The Holy Eucharist
5th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 8B, Track 2)
June 27, 2021
Watch the Livestream at www.Facebook.com/StMattSav/Live/
Sunday, June 27, at 9:30 a.m. (or anytime afterward)
The Holy Eucharist: Rite II
The Word of God
Hymn #11: Awake, My Soul, and with the Sun
[Verses 1-4]
1 Awake, my soul, and with the sun
thy daily stage of duty run;
shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise
to pay thy morning sacrifice.
2 Lord, I my vows to thee renew;
disperse my sins as morning dew.
guard my first springs of thought and will,
and with thyself my spirit fill.
3 Direct, control, suggest, this day,
all I design, or do, or say;
that all my powers, with all their might,
in thy sole glory may unite.
4 Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heavenly host:
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Words: Thomas Ken, alt., Public Domain.
Music: Morning Hymn, melody François Hippolyte Barthélémon, harm. The Church Hymnal for the Church Year, Public Domain.
All rights reserved.
Opening Sentences
[BCP, p. 355]
Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
And blessed be God's kingdom, now and forever. Amen.
The 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 (Gloria in Excelsis)
[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 #77081. All rights reserved.
The Collect of the Day
[BCP, p. 357, 230]
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray:
Almighty God, you have built your Church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone: Grant us so to be joined together in unity of spirit by their teaching, that we may be made a holy temple acceptable to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
A Reading from the Wisdom of Solomon (1:13-15; 2:23-24)
God did not make death, And he does not delight in the death of the living. For he created all things so that they might exist; the generative forces of the world are wholesome, and there is no destructive poison in them, and the dominion of Hades is not on earth. For righteousness is immortal. ...
God created us for incorruption, and made us in the image of his own eternity, but through the devil’s envy death entered the world, and those who belong to his company experience it.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 30
[BCP, p. 621]
Read responsively by half-verse (at the asterisk).
1 I will exalt you, O Lord, because you have lifted me up * and have not let my enemies triumph over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried out to you, * and you restored me to health.
3 You brought me up, O Lord, from the dead; * you restored my life as I was going down to the grave.
4 Sing to the Lord, you servants of his; * give thanks for the remembrance of his holiness.
5 For his wrath endures but the twinkling of an eye, * his favor for a lifetime.
6 Weeping may spend the night, * but joy comes in the morning.
7 While I felt secure, I said, "I shall never be disturbed. * You, Lord, with your favor, made me as strong as the mountains."
8 Then you hid your face, * and I was filled with fear.
9 I cried to you, O Lord; * I pleaded with the Lord, saying,
10 "What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the Pit? * will the dust praise you or declare your faithfulness?
11 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me; * O Lord, be my helper."
12 You have turned my wailing into dancing; * you have put off my sack-cloth and clothed me with joy.
13 Therefore my heart sings to you without ceasing; * O Lord my God, I will give you thanks for ever.
A Reading from the Second Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians (8:7-15)
As you excel in everything-- in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you-- so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.
I do not say this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others. For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. And in this matter I am giving my advice: it is appropriate for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something-- now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means. For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has-- not according to what one does not have. I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance. As it is written,
“The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little.”
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ According to St. Mark (5:21-43)
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet and begged him repeatedly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.” So he went with him.
And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’” He looked all around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?” But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. When he had entered, he said to them, “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha cum,” which means, “Little girl, get up!” And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Sermon
"God Loves Everybody (Reprise)” by Fr. Guillermo A. Arboleda
God loves everybody. If you’ve heard me preach before, you’ve definitely heard me say this. Hopefully, you have heard lots of preachers say this before. My hope and prayer is that this is not new news to you, only the Good News. But why do we keep insisting on this point? Why do we repeatedly come back to the theme of God’s love for everybody? And why does it matter for us today?
We keep saying that God loves everybody because of stories like the one we just heard from Mark’s Gospel. In it, Jesus the Son of God, God’s very presence walking among us as a human being, heals two people. This story is notable for a lot of reasons, but most especially because Jesus heals two women. Women are obviously featured throughout the Bible, but it’s relatively rare for women to be central characters in these stories.
The cultures in which the books of the Bible were written were all what we now call patriarchal. Men were in charge of nearly every aspect of public life. That’s true when we talk about Hebrew culture throughout the Old Testament; it’s true of the evolving Jewish culture we see in the New Testament; and it’s true of the Greco-Roman cultures that our Jewish protagonists interact with throughout the New Testament. In all of these diverse societies, one of the constants was that women were underappreciated and undervalued. They were rarely treated like their own people with inherent dignity, respect, and worth. They tended to be looked upon only as extensions of the men in their lives.
American culture inherited a lot of these patriarchal values, and many of us grew up in times where women were restricted from many walks of life. That is beginning to change in the West over the last few decades, but it’s still a relatively new phenomenon that women have access to just about everything that men have. Women’s equality is something that some of us may take for granted, but is not a normal part of the ancient cultures we study in the Bible.
Centuries and centuries of patriarchal tradition (both Jewish and Christian) centered and elevated men while silencing women. And that’s what makes stories like this so remarkable. Because even though the people who wrote these books were very biased against women, they preserved these stories about God and God’s messengers honoring and dignifying women. It would have been easy to cover these stories up and focus on the respectable male-centered stories. But they didn’t. God had something true to share about the dignity and worth of women through this incident where Jesus chooses to heal these two.
We start with one of the leaders of the local synagogue approaching Jesus and asking him to heal his sick daughter. First of all, this is one of only a few stories in the Bible that highlights a loving father-daughter relationship. This man, named Jairus, very clearly loves his daughter. We don’t know if he has any other children, but we do know that he loves her and is willing to go out of his way to find help and healing for his child. This may seem unremarkable, but in a way it is. Lots of families in those days valued their sons more than their daughters. They saw sons as blessings and daughters as closer to burdens. But Jairus did not. He had enough affection for his little girl that he was willing to find Jesus and ask for healing, believing that God would work through his ministry.
And, of course, Jesus agrees to go. He is on his way to heal Jairus’ daughter. Of all the things he could be doing in that town, he prioritizes this man’s request. And to this point, the story isn’t very scandalous because it centers on an important man talking to another important man. The respected synagogue leader asks a favor of the respected traveling rabbi and he agrees. People of high social standing help one another. That’s the way of the world.
But then there is a twist. On the way to see Jairus’ daughter, Jesus stops to heal someone else. The woman who touched his cloak had been bleeding for many years. She had a condition that weakened her physically, but also made her something of a social outcast. In that society, women were not allowed to participate in worship or attend many other social events while they were menstruating. For twelve years, this woman’s bleeding had not stopped. She was therefore not only sick, but something of a pariah. Once the doctors found no way to heal her and she ran out of money, society abandoned and discarded her.
And this woman touches Jesus and immediately finds healing and relief. What’s interesting is that Jesus stops what he is doing, delaying his visit to Jairus’ daughter to find out who touched him. When she comes forward, Jesus does not scold her, but comforts her. “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease” (Mark 5:34). He reaffirms in front of the whole crowd that she is important, that she matters, that she is a beloved child of God.
Jesus chooses this woman of low to no status over the family of Jairus. His delay to speak with the hemorrhaging woman means that he arrives at Jairus’ home too late; the girl has already died. By the rules of the day, Jesus should have ignored the woman in the crowd and kept his commitment to the prominent man. Instead, he shows that God is no “respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34, KJV), or as our more modern translation puts it, “God shows no partiality” (NRSV). God doesn’t care if you’re a man or a woman; an adult or a child; rich or poor; gay or straight; cisgendered, transgendered, or gender-fluid. God loves everybody. Jesus cares for all because Jesus loves us all.
In the grand finale, Jesus raises the young girl from the dead. Jesus surprises and shocks the people by demonstrating God’s power over death and his own special place as God’s Son. In these two intertwined healing stories, we see that God opposes death and suffering wherever it is, no matter who the victim is. As always, God especially loves people who others look down upon or ignore -- in this case girls and poor women. Jesus’s love breaks down the barriers of gender, class, and social status.
That’s why we keep preaching that God loves everybody. Because we know that the world isn’t quite like that yet. We know that we aren’t quite like that yet. We still carry within us spoken and unspoken biases. We still often default to honoring men, adults, the healthy, and the wealthy. But God’s love challenges all of us to be more loving, to care for people who are sick, needy, overlooked, and ostracized. Even in our evolving society, that still includes women; it includes children; it includes the hospitalized and ill; it includes people who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and/or Queer (LGBTQ+). When we say God loves everybody, we really mean EVERYBODY! So our call is to model God’s love in our own lives, to challenge the biases in ourselves and in society and remind everyone we meet that they are beloved children of God. Amen.
Hymn #493: O, For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
[Verses 1-4, 6]
1 O for a thousand tongues to sing
my dear Redeemer's praise,
the glories of my God and King,
the triumphs of his grace!
2 My gracious Master and my God,
assist me to proclaim,
and spread through all the earth abroad
the honors of thy Name.
3 Jesus! the Name that charms our fears
and bids our sorrows cease;
'tis music in the sinner's ears,
'tis life and health and peace.
4 He speaks; and, listening to his voice,
new life the dead receive,
the mournful broken hearts rejoice,
the humble poor believe.
6 Glory to God and praise and love
be now and ever given
by saints below and saints above,
the church in earth and heaven.
Words: Charles Wesley, alt., Public Domain.
Music: Azmon, Carl Gotthilf Gläser, adapt. and arr. Lowell Mason, Public Domain.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #94976. All rights reserved.
The Nicene Creed
[BCP, p. 358]
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
[BCP, p. 392, Form VI]
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; Ann, the Superintendent of our Public Schools, 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; 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, Donald Baynes, Ronald Baynes, Shirley Clinton Bonaparte, Zavier Bradley, Myrtle Brow-Hollis, Jacquelyn Bryant, Christine Brown, Genella Chamberlain, Taylor Blue, Annie Colbert, Lazola Cope, Alice Dailey, Beryl Dandy, Mark Dashiell, Brittany Dawson, Roland Dixon, Imani Ferguson, Ruby Fernandez, Harry Frazier, Karin Garcia, Colin Gentle, Angie Glover, Charles Gordon, Amanda Green, Jocelyn Bryant Harden, Loretta Harmond, Marva Harris, Enoch Henderson, Charles E. Hines, Kenneth Howard, Terri Howard, Anne Hudson, Lucy Hugging, Dale Hundley, Jared Hundley, Tracy Hundley, Janice C. Jackson, Milinda James, Alvin Jenkins, Dana Jenkins, David Jones, Frances T. Jones, Lori Jones, Robert L. Jones, Sr., Whitney Kennedy, Leonard Law, Jr., Ralph Lovett, Ryan Lovett, Tammie Lovett, Marcus Marzen, Joan Maty, Craig Maxwell, Sada Maxwell, Altheria Maynard, Carmelita Maynard, Barbara McCary, Bette Milledge, John "Butch" Mitchell, Hollie Moultrie, Patricia Murry, Russell Nails, Dorothy Neal, Jabbaar Newton, Jameel Newton, Glenzy Payne, Robert Payne, Willie Mae Robinson, Paul Rockwell, Helen Scroggins, Dison Washington Slaughter, James Small, Gwendolyn Smith, Willie Stephens, Gon Trimble, Ed Vista, Lori Ward, Gertrude Washington, and Noel 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, for Theon Groover (6/27), Willie Robinson (6/27), Gwendolyn Smith (6/27), Jessie Stevenson (6/28), Shirley Clinton Bonaparte (6/29), and Daniel Harris (7/3) on their birthdays, and those people and things we remember 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, that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom, especially those we remember now... [Robert Graham (uncle to the Dockery, Newton, and Robinson families)]
Silence. The People may add their own petitions.
Lord, let your loving-kindness be upon them;
Who put their trust in you.
We pray to you also for the forgiveness of our sins.
Silence may be kept.
Leader and People:
Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father; in your compassion forgive us our sins, known and unknown, things done and left undone; and so uphold us by your Spirit that we may live and serve you in newness of life, to the honor and glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Celebrant concludes with an absolution:
Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through the grace of 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.
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; see BCP, p. 376]
Give online at: https://onrealm.org/StMattSav/-/give/now
Hymn #411: O Bless the Lord, My Soul
[Verses 1-6]
1 O bless the Lord, my soul!
His grace to thee proclaim!
And all that is within me join
to bless his holy Name!
2 O bless the Lord, my soul!
His mercies bear in mind!
Forget not all his benefits!
The Lord to thee is kind.
3 He will not always chide;
he will with patience wait;
his wrath is ever slow to rise
and ready to abate.
4 He pardons all thy sins,
prolongs thy feeble breath;
he healeth thine infirmities
and ransoms thee from death.
