Fr. Guillermo A. Arboleda
- Oct 1, 2023
- 24 min read

Sunday Worship on October 1, 2023

The Holy Eucharist

18th Sunday After Pentecost (Proper 21A)

October 1, 2023 at 9:30 AM

Celebrant & Preacher: The Rev. Guillermo A. Arboleda, Rector

Deacon: The Rev. Ella Roundtree-Davis, Deacon

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

The Holy Eucharist: Rite II

Hymn #450: All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name

1 All hail the power of Jesus' Name!

Let angels prostrate fall;

bring forth the royal diadem,

and crown him Lord of all!

bring forth the royal diadem,

and crown him Lord of all!

2 Crown him ye martyrs of our God,

who from his altar call:

praise him whose way of pain ye trod,

and crown him Lord of all!

praise him whose way of pain ye trod,

and crown him Lord of all!

3 Hail him, the Heir of David's line,

whom David Lord did call,

the God incarnate, Man divine,

and crown him Lord of all!

the God incarnate, Man divine,

and crown him Lord of all!

4 Ye heirs of Israel's chosen race,

ye ransomed of the fall,

hail him who saves you by his grace,

and crown him Lord of all!

hail him who saves you by his grace,

and crown him Lord of all!

5 Sinners, whose love can ne'er forget

the wormwood and the gall,

go, spread your trophies at his feet,

and crown him Lord of all!

go, spread your trophies at his feet,

and crown him Lord of all!

6 Let every kindred, every tribe,

on this terrestrial ball,

to him all majesty ascribe,

and crown him Lord of all!

to him all majesty ascribe,

and crown him Lord of all!

[Words: Edward Perronet, Public Domain. Music: Coronation, Oliver Holden, alt.,; Descant by Michael E. Young, Copyright © 1979 GIA Publications, Inc. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #28786. All rights reserved.]

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.

The Collect of the Day

[BCP, p. 357, 233]

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Let us pray:

O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant us the fullness of your grace, that we, running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A Reading from the Book of Exodus (17:1-7)

From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16

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

1 Hear my teaching, O my people; * incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

2 I will open my mouth in a parable; * I will declare the mysteries of ancient times.

3 That which we have heard and known, and what our forefathers have told us, * we will not hide from their children.

4 We will recount to generations to come the praiseworthy deeds and the power of the Lord, * and the wonderful works he has done.

12 He worked marvels in the sight of their forefathers, * in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

13 He split open the sea and let them pass through; * he made the waters stand up like walls.

14 He led them with a cloud by day, * and all the night through with a glow of fire.

15 He split the hard rocks in the wilderness * and gave them drink as from the great deep.

16 He brought streams out of the cliff, * and the waters gushed out like rivers.

A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians (2:1-13)

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death--even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Hymn #492: Sing, Ye Faithful, Sing With Gladness (Verses 1-3)

1 Sing, ye faithful, sing with gladness,

wake your noblest, sweetest strain,

with the praises of your Savior

let his house resound again;

him let all your music honor,

and your songs exalt his reign.

2 Sing how he come forth from heaven,

bowed himself to Bethlehem's cave,

stooped to wear the servant's vesture,

bore the pain, the cross, the grave,

passed within the gates of darkness,

thence his banished ones to save.

3 So, he tasted death for mortals,

he, of humankind the head,

sinless one, among the sinful,

Prince of life, among the dead;

thus he wrought the full redemption,

and the captor captive led.

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 (21:23-32)

Glory to you, Lord Christ.

When Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

“What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Hymn #492: Sing, Ye Faithful, Sing With Gladness (Verse 4)

4 Now on high, yet ever with us,

from his Father's throne the Son

rules and guides the world he ransomed,

till the appointed work be done,

till he see, renewed and perfect,

all things gathered into one.

The Sermon

“Bread from Heaven and Water from the Rock” by the Rev. Guillermo Arboleda, Rector

As you know, last week was the 168th Anniversary of our church’s founding. We celebrated that momentous occasion and our patronal feast of St. Matthew, the Apostle and Evangelist. Because of that, we took a break from our sermon series on the Book of Exodus. I considered going with a different text, but I felt God calling me right back to the Exodus story.

