The Liturgy of the Word

Processional Hymn #388: O Worship the King

1 O worship the King, all glorious above!

O gratefully sing his power and his love!

Our shield and defender, the Ancient of Days,

pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise.

2 O tell of his might! O sing of his grace!

Whose robe is the light, whose canopy space,

His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,

and dark is his path on the wings of the storm.

3 The earth, with its store of wonders untold,

Almighty, thy power hath founded of old,

hath stablished it fast by a changeless decree,

and round it hath cast, like a mantle, the sea.

4 Thy bountiful care, what tongue can recite?

It breathes in the air; it shines in the light;

it streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,

and sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.

5 Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,

in thee do we trust, nor find thee to fail;

thy mercies how tender! how firm to the end!

Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend! 

[Words: Robert Grant. Music: Hanover, att. William Croft. Words and Text: Copyright © 1977 by Hal Leonard Corporation. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #286608. All rights reserved.]

The Opening Acclamation

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

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

The Confession of Sin

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

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 Deacon or Lay Celebrant says:

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

LEV #243: Glory To God

The Collect of the Day                                 

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Let us pray. 

O Lord, make us have perpetual love and reverence for your holy Name, for you never fail to help and govern those whom you have set upon the sure foundation of your loving­-kindness; 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 the Prophet Isaiah

I was ready to be sought out by those who did not ask, to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, "Here I am, here I am," to a nation that did not call on my name. I held out my hands all day long to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices; a people who provoke me to my face continually, sacrificing in gardens and offering incense on bricks; who sit inside tombs, and spend the night in secret places; who eat swine's flesh, with broth of abominable things in their vessels; who say, "Keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am too holy for you." These are a smoke in my nostrils, a fire that burns all day long. See, it is written before me: I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will indeed repay into their laps their iniquities and their ancestors' iniquities together, says the Lord; because they offered incense on the mountains and reviled me on the hills, I will measure into their laps full payment for their actions. Thus says the Lord: As the wine is found in the cluster, and they say, "Do not destroy it, for there is a blessing in it," so I will do for my servants' sake, and not destroy them all. I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, and from Judah inheritors of my mountains; my chosen shall inherit it, and my servants shall settle there.

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

The Psalm

18 Be not far away, O Lord; * 

you are my strength; hasten to help me.

19 Save me from the sword, * 

my life from the power of the dog.

20 Save me from the lion's mouth, * 

my wretched body from the horns of wild bulls.

21 I will declare your Name to my brethren; * 

in the midst of the congregation I will praise you

22 Praise the Lord, you that fear him; * 

stand in awe of him, O offspring of Israel; all you of Jacob's line, give glory.

23 For he does not despise nor abhor the poor in their poverty; neither does he hide his face from them; * 

but when they cry to him he hears them.

24 My praise is of him in the great assembly; * 

I will perform my vows in the presence of those who worship him.

25 The poor shall eat and be satisfied, and those who seek the Lord shall praise him: * 

"May your heart live for ever!"

26 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, * 

and all the families of the nations shall bow before him.

27 For kingship belongs to the Lord; * 

he rules over the nations.

A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Galatians

Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise.

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Sequence Hymn #457: Thou Art the Way (Verse 1-3)

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to St. Luke 

Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Jesus and his disciples arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me" -- for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?" He said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss. Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sequence Hymn #457: Thou Art the Way (Last Verse)

 

The Sermon

The Nicene Creed

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 IV

Let us pray for the Church and for the world.

Grant, Almighty God, that all who confess your Name may be united in your truth, live together in your love, and reveal your glory in the world. [Silence]

Lord, in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

Guide the people of this land, and of all the nations, in the ways of justice and peace; that we may honor one another and serve the common good. [Silence]

Lord, in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

Give us all a reverence for the earth as your own creation, that we may use its resources rightly in the service of others and to your honor and glory. [Silence]

Lord, in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

Bless all whose lives are closely linked with ours, especially _____ on their birthdays and _____ on their anniversaries; and grant that we may serve Christ in them, and love one another as he loves us. [Silence]

Lord, in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

Comfort and heal all those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, especially the people on our Parish Prayer List: _____; give them courage and hope in their troubles, and bring them the joy of your salvation. [Silence]

Lord, in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

We commend to your mercy all who have died, [especially _____,]  that your will for them may be fulfilled; and we pray that we may share with all your saints in your eternal kingdom. [Silence]

Lord, in your mercy

Hear our prayer.

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

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

The Peace

The peace the Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

Parish Announcements

The Offertory

Ascribe to the Lord the honor due his Name; bring offerings and come into his courts.

Offertory Hymn #691: My Faith Looks Up to Thee

The Doxology

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow! Praise him all creatures here below! Praise him above ye heavenly hosts! Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Grace

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

The Recessional Hymn

The Dismissal

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord! [Alleluia! Alleluia!]

Thanks be to God! [Alleluia! Alleluia!]