The Holy Eucharist
The Day of Pentecost (Year B) May 23, 2021
Watch the Livestream at www.Facebook.com/StMattSav/Live/
Sunday, May 23, at 9:30 a.m. (or anytime afterward)
The Holy Eucharist: Rite II
The Word of God
LEV #114: Ev'ry Time I Feel the Spirit
[Verses 1-2]
REFRAIN:
Ev’ry time I feel the spirit, moving in my heart, I will pray,
Ev'ry time I feel the spirit, moving in my heart, I will pray.
1 Upon the mountain my Lord spoke,
out of his mouth came fire and smoke.
All around me looked so fine,
asked my Lord if all was mine. [REFRAIN]
2 Jordan river chilly and cold,
chills the body but not the soul.
There ain’t but one train runs this track,
runs to heaven and runs right back. [REFRAIN]
Words: Traditional, Public Domain.
Music: Negro Spiritual, Public Domain.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #95026. All rights reserved.
Opening Sentences
[BCP, p. 355]
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!
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.
Christ Our Passover (Pascha Nostrum)
[BCP, p. 83; 1 Corinthians 5:7-8; Romans 6:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:20-22]
Alleluia. Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us; * therefore let us keep the feast, Not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, * but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Alleluia.
Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; * death no longer has dominion over him. The death that he died, he died to sin, once for all; * but the life he lives, he lives to God. So also consider yourselves dead to sin, * and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Alleluia.
Christ has been raised from the dead, * the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by a man came death, * by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, * so in Christ shall all be made alive. Alleluia.
The Collect of the Day
[BCP, p. 357, 227]
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray:
Almighty God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
A Reading from the Book of Acts (2:1-21)
When the day of Pentecost had come, the disciples were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs-- in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power." All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine."
But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
`In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.
Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.
And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day.
Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.' "
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 104:25-35, 37
[BCP, p. 736]
Read responsively by half-verse (at the asterisk).
25 O Lord, how manifold are your works! *
in wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
26 Yonder is the great and wide sea
with its living things too many to number, *
creatures both small and great.
27 There move the ships,
and there is that Leviathan, *
which you have made for the sport of it.
28 All of them look to you *
to give them their food in due season.
29 You give it to them; they gather it; *
you open your hand, and they are filled with good things.
30 You hide your face, and they are terrified; *
you take away their breath,
and they die and return to their dust.
31 You send forth your Spirit, and they are created; *
and so you renew the face of the earth.
32 May the glory of the Lord endure for ever; *
may the Lord rejoice in all his works.
33 He looks at the earth and it trembles; *
he touches the mountains and they smoke.
34 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; *
I will praise my God while I have my being.
35 May these words of mine please him; *
I will rejoice in the Lord.
37 Bless the Lord, O my soul. * Hallelujah!
A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans (8:22-27)
We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ According to St. John (15:26-27; 16:4b-15)
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Jesus said to his disciples, ”When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.
“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Sermon
"Forever Changed” by Fr. Guillermo A. Arboleda
By the time we arrive at the Day of Pentecost, the disciples have gone through an enormous amount of change in a very short time. On this day, they experienced the last great revolution, a revolution of love and the Holy Spirit.
Their lives had been going one direction, following Jesus, trying to live the way of love. They thought they had it all figured out. But they didn’t. Because Jesus was not planning to stay around. He confronted the powers that be and he was executed. On Good Friday, Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried. The lives of the disciples were forever changed.
But Jesus did not simply die for us; he also rose again on Easter morning. So as the disciples were still processing the shock of his death, Jesus re-appeared. He was back in the flesh, yet somehow different. He was able to do even more miraculous things; his words and insights pierced their souls; he was able to walk through walls; but he still bore the marks of the nails of the cross in his hands and feet. The Risen Jesus walked among the disciples for forty days. But then the lives of the disciples were forever changed again.