5 He clothes thee with his love,
upholds thee with his truth;
and like the eagle he renews
the vigor of thy youth.
6 Then bless his holy Name,
whose grace hath made thee whole,
whose loving-kindness crowns thy days:
O bless the Lord, my soul!
Words: James Montgomery, para. of Psalm 103:1-5, Public Domain.
Music: St. Thomas (Williams), melody Aaron Williams, harm. Lowell Mason, Public Domain.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #84256. All rights reserved.
Eucharistic Prayer A
[BCP, p. 361]
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 him 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. ...
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!
[Words: Public Domain; Music: Grayson Warren Brown, A Mass for a Soulfoul People © 1979 North American Liturgy Resources. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #98299. All Rights Reserved.]
The people stand or kneel.
Holy and gracious Father: In your infinite love you made us for yourself, and, when we had fallen into sin and become subject to evil and death, you, in your mercy, sent Jesus Christ, your only and eternal Son, to share our human nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to you, the God and Father of all.
He stretched out his arms upon the cross, and offered himself, in obedience to your will, a perfect sacrifice for the whole world.
On the night he was handed over to suffering and death, 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 we proclaim the mystery of faith:
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
We celebrate the memorial of our redemption, O Father, in this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Recalling his death, resurrection, and ascension, we offer you these gifts. Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of your Son, the holy food and drink of new and unending life in him. Sanctify us also that we may faithfully receive this holy Sacrament, and serve you in unity, constancy, and peace; and at the last day bring us with all your saints into the joy of your eternal kingdom. All this we ask through your Son Jesus Christ: 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 Anthem
[BCP, p. 364]
Alleluia! Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia!
The Gifts of God for the people of God.
LEV #138: Lord, I Want to Be a Christian In My Heart
[Verses 1-3, 5]
1 Lord, I want to be a Christian
In my heart, In my heart;
Lord, I want to be a Christian
In my heart,
In my heart, In my heart,
Lord, I want to be a Christian
In my heart.
2 Lord, I want to be more loving
In my heart, In my heart;
Lord, I want to be more loving
In my heart, In my heart,
Lord, I want to be more loving
In my heart.
3 Lord, I want to be more holy
In my heart, In my heart;
Lord, I want to be more holy
In my heart, In my heart,
Lord, I want to be more holy
In my heart.
5 Lord, I want to be like Jesus
In my heart, In my heart;
Lord, I want to be like Jesus
In my heart, In my heart,
Lord, I want to be like Jesus
In my heart.
Words: Traditional, Public Domain.
Music: Negro Spiritual, Public Domain, arr. Edward C. Deas © Sunday School Publishing Board.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #94940. 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 (i.e., 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
[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.
Parish Announcements
A. Revised COVID-19 Safety Guidelines for In-Person Worship: On June 21, the Vestry authorized revised COVID-19 Safety Guidelines for in-person worship at St. Matthew's. Changes include:
Up to 100 people are now allowed in the church at a time (increased from 70)
People may stay in the building for up to 1.5 hours (increased from 1 hour)
One-way foot traffic floor arrows are removed and no longer necessary
Congregational singing is now allowed
All people in attendance are still required to wear masks that cover the nose and mouth at all times and maintain social distancing in their assigned seating areas. Click here to read the Vestry's June 2021 COVID-19 Safety Guidelines in their entirety.
For now, we will maintain the current worship schedule: one Sunday service at 9:30 AM. We will reevaluate and consider the congregation's feedback in the late summer or early fall, once we have tried this out for a few months. Note that even if you do not feel comfortable attending, in person, we will continue to live-stream services to Facebook permanently.
B. St. Matthew's Christian Education "Book Club" Survey: Please help us plan the next Christian Education Book Study by completing a short survey. We are collecting feedback on previous studies and asking for your input on which book or topic to study together next. All survey results are requested by Sunday, July 11. We will launch the next Christian Education offering in mid-August. Take the survey here: https://forms.gle/rStGwN7GHatLSZqw5.
C. Emmaus House Paper Goods Drive: Emmaus House provides hot meals, showers, and laundry to the community five days per week in downtown Savannah. Last week, they asked the community to donate paper goods to support their work. Several church members have already answered the latest call by giving this month.
Emmaus House seeks:
Bottled water
Takeout boxes
Cutlery packets
Grocery bags
Aluminum foil
Paper towels
Laundry detergent
Dish detergent
Bleach
Latex gloves
Bring any and all donations directly to Emmaus House at 18 Abercorn St, Savannah, GA 31401 between 7:00 AM - 1:00 PM Mondays to Fridays.
Or, bring donations to St. Matthew's and we will deliver them to Emmaus House on your behalf.
D. Virtual Coffee Hour on Hiatus: Since our return to in-person worship gatherings, there has been less interest and engagement in the virtual coffee hour. For now, we will place this ongoing event on hold. Please let us know if you have any feedback on how to better meet the congregation's need for fellowship at this time. Direct all feedback to Fr. Arboleda at FrGAA@StMattSav.org.
E. T/W/Th Evening Prayer via Zoom: On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, Fr. Arboleda invites you to pray Evening Prayer with him over Zoom. The video will continue to stream to Facebook Live at 5:00 PM. Please join the Zoom call by 4:50 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
F. “Trip Around the World” Quilt Raffle: The Quilter's Guild, through St. Matthew's ECW, is raffling a "Trip Around the World" Quilt to benefit St. Matthew's Building Renovation Fund. This fund supports major extra-budgetary building improvement projects, such as painting, replacing the sound system, replacing the oven in Toomer-Walker Hall, etc.
This beautiful, jewel-toned quilt measures 103"x90" and will fit a queen-sized bed. This machine-stitched quilt in tones of deep violet amethyst, blue sapphire, green emerald, blue topaz, and green peridot will enhance any bedroom.
The winner will be announced on September 30, 2021. Winners do not need to be present to win. In addition to the grand prize of the "Trip Around the World '' quilt, there will be interim raffles of seasonal quilt-type projects for no additional ticket purchase. Interim winners will still be eligible for the grand prize.
The next interim drawing will be announced in late June in time for Independence Day (July 4).
Tickets are $15 each. Please make donations in $15 increments. Tickets may be purchased by:
Mailing a check to St. Matthew's with "Quilt Raffle" in the memo line; OR
Expect your raffle tickets to be returned to you by mail or email within 5-7 business days of receipt. Direct any questions to office@stmattsav.org.
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, Donald Baynes, Ronald Baynes, Shirley Clinton Bonaparte, Zavier Bradley, Myrtle Brow-Hollis, Jacquelyn Bryant, Christine Brown, Genella Chamberlain, Taylor Blue, Annie Colbert, Lazola Cope, Alice Dailey, Beryl Dandy, Mark Dashiell, Brittany Dawson, Roland Dixon, Imani Ferguson, Ruby Fernandez, Harry Frazier, Karin Garcia, Colin Gentle, Yvonne Gentle, Angie Glover, Charles Gordon, Amanda Green, Jocelyn Bryant Harden, Loretta Harmond, Marva Harris, Enoch Henderson, Charles E. Hines, Kenneth Howard, Terri Howard, Anne Hudson, Lucy Hugging, Dale Hundley, Jared Hundley, Tracy Hundley, Janice C. Jackson, Milinda James, Alvin Jenkins, Dana Jenkins, David Jones, Frances T. Jones, Lori Jones, Robert L. Jones, Sr., Whitney Kennedy, Leonard Law, Jr., Ralph Lovett, Ryan Lovett, Tammie Lovett, Marcus Marzen, Joan Maty, Craig Maxwell, Sada Maxwell, Altheria Maynard, Carmelita Maynard, Barbara McCary, Bette Milledge, John "Butch" Mitchell, Hollie Moultrie, Patricia Murry, Russell Nails, Dorothy Neal, Jabbaar Newton, Jameel Newton, Glenzy Payne, Robert Payne, Willie Mae Robinson, Paul Rockwell, Helen Scroggins, Dison Washington Slaughter, James Small, Gwendolyn Smith, Willie Stephens, Gon Trimble, Ed Vista, Lori Ward, Gertrude Washington, and Noel Wheeler
Birthdays: Theon Groover (6/27), Willie Robinson (6/27), Gwendolyn Smith (6/27), Jessie Stevenson (6/28), Shirley Clinton Bonaparte (6/29), and Daniel Harris (7/3)
Wedding Anniversaries: N/A
Recent Deaths: Robert Graham (uncle to the Dockery, Newton, and Robinson families), Raleigh Bryant (12/18/20)
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) and other sources cited. The Scripture readings are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible.