The Holy Eucharist: The Liturgy of the Word
24th Sunday After Pentecost (Proper 28, Year A) November 15, 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, under the guidance of the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia, the Vestry has decided to keep our church building closed to all in-person gatherings.
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 #574: Before Thy Throne, O God, We Kneel
1 Before thy throne, O God, we kneel:
give us a conscience quick to feel,
a ready mind to understand
the meaning of thy chastening hand;
whate'er the pain and shame may be,
bring us, O Father, nearer thee.
2 Search out our hearts and make us true;
help us to give to all their due.
From love of pleasure, lust of gold,
from sins which make the heart grow cold,
wean us and train us with thy rod;
teach us to know our faults, O God.
3 For sins of heedless word and deed,
for pride ambitions to succeed,
for crafty trade and subtle snare
to catch the simple unaware,
for lives bereft of purpose high,
forgive, forgive, O Lord, we cry.
4 Let the fierce fires which burn and try, our inmost spirits purify: consume the ill; purge out the shame; O God, be with us in the flame; a newborn people may we rise, more pure, more true, more nobly wise.
Words: William Boyd Carpenter; Public Domain.
Music: St. Petersburg, Dimitri S. Bortniansky; 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, 236]
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
A Reading from Zephaniah (1:7, 12-18)
Be silent before the Lord God! For the day of the Lord is at hand;
the Lord has prepared a sacrifice, he has consecrated his guests.
At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the people
who rest complacently on their dregs, those who say in their hearts,
“The Lord will not do good, nor will he do harm.”
Their wealth shall be plundered, and their houses laid waste.
Though they build houses, they shall not inhabit them;
though they plant vineyards, they shall not drink wine from them.
The great day of the Lord is near, near and hastening fast;
the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter, the warrior cries aloud there.
That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish,
a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet blast and battle cry
against the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements.
I will bring such distress upon people that they shall walk like the blind; because they have sinned against the Lord,
their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung.
Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord's wrath;
in the fire of his passion the whole earth shall be consumed;
for a full, a terrible end he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 90
[BCP, p. 585]
Read responsively by half-verse (at the asterisk).
1 Lord, you have been our refuge * from one generation to another.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or the land and the earth were born, * from age to age you are God.
3 You turn us back to the dust and say, * "Go back, O child of earth."
4 For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past * and like a watch in the night.
5 You sweep us away like a dream; * we fade away suddenly like the grass.
6 In the morning it is green and flourishes; * in the evening it is dried up and withered.
7 For we consume away in your displeasure; * we are afraid because of your wrathful indignation.
8 Our iniquities you have set before you, * and our secret sins in the light of your countenance.
9 When you are angry, all our days are gone; * we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
10 The span of our life is seventy years, perhaps in strength even eighty; * yet the sum of them is but labor and sorrow, for they pass away quickly and we are gone.
11 Who regards the power of your wrath? * who rightly fears your indignation?
12 So teach us to number our days * that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.
A Reading from the First Letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians (5:1-11)
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When they say, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So then let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Hymn #551: Rise Up, Ye Saints of God
1 Rise up, ye saints of God!
Have done with lesser things,
give heart and soul and mind and strength
to serve the King of kings.
2 Rise up, ye saints of God!
His kingdom tarries long:
bring in the day of brotherhood
and end the night of wrong.
3 Lift high the cross of Christ!
Tread where his feet have trod;
and quickened by the Spirit's power,
rise up, ye saints of God!
Words: William Pierson Merrill, alt.; Public Domain
Music: Festal Song, William H. Walter; Public Domain.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ According to St. Matthew (25:14-30)
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
[Jesus said,] “It is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Sermon
“The Day of the Lord” by the Rev. Guillermo A. Arboleda
We have a challenging set of Scripture readings this morning. Each of the readings seems to talk about the anger or wrath of God. Did you catch all that? I’m going to quickly walk through three of our four lessons to get to our point. The fourth, Matthew 25, addresses similar themes, but I’m actually going to hold off on talking about this one until next week. We’ll discuss this week’s and next week’s Gospel passages together.
