Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost

November 9, 2014

Prayer of the Day

Almighty, eternal God, show mercy to your children who
humbly pray, that we who have no confidence in our worth
may not be judged but tenderly received. Grant this, we pray,
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
forever. Amen.
First Reading: Amos 5:18-24
18
Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! Why would you have
the day of the Lord? It is darkness, and not light, 19as if a man fled
from a lion, and a bear met him, or went into the house and leaned
his hand against the wall, and a serpent bit him. 20Is not the day of
the Lord darkness, and not light, and gloom with no brightness in
it? 21I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your
solemn assemblies. 22Even though you offer me your burnt
offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace
offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them.
23
Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of
your harps I will not listen. 24But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Psalm 70
1
Be pleased, O God, to de`liver me;*
O Lord, make `haste to help me.
2
Let those who seek my life be ashamed and altogeth`er
dismayed;*
let those who take pleasure in my misfortune draw back and
`be disgraced.
3
Let those who say to me Aha! and gloat over `me turn back,*

because they `are ashamed.

4
Let all who seek you rejoice and be `glad in you;*
let those who love your salvation say forever, Great `is the
Lord!
5
But as for me, I am `poor and needy;*
come to me speedi`ly, O God.
6
You are my helper and `my deliverer;*
O Lord, `do not tarry.
Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
13
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those
who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no
hope. 14For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even
so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen
asleep. 15For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that
we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will
not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself
will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice
of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And
the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then we who are alive, who are
left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the
Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18Therefore
encourage one another with these words.
Gospel: Matthew 25:1-13
1
Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took
their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were
foolish, and five were wise. 3For when the foolish took their lamps,
they took no oil with them, 4but the wise took flasks of oil with
their lamps. 5As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became
drowsy and slept. 6But at midnight there was a cry, Here is the
bridegroom! Come out to meet him. 7Then all those virgins rose

and trimmed their lamps. 8And the foolish said to the wise, Give
us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. 9But the wise
answered, saying, Since there will not be enough for us and for
you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves. 10And while
they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were
ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was
shut. 11Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, Lord, lord,
open to us. 12But he answered, Truly, I say to you, I do not know
you. 13Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the
hour.
Lessons for Next Week: Zephaniah 1:7-16; Psalm 90:1-12; 1
Thessalonians 5:1-11; Matthew 25:14-30
Lulled to Sleep:
Awaken O Church of God!
Never having trouble with sleep in my most recent past I struggle
with how to quiet my mind. As a highly anxious person it can be
hard to go to sleep. To make matters worse I leave the TV on
because the lack of white noise or background noise leaves my
room too quiet. Being a city kid at heart the quietness of an Iowa
evening makes hear every little noise.
We dont value good rest. Too often we forgo rest hoping that
eventually we will catch up. Trouble is sleep finds us on a Sunday
afternoon, at work, or if we are not careful when driving. Our
patterns of living, working, and commuting can lull us to sleep as
well. We get easily bored and accustom to doing the same things.
This happens in the church as well.
Find a comfortable sleeping position. You can change positions if

needed, but try not to move around very much.

Take a deep breath in, pause... and breathe out.
Wherever your body is tense, focus on relaxing the muscles.
Feel your shoulders relax and sink into the bed.
Allow your jaw to drop slightly.
Wiggle your toes once or twice and feel your feet and legs relaxing.
Gently open and close your hands once... and again... and then
relax your hands and arms.
Take a deep breath in, feeling the tension in your chest and
stomach as you hold that breath...
And allow your chest and stomach to relax as the breath escapes
slowly.
Notice any areas of tension in your body, and relax those areas
now.
Your body will continue to relax...
The sleep countdown will start in a moment. Each number you
count can allow you to feel more and more relaxed, and drift
toward sleep.
Count very slowly, breathe with each count, and concentrate your
mind on the numbers. As thoughts come up, you can disregard

them and turn your attention back to the numbers.

Starting with 50, breathe in and silently count "50." Picture the
number 50. Breathe out to the number 50.
Picture now the number 49. Breathe in. Noticing your eyelids.
They might be feeling very heavy and comfortable. Exhale,
counting 49.
48. See the number 48 in your minds eye. Focusing all your
attention on 48.
47. You might be feeling more relaxed. Even sleepy. Concentrating
on 47.
46. Pleasant and calm. Breathing slowly and deeply.
45. Your attention drifts slowly, randomly... you can focus back on
the numbers
44. You might be feeling very sleepy now. Pleasantly drifting off
into sleep...
43. Calm. Relaxed. Peaceful. Safe.
42. Focusing only on the numbers. Allowing other thoughts to slip
away.
41. Deeply relaxed. Deeper and deeper. See the numbers in your
mind, slowly counting down to sleep.
40. Continue the sleep countdown on your own now.

Concentrating just on the numbers. Continue to count down now.

As your attention wanders, allow your mind to drift back to focus
just on the numbers as you count down to sleep.
Pleasantly drifting...
No direction except for down deeper with each number you
count.
Gently focus back on the counting as each number brings you
closer and closer to sleep.
Calm. Relaxed.
Peaceful and relaxed.
Continue to count down, all the way down, down to zero... Down
to sleep.
SLAM BOOK DOWN
ARE YOU AWAKE? WHAT IF JESUS COMES BACK THIS
VERY MINUTE? WOULD HE FIND YOU READY FOR
THE DAY OF SALVATION? WHAT PREPARES US FOR
THAT VERY MOMENT??
Do not be uninformed dear Christians. The wise are prepared for
the bridegrooms return. These final Sundays in the church year
are a time for us to prepare to meet our Savior. Check the oil in
our lamps and remember that we truly do not know the time nor
the hour

APPLICATION OF THE WORD:

1. Resist the temptation of becoming complacent in our faith.
a. The deadly error of complacency doesnt just take down the
complacent one, but it also has a way of taking down those who
happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
b. We can be lulled into going through the motions projecting
an image of a faithful person doing the right things and believing
the right things. Soon like those in the first lesson we embrace
resentment, apathy, and boredom. 22Even though you offer me
your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them;
and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look
upon them.
c. Their faith in action had become a hollow core, an empty shell
of what God had originally intended his people to have. Do not
fall asleep beloved! Find ways to revitalize and engage your faith!
2. Find a living source to fill your lamps EVERY week so you can
be ready.
a. Where is this source? He himself gives us freely the very oil of
life we need.
b. I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in
Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has
called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified
and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens,
and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it
with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; in which Christian Church
He forgives daily and richly all sins to me and all believers, and at
the last day will raise up me and all the dead, and will give to me
and to all believers in Christ everlasting life. This is most certainly
true.

c. Through the gifts of Christs own Word and Sacraments, our

lamps of faith are continually refilled and replenished by Him with
His life giving grace, mercy, and forgiveness. The trick is you have
to be here!
3. We must stir the church from her rest and be ready for the
bridegroom who is surely coming!
a. 10And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and
those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and
the door was shut. 11Afterward the other virgins came also, saying,
Lord, lord, open to us. 12But he answered, Truly, I say to you, I
do not know you. 13Watch therefore, for you know neither the day
nor the hour.
b. 16For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of
command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of
the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then
we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with
them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will
always be with the Lord. 18Therefore encourage one another with
these words.
c. The church of Christ in every age,
beset by change but Spirit-led,
must claim and test its heritage
and keep on rising from the dead.