The Holy Eucharist
The 6th Sunday After Pentecost (Proper 11C)
July 17, 2022
Watch the Livestream at www.Facebook.com/StMattSav/Live/
Sunday, July 17, at 9:30 a.m. (or anytime afterward)
The Holy Eucharist: Rite II
The Word of God
Hymn #423: Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
1 Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
almighty, victorious, thy great Name we praise.
2 Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;
thy justice like mountains high soaring above
thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.
3 To all life thou givest, to both great and small;
in all life thou livest, the true life of all;
we blossom and flourish, like leaves on the tree,
then wither and perish; but nought changeth thee.
4 Thou reignest in glory, thou rulest in light,
thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
all laud we would render: O help us to see
'tis only the splendor of light hideth thee.
Words: Walter Chalmers Smith, alt., Public Domain. Music: St. Denio, Welsh hymn, from Caniadau y Cyssegr (1839); adapt. John Roberts; harm. The English Hymnal (1906), alt., Public Domain. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #84444. All rights reserved.
The Opening Acclamation
[BCP, p. 355]
Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!
And blessed be God's kingdom, now and forever! Amen!
A Collect for Purity
[BCP, p. 355]
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.
Hymn S-280: Glory to God
[See also BCP, p. 356]
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.
Words: Public Domain. Music: Robert Powell © 1985, Church Publishing, Inc. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #28331. All rights reserved.
The Collect of the Day
[BCP, p. 357, 231]
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 (18:1-10a)
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.
Psalm 15
[BCP, p. 599]
Read responsively by half-verse (at the asterisk).
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 Paul to the Colossians (1:15-28)
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.
The People stand, as they are able, for the reading of the Gospel.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ According to St. Luke (10:38-42)
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.
The Sermon
"Word and Service" by the Rev. Guillermo A. Arboleda
This morning, we heard two stories about hospitality. The first, from Genesis 18, goes more or less the way you’d expect it to go in the ancient Middle Eastern world. The second, from the Gospel of Luke chapter 10, does not.
First of all, we can all appreciate the value of hospitality. Broadly in the South, but especially in Black and Hispanic cultures, we know how important it is to be hospitable, to welcome guests into our homes and treat them with honor and respect. In both English and Spanish, the words “welcome” and “bienvenida” literally mean to “come well,” to be treated well when you arrive in this place. And for many generations in the USA and Latin America, it was not a guarantee that people of color would be received well in many places. It’s part of why hospitality in the home and in churches became so deeply rooted in our cultures. Hospitality means safety.
In ancient Israel, hospitality also meant safety. It was highly valued because it was life or death. In a time before modern infrastructure like cars, roads, highways, hotels, and motels, being alone while you travel through the desert can be dangerous. The elements can get to you quickly. So it was the responsibility of someone who lived somewhere to do what Abraham did in Genesis 18. He sees three men traveling in the middle of the day and he goes to meet them, begging them to stay for a meal and good night’s sleep. Abraham lived in a temporary camp, not a village, so it may have been several miles of walking before those travelers came across another place with fresh water and food.
Abraham, as the male head of the household, takes the responsibility to invite the three travelers to his camp. Then he does what was expected of patriarchs in those times (and often in ours): he starts giving orders. He tells Sarah to bake fresh bread, and he tells a servant to slaughter a calf so they can eat tender veal. While the bread was baking and the meat was roasting, they set out milk and cheese curds (appetizers). And while his wife and his servants were hard at work preparing the food, Abraham stood with the guests and entertained them.
All of that goes about how you would expect it to in that time, place, and cultural context. The Gospel of Luke takes place many centuries later, but the cultural context hasn’t changed that much. In Jesus’ time, hospitality was still considered an important responsibility. But a few things are different in this story of Jesus and his disciples entering Martha’s home.
First of all, Luke tells us that this is Martha’s home. There is no “man of the household,” otherwise we would expect to hear that the house belongs to him (as fair or unfair as that sounds to us modern readers). There were plenty of single older women running households then, often because they were widowed. Regardless of how it came to be, Martha is the matriarch of this family -- la doña, as I would have called her growing up. Furthermore, we know that Martha is wealthy (or generous) enough to be able to welcome at least 13 hungry men into her home at the drop of a hat. But none of that is too weird. Martha just had to play the role of Abraham the patriarch and Sarah the matriarch. She invited the guests and prepared the meal.
Where the story gets weird is when her sister Mary steps in. The traditional feminine role would place her in the kitchen preparing food for the male guests. But that’s not what she did. Instead, she “sat at the Lord’s [Jesus’] feet and listened to what he was saying” (Luke 10:39). She was behaving as men were expected to, engaging in Bible study and spiritual teaching. Mary was pushing past a cultural boundary and asserting her own place as a student and disciple of Jesus.
The traditional understanding of this story is that Martha is wrong and Mary is right. Martha asks Jesus to send Mary to help her with all the household tasks. And Jesus says no. He says she is “worried and distracted by many things” and that Mary’s choice to listen to God’s Word “will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42). But just because “Mary has chosen the better part,” that doesn’t mean that Martha is wrong. We’re actually just talking about multiple good things.
Mary was right to want to receive spiritual and intellectual nourishment. That is what we do by gathering for worship week by week. We want the Gospel message and the presence of Jesus in Holy Communion to be our spiritual food to sustain us for the journey. Jesus honored her ministry of the word. But what Martha did by welcoming Jesus and his followers was also a very good thing. Martha provided hospitality, a time and place for them to gather, she opened her home as an early version of a house church. And for as much as we all might love our spiritual food, the Word of God and the Bread of Heaven, we all need to eat physical food too. Jesus accepts Martha’s acts of service. He honors them. In fact, in the original Greek, the word for Martha’s work is “diakono,” meaning “to deacon.” Martha was doing a faithful ministry of service that should not and cannot be overlooked.
In this story, Jesus is teaching us to value both service and word. We cannot keep one and ignore the other. Servants need the word and students need to work. And critically for us, we cannot assume that certain people should do one and not the other. We should not assume that women should do the service and men should focus on the word. God’s Spirit moves where She wills, even flying in the face of our cultural expectations and gender norms. Jesus didn’t send Mary back to the kitchen; but it would have been good for Peter, James, or John to help Martha make dinner. I’m not sure if that’s what happened, but it’s what would be best for the church. None of us is greater than anyone else and no ministry should be valued over others. Word and service are what keep us going forward, and God calls all of us to do both. Amen.
Bibliography
Sarras, Niveen. “Commentary on Luke 10:38-42.” Working Preacher. Accessed 14 July 2022. https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ordinary-16-3/commentary-on-luke-1038-42-5.
Hymn #421: All Glory Be To God On High
1 All glory be to God on high,
and peace on earth from heaven,
and God's good will unfailingly
be to all people given.
We bless, we worship you, we raise
for your great glory thanks and praise
O God, Almighty Father.
2 O Lamb of God, Lord Jesus Christ,
whom God the Father gave us,
who for the world was sacrificed
upon the cross to save us;
and, as you sit at God's right hand
and we for judgment there must stand,
have mercy, Lord, upon us.
3 You only are the Holy One,
who came for our salvation,
and only you are God's true Son,
who was before creation.
You, only, Christ, as Lord we own
and, with the Spirit, you alone
share in the Father's glory.
Words: Nikolaus Decius, Public Domain; tr,. F. Bland Tucker, rev., para. of Gloria in excelsis © 1985, Church Publishing, Inc. Music: Allein Gott in der Höh, melody att. Nikolaus Decius, Public Domain. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #05181. All rights reserved.
The Nicene Creed
[BCP, p. 358]
All standing as they are able, the People pray:
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
[Adapted from Form VI, BCP, p. 92]
In peace, we pray to you, Lord God.
[Silence]
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; Chester, the chair of our County Commission; 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; Frank, our Bishop; Guillermo our Priest; 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 our Day Care’s staff, students, and families, and for those on our Parish Prayer List: Martha Avery, Mary Bonaparte, Christine Brown, Jacqueline Bryant, Lazola Cope, Aaron Duplechien Jr., Angelica Glover, Loretta Harmond, Marva Harris, Whitney Kennedy, Sada Maxwell, Altheria Maynard, Bette Milledge; and those we remember now…
Hear us, Lord;
For your mercy is great.
We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life, especially for all visitors, all those celebrating birthdays: Grace Luten (7/17), Jayda Newton (7/17), Margaret Anne Pearson (7/17), Fr. DeWayne Cope (7/18), Jewel Wheeler (7/18), Marva Johnson (7/19), Evalena Hoskins (7/20), and Ahsareia Moon (7/23); and any other thanksgivings we offer now...
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, that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom, especially for those we remember now...
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 a suitable Collect...
Confession of Sin
[BCP, p. 360]
The Deacon says
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Silence may be kept.
Deacon and People
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 Bishop, when present, or 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
[BCP, p. 360]
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
Parish Announcements
A. Gwendolyn Griffin (1961-2022) Memorial Service on 7/23: Gwendolyn Carolyn Griffin-Odom, aged 60, passed away with loved ones by her side in Baltimore, MD, on July 5, 2022. She is survived by siblings including Lavinea Griffin Kennedy and five beloved children.
Mrs. Griffin-Odom's Memorial Service will be held at St. Matthew's on Saturday, July 23, 2022, at 11:00 AM. You may learn more by checking with Bynes-Royall Funeral Home. Her full obituary will be posted shortly at the following link: https://www.bynesroyall.com/obituary/GwendolynCarolyn-Odom
B. Report from the 80th General Convention: The 80th General Convention of The Episcopal Church met in Baltimore on July 8-11, 2022. The typically once-every-three-years meeting was postponed a year because of COVID-19 and shortened from eight days to elect persons for office, approve a budget, and to attend to other essential matters. Yet, the convention still considered 436 resolutions.
Online meetings permitted the legislative committees to make decisions prior to arriving for the in person portion of the meeting. The House of Deputies and the House of Bishops then met in person solely for floor debates, rather than any committee work. Most of the resolutions were approved in larger batches placed on the consent calendars to allow time for debate only on more controversial measures or on actions that they wanted to raise to greater prominence. Some highlights include:
Clarifying the procedure for revising the Book of Common Prayer and authorizing other liturgies for use in our Church
Establishing the Episcopal Coalition for Racial Equity and Justice
Establishing a Truth Telling Commission to research The Episcopal Church's involvement in Indigenous boarding schools and chattel slavery
Setting forth policy priorities for The Episcopal Church's Office of Government Relations on topics including creation care, immigration, mass incarceration, gun violence, abortion, reproductive healthcare, the war in Ukraine, and more.
Electing Julia Ayala-Harris as President of the House of Deputies (the first ever Latina in that role) and the Rev. Rachel Taber-Hamilton as Vice President of the House of Deputies (the first ever Indigenous woman and first ever ordained woman in that role).
Learn more about the actions of the 80th General Convention from Episcopal News Service, Deputy News, or the Diocese of Georgia's Newsletter.
C. The Rev. Deacon Ella Roundtree-Davis Assigned to St. Matthew's: The Diocese of Georgia’s newest deacon is the Rev. Ella Roundtree-Davis, who Bishop Logue has assigned to St. Matthew’s in Savannah. She and her husband, Enrique Davis, recently moved to the area from the Diocese of New York, where she was ordained as a deacon in 2013.
Deacon Davis was born in North Carolina. She moved, with her family, to New York City as a teenager. She attended City College of New York and majored in Physical Education. Deacon Davis also received a Master of Science Degree in Health Education from City College of New York, and a Master of Science in Administration and Supervision from the College of New Rochelle. She taught and coached sports in high schools for many years in Dutchess County and for the New York City Board of Education. She was the first college cheerleaders' coach to make Sports Illustrated Magazine with her team, and she won a national high school championship with her four-person shell in crew. Deacon Davis has also worked as a School Administrator, and a Director of a Substance Abuse Prevention Intervention Program in New York City School Districts. She retired after working thirty-two years in education.
Since her ordination in the Diocese of New York, she served Trinity St. Paul's Church in New Rochelle, Christ Church in Bronxville, and Christ Church, Riverdale from 2015-2022.
Deacon Davis is married to Dr. Enrique Davis, and they have a blended family of four children: two boys and two girls, all adults. Deacon Davis has found joy and deep soul satisfaction in being a Deacon and serving God's people. She is looking forward to getting to know and work with the people of the Diocese of Georgia.
Deacon Davis officially joined St. Matthew's staff on Sunday, July 10, 2022. You can contact Deacon Davis by email at Deacon@StMattSav.org.
D. EYCS Scholarships Awarded to 29 Students: The Episcopal Diocese of Georgia's Episcopal Youth and Children's Services (EYCS) has awarded a total of $60,500.00 to 29 college students across the Diocese for the 2022-2023 academic year. Many thanks to all who contributed to the EYCS scholarship fund!
E. Choir Rehearsals on Thursdays at 6:30 PM: Ms. Dandy and I invite you to join the choir at their new weekly rehearsal time: Thursdays at 6:30 PM. Please help contribute to our music ministry, regardless of your musical skill levels!
F. Coffee Hour Sign Up & New COVID Guidelines: St. Matthew’s Vestry agreed to update its In-Person COVID-19 Safety Guidelines on March 31, 2022. To summarize, when the CDC indicates that Chatham County has a Low or Medium “COVID-19 Community Level,” the Vestry will allow light refreshments to be served at public indoor events, provided that people continue to wear masks whenever they are not eating or drinking. When Chatham County has a High COVID-19 level, food and drink will not be allowed. Chatham County currently has a Medium COVID-19 level. You can read the guidance in all its detail here: https://www.stmattsav.org/post/new-covid-19-safety-guidelines-spring-2022.
The Vestry invites individuals and families to serve light refreshments after worship on Sundays in-person. Please sign up for upcoming dates using the poster near the kitchen in Toomer-Walker Hall.
G. T/W/Th Evening Prayer: On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, St. Matthew's invites you to pray Evening Prayer over Zoom. The video will continue to stream to Facebook Live at 5:00 PM. Please join the Zoom call by 4:55 PM. Otherwise, watch the prayer service as you have been on Facebook Live.
For security purposes, below is the Meeting ID only; please check your St. Matthew's e-Newsletter for the password (or email FrGAA@StMattSav.org to request it).
Topic: Zoom Evening Prayer
Time: 05:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
Join Zoom Meeting: See e-Newsletter
Meeting ID: 991 8577 8541
Passcode: See e-Newsletter
Dial by your location: +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C)
Meeting ID: 991 8577 8541
Passcode: See e-Newsletter
The Offertory
[BCP, p. 377]
Giving to St. Matthew's: We know that many people are feeling the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis. The church is feeling it too. We still need your support to pay our staff, pay our bills, and provide for these online live streams. There are several ways to give, but the simplest are these:
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.
“Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and make good your vows to the Most High." [Psalm 50:14]
OR
"Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God." [Ephesians 5:2]
Give online at: https://onrealm.org/StMattSav/-/give/now
LEV #84: King Jesus is a-Listening
***Omit Verse 3***
Refrain:
King Jesus is a-listenin' all day long,
King Jesus is a-listenin' all day long,
King Jesus is a-listenin' all day long,
To hear some sinner pray.
1 That Gospel train is comin',
A-rumblin' through the lan',
But I hear them wheels a-hummin',
Get ready to board that train! [Refrain]
2 I know I been converted,
I ain't gon' make no alarm,
For my soul is bound for Glory,
And the devil can't do me no harm. [Refrain]
Words: Traditional, Public Domain. Music: Negro Spiritual, Public Domain. All rights reserved.
AAHH #651: Doxology
[See also Hymn # 380, v. 3]
Praise God, Praise God, Praise God!
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav'nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.
Words: Thomas Ken, Public Domain. Music: Old 100th, attributed to Louis Bourgeois, Public Domain. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #84260. All rights reserved.
Eucharistic Prayer B
[BCP, p. 367]
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. …
The Celebrant sings or says a Proper Preface
Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:
Hymn S-130:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
[Word: Public Domain. Music: From Deutsche Messe, Franz Peter Schubert, Public Domain; arr. Richard Proulx © 1985 G.I.A. Publications, Inc. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #93653. All rights reserved.]
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.
[Words: Public Domain. Music: Hezekiah Brinson © 1990 Hezekiah Brinson, Jr. All rights reserved.]
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, Blessed Stephen, Blessed Augustine, 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 for ever. AMEN.
The Lord’s Prayer
[BCP, p. 364]
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
Our Father, who 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, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Fraction Anthems
[BCP, p. 364, 407]
Hymn S-152:
Alleluia! Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us!
Therefore let us keep the feast! Alleluia!
[Words: Public Domain. Music: Ambrosian chant; adapt. Mason Martens © 1971 Mason Martens.]
LEV #269:
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world:
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world:
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world:
grant us peace.
[Words: Public Domain. Music: Lena McLin, Eucharist of the Soul © 1972 General Words and Music Co. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #57436. All rights reserved.]
Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
The Gifts of God for the people of God.
Hymn #642: Jesus, The Very Thought of Thee
1 Jesus, the very thought of thee
with sweetness fills the breast;
but sweeter far thy face to see,
and in thy presence rest.
2 No voice can sing, no heart can frame,
nor can the memory find,
a sweeter sound than Jesus' Name,
the Savior of mankind.
3 O hope of every contrite heart,
O joy of all the meek,
to those who fall, how kind thou art:
how good to those who seek!
4 But what to those who find? Ah, this
nor tongue nor pen can show;
the love of Jesus, what it is,
none but who love him know.
5 Jesus, our only joy be thou,
as thou our prize wilt be;
in thee be all our glory now,
and through eternity.
Words: Sts. 1-4, Latin, 12th cent.; st. 5, Latin, 15th cent.; tr. Edward Caswall, alt. Public Domain. Music: Windsor, melody William Damon; harm. Thomas Este, Public Domain. All rights reserved.
The Post-Communion Prayer
[Enriching our Worship 2 [2000], pp. 56-57]
Let us pray.
For In-Person Worshippers:
Faithful God,
in the wonder of your wisdom and love
you fed your people in the wilderness with the bread of angels,
and you sent Jesus to be the bread of life.
We thank you for feeding us with this bread.
May it strengthen us
that by the power of the Holy Spirit
we may embody your desire
and be renewed for your service
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
For Online Worshippers and Those Receiving Spiritual Communion:
Faithful God,
in the wonder of your wisdom and love
you fed your people in the wilderness with the bread of angels,
and you sent Jesus to be the bread of life.
Though we cannot consume now these gifts of bread [and wine],
we thank you that we have received the sacrament of Christ’s presence,
the forgiveness of sins, and all other benefits of Christ’s passion.
By the power of the Holy Spirit,
may we embody your desire
and be renewed for your service
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
The Blessing of the People
[Adapted from Enriching Our Worship 1, p. 71]
Live without fear: your Creator has made you holy, has always protected you, and loves you as a mother. Go in peace to follow the good road and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you, and remain with you always. Amen.
The Dismissal
[BCP, p. 366]
Let us go forth into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit!
Thanks be to God!
The Parish Prayer List
PRAYER LIST: Martha Avery, Mary Bonaparte, Christine Brown, Jacqueline Bryant, Lazola Cope, Aaron Duplechien Jr., Angelica Glover, Loretta Harmond, Marva Harris, Whitney Kennedy, Sada Maxwell, Altheria Maynard, Bette Milledge
BIRTHDAYS: Grace Luten (7/17), Jayda Newton (7/17), Margaret Anne Pearson (7/17), Fr. DeWayne Cope (7/18), Jewel Wheeler (7/18), Marva Johnson (7/19), Evalena Hoskins (7/20), and Ahsareia Moon (7/23)
WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES: N/A
RECENT DEATHS: N/A
May the souls of all the departed rest in peace; and may light perpetual shine upon them. Amen.
Note: 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), African American Heritage Hymnal (AAHH), Wonder Love and Praise (WLP), and other sources cited. The Scripture readings are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible.