6th Sunday After Pentecost

Holy Eucharist: Rite II

Processional Hymn #637: How Firm a Foundation

1 How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, 

is laid for your faith in his excellent word! 

What more can he say than to you he hath said, 

to you that for refuge to Jesus have fled? 

2 "Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed! 

For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid; 

I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, 

upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand. 

3 "When through the deep waters I call thee to go, 

the rivers of woe shall not thee overflow; 

for I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless, 

and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress. 

4 "When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, 

my grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply; 

the flame shall not hurt thee; I only design 

thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine. 

5 "The soul that to Jesus hath fled for repose, 

I will not, I will not desert to its foes; 

that soul, though all hell shall endeavor to shake, 

I'll never, no, never, no, never forsake."

[Words: k. in John Rippo’s Selection, alt. Words: Foundatio, melody from The Sacred Harp. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #6062. All rights reserved.]

The Opening Acclamation

Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and forever. Amen.

The Collect for Purity

Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

LEV #243: Glory To God

The Collect of the Day                                     

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Let us pray.

Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, you know our necessities before we ask and our ignorance in asking: Have compassion on our weakness, and mercifully give us those things which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask; through the worthiness of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

A Reading from the Book of Genesis                               

The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground. He said, "My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on-- since you have come to your servant." So they said, "Do as you have said." And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes." Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate. They said to him, "Where is your wife Sarah?" And he said, "There, in the tent." Then one said, "I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son."

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

The Psalm

1 Lord, who may dwell in your tabernacle? *

who may abide upon your holy hill?

2 Whoever leads a blameless life and does what is right, *

who speaks the truth from his heart.

3 There is no guile upon his tongue; he does no evil to his friend; *

he does not heap contempt upon his neighbor.

4 In his sight the wicked is rejected, *

but he honors those who fear the Lord.

5 He has sworn to do no wrong *

and does not take back his word.

6 He does not give his money in hope of gain, *

nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.

7 Whoever does these things *

shall never be overthrown.

A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Colossians                       

Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers-- all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him-- provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, became a servant of this gospel. I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. I became its servant according to God's commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Sequence: LEV #64 I Love To Tell the Story 

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to St. Luke

Glory to you, Lord Christ.

As Jesus and his disciples went on their way, Jesus entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sequence: LEV #64 I Love To Tell the Story 

The Sermon

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son, he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The Prayers of the People, Form IV

Let us pray for the Church and for the world.

Grant, Almighty God, that all who confess your Name may be united in your truth, live together in your love, and reveal your glory in the world. [Silence] Lord, in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

Guide the people of this land, and of all the nations, in the ways of justice and peace; that we may honor one another and serve the common good. [Silence] Lord, in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

Give us all a reverence for the earth as your own creation, that we may use its resources rightly in the service of others and to your honor and glory. [Silence] Lord, in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

Bless all whose lives are closely linked with ours, especially Evalena Hoskins on her birthday; and grant that we may serve Christ in them, and love one another as he loves us. [Silence] Lord, in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

Comfort and heal all those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, especially the people on our Parish Prayer List: Teresa Blue-Clemons, Lazola Cope, David Jones, Denise Larkin, Milburn Lewis, Jessica Mathis, Marion Mathis, Rene James Nails, and Jewel Wheeler; give them courage and hope in their troubles, and bring them the joy of your salvation. [Silence] Lord, in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

We commend to your mercy all who have died, especially Brittany Dawson, that your will for them may be fulfilled; and we pray that we may share with all your saints in your eternal kingdom. [Silence] Lord, in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

The Celebrant concludes with the following or some other suitable Collect:

Almighty and eternal God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth: Mercifully accept the prayers of your people, and strengthen us to do your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Confession of Sin

The Deacon or Presider says

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

Silence may be kept. All pray together, kneeling, as they are able,

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

The Priest stands and says:

Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.