Because we celebrated the feast of St. Matthew last Sunday, we skipped over last week’s appointed reading from Exodus 16, so today I’ll talk about both chapters 16 and 17. These back-to-back stories are about God providing for the people as they walk through the wilderness.

The last time we talked about the Exodus, the Israelites had crossed through the Red Sea. They escaped slavery in Egypt and Pharaoh’s army was defeated so they no longer had to fear their attacks. They had been in bondage, but now they were liberated. God had liberated them. God had worked for their salvation and freedom, as God always does.

But now, they are on the other side of the Red Sea. They have been baptized into a new life as God’s chosen people of Israel. And now, they are in the Sinai desert. They are still journeying to Mt. Sinai, the mountain of God, where God promises to speak to Moses. That is where God will deliver the Ten Commandments (next week) and the rest of the Law. They will end up camping around Mt. Sinai for a long time. But they aren’t there yet. They have to get there on foot, and they are a large group of adults, children, elderly folks, and animals. It takes a long time to get there.

Everyone packed some food for the journey before leaving Egypt, but pretty soon the food ran out. By Exodus 16, the people were getting hungry, and you know what happens when a large crowd of people is hungry for too long. They get “hangry”! They started complaining to Moses and Aaron. Why did you drag us out into this desert to starve to death?! We might have been slaves in Egypt, but at least we had full bellies! The Israelites thought they were goners. They had run out of food, run out of patience, and run out of faith.

So God responded to the people’s complaints. O ye of little faith, don’t you know that I’m going to take care of you? Don’t you know that I didn’t bring you this far just to leave you stranded? So God miraculously sent bread from heaven, called manna, to feed the people. God miraculously sent flocks of quails for them to eat to give them strength to keep walking. And God showed them the rhythms to live by. They would work for six days, and on the seventh day, the Sabbath, they would rest. Every morning they would collect as much manna as their household needed. If they took too much and tried to save it for the next day, it rotted overnight. Then on Friday morning, before the sabbath, they did the opposite; they collected double so that they could rest on Saturday, on the morning of the Sabbath, the manna was still fresh. Though they were tired and hungry in the desert, God did not abandon them. God took care of them and supplied their needs.

Then we arrive at today’s Exodus reading, from chapter 17. They continued in the wilderness of Sin (i.e., Sinai) and set up camp in Rephidim. Unfortunately, the Israelites could not find fresh water there. You might know that people can live for a couple of weeks without food, but only a couple of days without water. So the thirsty people complained again to Moses: “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” (Exodus 17:3). Again, the Israelites thought they were goners. The people had their manna and quails but they ran out of water, and again, they ran out of patience; again, they ran out of faith.

So God directed Moses to find a certain rock in Horeb and strike it with his staff. Fresh water would flow miraculously out of the rock. This hidden spring provided all the water that the people needed while they camped at Rephidim. Though the people were tired and thirsty in the desert, God did not abandon them. God took care of them and supplied their needs. God made possible what was impossible. God made a way where there was no way.

In Exodus 16-17, we see parallel stories about God providing for the Israelite people. God provided manna and water in the wilderness. They were nourished and refreshed with bread from heaven and sweet water from the rock in a thirsty land.

That means that God will provide all the things we need here and now too. God has provided for the communities of St. Matthew’s, St. Augustine’s, and St. Stephen’s Churches for 168 years. God sent manna from heaven to build this church in the 1940s and build the Toomer-Walker Hall extension in the 1990s. God brought forth water from a rock to heal old wounds and bring us back together in the 1940s and in the 2010s.

And God will keep providing. Though times and circumstances and technology and society all change, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). God will never leave us nor forsake us. God will take care of us.

