Fr. Guillermo A. Arboleda
- Jun 11
- 14 min read

Sunday Worship on June 11, 2023

The Liturgy of the Word

(No Communion)

2nd Sunday After Pentecost (Proper 5A)

June 11, 2023 at 9:30 AM

Presider and Preacher: The Rev. Ella Roundtree-Davis, Deacon

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

Hymn #401 – The God of Abraham Praise

1 The God of Abraham praise, who reigns enthroned above; Ancient of everlasting days, and God of love; the Lord, the great I AM, by earth and heaven confessed: we bow and bless the sacred Name for ever blest. 2 He by himself hath sworn: we on his oath depend; we shall, on eagles-wings upborne, to heaven ascend: we shall behold his face, we shall his power adore, and sing the wonders of his grace for evermore. 3 There dwells the Lord, our King, the Lord, our Righteousness, triumphant o'er the world and sin, the Prince of Peace; on Zion's sacred height his kingdom he maintains, and, glorious with his saints in light, for ever reigns. 4 The God who reigns on high the great archangels sing, and “Holy, holy, holy,” cry, “Almighty King! Who was, and is, the same, and evermore shall be: eternal Father, great I AM, we worship thee.” 5 The whole triumphant host give thanks to God on high; “Hail, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost” they ever cry; hail, Abraham’s Lord divine! With heaven our songs we raise; all might and majesty are thine, and endless praise.

The Opening Acclamation

[BCP, p. 355]

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

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

Confession of Sin

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

The Deacon says

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

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

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

A Deacon or Lay Celebrant says:

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

Hymn S280: 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.

The Collect of the Day

[BCP, p. 357, 229]

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Let us pray:

O God, from whom all good proceeds: Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by your merciful guiding may do them; 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 Book of Genesis 12:1-9

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot, and all the possessions that they had gathered, and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. Then the Lord appeared to Abram, and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. From there he moved on to the hill country on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and invoked the name of the Lord. And Abram journeyed on by stages toward the Negeb.

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Psalm 33:1-12

Read responsively by half-verse (at the asterisk).

1 Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous; * it is good for the just to sing praises.

2 Praise the Lord with the harp; * play to him upon the psaltery and lyre.

3 Sing for him a new song; * sound a fanfare with all your skill upon the trumpet.

4 For the word of the Lord is right, * and all his works are sure.

5 He loves righteousness and justice; * the loving-kindness of the Lord fills the whole earth.

6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, * by the breath of his mouth all the heavenly hosts.

7 He gathers up the waters of the ocean as in a water-skin * and stores up the depths of the sea.

8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; * let all who dwell in the world stand in awe of him.

9 For he spoke, and it came to pass; * he commanded, and it stood fast.

10 The Lord brings the will of the nations to naught; * he thwarts the designs of the peoples.

11 But the Lord'S will stands fast for ever, * and the designs of his heart from age to age.

12 Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord! * happy the people he has chosen to be his own!

A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans 4:13-25

The promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.

For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”) —in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become “the father of many nations,” according to what was said, “So numerous shall your descendants be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Therefore his faith “was reckoned to him as righteousness.” Now the words, “it

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Hymn #493 – O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing (Verses 1-5)

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. 5 Hear him, ye deaf; ye voiceless ones, your loosened tongues employ; ye blind, behold, your Savior comes; and leap, ye lame, for joy! [Words: Charles Wesley, alt. Music: Azmon Carl Gotthilf Glaser; adapt. and arr. Lowell Mason. Reprinted with permission under One License # 113317. All rights reserved.]

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

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ According to Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26

Glory to you, Lord Christ.

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.”

And he got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”

While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.” Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, “Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. And the report of this spread throughout that district.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Hymn #493 – O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing (Verse 6)

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.

The Sermon

by the Rev. Ella Roundtree-Davis, Deacon

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, Form VI

[Adapted from BCP, p. 392]

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 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: Mary Bonaparte, Jacqueline Bryant, Lazola Cope, Aaron Duplechien, Jr., Delois Groover, Marva Harris, David Jones, Beverly Kemp, Whitney Kennedy, Sada Maxwell, Jeannette Outing, and Jewel Wheeler; and those we remember now… [Silence. The People may add their own petitions.]

Hear us, Lord;

For your mercy is great.

We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life, especially for all visitors to this parish, all those celebrating birthdays especially: Juray Brown (6/15), and Herbert Scroggins (6/17) and anniversaries this week, and those thanksgivings we offer now… [Silence. The People may add their own petitions.]

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 Dena Pippen and those we remember now... [Silence. The People may add their own petitions.]

Lord, let your loving-kindness be upon them;

Who put their trust in you.

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

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

The Peace

[BCP, p. 360]

The peace of the Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

Parish Announcements

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

Father’s Day Brunch on June 18: Come celebrate Father’s Day with your St. Matthew’s family on Sunday, June 18, with a brunch after worship.

Children's Church & Sunday School Re-Launched on 6/4

Beginning on Sunday, June 4, St. Matthew's will begin to offer Sunday School for children between pre-school and 5th grade. Sunday School will begin in Toomer-Walker Hall after the reading of the Gospel and will sometimes include a Children's Sermon in the church before the "adult sermon." Then, kids and teachers will return to the church to receive communion and return to sitting with their families for the end of worship.

We are still looking for new Sunday School teachers to join the teaching schedule. All teachers must complete The Episcopal Church's Safe Church, Safe Communities training before working with children. See Margaret Anne Pearson, or Rachael Blue-Jones if you are interested.

Honey Creek Summer Camps: Sign up now for Summer Camp at Honey Creek at www.honeycreek.org/camps! Camp registrations costs $600 per camper (with $200 due at registration). St. Matthew's can help with registration fees, if the cost is an impediment.

Camp St. Peter (Grades 6-8): June 11-17, 2023
Camp St. Joseph & Mary (Grades 3-5): June 18-24, 2023
Family Camp (for families of all types): July 14-16, 2023

Save the Date - Vacation Bible School 7/17-7/21: Vacation Bible School for children and adults will be held Monday - Friday, July 17 - 21, 2023, from 5:30 - 7:30 PM. More details coming soon.

T/W/Th Evening Prayer Switches to Zoom Only: During Fr. Guillermo's sabbatical, weekday Evening Prayer services will be available on Zoom only (no Facebook live-stream) and entirely lay-led. You can access the Zoom call using the same link we normally use in the e-Newsletter.

The Offertory

[BCP, p. 376]

Giving to St. Matthew's:

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

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

Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself to us, an offering and sacrifice to God. [Ephesians 5:2]

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

LEV #140 – Lord, I Want You To Touch Me

Refrain: Lord, I want you to touch me, Touch me with Thy holy love. Lord, come down and touch me. Come down from heaven above. Lord, reach out and touch me, Reach out and touch me within, Lord, let the goodness touch me, Thy touch will cleanse me from sin. 1 Some folks want treasures of silver and gold, Some want to reign with powers untold; But in my life, all that I can say, Lord, be my guide and have thine own way. [Refrain] 2 Teach me to love and teach me to pray, Grant me a light to shine day by day; Just to abide where joys never cease Will be great joy, such comfort and ease. [Refrain]

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow

Praise God, Praise God, Praise God!

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;

Circling through earth so all may grow

Vanquishing fear so all may give

Widening grace so all may live

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 Grace

[BCP, p. 102]

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

Hymn #706 – In Your Mercy, Lord You Called Me

1 In your mercy, Lord, you call me, taught my sin-filled heart and mind, else this world had still enthralled me, and to glory kept me blind. 2 Lord, I did not freely choose you till be grace you set me free; for my heart would still refuse you had your love not chosen me. 3 Now my heart sets none above you, for your grace alone I thirst, knowing well, that if I love you, you, O Lord, have loved me first.

The Dismissal

[BCP, p. 366]

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord!

Thanks be to God!

The Parish Prayer List

PRAYER LIST: Mary Bonaparte, Jacqueline Bryant, Lazola Cope, Aaron Duplechien, Jr., Delois Groover, Marva Harris, David Jones, Beverly Kemp, Whitney Kennedy, Sada Maxwell, Jeannette Outing, and Jewel Wheeler

BIRTHDAYS: Juray Brown (6/15), and Herbert Scroggins (6/17)

WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES: N/A

RECENT DEATHS: Dena Pippen (5/27)

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

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

Image Credits: https://i.pinimg.com/474x/ea/fe/fa/eafefab1f90402cb40d2bf5507ad9f72--rilke-quotes-alice-walker.jpg