The prophet Zephaniah speaks the words of God to the people of Judah before they were exiled. He prophesies about a coming “Day of the Lord” in which God “will punish the people” of Jerusalem (1:7, 12). It will be a day of bitterness, “wrath,” “distress and anguish,” “ruin and devastation,” “darkness and gloom,” and more (1:14-15).
Psalm 90 starts out sounding good, naming the Lord as “our refuge” (90:1). But eventually it shifts to a discussion about how our “iniquities” and “secret sins” are laid bare before God, and that will lead to God’s “wrath” and “indignation” (90:8, 11).
Finally, in his First Letter to the Thessalonians, St. Paul also talks about the coming “day of the Lord” that “will come like a thief in the night” (5:2). The Apostle claims that many will experience “sudden destruction” and “there will be no escape” (5:3).
This is scary stuff. What gives?
It’s often uncomfortable for us to talk about the wrath of God. We prefer to talk about God’s love and mercy. We don’t like to imagine God as having anger. This makes sense. The ways that Jesus speaks and acts 90% of the time reveal God’s love, liberation, and life-giving. 1 John tells us straightforwardly that “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16; emphasis added).
And this is our guiding light. God is not schizophrenic or two-faced. God doesn’t fly off the handle into a rage the way some people do. God’s wrath is a part of what it means for God to be love. Perhaps it’s easiest to understand God’s wrath through the lens of God’s justice.
God’s love for all people means that when we wrong one another, God wants to set things right and make things just. The human experience of God’s wrath is simply God’s loving justice in action. It’s about correction and restitution. This happens on a broad-sweeping societal level, and also on an interpersonal level.
So, for instance, when God sets things right between Nazis and Holocaust victims, the Nazis may perceive this reckoning as wrath, as destructive, as some kind of loss of the twisted parts of their identities (built upon a false notion of Aryan supremacy). It will feel like “sudden destruction” with “no escape” (1 Thess 5:3).
But likewise, when God sets things right in my own life, and I have to own up to my selfishness, inaction, dishonesty, and arrogance (among other things), it may not feel great. Or imagine how Cain will feel when Abel (his brother who he murdered) comes to meet him on the Day of the Lord. But just because we don’t like this correction, doesn’t mean that God is anything other than perfect love, mercy, and justice. It doesn’t even mean that God is angry or violent in the ways that people are. It just means that on the Day of the Lord, God will set boundaries of justice, and fallen human beings will struggle to adapt to the new order, the coming Reign of God.
St. Paul talks in this passage about at least two different kinds of responses to the Day of the Lord. There is the “sudden destruction” and “surprise” that we have already discussed (1 Thess 5:3-4). But there are also “children of the day” who will not be surprised but will be prepared for God’s coming (5:5). Of them, Paul writes, “For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him” (5:9-10).
This helps us to see that God’s wrath is not like human wrath. It’s not about anger, destruction, or revenge. It’s about redemption. It’s about bringing wholeness and restoration. It’s about meeting all people, sinners as we are, and showing us how to turn around and return to love of God and neighbor for eternity. God does not intend our pain, but our healing.
And God desires this healing enough that Jesus Christ died for our sake. Jesus was willing to bring about the first Day of the Lord on the Cross. Jesus, the King of Kings and Judge of the Nations, was willing to be judged and punished by us who should have adored him. And he was willing to show us the path of love and redemption by rising again on the third day.
So why does the church cycle back to these Bible readings on wrath? Why do they matter for us now? First of all, we all know the world is broken. We know that things are unjust and unfair. And it’s helpful to know that God sees that too and cries alongside us. But more importantly, God isn’t just empathetic, God takes action. God promises to not only care about injustice but also to bring about justice. God’s love and wrath will come together on the glorious Day of the Lord.
But second, this promised future should give us hope and encouragement. Not the kind of hope that leads to apathy or indifference. We don’t sit by and allow things to get worse because God will one day fix them. Instead, we join in God’s restorative work here and now. We pray and act together, trying to bring about the heavenly vision of love, mercy, and justice for all. We “encourage one another and build up each other” with the hope that as we strive for justice in our world, God upholds us every step of the way. Amen.
