42  for I was hungry and you gave me no food\ , I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink\,\n43  I was a stranger a nd you did not welcome me\, naked and you did not give me clothing\, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’\n44  Then they also will answer\, ‘Lord\, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or na ked or sick or in prison and did not take care of you?’\n45  Then he will answer them\, ‘Truly I tell you\, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these\, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment but the righteous into eternal life.”\n \nAfter the Ser mon\, Holy Communion will be offered. Come as you are\, the gift of the Ta ble of the Lord has been prepared as Jesus has requested and now we are in vited to the meal. Come to the table like Peter\, with more enthusiasm tha n resolve and like James and John\, disappointed and the priorities of God ’s reign. Come to the table like Martha\, hosting and leading with confide nce like Mary\, full of love and grief. Come to the table like Judas\, dis illusioned and rebellious and like Mary Magdalene\, faithful till the end. Come to the table\, because it is God who invites us and it’s God’s will that those who want to should meet God here.\nBlessing for the day (Our bl essing is an adaptation of a Franciscan Prayer)\nMay God bless us with dis comfort at a Easy answers\, half truths and superficial leaderships so tha t we may live out God’s will deep in our heartland in our world.\nMay god bless with anger at injustice\, oppression and exploration and the environ ments that we may work for justice\, freedom and peace.\nMay God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain\, rejection\, hunger and war so that we may reach out with hands and hearts to help them\, walk wi th them and turn their pain into hope and joy.\nAnd may God bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can make a difference in this world\ , so that we can do what others claim cannot be done. To bring justice\, p eace\, hope and love to all children\, the poor and all others in any need .\nGod be your comfort\, your strength\;\nGod be your hope and support\;\n God be your light and your way\; and the blessing of God Creator\, Redeeme r and Giver of Life\, remain with you now and forever. https://www.messiah ofthemountains.org/events/event/711-christ-the-king-26th-sunday-after-pent ecost-year-a-worship-service-11-00-am-12-00-pm-service-pastor-naomi-carrik er DTSTART:20261122T160000Z DTEND:20261122T170000Z LOCATION:Messiah Of The Mountains Lutheran Church (3690 US-19E\, Burnsville \, NC 28714\, USA) SUMMARY:Christ the King - 26th Sunday after Pentecost -- Year A - Worship Service 11:00 am - 12:00 PM Service -- Pastor Naomi Carriker URL:https://www.messiahofthemountains.org/events/event/711-christ-the-king- 26th-sunday-after-pentecost-year-a-worship-service-11-00-am-12-00-pm-servi ce-pastor-naomi-carriker END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR