The Holy Eucharist: The Liturgy of the Word
2nd Sunday After Pentecost (Proper 6, Year A) June 14, 2020
Watch the Livestream at www.Facebook.com/StMattSav/Live/
Sunday at 9:30 a.m. (or anytime afterward)
Preface
I am posting this worship service online because we at St. Matthew's Church in Savannah are unable to gather together in person this week. Due to the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) outbreak, public health officials recommend avoiding large gatherings of people to avoid spreading the illness to more vulnerable people. Therefore, the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia has ordered all parishes in our diocese to suspend in-person worship until further notice.
At 9:30 a.m. on Sunday morning, I will broadcast the following worship service using Facebook Live at www.Facebook.com/StMattSav. After the service concludes, you can re-watch it at any time.
Today's service is the Liturgy of the Word (or the first part of the Holy Eucharist service we use on normal Sundays). This is for use at home while watching the live stream or reading the prayers when you cannot physically attend worship. Lay people may read the entirety of this service as printed.
May God protect you from this virus and protect the most vulnerable among us. May we be God’s hands and feet of compassion and service to all in need during this time. Amen.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Guillermo A. Arboleda
The Word of God
Hymn #495: Hail Thou Once Despised Jesus
1 Hail, thou once despised Jesus!
Hail, thou Galilean King!
Thou didst suffer to release us;
thou didst free salvation bring.
Hail, thou universal Savior,
bearer of our sin and shame!
By thy merit we find favor:
life is given through thy Name.
2 Paschal Lamb, by God appointed,
all our sins on thee were laid:
by almighty love anointed,
thou hast full atonement made.
All thy people are forgiven
through the virtue of thy blood:
opened is the gate of heaven,
reconciled are we with God.
3 Jesus, hail! enthroned in glory,
there for ever to abide;
all the heavenly hosts adore thee,
seated at thy Father's side.
There for sinners thou art pleading:
there thou dost our place prepare;
ever for us interceding,
till in glory we appear.
4 Worship, honor, power, and blessing thou art worthy to receive; highest praises, without ceasing, right it is for us to give. Help, ye bright angelic spirits, all your noblest anthems raise; help to sing our Savior's merits, help to chant Emmanuel's praise!
Words: John Bakewell and Martin Madan, Public Domain.
Music: In Babilone, melody from Oude en Nieuwe Hollantse Boerenlities en Contradanseu, Public Domain.
Opening Sentences
[BCP, p. 355]
Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
And blessed be his 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 in the Highest
[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:
Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
A Reading from the Book of Exodus (19:2-8a)
The Israelites had journeyed from Rephidim, entered the wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness; Israel camped there in front of the mountain. Then Moses went up to God; the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the Israelites: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.”
So Moses came, summoned the elders of the people, and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. The people all answered as one: “Everything that the Lord has spoken we will do.”
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 100
[BCP, p. 729]
Read responsively by half-verse (at the asterisk).
1 Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; * serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with a song.
2 Know this: The Lord himself is God; * he himself has made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
3 Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise; * give thanks to him and call upon his Name.
4 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; * and his faithfulness endures from age to age.
A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans (5:1-8)
Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person-- though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Hymn #539: O Zion, Haste
1 O Zion, haste, thy mission high fulfilling,
to tell to all the world that God is Light;
that he who made all nations is not willing
one soul should fail to know his love and might.
REFRAIN:
Publish glad tidings: tidings of peace,
tidings of Jesus, redemption and release.
2 Proclaim to every people, tongue, and nation
that God, in whom they live and move, is Love;
tell how he stooped to save his lost creation,
and died on earth that all might live above. (Refrain)
3 Send heralds forth to bear the message glorious;
give of thy wealth to speed them on their way;
pour out thy soul for them in prayer victorious
till God shall bring his kingdom's joyful day. (Refrain)
4 He comes again! O Zion, ere thou meet him, make known to every heart his saving grace; let none whom he hath ransomed fail to greet him, through thy neglect, unfit to see his face. (Refrain)
Words: Mary Ann Thomson, Public Domain.
Music: Tidings, James Walch, Public Domain.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ According to St. Matthew (9:35-10:23)
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food. Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house, greet it. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
“See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Sermon
“Harassed and Tossed Aside” by the Rev. Guillermo A. Arboleda
“Yet having seen the crowd, [Jesus] was wrenched with compassion about them that they [had] been harassed and tossed aside like sheep not having a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36, Davis’ translation).
It has been nearly three weeks since May 25, 2020. On a day that will live on as a different sort of Memorial Day, an officer of the Minneapolis Police Department handcuffed George Floyd, forced him to the ground, and suffocated him to death with a knee to Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Three other officers were accomplices to this grievous murder as they stood by to prevent civilian onlookers from intervening to save Floyd’s life. The police officers’ cold, calculated cruelty in the face of a dying man and protesting passersby was captured on a video that circulated the internet and changed the nation.
This incident was evil enough to stir the conscience of millions of Americans who had previously denied any serious wrongdoing by law enforcement officers. The video seems to have actually changed some people’s minds (at least superficially). But for those who have been paying attention, George Floyd’s story is not new. It’s not an isolated incident in any sense of the word.
Floyd’s death follows on the heels of many similar police-involved killings of unarmed black civilians over the last few years. The ubiquity of the internet and camera-phones has made it easier than ever to capture acts of violence against black people and to spread the evidence like wildfire (whether police are involved or not). Movements like #BlackLivesMatter began coalescing in 2012-2013, pushing for awareness, reform, and justice. Activists elevated the names of similar victims of unchecked lethal force by the police and white citizens: Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Philando Castile, Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, and Trayvon Martin, to name a few. Black Americans and their allies for justice have been “harassed and tossed aside” (Matt 9:36, Davis).
The systematic nature of this problem is finally entering America’s mainstream consciousness. 401 years after the first enslaved Africans arrived on American shores; after the US Constitution enshrined chattel slavery and the ⅗-personhood of non-white people; after the South fought a devastating Civil War to preserve slavery; after failed Reconstruction efforts; after decades of Klan violence and mob lynchings; after Jim Crow laws enshrined black segregation; after Dr. King, Malcolm X, and others fought for civil rights; after the US government spied on and harassed those vocal leaders and whites killed them; after failed wars on drugs and crime that led to mass incarceration of Black Americans and other people of color; after dozens of other videos documented the ongoing persecution and violence that blacks live with in the 21st century; after living under a President who insults, marginalizes, and threatens non-white Americans while refusing to condemn white-supremacist supporters -- after all this, it makes sense that Blacks and their allies for justice feel “harassed and tossed aside” by this country (ibid.).
The mainstream media has spent a lot of time and energy covering the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests that were sparked by Mr. Floyd’s death. The vast majority of these protests were peaceful and non-threatening, which is remarkable given how consistently black people have been “harassed and tossed aside” in American life (ibid.). In some places, there were riots that led to property damage, theft, and even some injuries.
At first, I was pretty sympathetic to all the calls for peace. But the more I listened to and read black activists, scholars, and influencers, they changed my mind. I think far too many influential voices have focused on the property damage over the injustices that led to these violent outbursts. Many people in positions of power and/or privilege have used their platforms to sideline the main thrust of these protests (the police brutality that black [and brown] Americans fear everyday) and instead condemn these understandable acts of frustration.
I don’t condone the violent reactions of many protesters, but these are people who have been “harassed and tossed aside” for centuries (ibid.). America’s default reaction (from leaders of both parties) is to dominate the crowds of protestors, either with further police violence (as has been documented in many cases) or with demonstrations of military might. But in our Gospel text today, Jesus sees a crowd that had “been harassed and tossed aside like sheep not having a shepherd” and he responds with compassion (Matthew 9:36, Davis).
I have been quoting Matthew 9:36, from today’s assigned Gospel reading, but intentionally not using the NRSV translation that we read above. After some study in the Greek original, I found the phrase “harassed and helpless” to be dissatisfactory and inadequate to capture Jesus’ meaning. These people aren’t simply “confused” (NLT) or helpless (NRSV, NIV, CEB, etc.), in the sense that they are too uneducated or rudderless to find their way. This isn’t an insult to the intelligence or even the moral compass of the crowds. This verse is trying to explain that the crowds have been oppressed, they have been beaten up, and they feel defenseless to the domineering powers of the world in which they live. Shepherd-less sheep aren’t dumb, they are vulnerable.
The Rev. Dr. Mark Davis provided the translation “harassed and tossed aside” and he explains it like this: “The important thing is that [the crowds] are not simply wandering for [lack] of a leader, or people following the wrong religion or an errant philosophy of life, where they need a pastor to feed them some good theology. They are harassed and jerked about. That is to say, someone, some system, some way of life – yet undefined – is oppressing them” (Davis).
In the 1st century, Jesus’ crowds were oppressed by the Roman Empire. This global superpower conquered territories and subjugated peoples, imposing cultural conformity and denying citizenship rights to many of its subjects (including the majority of Jews). Rome saw itself as a fundamentally good nation. They brought Pax Romana (Roman Peace) wherever they went. They portrayed themselves as kinder, more democratic, and more liberal than many of their predecessors.
But that doesn’t mean that they were actually good. “Roman Peace” was enforced with the end of a sword, especially if you lived in a colony far from the capital. Roman soldiers called it peace while they pressed their knees down on your neck. If you crossed them in any which way, you might end up as our Lord Jesus did: flogged, whipped, tortured, and crucified. Jesus was lynched in public for all to see as an example of what happens to troublemakers.
Back in Matthew 9, Jesus looked over these crowds and saw their pain. He saw their fatigue. He saw their anger boiling over at their daily injustices. He saw crowds not unlike those we see on the nightly news in the USA today. He saw the “harassed and tossed aside” and he was “wrenched with compassion” (Matt 9:36, Davis). He had a visceral, gut reaction; the word implies feeling sick to your stomach about what you are seeing. Jesus understood their pain, felt it with them, and knew that their lives mattered.
So we know how Jesus felt. What did he actually do? Matthew tells us that Jesus was already teaching and preaching the Good News and curing the sick and driving out demons before he saw these crowds in their distress. After seeing the crowds, he calls the disciples together and selects Twelve Apostles who will lead with him. To these Twelve he will share his authority to preach, to minister, to cure, to heal, be with the people and hope together in God’s coming Kingdom of Justice. In other words, Jesus starts the church.
Jesus sees the injustice of the world and the devastating effects it has on crowds of people. Then he turns to his followers and says, we’re going to work on this together: “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:37-38, NRSV). Jesus is calling us, the members of the Church, his disciples, to be laborers who preach and care for all “harassed and tossed aside” peoples (Matt 9:36, Davis).
I know that many times we feel like we’re just members of the crowd who need ministering, and sometimes that’s enough. But, we need to pray for God to make us into laborers. Pray for the strength to encourage and uplift our sisters and brothers. Pray for words from the Holy Spirit to speak God’s truth to “governors and kings” (Matt 10:18-20, NRSV). Pray for the endurance to fight for real, substantial, life-saving changes in our society, even if we are “hated by all” (Matt 10:22, NRSV).
The Bible doesn’t give us political solutions custom-made for the 21st Century USA. I don’t know what the exact path forward is. But we are guided by Jesus’ moral teaching and example and by his life-giving Spirit within us. We know that Black Lives Matter because anyone who is “harassed and tossed aside” is precious in God’s sight. We know that God wants us to live in greater harmony than we can even ask for or imagine. The work of transforming our world isn’t easy, but Jesus began it in his life, death, and resurrection. And Jesus promises to be with us if we answer his call to be laborers in this harvest.
To paraphrase the prophet Isaiah, "Here we are, Lord; send us!" (Isaiah 6:8). Amen.
Bibliography
Davis, D. Mark. “Indiscriminate within Boundaries.” Left Behind and Loving It. Blog. Published 12 June 2017. Accessed 11 June 2020. https://leftbehindandlovingit.blogspot.com/2017/06/indiscriminate-wishing-boundaries.html.
Yuckman, Colin. “Commentary on Matthew 9:35-10:8[9-23].” WorkingPreacher.org. Published 18 June 2017. Accessed 9 June 2020. https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=4480.
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 & Confession of Sin
[Adapted from Form VI, BCP, p. 392]
In peace, we pray to you, Lord God.
Silence, about 5 seconds.
For all people in their daily life and work;
For our families, friends, and neighbors, and for those who are alone.
For Donald, our president; Brian, our governor; Van, our mayor; Al, 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, Zavier Bradley, Raleigh Bryant, Christine Brown, Mark Case, Genella Chamberlain, Annie Colbert, Lazola Cope, Alice Dailey, Brittany Dawson, Imani Ferguson, Ruby Fernandez, Harry Frazier, Earl Golden, Gary Gordon, Loretta Harmond, Marva Harris, Enoch Henderson, Charles E. Hines, Kenneth Howard, Terri Howard, Dale Hundley, Jared Hundley, Tracy Hundley, Milinda James, Alvin Jenkins, Dana Jenkins, Frances T. Jones, Lori Jones, Robert L. Jones, Sr., Ronald Jones, Tonya Jones, Whitney Kennedy, Leonard Law, Jr., Ryan Lovett, Tammie Lovett, Joan Maty, Craig Maxwell, Sada Maxwell, Carmelita Maynard, Viola Maynard, Bette Milledge, Hollie Moultrie, Patricia Murry, Russell Nails, Dorothy Neal, Glenzy Payne, Robert Payne, Dison Washington Slaughter, James Small, Gwendolyn Smith, Willie Stephens, Gisele Walton, Lori Ward, Gertrude Washington, Noel Wheeler, and Dean Williams; 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 those celebrating special occasions this week: Juray Brown (6/15), Herbert Scroggins (6/17), Teresa Blue-Clemons (6/20), and Kailey Holly (6/20) on their birthdays and Paul and Shaina Berksteiner (6/19) on their wedding anniversary, 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.
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 or a suitable Collect.
Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.
The Peace
[BCP, p. 360]
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
Announcements
A. We do not yet know when we can safely return to in-person worship in our church building. The Right Rev. Frank Logue, the new Bishop of Georgia, is developing updated guidelines for a return to in-person worship in our diocese. The public health criteria for re-opening church buildings include (1) a steady reduction in new cases of COVID-19 for at least fourteen consecutive days and (2) the widespread availability of COVID-19 tests throughout our coastal region of the Diocese of Georgia. If those criteria are met, we may be able to enter Phase 1 of the Reopening Plan in July under significant restrictions. All of these are efforts to reduce the risk of spreading the novel coronavirus, especially airborne transmission from asymptomatic or presymptomatic carriers.
B. Our updated weekly worship schedule during this time of social distancing and quarantine is as follows. Unless otherwise noted, all services may be read on the blog and/or viewed as a video on Facebook Live. If you know of church members who have trouble accessing these services, please reach out and show them or direct them to Fr. Arboleda for support.
Sundays - 9:30 Worship (You can find all of the upcoming Sunday and Holiday readings at http://www.lectionarypage.net.)
Tuesdays - 5:00 Evening Prayer
Wednesdays - 6:00 Evening Prayer with the Diocese (on Facebook or YouTube)
Thursdays - 5:00 Evening Prayer
C. We will hold a virtual "Coffee Hour" over Zoom next Sunday, June 21, Father's Day, at 10:30 AM, and again on every other Sunday. Thank you to Mrs. Rachael Blue-Jones who is donating a professional Zoom login to the church for our use.
Topic: Father's Day Coffee Hour
Time: Jun 21, 2020 10:30 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting from smartphone, tablet, or computer (after downloading the Zoom App): https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83110931222?pwd=TkdQUnFBN29NVDhmSGFmTHNaWng4QT09
Meeting ID: 831 1093 1222 Password: fathers
To join by phone, dial +1 929 205 6099 US (New York), Meeting ID: 831 1093 1222, Password: 326614
D. The Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing will host a webinar for youth and youth leaders called "Allyship for God's People" on Monday night from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. We want to help our young people respond faithfully and courageously to Jesus’ call to stand with those who are oppressed and marginalized. Registration is required, but the event is free. Register online here: http://bit.ly/30kTfzv.
E. The Diocese of Georgia will host a Digital Vacation Bible School on Monday, June 22 - Friday, June 26 at 9:30 AM each morning. Our theme for the week is "Who is My Neighbor?" Each day participants will watch a video interpretation of a story from the Bible and participate with Art and Small Group discussions led by Canon Joshua Varner and children's ministry leaders from around the Diocese. We will begin with Jesus' commandment to Love God and Love Neighbor, and explore what it means to love even when being a good neighbor isn't the easier choice. This VBS is designed for children from Pre-K through 6th grade. Older students and adults may register to help as small group leaders.
Please register online for free at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScttJQg6tf0AjgvCwirnbqdzWC563wzLTKJ1LUyqJkUDD5xzA/viewform
F. St. Matthew's is planning to pre-record Sunday services to ensure higher quality video and audio for our worshippers at home. This provides a new opportunity for church members to be a part of the service! Mrs. Pearson and I will reach out to parishioners about recording themselves reading Scripture lessons and/or the Prayers of the People for use in these Sunday videos. If you want to get involved, please email me about your interest at FrGAA@StMattSav.org.
G. Thank you to Mrs. Idella Jones and Mr. and Mrs. General and Lazola Cope who donated money to purchase the ring light for future worship filming! We hope you notice a difference in the video quality!
H. Many people are feeling the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis, including the church. We still need your support to pay our staff, pay our bills, and provide for these online live streams. If you pledged a donation in 2020 and are able, please continue making those contributions. If you have not pledged, please consider donating to St. Matthew’s now and in the future. 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 (3) Text “stmattsav” to 73256 to make a secure online donation through your phone.
The Offertory
[BCP, p. 377]
“Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:2)
Give online at: https://onrealm.org/StMattSav/-/give/now
LEV #130: Glory, Glory, Hallelujah!
1 Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Since I laid my burden down.
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Since I laid my burden down.
2 I feel better, so much better,
Since I laid my burden down.
I feel better, so much better,
Since I laid my burden down.
3 Feel like shouting, “Hallelujah!”
Since I laid my burden down.
Feel like shouting, “Hallelujah!”
Since I laid my burden down.
4 I am climbing Jacob’s ladder, Since I laid my burden down. I am climbing Jacob’s ladder, Since I laid my burden down.
Words: Public Domain.
Music: Negro Spiritual; arr. Carl Haywood from The Haywood Collection of Negro Spirituals, © 1992.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #120158. All rights reserved.
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 Blessing & Dismissal
[Enriching Our Worship 1, p. 71; BCP, p 366]
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 may God’s blessing be with you always. Amen.
Let us go forth into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit!
Thanks be to God!
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), and other sources cited. Unless otherwise noted, the Scripture readings and quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible.