The Holy Eucharist
25th Sunday After Pentecost (Proper 28A)
November 19, 2023 at 9:30 AM
Celebrant & Preacher: The Rev. Guillermo A. Arboleda, Rector
Deacon: The Rev. Ella Roundtree-Davis, Deacon
Guest Musician: Mr. Joel Morehouse
St. Matthew's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/stmattsav
Watch the Livestream at www.Facebook.com/StMattSav/Live/
The Holy Eucharist: Rite II
Hymn #290: Come, Ye Thankful People Come
1. Come, ye thankful people, come,
raise the song of harvest-home:
all is safely gathered in,
ere the winter storms begin;
God, our Maker, doth provide
for our wants to be supplied;
come to God's own temple, come,
raise the song of harvest-home.
2. All the world is God's own field,
fruit unto his praise to yield;
wheat and tares together sown,
unto joy or sorrow grown:
first the blade, and then the ear,
then the full corn shall appear;
grant, O harvest Lord, that we
wholesome grain and pure may be.
3. For the Lord our God shall come,
and shall take his harvest home;
from his field shall in that day
all offenses purge away;
give his angels charge at last
in the fire the tares to cast,
but the fruitful ears to store
in the garner evermore.
4. Even so, Lord, quickly come,
to thy final harvest-home;
gather thou thy people in,
free from sorrow, free from sin;
there, for ever purified,
in thy presence to abide;
come, with all thine angels come,
raise the glorious harvest-home.
[Words: Henry Alford. Music: St. George's, Windsor, George Job Elvey; desc. Craig Sellar Lang. Descant Copyright © 1953, Novello & Company Limited. Used by permission. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #FBC-A001317]
The Opening Acclamation
[BCP, p. 355]
Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and forever. Amen.
The Collect for Purity
[BCP, p. 355]
Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hymn 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.
[Words: Public Domain. Music: Robert Powell, Copyright © 1985, Church Publishing, Inc. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #28331. All rights reserved.]
The Collect of the Day
[BCP, p. 357, 234]
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 the Book of Judges 4:1-7
The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, after Ehud died. So the Lord sold them into the hand of King Jabin of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; the commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-ha-goiim. Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help; for he had nine hundred chariots of iron, and had oppressed the Israelites cruelly twenty years.
At that time Deborah, a prophetess, wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel. She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the Israelites came up to her for judgment. She sent and summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, “The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you, ‘Go, take position at Mount Tabor, bringing ten thousand from the tribe of Naphtali and the tribe of Zebulun. I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army, to meet you by the Wadi Kishon with his chariots and his troops; and I will give him into your hand.’”
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 123
Read responsively by half-verse (at the asterisk).
1 To you I lift up my eyes, * to you enthroned in the heavens.
2 As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, * and the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
3 So our eyes look to the Lord our God, * until he show us his mercy.
4 Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy, * for we have had more than enough of contempt,
5 Too much of the scorn of the indolent rich, * and of the derision of the proud.
A Reading from the 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 #574: Before Thy Throne, O God, We Kneel (verses 1-3)
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 ambitious 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.
[Words: William Boyd Carpenter, Public Domain. Music: St. Petersburg, Dimitry S. Bortiansky, Public Domain. 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 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.
Hymn #574: Before Thy Throne, O God, We Kneel (verse 4)
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, Dimitry S. Bortiansky, Public Domain. All Rights Reserved.]
The Sermon
“Deborah the Collaborator” by the Rev. Guillermo A. Arboleda, Rector
Today, we are closing out the 2024 Pledge Campaign. In just a few minutes, we will pray a blessing on all the pledges we have received both on paper and in digital form. That means you still have a chance to submit your pledge now. In order to round out this season of giving, you might be surprised to learn that we are going to turn to the Book of Judges. It’s going to take us a few minutes, but please trust me to land the plane.
The Book of Judges is not very well-represented in our Sunday Lectionary (in fact, this is my one shot to preach out of this book, so indulge me!). Judges contains some really famous Bible stories, like the romantic and seductive tales of Samson and Delilah. It also features some less-famous characters like Gideon, Ehud, Jephthah, and the subjects of today’s reading: Deborah and Barak. Raise your hand if you know the story of Deborah and Barak (and not just because he has the same name as President Obama)… I don’t blame you. It is only featured in these two chapters, and the Sunday Lectionary itself doesn’t give us too many favors. In a genuinely odd choice, the reading ends before we get to the real meat of the story.
