Holy Communion Service
Worship Service
Lectionary Theme: Stewardship: Faithfulness and Transparency Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
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2 Kings 12:4-15 First Lesson
4. Jehoash said to the priests, “All the money offered as sacred donations that is brought into the house of the Lord, the money for which each person is assessed—the money from the assessment of persons—and the money from the voluntary offerings brought into the house of the Lord,
5. let the priests receive from each of the donors; and let them repair the house wherever any need of repairs is discovered.”
6. But by the twenty-third year of King Jehoash the priests had made no repairs on the house.
7. Therefore King Jehoash summoned the priest Jehoiada with the other priests and said to them, “Why are you not repairing the house? Now therefore do not accept any more money from your donors but hand it over for the repair of the house.”
8. So the priests agreed that they would neither accept more money from the people nor repair the house.
9. Then the priest Jehoiada took a chest, made a hole in its lid, and set it beside the altar on the right side as one entered the house of the Lord; the priests who guarded the threshold put in it all the money that was brought into the house of the Lord.
10. Whenever they saw that there was a great deal of money in the chest, the king’s secretary and the high priest went up, counted the money that was found in the house of the Lord, and tied it up in bags.
11. They would give the money that was weighed out into the hands of the workers who had the oversight of the house of the Lord; then they paid it out to the carpenters and the builders who worked on the house of the Lord,
12. to the masons and the stonecutters, as well as to buy timber and quarried stone for making repairs on the house of the Lord, as well as for any outlay for repairs of the house.
13. But for the house of the Lord no basins of silver, snuffers, bowls, trumpets, or any vessels of gold, or of silver, were made from the money that was brought into the house of the Lord,
14. for that was given to the workers who were repairing the house of the Lord with it.
15. They did not ask an accounting from those into whose hand they delivered the money to pay out to the workers, for they dealt honestly.
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Acts 5:1-11 Second Lesson
1. But a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property;
2. with his wife’s knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
3. “Ananias,” Peter asked, “why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land?
4. While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, were not the proceeds at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You did not lie to us but to God!”
5. Now when Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard of it.
6. The young men came and wrapped up his body, then carried him out and buried him.
7. After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
8. Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you and your husband sold the land for such and such a price.” And she said, “Yes, that was the price.”
9. Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.”
10. Immediately she fell down at his feet and died. When the young men came in they found her dead, so they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
11. And great fear seized the whole church and all who heard of these things. The Apostles Heal Many
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1 Corinthians 4:1-5 Epistle
1. Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries.
2. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.
3. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. I do not even judge myself.
4. I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me.
5. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive commendation from God.
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Luke 19:12-24 Gospel
12. So he said, “A nobleman went to a distant country to get royal power for himself and then return.
13. He summoned ten of his slaves, and gave them ten pounds, and said to them, ‘Do business with these until I come back.’
14. But the citizens of his country hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to rule over us.’
15. When he returned, having received royal power, he ordered these slaves, to whom he had given the money, to be summoned so that he might find out what they had gained by trading.
16. The first came forward and said, ‘Lord, your pound has made ten more pounds.’
17. He said to him, ‘Well done, good slave! Because you have been trustworthy in a very small thing, take charge of ten cities.’
18. Then the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your pound has made five pounds.’
19. He said to him, ‘And you, rule over five cities.’
20. Then the other came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your pound. I wrapped it up in a piece of cloth,
21. for I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man; you take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’
22. He said to him, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked slave! You knew, did you, that I was a harsh man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow?
23. Why then did you not put my money into the bank? Then when I returned, I could have collected it with interest.’
24. He said to the bystanders, ‘Take the pound from him and give it to the one who has ten pounds.’