Challenges are always on the horizon and the leaders of this parish are doing what we can to tackle them head-on. That’s why we are very close to finalizing and announcing the results of our Strategic Planning Process. That’s why the Vestry is reactivating several committees for the benefit of our parish. (You may get a personal incision to help input, and if you don’t you are still welcome to help!) But we are acting as people with faith in a God who is stronger and more loving than we can ask for or imagine. We act knowing that we can lean on God in every conceivable way. We act knowing that God will send us bread from heaven and water from the rock. We act knowing that God will provide a way for us to come out of our wilderness wandering and into the way of God’s marvelous light. We will sing like our ancestors did:

Tell me how did you feel when you come out the wilderness?

Come out the wilderness? Come out the wilderness?

Tell me how did you feel when you come out the wilderness?

Leaning on the Lord.

I am leaning on the Lord.

I am leaning on the Lord who died on Calvary.

[African American Heritage Hymnal #367. Words & Music: Negro Spiritual; arr. Evelyn Simpson-Curenton, Copyright © 2000 GIA Publications, Inc. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #49232. All rights reserved.]

The Nicene Creed

[BCP, p. 358]

All standing as they are able, the People pray:

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead,

and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The Prayers of the People, Form VI

[Adapted from BCP, p. 392]

In peace, we pray to you, Lord God.

Silence

For all people in their daily life and work;

For our families, friends, and neighbors, and for those who are alone.

For Joseph, our president; Brian, our governor; Van, our mayor; Chester, the chair of our County Commission; and all other civic officials; For this community, the nation, and the world;

For all who work for justice, freedom, and peace.

For the just and proper use of your creation;

For the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.

For all who are in danger, sorrow, or any kind of trouble;

For those who minister to the sick, the friendless, and the needy.

For all the churches in Savannah, that we may be one as you are one with the Son, and the Holy Spirit; For the peace and unity of the Church of God;

For all who proclaim the Gospel, and all who seek the Truth.

For Michael our Presiding Bishop, Frank our Bishop, Guillermo our Priest, Ella our Deacon, Bertice our Diaconal Intern; and for all bishops and other ministers;

For all who serve God in his Church.

For the special needs and concerns of this congregation, especially for our Day Care’s staff, students, and families, and for those on our Parish Prayer List: Mary Bonaparte, Jacqueline Bryant, Lazola Cope, Enrique Davis, Aaron Duplechien, Jr., Charles Gordon, Marva Harris, David Jones, Beverly Kemp, Whitney Kennedy, Sada Maxwell, 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 Tracee Williams (10/1) and Kennyka Robinson (10/7); for those celebrating anniversaries, especially David and Rachael Jones (10/2); and those thanksgivings we offer now… [Silence. The People may add their own petitions.]

We will exalt you, O God our King;

And praise your Name for ever and ever.

We pray for all who have died, that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom, especially Noel Wheeler, and those we remember now... [Silence. The People may add their own petitions.]

Lord, let your loving-kindness be upon them;

Who put their trust in you.

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

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

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

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

JUST Sacred Conversations on Oct. 2: St. Matthew’s Justice Ministry will hold its 2023 Sacred Conversation meeting on Monday, October 2 at 6:00 p.m. in the church. Anyone can attend. Now is a great time to join JUST for the 2023-2024 cycle. Let us hear your thoughts concerning the shortage of affordable rental housing for our low income citizens, and the effects of low reading scores on the future of our city.

Silver Tea Planning Meeting on Oct. 7: St. Matthew’s ECW will hold a meeting to plan the 2023 Silver Tea to benefit the Episcopal Youth and Children's Services (EYCS) Scholarship Fund. All interested women of any age are invited to attend. The meeting is set for Saturday, October 7, 2023 at 11 a.m. in the Toomer-Walker Parish Hall. Topics of discussion include: invitation designs, decorations, programming, and more. Last year the Silver Tea raised $2,900, which helped to provide college scholarships our several of our youth and others throughout the Diocese of Georgia.

Adult Christian Education Hour Starts Oct. 8: Beginning on October 8, Fr. Arboleda, Deacob Davis, and others will hold a weekly Christian Education after Sunday worship and the "Coffee Minute," from about 11:00 AM - 12:00 noon. The goal of this time is for adults to engage more deeply in their faith through conversations about a variety of spiritual and educational topics.

St. Francis' Day Pet Blessing on Oct. 8: Bring your beloved pets to St. Matthew's from 4:00 - 4:30 PM on Sunday, October 8, for an outdoor pet blessing service in honor of St. Francis' Day (October 4). St. Francis of Assisi (c. 1181 - 1226) famously blessed animals and celebrated all of God's creation during his ministry. The service will take place on the front lawn at the corner of MLK Jr Blvd and W Anderson Street. Please bring all animals on leashes or in crates.

2024 Pledge Campaign Oct. 15 - Nov. 19: We will launch the 2024 Pledge Campaign on October 15, 2023. This campaign is essential for developing an accurate operating budget for the year 2024. 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.

St. Matthew’s at the SSU Homecoming Parade on Oct. 21: St. Matthew’s will have a walking unit in the Savannah State University Homecoming Parade on Saturday, October 21 at 9:00 AM. More details to come.

“Why We Are Apart” Symposium on Oct. 28: Sociologist Dr. Bertice Berry is organizing an educational symposium at St. Matthew’s called “Why We Are Apart: The Slave Bible and the Church in Black and White.” This event will take place on October 28 from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM and feature presentations by St. Matthew’s Rector, Deacon, and Music Director, Dr. Berry, and local historian Hermina Glass-Hill. This event is free and open to the public, both in-person and online. To participate online via Zoom please register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jiSaCp3GSLulkWcd5o2Fhg

Diocesan Youth Events

New Beginnings on Oct. 20-22: New Beginnings, an event for youth in grades 7-9, will take place October 20-22. This event, which helps middle schoolers and young high schoolers center themselves in who they are as God’s beloved children, even in the middle of all the calls on their time, energy, and attention.
Happening 108 on Nov. 17-19: Happening is a Christian experience presented by teenagers, for teenagers in grades 10-12 with the help of clergy and lay adult leadership. The Happening Weekend begins Friday evening, November 17 and continues through Sunday afternoon, November 19.

T/W/Th Evening Prayer on Zoom and Facebook: 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. Thanks to a technical fix, these Zoom calls will once again be live-streamed to our church’s Facebook page.

The Offertory

[BCP, p. 376]

Special Collection for Mixed Greens Savannah: Undesignated donations today will go to support the ministry of Mixed Greens Savannah, Inc. Mixed Greens is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing hospitality and a more welcoming environment for people with and without disabilities. Director Jessica Mathis held a Bake Sale at St. Matthew’s on September 23. You may also give directly to them at https://mixedgreenssavannah.godaddysites.com/.

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 #205: Trust and Obey

1 When we walk with the Lord

In the light of His word,

What a glory He sheds on our way!

While we do His good will,

He abides with us still,

And with all who will trust and obey.

REFRAIN:

Trust and obey,

for there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus,

But to trust and obey.

2 Not a shadow can rise,

Not a cloud in the skies,

But His smile quickly drives it away;

Not a doubt nor a fear,

Not a sigh nor a tear,

Can abide while we trust and obey. [Refrain]

3 Not a burden we bear,

Not a sorrow we share,

But our toil He doth richly repay;

Not a grief nor a loss,

Not a frown nor a cross,

But is blest if we trust and obey. (refrain)

4 But we never can prove

The delights of His love

Until all on the altar we lay;

For the favor He shows,

And the joy He bestows,

Are for them who will trust and obey. [Refrain]

5 When in fellowship sweet

We will sit at His feet,

Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;

What He says we will do,

Where He sends we will go,

Never fear, only trust and obey. [Refrain]

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow

Praise God, Praise God, Praise God!

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;

Circling through earth so all may grow

Vanquishing fear so all may give

Widening grace so all may live

Amen.

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.

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;

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.

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!

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.

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.

Hymn #343: Shepherd of Souls, Refresh and Bless

1 Shepherd of souls, refresh and bless

thy chosen pilgrim flock

with manna in the wilderness,

with water from the rock.

2 We would not live by bread alone,

but by thy word of grace,

in strength of which we travel on

to our abiding-place.

3 Be known to us in breaking bread,

and do not then depart;

Saviour, abide with us, and spread

thy table in our heart.

4 Lord, sup with us in love divine,

thy Body and thy Blood,

that living bread, that heavenly wine,

be our immortal food.

[Words: James Montgomery, Public Domain. Music: St. Agnes, melody John Bacchus Dykes, Public Domain; harm. Richard Proulx, Copyright © 1985 GIA Publications, Inc. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #13273. All rights reserved.]

LEV #111: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

1 Come, Thou fount of every blessing,

Tune my heart to sing thy grace;

Streams of mercy never ceasing,

Call for songs of loudest praise.

Teach me some melodious sonnet,

Sung by flaming tongues above.

Praise the mount, O fix me on it.

Mount of God’s unchanging love.

2 Here I raise my Ebenezer,

Hither by thy help I’m come;

And I hope, by thy good pleasure,

Surely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,

Wand’ring from the fold of God.

He, to save my soul from danger,

Interposed His precious blood.

3 O, to grace how great a debtor,

Daily I’m constrained to be;

Let that grace, Lord, like a fetter,

Bind my wand’ring heart to Thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,

Prone to leave the God I love.

Here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it,

Seal it from thy courts above.

[Words: Robert Robinson, Public Domain. Music: Nettleton, melody from A Repository of Sacred Music, Part II, 1813, Public Domain; harm. Carl Haywood, Copyright © 1992, 1993 Church Publishing, Inc. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #79430. All rights reserved.]

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 #344: Lord, Dismiss Us With Thy Blessing

1 Lord, dismiss us with thy blessing;

fill our hearts with joy and peace;

let us each, thy love possessing,

triumph in redeeming grace:

O refresh us, O refresh us,

traveling through this wilderness.

2 Thanks we give and adoration

for thy Gospel's joyful sound:

may the fruits of thy salvation

in our hearts and lives abound:

ever faithful, ever faithful

to thy truth may we be found;

3 So that when thy love shall call us,

Savior, from the world away,

fear of death shall not appall us,

glad thy summons to obey.

May we ever, may we ever

reign with thee in endless day.

[Words: Attributed to John Fawcett, Public Domain. Music: Sicilian Mariners, Sicilian melody first published The European Magazine and London Review (1792), alt., Public Domain. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #98002. All rights reserved.]

The Dismissal

[BCP, p. 366]

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord!

Thanks be to God!

The Parish Prayer List

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

BIRTHDAYS: Tracee Williams (10/1) and Kennyka Robinson (10/7)

WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES: David and Rachael Jones (10/2)

RECENT DEATHS: Noel Wheeler (9/18/23)

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

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

Image Credits: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/505951339367515197/

Sunday Worship on October 1, 2023

The Holy Eucharist

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The Holy Eucharist: Rite II

Hymn #450: All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name

The Opening Acclamation

The Collect for Purity

Hymn S280: Glory to God

The Collect of the Day

A Reading from the Book of Exodus (17:1-7)

Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16

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

A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians (2:1-13)

Hymn #492: Sing, Ye Faithful, Sing With Gladness (Verses 1-3)

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ According to St. Matthew (21:23-32)

Hymn #492: Sing, Ye Faithful, Sing With Gladness (Verse 4)

The Sermon

The Nicene Creed

The Prayers of the People, Form VI

Confession of Sin

The Peace

Parish Announcements

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The Offertory

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

LEV #205: Trust and Obey

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow

Eucharistic Prayer B

LEV #264: The Lord’s Prayer

The Breaking of the Bread

The Fraction Anthems

The Distribution of Holy Communion

Hymn #343: Shepherd of Souls, Refresh and Bless

LEV #111: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

The Post-Communion Prayer

For In-Person Worshippers:

For Online Worshippers and Those Receiving Spiritual Communion:

The Blessing of the People

Hymn #344: Lord, Dismiss Us With Thy Blessing

The Dismissal

The Parish Prayer List

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