The Peace

The peace the Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

Parish Announcements

The Offertory

But do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. Hebrews 13:5, 16

Offertory: LEV #109 What A Friend We Have In Jesus

The Doxology

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow! Praise him all creatures here below! Praise him above ye heavenly hosts! Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer B

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. In fulfillment of his true promise, the Holy Spirit came down from heaven, lighting upon the disciples, to teach them and to lead them into all truth; uniting peoples of many tongues in the confession of one faith, and giving to your Church the power to serve you as a royal priesthood, and to preach the Gospel to all nations. Therefore, we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who forever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:

LEV #255:

Holy, holy, holy, holy, holy Lord God of hosts Heaven and earth are filled with your glory Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest, hosanna in the highest.

The people stand or kneel.

We give thanks to you, O God, for the goodness and love which you have made known to us in creation; in the calling of Israel to be your people; in your Word spoken through the prophets; and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus, your Son. For in these last days you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the Savior and Redeemer of the world. In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you. In him, you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life.

On the night before he died for us, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, "Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me."

After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, "Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me."

Therefore, according to his command, O Father,

LEV#260:

We remember his death, We proclaim his resurrection, We await his coming in glory!

We remember his death, We proclaim his resurrection, We await his coming in glory!

And we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, O Lord of all; presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and this wine.

We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts that they may be the Sacrament of the Body of Christ and his Blood of the new Covenant. Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable through him, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In the fullness of time, put all things in subjection under your Christ, and bring us to that heavenly country where, with [Blessed Matthew our Patron and] all your saints, we may enter the everlasting heritage of your sons and daughters; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation, the head of the Church, and the author of our salvation.

By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and forever. AMEN.

The Lord’s Prayer

And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,

Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

The Breaking of the Bread & Presentation of the Gifts

The Celebrant breaks the consecrated Bread. A period of silence is kept.

Alleluia! Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us!

Therefore let us keep the feast! Alleluia!

LEV #269:   

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; grant us peace

The Gifts of God for the people of God.

The Distribution of Holy Communion

The Communion Hymn(s):

LEV #153 Lord I Have Seen Thy Salvation

1 Lord I have seen thy salvation,

Lord I have seen thy salvation,

Drank of the blood, Held the body,

Lord I have seen, seen with my eyes

Seen with my heart.

Refrain

Fell on my knees down at the altar,

Bowed down my head, whispered a prayer.

Have mercy Lord,

I’m not worthy, I believe,

Yes, I believe, now I am sure

2 Lord I have heard of they kingdom,

Lord I have heard of thy promise,

Looked on thy birth, cried at Calvary,

Lord I have heard, Lord I have heard,

Lord I have heard. {Refrain]

[Words: John D. Cooper. Music: John D. Cooper. Copyright 1980 Dangerfield Music Co. All rights Reserved.]

LEV #150 Jesus The Bread of Life

The Post-Communion Prayer

Let us pray.

Almighty and everliving God, we thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; and for assuring us in these holy mysteries that we are living members of the Body of your Son, and heirs of your eternal kingdom. And now, Father, send us out to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord. To him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and forever. Amen.

The Blessing of the People

Recessional Hymn #488: Be Thou My Vision

1 Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; 

all else be nought to me, save that thou art— 

thou my best thought, by day or by night, 

waking or sleeping, thy presence my light. 

2 Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word; 

I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord; 

thou my great Father; thine own may I be; 

thou in me dwelling, and I one with thee. 

3 High King of heaven, when victory is won, 

may I reach heaven's joys, bright heaven's Sun! 

Heart of my heart, whatever befall, 

still be my vision, O Ruler of all.

[Irish, ca; versified Mary Elizabeth Byrne; tr. Eleanor H. Hull, alt. Music: Slane, Irish ballad melody; adapt. The Church Hymnary. By permission of Oxford University Press. Reprinted with permission under One License # 227074. All rights reserved].

The Dismissal

Let us go forth into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit! [Alleluia! Alleluia!]

Thanks be to God! [Alleluia! Alleluia!]