Before we cover Deborah and Barak’s story, it’s helpful to understand a little bit more about the Book of Judges. First, all of these stories take place after Moses led the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt, after they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, and after Joshua led them across the Jordan River and into the Promised Land. But these stories are also before Israel crowned its first king, Saul, and its most important kings, David and Solomon. So we’re in this weird, in-between time when the 12 tribes of Israel are living in the land among many other ethnic groups without centralized leadership.
And every story in Judges follows a very similar pattern, what biblical scholars and preachers call the “Judges Cycle.” The Judges Cycle roughly has five parts: (1) the people of Israel sin and worship other gods; (2) God allows enemies to defeat and conquer Israel; (3) the Israelites cry to God for help in their suffering and God has mercy on them; (4) God sends a judge who leads people into political/military freedom and right worship of God; (5) after the judge dies, the people backslide and the cycle starts again (Olson). So every time you pick up the Book of Judges, you can expect to see that pattern play out.
Look at our reading from Judges 4, beginning at verse 1: “The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, after Ehud died.” That’s step 5 in the cycle, turning right back into step 1; the judge dies so the Israelites sin and worship other gods. Verse 2: “So the LORD sold them into the hand of King Jabin of Canaan… the commander of his army was Sisera.” This is step 2: God allows enemies to defeat and conquer Israel. Judges 4:3 reads, “Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD for help.” That’s step 3, and so we should expect that God will be merciful to the people and rescue them. That’s how we are introduced to Deborah, a prophetess who was judging Israel.
Deborah is the first and only female judge in this period of Israel’s history. She was God’s chosen leader who offered wise counsel, settled disputes, and spoke the words of God to the people. She would become a military advisor and leader in due time. But here’s the other unique thing about Deborah and the reason we are talking about her as we wrap up the Pledge Campaign. Deborah was the most collaborative judge. She was a collaborator who built a team of people to accomplish Israel’s goals. Deborah was not a leader who did everything herself. She didn’t take it all on her own shoulders, but she shared the load and empowered others to do what God called them to do. For that reason, Deborah is a very special and important model for Church leadership today.
Again, in this reading, we get the setup. King Jabin is the oppressor, and Sisera is the commander of this hostile, foreign army. Deborah is the prophet and judge, and then in verse 6, she summons Barak and tells him to lead the troops into a battle against Sisera and all his iron chariots and troops, because the LORD “will give [Sisera] into your hand.” In other words, Barak is facing a more powerful, better equipped, technologically superior enemy, but if he obeys Deborah’s orders, which come from the LORD God, then he and the Israelites will be victorious.
But Deborah’s collaboration doesn’t stop there (like the Sunday reading does). She doesn’t only delegate military command to Barak. In Judges 4:12-16, Barak leads his army against Sisera and God allows them to win. But Sisera flees the battle on foot. He finds an ally named “Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite” because King Jabin and her husband’s tribe had a peace treaty. But after Jael welcomes Sisera in and lets him fall asleep in the tent, she betrays him and attacks. Judges 4:21 says, “Jael, wife of Heber, took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him, and drove the peg into his temple until it went down into the ground… and he died.” So God rescued the people of Israel from King Jabin’s oppression through the leadership of the prophet and judge Deborah. But Deborah shared her leadership with Commander Barak and with her unlikely ally Jael.
While I do not believe that God is calling us into a war, God does call on us, like Deborah, to work together to accomplish greater goals. God calls us to trust our leaders when they collaborate and be suspicious when they don’t. Strategic planning, pledging, and growing and glowing in grace (following our mission), are all collaborative ministries. St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church must work together as a community to accomplish them. When we work together, we can grow the currencies of relationship, time and place, truth, wellness, gracious leadership, and money. Together, with God’s help, we can accomplish more than we can even ask for or imagine.
We must trust God enough to trust one another. We must trust God enough to accept leadership from unexpected people and places. I’m sure there were many Israelites who thought that Barak (whose name means “Blessed”) was God’s anointed leader. But no. God chose the wise woman Deborah to judge and lead the nation. God subverted their patriarchal expectations and chose the collaborative leader who would build a team to save the people from oppression. Likewise, our strategic planning process has been an extremely collaborative effort. It was not all priest-driven or deacon-driven or even warden- and vestry-driven. We raised up leaders who were not at the centers of established leadership and gained new ideas and perspectives. We were able to develop something new because we trusted the Spirit to lead us to the right process with the right people.
So, as we pledge, yes, we are asking for you to contribute your currency of money to our parish. Money is important. We need more of it. There’s no getting around that. But, more importantly, we are asking you to contribute your other currencies: your relationships with one another, your relationships with people outside this parish, your time and place, and especially your gracious leadership skills. We want to learn from Deborah and collaborate with you. We want to grow and glow in grace together, and that means that we all need to pitch in for the benefit of God’s kingdom and St. Matthew’s Church. Let’s be faithful to the call, let’s be faithful to grace and love God has poured out on us, and that will be enough to sustain the parish too. The Vestry, the Strategic Planning Team, Deacon Davis, the staff, and I — we’re all in. Are you ready to be all in too?
Let us pray:
Gracious God, you are always near to us and you never leave us without your peace, which passes all understanding: We give you thanks for inspiring us to seek your will for St. Matthew’s Church through Strategic Planning and Pledging. Send your life-giving Holy Spirit among us and help us to grow and glow in your grace as we prepare for the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead of us; through Jesus Christ our Good Shepherd and Savior. Amen.
Bibliography
Olson, Dennis. “Commentary on Judges 4:1-7.” Working Preacher. Published November 2017. Accessed 16 November 2023. https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ordinary-33/commentary-on-judges-41-7-4.
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 the people of Israel and the Palestinian territories, and 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: Jacqueline Bryant, Lazola Cope, Beryl Dandy, Aaron, Natalie, and Olivia Duplechien, Charles Gordon, Marva Harris, David Jones, Beverly Kemp, Whitney Kennedy, Sada Maxwell, Russell Nails, Jeannette Outing, 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 Cory Taylor (11/19), DeLeah Blake (11/21), Olivia Jones (11/21), Chloe Pennamon (11/22), Joenelle Gordon (11/24); for those celebrating anniversaries; and for all other 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 Aaron Duplechien, Jr., Enoch Henderson, and Isaiah Washington (brother of Lazola Cope), 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 everliving God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth, hear our prayers for this parish family. Strengthen the faithful, arouse the careless, and restore the penitent. Grant us all things necessary for our common life, and bring us all to be of one heart and mind within your holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Confession of Sin
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.
The Bishop, when present, or the Priest, stands and says:
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.
Parish Announcements
New St. Matthew's Linktree: St. Matthew's now has a "Linktree", a single page with links to our many online resources. You can access it at https://linktr.ee/stmattsav or with the new QR Codes posted around the Church.
Grow and Glow in Grace Gear!: St. Matthew's is producing branded clothes and other merchandise with our new Grow and Glow in Grace mission logo! Order T-shirts for $25, embroidered Polo shirts for $40, Mugs for $15, Pens for $2 each, and more! All proceeds will go to the Building Capital Campaign (for remodeling the kitchen, preserving the stained glass windows, replacing the roof, and more)! Order forms are available in church now.
***Mugs have arrived! Pens, shirts, and more will arrive by the end of November!***
Thanksgiving Food Basket Donations: St. Augustine’s Guild is sponsoring Thanksgiving Baskets and are seeking donations from St. Matthew’s members. Donations of goods and money will help meet the goal of at least 4 food baskets. Each basket will contain the makings of a traditional southern Thanksgiving meal: cornbread mix, or stuffing mix, bag of rice, sweet potatoes, or prepared candied yams, chicken broth, onion, celery, chicken broth, bag of greens, and a turkey.
If you want to donate money please make checks payable to St. Matthew’s Church or, if giving cash, please use the envelopes and indicate Thanksgiving Food Drive. Baskets will be delivered on Tuesday, November 21, 2023.
Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service on Nov. 21 at First Congregational: This year, First Congregational Church, 421 Habersham St, Savannah, GA 31401, will host our ecumenical Thanksgiving service on Tuesday, November 21 at 6:00 PM. (Note the change from Thanksgiving Day to the Tuesday prior.) This service is a collaborative ministry between St. Matthew's, First Congregational, Butler Memorial Presbyterian, Holy Spirit Lutheran Churches.
Emmaus House Service Days on 2nd Thursdays: Beginning on December 14, St. Matthew's is organizing Service Days at Emmaus House Soup Kitchen from 7:30-9:30 AM every 2nd Thursday of the month. Emmaus House accepts up to 4 volunteers per day. You can sign up now for any of the Service Days from December 2023 until May 2024. See Deacon Davis for more details.
Report from 2023 Diocesan Convention: The Diocese of Georgia Convention passed three resolutions: (1) We named Deaconess Anna Ellison Butler Alexander the patron saint of the Diocese of Georgia; St. Matthew’s will begin to celebrate St. Anna Alexander every year on the Sunday after Anniversary Sunday (in late September or early October); (2) The Diocese of Georgia renewed its Companion Diocese relationship with the Diocese of the Dominican Republic through 2028; (3) The Diocesan Convention sent a resolution to the 2024 General Convention of The Episcopal Church requesting that it develop a plan to reduce each diocese’s assessment to The Episcopal Church Center from 15% to 10% by 2033.