As we discussed last Sunday, the Risen Jesus did not stay on earth. He ascended into heaven. He disappeared for good and promised to send the Holy Spirit to them to guide them and lead them in the next steps. But for ten days, the disciples waited and prayed without the Holy Spirit (at least without recognizing that the Spirit was with them, because the Spirit is everywhere all the time). The lives of the disciples were forever changed again.
Finally, on Pentecost, their lives are turned upside down again by the love and power of God. God the Holy Spirit appears among them, descending upon them in the form of tongues of fire. The Holy Spirit, She filled the disciples and gave them the ability to speak many languages. People from all over the world were with them in Jerusalem for the Jewish festival of Pentecost, and they all claimed that they could understand these Jesus-followers speaking in their own native languages, in their mother tongues.
The Revolution of the Spirit dramatically changed the nature and mission of the church. Now, these people aren’t just following Jesus around the countryside. They are leading Jesus’ Movement. They are empowered by the Holy Spirit of God -- the Holy Spirit of Jesus -- to live as Jesus lived, to love as he loved, to do what he did. They now have the capacity to do more than they ever thought was possible. And I’m not just talking about supernatural miracles. They have the power to love beyond all human barriers and divisions.
The Spirit’s first gift to the followers of Jesus is a new way to communicate. The Holy Spirit allows them to testify to God’s love in a new and profound way that is accessible and understandable to their audience. The Holy Spirit drew these people closer together in ways that they never imagined. The Holy Spirit’s revolution allowed them to testify to God’s love and to show God’s love in ways that would change the world, from Egypt to Arabia, from Judea to Rome. People from all over the place suddenly encountered people who knew the love of God and were able to appreciate the Good News of Jesus for the first time. The lives of Jesus’ disciples were forever changed.
I wonder if our moment today isn’t that different from the Day of Pentecost nearly 2000 years ago. We have been through so much over the last 15 months. Our whole lives have been turned upside down by the coronavirus pandemic. We have lost so much human connection, so much time together, so many of the shared experiences that we so cherish. Our lives have been forever changed.
But, during his webinar with the Diocese this week, Bishop Curry reminded us that the change hasn’t all been negative. We have also gained a lot during this pandemic. All over the world, Episcopal Churches (and churches of many different denominations) have discovered that we can do more than we ever imagined. By God’s grace, this pandemic struck us at a time when we were more technologically prepared than any previous generation to “socially distance.” The Holy Spirit came to us in strange and unexpected ways. The Holy Spirit moved through computers and cell phones, cameras and ring lights, ethernet cables and wifi. The Holy Spirit spoke to us and touched us through means we didn’t think were possible for a church of our size and means.
It may not have always been easy to change, but we changed. We are now fully accessible to the world online. St. Matthew’s is in the internet age. To me, that’s almost as miraculous as the Holy Spirit making Peter speak like an Egyptian. The Spirit has given us the gift of communication, the ability to testify to the Good News to people and places we never before thought were possible. Now we actually can share the love of God with people in Crete, Greece, Egypt, and Ethiopia. The same Spirit who fell on the disciples on Pentecost is falling on St. Matthew’s today. That is an enormous gift!
By God’s grace, We have these tools in place that will allow us to continue to do our ministry online, even after people return to church in person. In just two weeks we will have an in-person worship service that is open to the public for the first time since March 2020. I know we all want to return to normal, but I think God has something better than normal in store for us. The new normal gives us more opportunities to practice love and to give love with people everywhere. So it’s our responsibility to grow the mission and ministry of St. Matthew’s to include both in-person and online options for all kinds of things.
Whether or not you feel ready to step inside this building in two weeks, you’ll still be able to engage with us via Facebook. That’s not going away. For that we give enormous thanks, because none of it would be possible without the inspiration of the Holy Spirit among us. And none of it would be possible without you and me and all of us working together to make the love of God more fully known in this community and beyond. Amen.
Bibliography
Curry, Michael B., and Sara Grace. Love is the Way: Holding on to Hope in Troubling Times. New York; Avery / Penguin Random House, 2020.
Hymn #512: Come, Gracious Spirit, Heavenly Dove
[Verses 1-4]
1 Come, gracious Spirit, heavenly Dove,
with light and comfort from above;
be thou our guardian, thou our guide
o'er every thought and step preside.
2 The light of truth to us display,
and make us know and choose thy way;
plant holy fear in every heart,
that we from thee may ne'er depart.
3 Lead us to Christ, the living way,
nor let us from his precepts stray;
lead us to holiness, the road
that we must take to dwell with God.
4 Lead us to heaven, that we may share
fullness of joy for ever there;
lead us to God, our final rest,
to be with him for ever blest.
Words: Simon Browne, alt., Public Domain.
Music: Mendon, adapt. and harm. Lowell Mason, Public Domain.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #1038398. All rights reserved.
The Renewal of Baptismal Vows
[BCP, p. 292]
Through the Paschal mystery, dear friends, we are buried with Christ by Baptism into his death, and raised with him to newness of life. I call upon you, therefore, now that our Lenten observance is ended, to renew the solemn promises and vows of Holy Baptism, by which we once renounced Satan and all his works, and promised to serve God faithfully in his holy Catholic Church.
Celebrant: Do you reaffirm your renunciation of evil and renew your commitment to Jesus Christ?
People: I do.
Do you believe in God the Father?
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Will you continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?
I will, with God's help.
Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?
I will, with God's help.
Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?
I will, with God's help.
Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?
I will, with God's help.
Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
I will, with God's help.
The Celebrant concludes the Renewal of Vows as follows:
May Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given us a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and bestowed upon us the forgiveness of sins, keep us in eternal life by his grace, in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
The Prayers of the People
[Adapted from Prayers provided by the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia and Lutheran CORE: https://lutherancore.website/2018/03/16/prayers-of-the-church-for-day-of-pentecost-cycle-b-may-20-2018/]
In the power of the Holy Spirit, let us pray for the Church, the world, and all people according to their need.
A brief silence
Come, Holy Spirit, and renew the Church. Fill it with boldness in witnessing to Jesus’ strong saving love. Fill it with faithfulness in proclaiming his Word and celebrating his Sacraments. Fill it with zeal for ministering to all people in his name – especially to the least of those whom he calls sisters and brothers. Grant our Bishop Frank, our Priest Guillermo, and all our deacons, priests, and lay leaders, faithfulness and creativity for their ministry at this time.
Holy Spirit, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Come, Holy Spirit, and renew the faith of your persecuted Church. Give it grace to endure suffering for Jesus’ sake; and grant that its faithful witness may cause many to turn to Christ and live. Kindle the faith and inspire the proclamation of all missionaries of the Gospel, and of our sister congregations and dioceses.
Holy Spirit, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Come, Holy Spirit, and renew the people and the ministry of this congregation. Fill us with joyfulness in worship; eagerness in service; gentleness in fellowship; generosity in giving; and persistence in faithful witness in Jesus’ name. Remember Taylor "Danni" Grant (5/27) and MacKenzie Jones (5/28) on their birthdays; and Edward and Janice Vaughn (5/28) on their wedding anniversary.
Holy Spirit, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Come, Holy Spirit, and stir up faith in all who desire to be baptized or confirmed today. Grant them the assurance of your love as they wait to receive these sacraments. Be for them the true Spirit of wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, knowledge and fear of the Lord, and joy in his presence.
Holy Spirit, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Come, Holy Spirit, and renew the face of the earth. Fill the minds of worldly leaders with wisdom in guiding the nations towards peace, justice, and health. Fill their hearts with humility and courage as they wield power and authority during the novel coronavirus pandemic. Fill the spirits of the world’s citizens with love for God, neighbor, and the world around them.
Holy Spirit, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Come, Holy Spirit, and bring peace in all places of danger, violence and strife. Fill the minds and direct the actions of all who take up arms in defense of life and liberty. Strengthen and protect them; bless all they do that works for peace and justice; and bring them safely home when their task is done.
Holy Spirit, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Come, Holy Spirit, and bring joy, peace, and healing to all whose need is great, especially: Martha Avery, Donald Baynes, Ronald Baynes, Zavier Bradley, Myrtle Brow-Hollis, Jacquelyn Bryant, Christine Brown, Genella Chamberlain, Taylor Blue, Annie Colbert, Ana Columna, Lazola Cope, Alice Dailey, Beryl Dandy, Mark Dashiell, Brittany Dawson, Roland Dixon, Imani Ferguson, Ruby Fernandez, Harry Frazier, 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, 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, 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, Ed Vista, Lori Ward, Gertrude Washington, and Noel Wheeler. Fill them with the comfort of your presence and lead them into the joy of your salvation.
Holy Spirit, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Come, Holy Spirit, and bring the departed into the place of eternal joy and light, especially those whom we remember now... Cheer the hearts of all who grieve the loss of loved ones. Fill them and us with steadfast faith in you, the Lord and Giver of life; in the communion of saints in heaven and on earth; in the forgiveness of sins, in the resurrection of the body; and in the life everlasting.
Holy Spirit, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
The Celebrant adds a concluding collect:
Grant us, O Holy Spirit, all that is in accordance with your will, to your glory, and for the building up of your people. 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.
“O Lord our God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power; because you have created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
[Revelation 4:11; see BCP, p. 377]
Give online at: https://onrealm.org/StMattSav/-/give/now
LEV #119: Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart
[Verses 1-4]
1 Spirit of God, descend upon my heart;
Draw it from earth; through all its pulses move;
Stoop to my weakness, mighty as thou are,
And make me love thee as I ought to love.
2 I ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies,
No sudden rending of the veil of clay,
No angel visitant, no op’ning skies;
But take the dimness of my soul away.
3 Teach me to feel that thou art always nigh;
Teach me the struggles of the soul to bear,
To check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh;
Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.
4 Teach me to love thee as thine angels love.
One holy passion filling all my frame;
The kindling of the heav’n descended dove,
My heart an altar, and thy love the flame.
Words: George Croly, Public Domain.
Music: Frederick C. Atkinson, Public Domain.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #94903. All rights reserved.
Eucharistic Prayer B
[BCP, p. 367]
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.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. In fulfillment of his true promise, the Holy Spirit came down [on this day] 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:
Hymn S-125:
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.
[Music: From A Community Mass; Richard Proulx © 1971, 1977, by GIA Publications, Inc. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #00216. All Rights Reserved.]
The people remain standing.
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:
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 Mary, the Mother of Our Lord, 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, 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
[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 #120: Sweet, Sweet Spirit
[Verses 1-3]
1. There's a sweet, sweet Spirit in this place,
And I know that it's the Spirit of the Lord.
There are sweet expressions on each face,
And I know they feel the presence of the Lord.
REFRAIN:
Sweet Holy Spirit, Sweet Heavenly Dove,
Stay right here with us, filling us with your love.
And for these blessings we lift our hearts in praise;
Without a doubt we'll know that we have been revived
when we shall leave this place.
2. There are blessings you cannot receive
Till you know Him in His fullness and believe
You're the one to profit when you say,
"I am going to walk with Jesus all the way." [REFRAIN]
3. If you say He saved you from your sin,
Now you're weak, you're bound, and cannot enter in,
You can make it right if you will yield
You'll enjoy the Holy Spirit that we feel. [REFRAIN]
Words & Music: Doris Akers © 1962, 1990 Manna Music, Inc..
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #21305. 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 Pentecost Blessing
[The Book of Occasional Services 2018, p. 13]
The God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight; 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. Vestry Approves In-Person Worship Beginning 6/6: In consultation with the Diocese of Georgia, the Vestry of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church has approved a plan for holding in-person worship services that are open to the public beginning on Sunday, June 6. Click here to read the Vestry's COVID-19 Safety Guidelines in their entirety.
If you are interested in serving as an usher but could not attend yesterday's training meeting, please contact Fr. Arboleda to schedule a more convenient time.
