Pastor Sullivan's Blog

In the Name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. The landowner is Christ. The vineyard is the Church. And the laborers are all those whom Christ graciously calls to work in His vineyard. Those whom Christ calls don’t earn their way into Church. They don’t merit their place in the vineyard. They’re called to enter the vineyard by Christ out of sheer grace. When the gospel call is proclaimed, that’s Christ calling men, women, and children to enter His vineyard and receive the denarius. The invitation isn’t because you’re a good person. “ No one is good but One, that is, God ” (Mark 10:18). You haven’t merited this place in Christ’s vineyard. “ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast ” ( Ephesians 2:8-9). He calls you into His vineyard by forgiving your si

In the Name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. A landowner ventures out into the marketplace at the beginning of the workday, 6am. He invites the men standing there to come and work in his vineyard for the day. They agree on a price, a denarius for a day’s work, and the men go to the vineyard to begin their day. But the landowner is not content. He wants to invite more men to work in His vineyard. So again He ventures out into the marketplace at the third hour, 9am. The men he originally found were the early birds, the hard workers. They were men who were out to earn a buck. The men whom the landowner finds at the third hour are “ standing idle in the marketplace. ” These men are loafers and idlers. But the landowner invites them to labor in his vineyard anyway. “ You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you. ” These men don’t try to haggle for their wages. They know that they don’t deserve a day’s wages. But they trust the landowne

Order of Holy Communion - Pg. 15 Hymn # 276 Come Unto Me Ye Weary Hymn # 377 Salvation Unto Us Has Come Hymn # 50 Lord, Dismiss Us With Thy Blessing Introit The Sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death con front ed me. In my distress I called upon the Lord, He heard my voice from His temple. (Psalm 18:5–6a, c)   I will love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress. For You will save the humble peo ple, But will bring down haugh ty looks. It is God who arms me with strength, And makes my way perfect. Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, And sing prais es to Your mame. (Psalm 18:1b–2a, 27, 32, 49) Collect for Septuagesima O Lord, we beseech Thee favorably to hear the prayers of Thy people that we, who are justly punished for our offenses, may be mercifully delivered by Thy goodness, for the glory of Thy Name; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Savior, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ev