Sunday Service from Hillside Circuit for October 11th 2026:
Lectionary Theme: God’s invitation to joyful and faithful living
Occasion: 20th Sunday after Pentecost
Lectionary readings:
Psalm 23
Isaiah 25: 1-9
Philippians 4: 1-9
Matthew 22: 1-14
[Click or tap on a Bible reference above to jump down the page to the Bible reading to read it for yourself (and/or to listen to it) and then click or tap on Back to top to come back here.]
Songs:
Here are the songs for Sunday morning service. Click or tap on a song to open it in YouTube.
This is the day.
Ndinofara kuti Baba wedu.
Ligcwalise izwi lakho.
Father who on man dost shower.
Rejoice the Lord is King.
As your family Lord.
Jesu ndisededzei.
Makwenziwe indumiso.
Prayers:
You can listen and join in with prayers from the English Methodist Service Book. They can be found at the Prayers for worship webpage.
Children’s Address:
Sermon:
Bible readings:
Psalm 23
1 You, LORD, are my shepherd. I will never be in need.
2 You let me rest in fields of green grass.
You lead me to streams of peaceful water,
3 and you refresh my life.
You are true to your name,
and you lead me along the right paths.
4 I may walk through valleys as dark as death,
but I won’t be afraid.
You are with me,
and your shepherd’s rod makes me feel safe.
5 You treat me to a feast, while my enemies watch.
You honour me as your guest,
and you fill my cup until it overflows.
6 Your kindness and love will always be with me
each day of my life,
and I will live forever in your house, LORD.
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Isaiah 25
1 You, LORD, are my God!
I will praise you for doing the wonderful things
you had planned and promised since ancient times.
2 You have destroyed the fortress of our enemies,
leaving their city in ruins.
Nothing in that foreign city will ever be rebuilt.
3 Now strong and cruel nations will fear and honour you.
4 You have been a place of safety for the poor and needy
in times of trouble.
Brutal enemies pounded us like a heavy rain
or the heat of the sun at noon,
but you were our shelter.
5 Those wild foreigners struck like scorching desert heat.
But you were like a cloud, protecting us from the sun.
You kept our enemies from singing songs of victory.
6 On this mountain the LORD All-Powerful will prepare
for all nations a feast of the finest foods.
Choice wines and the best meats will be served.
7 Here the LORD will strip away the burial clothes
that cover the nations.
8 The LORD All-Powerful will destroy the power of death
and wipe away all tears.
No longer will his people be insulted everywhere.
The LORD has spoken!
9 At that time, people will say, “The LORD has saved us!
Let’s celebrate. We waited and hoped
now our God is here.”
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Philippians 4
1 Dear friends, I love you and long to see you. Please keep on being faithful to the Lord. You are my pride and joy.
2 Euodia and Syntyche, you belong to the Lord, so I beg you to stop arguing with each other. 3 And, my true partner, I ask you to help them. These women have worked together with me and with Clement and with the others in spreading the good news. Their names are now written in the book of life.
4 Always be glad because of the Lord! I will say it again: Be glad. 5 Always be gentle with others. The Lord will soon be here. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. 7 Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.
8 Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise. 9 You know the teachings I gave you, and you know what you heard me say and saw me do. So follow my example. And God, who gives peace, will be with you.
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Matthew 22
1 Once again Jesus used stories to teach the people:
2 The kingdom of heaven is like what happened when a king gave a wedding banquet for his son. 3 The king sent some servants to tell the invited guests to come to the banquet, but the guests refused. 4 He sent other servants to say to the guests, “The banquet is ready! My cattle and prize calves have all been prepared. Everything is ready. Come to the banquet!”
5 But the guests did not pay any attention. Some of them left for their farms, and some went to their places of business. 6 Others grabbed the servants, then beat them up and killed them.
7 This made the king so furious that he sent an army to kill those murderers and burn down their city. 8 Then he said to the servants, “It is time for the wedding banquet, and the invited guests don’t deserve to come. 9 Go out to the street corners and tell everyone you meet to come to the banquet.” 10 They went out on the streets and brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike. And the banquet room was filled with guests.
11 When the king went in to meet the guests, he found that one of them wasn’t wearing the right kind of clothes for the wedding. 12 The king asked, “Friend, why didn’t you wear proper clothes for the wedding?” But the guest had no excuse. 13 So the king gave orders for that person to be tied hand and foot and to be thrown outside into the dark. That’s where people will cry and grit their teeth in pain. 14 Many are invited, but only a few are chosen.
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[Did you miss last week’s Sunday Service? It can now be found at Worship Archive – October 4th 2026.]
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