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. Worship with St. Athanasius', Brunswick on 5/30 at 11:15 AM on Zoom: Next Sunday, May 30 (Trinity Sunday), Fr. Arboleda will be on vacation, so St. Matthew's will meet for virtual worship with the good people of St. Athansius' Episcopal Church in Brunswick, GA. There are many family-like connections between our two parishes, most notably that their Rector, the Rev. G. DeWayne Cope, grew up in this congregation and we sponsored him for the ordination process.
St. Athanasius' Church's Sunday worship service is held over Zoom at 11:15 AM, so enjoy sleeping in next Sunday. Use the following information to join the Zoom call, beginning at 11:00 AM on Sunday, May 30:
Join Zoom Meeting (Internet)
Meeting ID: 840 9583 1022
Passcode: 747117
Join Zoom Meeting (Phone)
Dial 1 (301) 715-8592
Meeting ID: 840 9583 1022#
Press #
747117#
C. Bishop Curry Wednesday Book Study: In Easter Season, St. Matthew's will join with churches across the Diocese of Georgia to read Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's Love Is the Way: Holding on to Hope in Troubling Times (co-authored by Sara Grace). Buy the book now at Amazon or Penguin Random House. The book discussion guide for the Diocese of Georgia's 1Book1Diocese read of Love is the Way is now online here: Discussion Guide PDF.
We will continue our parish's book study group on Wednesday, May 26, at 5:30 PM, discussing chapters 9-11. Check the e-Newsletter for Zoom information.
D. JUST Nehemiah Action Report: Justice Unites Savannah Together (JUST) has been hard at work since December doing research into the organization's first two problem areas: Affordable Housing and Poverty. On May 3, we held a community-wide "Nehemiah Action." Just as Nehemiah called the whole city together in front of Jerusalem's public officials to solve an economic crisis (Nehemiah 5:1-13), we gathered to demand action from public officials.
We asked Mayor Van Johnson and the Savannah City to invest $10 million from its American Rescue Plan Act grants into the Affordable Housing Fund over the next 2 years. Then, we asked District Attorney Shalena Cook Jones to end cash bail in Chatham County. So far, we have not received commitments from either official, but JUST representatives will continue to meet with them over the next few weeks and report back on their progress.
Stay up to date and learn more by liking JUST's Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/thejustorganization.
E. 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. Members like Sandra Mitchell have already answered the latest call by giving this month (photos here).
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.
F. EYCS Scholarship Deadline 5/31: Attention college-bound students! If you are ages 17-22 and headed for college in the fall, you are encouraged to apply for a needs-based EYCS scholarship for the 2021-2022 school year.
Visit eycs.georgiaepiscopal.org and click on 'Education Scholarships.' Applications are due by May 31, 2021.
Applications are due by May 31, 2021, but you need your priest's recommendation too. Please request these recommendations from Fr. Arboleda no later than Sunday, May 23.
G. Virtual Coffee Hour 5/23: We will hold a virtual "Coffee Hour" fellowship hour over Zoom on Sunday, May 23 at 10:30 AM. Check the e-Newsletter for Zoom information.
Beginning June 6, Virtual Coffee Hours will continue to be held every two weeks, but the time will change to 11:00 AM, to allow for adequate transition time.
H. 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
I. “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! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thanks be to God! Alleluia! Alleluia!
The Parish Prayer List
Prayer List: Martha Avery, Donald Baynes, Ronald Baynes, Zavier Bradley, Myrtle Brow-Hollis, Jacquelyn Bryant, Christine Brown, Genella Chamberlain, Taylor Blue, Annie Colbert, Ana Columna, Lazola Cope, Alice Dailey, Beryl Dandy, Mark Dashiell, Brittany Dawson, Roland Dixon, Imani Ferguson, Ruby Fernandez, Harry Frazier, 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, 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, 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, Ed Vista, Lori Ward, Gertrude Washington, and Noel Wheeler
Birthdays: Taylor "Danni" Grant (5/27) and MacKenzie Jones (5/28)
Wedding Anniversaries: Edward and Janice Vaughn (5/28)
Recent Deaths: 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.