T/W/Th Evening Prayer on hiatus until Nov. 29: On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, St. Matthew's invites you to pray Evening Prayer with us over Zoom at 5:00 PM. If you want to be in the Zoom call, please join by 4:55 PM using the link in the e-Newsletter. Online Evening Prayer services will be on hiatus until Wednesday, November 29, while Fr. A is away on a family vacation.
The Offertory
[BCP, p. 376]
2024 Pledge Campaign Oct. 15 - Nov. 19: This campaign is essential for developing an accurate operating budget for the year 2024. St. Matthew's Vestry and Leadership expect the 2024 budget to be especially tight so we appreciate any increase in giving you can offer. We will have church members speaking each Sunday about the importance of giving to support the mission and ministry of our church. On November 19, we will offer thanks to God and bless all the pledges. Paper copies of the Pledge letters, forms, and 3rd quarter giving statements (January - September 2023) were mailed to all members of the church. You may offer your pledges on paper or online at www.tinyurl.com/StMattSav2024!
Pledge Testimonial by Mrs. M. Idella Jones
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 #14: Soon and Very Soon
Refrain Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah,
we're goin' to see the King!
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
1 Soon and very soon we are going' to see the King, Soon and very soon we are going' to see the King,
Soon and very soon we are going' to see the King [Refrain]
2 No more cryin' there we are goin' to see the King,
No more cryin' there we are goin' to see the King,
No more cryin' there we are goin' to see the King, [Refrain]
3 No more dyin' there we are goin' to see the King,
No more dyin' there we are goin' to see the King,
No more dyin' there we are goin' to see the King, [Refrain]
4 Soon and very soon we are going' to see the King, Soon and very soon we are going' to see the King,
Soon and very soon we are going' to see the King [Refrain]
[Words: Andrae Crouch. Music: Andrae Crouch; Copyright © 1976 Bud John Songs, Inc./ Crouch Music/ASCAP. All rights reserved.]
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.
[Words: Eric H. F. Law, Copyright © 2015 Eric H. F. Law. Music: Old 100th, attributed to Louis Bourgeois, Public Domain. Reprinted with permission from Kaleidoscope Institute. All rights reserved.]
The Blessing of the Pledges
[Adapted from a prayer by the Rt. Rev. Greg Rickel, Bishop of Olympia]
Gracious and loving God, giver of all that is good and true and beautiful and life-giving. These pledges represent our sweat, they represent our lives, they represent our dreams. The pledges which we make on paper or online are but tokens of the awesome gifts that have been given to us and they are pledged in thanksgiving for all we have received, for all we have been inspired to be, for all we are challenged to become, in this place.
May they be the first fruits of all we have and not what we have left over, so that we may live out as closely as possible how you give to us. May we see them as our offering to you, sacred, holy, yet earthy, filled with possibilities. May we hold this image in our hearts and minds so as we watch our offerings each week come to your table, we can see our very selves being part of this offering: it is us on the table, living sacrifices to you. Bless us as we give of our time, talent, and treasure now, in 2024, and beyond. Amen.
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 God 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. ...
The Celebrant prays a Proper Preface
Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:
LEV #255:
Holy, holy, holy, holy, holy Lord God of hosts
Heaven and earth are filled with your glory
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest, hosanna in the highest.
[Music: Grayson Warren Brown, A Mass for Soulful People, Copyright © 1979 North American Liturgy Resources, Published by OCP. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #83420. All rights reserved.]
The people stand or kneel.
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,
LEV #260:
We remember his death, We proclaim his resurrection, We await his coming in glory;
[Music: Hezekiah Brinson, Jr., Copyright © 1990 Hezekiah Brinson, Jr. All Rights Reserved.]
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 Matthew 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, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.
LEV #264: The Lord’s Prayer
[Compare BCP, p. 364]
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to sing,
Our Father, which 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 debts, as we forgive our debtors
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
[Music: Albert Hay Malotte; arr. Fred Bock, Copyright © 1934 (renewed) G. Schirmer, Inc. All Rights Reserved.]
The Breaking of the Bread
Silence may be kept.
The Fraction Anthems
[BCP, p. 364]
Hymn S-152
Alleluia! Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us!
Therefore let us keep the feast! Alleluia!
[Music: Ambrosian chant; adapt. Mason Martens, Copyright © 1971, Church Publishing, Inc. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #52588. All rights reserved.]
This Far By Faith #36:
O Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;
have mercy and grant us peace,
we pray, O Lamb of God.
[Music: Grayson Warren Brown; arr. Larry Adams, Copyright © 1979 Grayson Warren Brown. All rights reserved.]
The Gifts of God for the people of God.
The Distribution of Holy Communion
All baptized Christians of any denomination are invited to come forward to participate fully in Communion. Baptized children may receive at the discretion of their parents.
You may receive Communion kneeling or standing. Please extend your hands forward to receive the Body of Christ (bread). If you would like to receive the Blood of Christ (wine), the minister will take the bread from your hand and dip (intinct) it in the wine for you, then place it in your mouth. If you would only like to receive the bread, you may consume it and return to your seat.
If you need gluten-free bread for Communion, please raise your hand when you are at the altar rail.
If you would not like to receive Communion for any reason, please cross your arms over your chest, and the Priest will say a blessing over you.
If you are worshipping online, you may pray to receive spiritual communion using the following prayer:
In union, O Lord, with your faithful people at every altar of your Church, where the Holy Eucharist is now being celebrated, I desire to offer to you praise and thanksgiving. I remember your death, Lord Christ; I proclaim your resurrection; I await your coming in glory. Since I cannot receive you today in the Sacrament of your Body and Blood, I beseech you to come spiritually into my heart. Cleanse and strengthen me with your grace, Lord Jesus, and let me never be separated from you. May I live in you, and you in me, in this life and in the life to come. Amen.
LEV #93: Give Thanks to the Lord
Refrain Give thanks to the Lord for He is so good,
1 His mercy endures forever (forever.)
to Him alone who does mighty wonders,
Who by His understanding made the heavens. [Refrain]
2 Give dures forever. (forever)
he made the sun to govern the daytime, The moon and the stars to govern o'er the night time. [Refrain]
[Words: Brenda Barker. Public Domain. Music: Ken Barker and Debi Parker Ladd. Copyright © 1986 Word Music (a div. of Word INC). All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.]
Hymn #325: Let Us Break Bread Together
1 Let us break bread together on our knees;
let us break bread together on our knees;
Refrain:
when I fall on my knees,
with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.
2 Let us drink wine together on our knees;
let us drink wine together on our knees; [Refrain]
3 Let us praise God together on our knees;
let us praise God together on our knees; [Refrain]
[Words: Afro-American spiritual. Public Domain. Music: Let Us Break Bread, Afro-American spiritual; arr. David Hurd. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #84125]
The Post-Communion Prayer
[BCP, p. 366; Enriching our Worship 2 [2000], pp. 56-57]
Let us pray.
For In-Person Worshippers:
Almighty and everliving God, we thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; and for assuring us in these holy mysteries that we are living members of the Body of your Son, and heirs of your eternal kingdom. And now, Father, send us out to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord. To him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. 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 Blessing of the People
Hymn #561: Stand Up, Stand Up For Jesus
1 Stand up, stand up, for Jesus,
ye soldiers of the cross;
lift high his royal banner,
it must not suffer loss:
from victory unto victory
his army shall he lead,
till every foe is vanquished
and Christ is Lord indeed.
2 Stand up, stand up, for Jesus;
the trumpet call obey;
forth to the mighty conflict
in this his glorious day:
ye that are his now serve him
against unnumbered foes;
let courage rise with danger,
and strength to strength oppose.
3 Stand up, stand up, for Jesus;
stand in his strength alone;
the arm of flesh will fail you,
ye dare not trust your own:
put on the Gospel armor,
and watching unto prayer,
when duty calls, or danger,
be never wanting there.
4 Stand up, stand up, for Jesus:
the strife will not be long:
this day, the noise of battle;
the next, the victor's song.
To valiant hearts triumphant,
a crown of life shall be;
they with the King of glory
shall reign eternally.
[Words: George Duffield. Public Domain. Music: Morning Light, George James Webb. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #97973]
The Dismissal
[BCP, p. 366]
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord!
Thanks be to God!
The Parish Prayer List
PRAYER LIST: Jacqueline Bryant, Lazola Cope, Beryl Dandy, Aaron, Natalie, and Olivia Duplechien, Charles Gordon, Marva Harris, David Jones, Beverly Kemp, Whitney Kennedy, Sada Maxwell, Russell Nails, Jeannette Outing, Jewel Wheeler
BIRTHDAYS: Cory Taylor (11/19), DeLeah Blake (11/21), Olivia Jones (11/21), Chloe Pennamon (11/22), Joenelle Gordon (11/24)
WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES: N/A
RECENT DEATHS: Aaron Duplechien, Jr., Enoch Henderson, and Isaiah Washington (brother of Lazola Cope)
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.
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