Bibliography
Nuechterlein, Paul. “Proper 27A.” Girardian Lectionary. Published 6 November 2020. Accessed 12 November 2020. http://girardianlectionary.net/reflections/year-a/proper27a/
_____. “Proper 28A.” Girardian Lectionary. Published 11 November 2020. Accessed 12 November 2020. http://girardianlectionary.net/reflections/year-a/proper28a/
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
[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; Joe, our President-Elect; Brian, our Governor; Van, our Mayor; Al, the chair of our County Commission; Chester, the Chair-Elect; 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 all Military Veterans and for those on our Parish Prayer List: Martha Avery, Zavier Bradley, Raleigh Bryant, Christine Brown, Genella Chamberlain, Annie Colbert, Lazola Cope, Alice Dailey, Beryl Dandy, Mark Dashiell, Brittany Dawson, Eduardo Espinosa, Imani Ferguson, Ruby Fernandez, Harry Frazier, Gary Gordon, Amanda Green, 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., Ralph Lovett, Ryan Lovett, Tammie Lovett, Marcus Marzen, Joan Maty, Craig Maxwell, Sada Maxwell, Altheria Maynard Carmelita Maynard, Bette Milledge, Hollie Moultrie, Patricia Murry, Russell Nails, Dorothy Neal, Glenzy Payne, Robert Payne, Dison Washington Slaughter, James Small, Gwendolyn Smith, Willie Stephens, Lori Ward, Gertrude Washington, Anthony Watts, 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 General Cope (11/15), Timothy Rhett (11/16), Anthony Carrington (11/17), Cory Taylor (11/19), DeLeah Blake (11/21) and Olivia Jones (11/21) on their birthdays; and for other blessings 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, [especially ___] that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom, 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 an absolution or a suitable Collect.
Gracious God, we give thanks for military men and women, both from the past and present, and for their courageous service and sacrifice to our country and its people to secure the blessings of life, liberty, and justice for all. May our remembrance be a timely reminder that our freedom was purchased at high cost, and should not be taken for granted. Give us resolve to labor in faithful service to you until all share the benefits of freedom, justice, and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
[A Collect for Veterans' Day from Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth]
The Confession of Sin
[BCP, p. 360]
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
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.
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. 2021 Pledge Campaign: Saturday, October 24 was the launch of our 2021 Pledge Campaign with the Appreciation and Stewardship Kickoff Dinner To-Go! If you have not received a Stewardship Goodie Bag, please contact Fr. Arboleda at FrGAA@StMattSav.org or by cell to arrange for a pickup or delivery time.
This campaign is the Vestry’s opportunity to check in with different members and your opportunity to reconsider your commitments to St. Matthew’s in the coming year. Pledges are now available online (see below). Physical copies were distributed at the A.S.K. Dinner To-Go and will be mailed to other members. All pledges are due by November 22, when we will bless the pledges and give thanks for God’s many blessings!
Many thanks to the Vestry (and especially our Senior Warden, Toni Blue) for organizing our A.S.K. Dinner To-Go. The Vestry also thanks Anthony Blue for the St. Matthew's grocery bags, Rachael Blue-Jones and Teresa Blue-Clemons for the bookmarks and DVD's, Paul Berksteiner and Jonathan Newton for grilling the chicken, and Evalena Hoskins and Evadne Roberts baking the cakes.
B. Wednesday Evening Prayer via Zoom: On Wednesdays in November, Fr. Arboleda will invite parishioners to pray Evening Prayer with him over Zoom. The video will still stream to Facebook Live at 5:00 PM, but we'll see more faces and hear more voices. To join the Zoom call, click the link below at 4:45 PM on Wednesday. Otherwise, watch the prayer service like you have been on Facebook Live. If this goes well, we will expand to Tuesdays and Thursdays.
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: Wednesday Evening Prayer
Time: Nov 4, 2020 05:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Every week on Wed, 3 occurrence(s)
Nov 4, 2020 05:00 PM
Nov 11, 2020 05:00 PM
Nov 18, 2020 05:00 PM
Meeting ID: 937 2001 5885
Passcode: SEE e-NEWSLETTER
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,93720015885#,,,,,,0#,,684049# US (Germantown)
Dial by your location: +1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
Meeting ID: 937 2001 5885
Passcode: SEE e-NEWSLETTER
C. “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 first interim drawing will be December 15, 2020.
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.
D. Thanksgiving Day Morning Prayer: Join us on Facebook Live at 9:30 AM on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, 11/26) for a special Morning Prayer service. Thanks in advance to all participants in the worship video!
E. “Women in Genesis” Sundays at 11:00: This Christian Education course for teens and adults will be held virtually on Sunday mornings from 11:00 AM - 12:00 noon for 6 weeks from October 18 - November 22. (Note that this course runs parallel to the Diocesan Godly Play for children, listed below.)
This course will survey the women of Genesis, the first book in the Old Testament / Hebrew Bible. While the Bible is predominantly written by men and through patriarchal, male biases, women are featured more often than is commonly known. The Rev. Dr. Wilda Gafney’s seminal work Womanist Midrash offers ancient and modern commentary on the women of Israel’s scriptures, highlighting their oft-neglected experiences, perspectives, and lessons for today.
Learn more and register at https://tinyurl.com/WomeninGenesis.
F. Children’s Godly Play @ 11 AM: This Sunday the Diocese will continue a series of virtual Godly Play offerings. Godly Play is a Montessori-based curriculum that focuses on telling stories using physical materials and allowing participants to play and work with the stories at their own level.
Learn more by visiting the Diocese of Georgia Facebook page (see below) and subscribing to From the Field (https://gaepiscopal.org/from-the-field/). Please contact Canon Varner at jvarner@gaepiscopal.org for the Zoom link and with your questions.
Diocese of Georgia Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/georgiaepiscopal/
G. EYCS Scholarship Fundraiser: EYCS (Episcopal Youth and Children's Services) is a Diocese of Georgia scholarship fund that any college-bound Episcopal youth can apply for. We presently have two students who are benefitting from the fund, and we hope to have more in the future!
Due to COVID-19 the ECW is unable the hold its annual Silver Tea, a fundraiser with the proceeds going towards EYCS. In order to continue our support to the EYCS fund, we are asking for your support.
Please mail checks or money orders to St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, make them payable to "St. Matthew's ECW," and write "EYCS" on the memo line. If you prefer to give online, you may donate directly to the Diocese of Georgia via http://eycs.georgiaepiscopal.org (Click the “Donate” button at the bottom of the page).
The last date for contributions is November 30. Please contact Mrs. Georgette Kelley or Mrs. Evalena Hoskins for more information. If you give online, please inform Mrs. Kelley and Mrs. Hoskins so they know that St. Matthew’s members have contributed.
H. Virtual Coffee Hour 11/22 - Pledge Campaign Celebration: We will hold a virtual "Coffee Hour" over Zoom on Sunday, November 22, and again on every other Sunday at 10:30 AM. (Thank you to Mrs. Rachael Blue-Jones who is donating a professional Zoom login to the church for our use.)
We will celebrate the end of our Pledge Campaign and offer a preliminary report on pledged giving for 2021.
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: St. Matthew's Coffee Hour
Time: Nov 8, 2020 10:30 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Meeting ID: 825 7251 1175
Passcode: SEE e-NEWSLETTER
Dial by your location
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 825 7251 1175
Passcode: SEE e-NEWSLETTER
I. Giving to St. Matthew's: 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
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.
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 #161: Go Preach My Gospel
1 “Go preach my gospel,” saith the Lord,
“Bid the whole earth my grace receive,
Explain to them my sacred word,
Bid them believe, obey, and live.”
2 “I’ll make my great commission known,
And ye shall prove my gospel true
By all the works that I have done,
And all the wonders ye shall do.”
3 “Go heal the sick, go raise the dead,
Go cast out devils in my name.
Nor let my prophets be afraid,
Though man reproach, and will blaspheme.”
4 “While thus ye follow my commands,
I’m with you till the world shall end.
All pow’r in trusted in my hands;
I can destroy, and can defend.”
5 He spake and light shone round His head, On a bright cloud to heav’n He rode. They to the farthest nation spread The grace of their ascended God.
Words: Isaac Watts, Public Domain.
Music: Thomas Hastings, Public Domain.
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 bless the Lord!
Thanks be to God!
Permissions: 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. Unless otherwise noted, the Scripture readings and quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible