Morning Prayer on October 13, 2024

Lysa Rodriguez
Oct 13, 2024
11 min read

Morning Prayer

Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost B

October 13, 2024 at 9:30 AM

St. Matthew's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/stmattsav

Watch the Livestream at www.Facebook.com/StMattSav/Live/

The Liturgy of the Word: Rite II

Hymn 680: O God our Help in Ages Past

The Opening Acclamation

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!

The Confession of Sin

Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14, 16)

The Deacon or Lay Celebrant 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 Deacon or Lay Celebrant says:

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

Hymn S-280: Glory to God

Glory to God in the highest,

and peace to his people on earth.

Lord God, heavenly King,

almighty God and Father,

we worship you, we give you thanks,

we praise you for your glory.

Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,

Lord God, Lamb of God,

you take away the sin of the world:

have mercy on us;

you are seated at the right hand of the Father:

receive our prayer.

For you alone are the Holy One,

you alone are the Lord,

you alone are the Most High,

Jesus Christ,

with the Holy Spirit,

in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

The Collect of the Day

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Let us pray:

Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and follow us, that we may continually be given to good works; through 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 the Prophet Amos 5:6-7,10-15

Seek the Lord and live, or he will break out against the house of Joseph like fire, and it will devour Bethel, with no one to quench it. Ah, you that turn justice to wormwood, and bring righteousness to the ground!

They hate the one who reproves in the gate, and they abhor the one who speaks the truth. Therefore, because you trample on the poor and take from them levies of grain, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not live in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine. For I know how many are your transgressions, and how great are your sins—you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and push aside the needy in the gate. Therefore the prudent will keep silent in such a time; for it is an evil time.

Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, just as you have said. Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Psalm 90:12-17

12 So teach us to number our days *

that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.

13 Return, O Lord; how long will you tarry? *

be gracious to your servants.

14 Satisfy us by your loving-kindness in the morning; *

so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.

15 Make us glad by the measure of the days that you afflicted us *

and the years in which we suffered adversity.

16 Show your servants your works *

and your splendor to their children.

17 May the graciousness of the Lord our God be upon us; *

prosper the work of our hands; prosper our handiwork.

A Reading from the Letter to the Hebrews 4:12-16

The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.

Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Hymn 416: For the Beauty of the Earth (Verse 1-5)

The People stand, as they are able, for the reading of the Gospel.

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to Mark (10:17-31)

Glory to you, Lord Christ.

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’” He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”

Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Hymn 416: For the Beauty of the Earth (Verse 6)

Sermon

Idella Jones

The Nicene Creed

The People stand, as they are able, to recite the 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 VI)

In peace, we pray to you, Lord God.

For all people in their daily life and work;

For our families, friends, and neighbors, and for those who are alone.

For Joseph, our president; Brian, our governor; Van, our mayor; and all other civic officials; For this community, the nation, and the world;

For all who work for justice, freedom, and peace.

For the just and proper use of your creation;

For the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.

For all who are in danger, sorrow, or any kind of trouble;

For those who minister to the sick, the friendless, and the needy.

For all the churches in Savannah, that we may be one as you are one with the Son, and the Holy Spirit; For the peace and unity of the Church of God;

For all who proclaim the Gospel, and all who seek the Truth.

For Justin, Archbishop of Canterbury; Michael, our Presiding Bishop; Sean, our Presiding Bishop Elect, Frank, our Bishop; Ella our Deacon; and for all bishops and other ministers;

For all who serve God in his Church.

For the special needs and concerns of this congregation, especially for everyone affected by Hurricane Helene and Milton, our Day Care’s staff, students, and families, and for those on our Parish Prayer List: Teresa Blue-Clemons, Betty Bryant, Lazola Cope, Enrique Davis, Heather Hobbs, Charles Gordon, Marva Harris, David Jones, Donald Jones, Marilyn Jones, Sheila Jones, Beverly Kemp, Whitney Kennedy, Denise Larkin, Jessica Mathis, Marion Mathis, Sada Maxwell, John “Butch” Mitchell, Gordon Moore, Keshia Robinson, Wayne Robinson, Frieda McDew Shorter, Edward Vaughn, and Jewel Wheeler; and those we remember now… Silence. The People may add their own petitions. Hear us, Lord;

For your mercy is great.

We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life, especially for all visitors to this parish, all those celebrating birthdays: especially Jocelyn Wheeler, Tawanna Green (10/14), Shannon Nobles (10/15), Dana Jenkins (10/17) and those celebrating anniversaries especially Frank and Juray Brown (10/19), and those thanksgivings we offer now… Silence. The People may add their own thanksgivings. We will exalt you, O God our King;

And praise your Name for ever and ever.

We pray for all who have died, especially the victims from Hurricane Helene and Milton, that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom, and especially those we remember now,... Silence. The People may add their own petitions. Lord, let your loving-kindness be upon them;

Who put their trust in you.

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.

The Peace

The peace of the Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

Parish Announcements

Sign up for our e-Newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/StMattSavNews

Congregational Meeting: We will have a congregational meeting today following Morning Prayer.

Bishop Visit: The Bishop will be here at St. Matthew's October 20th for his annual visitation.

Celebrate the Presiding Bishop Investiture with a Watch Party: The Presiding Bishop-elect Sean Rowe installation will take place on November 2nd at 11:00 am at the Church Center located in New York City. Watch party details will be forth coming.

EYCS Scholarship: The ECW will be taking donations for the EYCS scholarship starting October 1st. All donations will need to be in by November 15th.

Honey Creek Events: Registration is now open for fall youth events. Happening #110 will be held November 22nd - 24th. You may register on the Diocese website.

Thanksgiving Baskets: The ECW has begun taking donations for our Annual Thanksgiving giveaway. All donations will have to be in by November 23rd. The ECW goal this year is 10 baskets.

Empty Bowl Fundraiser: The Emmaus House invites you all to the Empty Bowl Fundraiser on Sunday, November 3rd from 12-3 pm in Reynolds Square. Tickets can purchased now. The QR code is located on the bulletin board in the Toomer Walker Hall and on our website.

Glow and Grow gear still available: The Capital Building Campaign is still selling tee-shirts, mugs, etc. If you are interested in purchasing, please email the church office office@st.mattsav.org.

T/W/Th Evening Prayer on Zoom Only: St. Matthew’s gathers for virtual Evening Prayer services on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 5:00 PM, but we no longer post these videos to our Facebook page. You can pray with us on Zoom using the same link as before, as found in the e-Newsletter or in the St. Matthew’s Linktree (QR Code above).

The Offertory

Giving to St. Matthew's:

Mail us a check or money order at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 1401 Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd, Savannah, GA 31415; OR
Make a secure online gift to St. Matthew’s and/or automate future gifts at: https://onrealm.org/StMattSav/-/give/now; OR
Text “stmattsav” to 73256 to make a secure online donation through your phone.

NOTE: Donations made online (#2 or #3) through Realm incur a processing fee of about 2.5%. Please consider adding an additional 2.5% to your online gift to cover these costs.

The Presider begins the Offertory with a sentence on BCP, p. 376, or some other sentence of Scripture.

Give online at: https://onrealm.org/StMattSav/-/give/now

LEV 136: I Have Decided to Follow Jesus

The Doxology

Praise God, Praise God, Praise God!

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.

LEV #264: The Lord’s Prayer

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

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 debts, as we forgive our debtors

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 Grace

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all evermore. Amen.

Hymn 460: Alleluia! Sing to Jesus

The Dismissal

[BCP, p. 366]

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord! [Alleluia! Alleluia!]

Thanks be to God! [Alleluia! Alleluia!]

The Parish Prayer List

PRAYER LIST: Teresa Blue-Clemons, Betty Bryant, Lazola Cope, Enrique Davis, Heather Hobbs, Charles Gordon, Marva Harris, David Jones, Donald Jones, Marilyn Jones, Sheila Jones, Beverly Kemp, Whitney Kennedy, Denise Larkin, Jessica Mathis, Marion Mathis, Sada Maxwell, John “Butch” Mitchell, Gordon Moore, Keshia Robinson, Wayne Robinson, Frieda McDew Shorter, Edward Vaughn, and Jewel Wheeler

BIRTHDAYS: Jocelyn Wheeler, Tawanna Green (10/14), Shannon Nobles (10/15), Dana Jenkins (10/17)

WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES: Frank and Juray Brown (10/19)

RECENT DEATHS: Victims from Hurricane Helene and Milton

May the souls of all the departed rest in peace; and may light perpetual shine upon them. Amen.

Permissions and Credits: This service is reproduced from The Book of Common Prayer 1979 (BCP), The Hymnal 1982 (Hymn), Lift Every Voice and Sing II: An African American Hymnal (LEV), Enriching Our Worship 1 (EOW1), The Book of Occasional Services 2022 (BOS22), and other sources cited. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture readings are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible.