The FOURTH Sunday In Lent
Sunday, March 27, at 10:00 am | The Holy Eucharist, Rite II
Livestreamed on Facebook (click and open the ‘live’ video)
The order of this service can also be found in The Book of Common Prayer, page 355. Spoken responses are in bold typeface.
To give to St. Paul’s, select an option below:
Online: E-Giving (Realm) | PayPal
Text: message 73256 with the phrase saintpauls $X (insert an amount in place of X)
Check: mail your offering to St. Paul’s Church, 84 E Oakland Ave, Doylestown, PA 18901
Prelude: “Wen Wir in Höchstein Nöthe” J.S. Bach
THE ENTRANCE RITE & PENITENTIAL ORDER
Hymn 686: “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! Oh, fix me on it,
mount of God’s unchanging love.
2. Here I find my greatest treasure;
hither, by thy help, I’ve come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger
wandering from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger,
interposed his precious blood.
3. Oh, to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee:
prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart, oh, take and seal it,
seal it for thy courts above.
The Penitential Order
Celebrant ✠ Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins.
People His mercy endures for ever.
The Decalogue is sung, and the people respond, “Amen. Lord have mercy.”
Hear the commandments of God to his people: I am the Lord your God who brought you out of bondage. You shall have no other gods but me.
Amen. Lord have mercy.
You shall not make for yourself any idol.
Amen. Lord have mercy.
You shall not invoke with malice the Name of the Lord your God.
Amen. Lord have mercy.
Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy.
Amen. Lord have mercy.
Honor your father and your mother.
Amen. Lord have mercy.
You shall not commit murder.
Amen. Lord have mercy.
You shall not commit adultery.
Amen. Lord have mercy.
You shall not steal.
Amen. Lord have mercy.
You shall not be a false witness.
Amen. Lord have mercy.
You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Amen. Lord have mercy.
Celebrant
Jesus said, “The first commandment is this: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Silence is kept.
Celebrant and People
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 Celebrant pronounces absolution.
Kyrie: “Lord, have mercy”
Salutation & The Collect of the Day
Celebrant The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Celebrant Let us pray.
Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Liturgy of the Word
First Reading: Joshua 5:9-12
The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt.” And so that place is called Gilgal to this day.
While the Israelites were camped in Gilgal they kept the passover in the evening on the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho. On the day after the passover, on that very day, they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land, and the Israelites no longer had manna; they ate the crops of the land of Canaan that year.
Lector The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Psalm 32
1 Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven, *
and whose sin is put away!
2 Happy are they to whom the Lord imputes no guilt, *
and in whose spirit there is no guile!
3 While I held my tongue, my bones withered away, *
because of my groaning all day long.
4 For your hand was heavy upon me day and night; *
my moisture was dried up as in the heat of summer.
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, *
and did not conceal my guilt.
6 I said,” I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” *
Then you forgave me the guilt of my sin.
7 Therefore all the faithful will make their prayers to you in time of trouble; *
when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach them.
8 You are my hiding-place;
you preserve me from trouble; *
you surround me with shouts of deliverance.
9 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go; *
I will guide you with my eye.
10 Do not be like horse or mule, which have no understanding; *
who must be fitted with bit and bridle,
or else they will not stay near you.”
11 Great are the tribulations of the wicked; *
but mercy embraces those who trust in the Lord.
12 Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord; *
shout for joy, all who are true of heart.
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
From now on, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Lector The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Hymn 141: “Wilt thou forgive that sin, where I begun”
1. Wilt thou forgive that sin, where I begun,
which is my sin, though it were done before?
Wilt thou forgive those sins through which I run,
and do run still, though still I do deplore?
When thou hast done, thou hast not done,
for I have more.
2. Wilt thou forgive that sin, by which I won
others to sin, and made my sin their door?
Wilt thou forgive that sin which I did shun
a year or two, but wallowed in a score?
When thou hast done, thou hast not done,
for I have more.
3. I have a sin of fear that when I’ve spun
my last thread, I shall perish on the shore;
swear by thyself, that at my death thy Son
shall shine as he shines now, and heretofore.
And having done that, thou hast done,
I fear no more.
The Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Priest The ✠ Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to Luke.
People Glory to you, Lord Christ.
All the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So Jesus told them this parable: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.’” So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.
“Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’’’
Priest The Gospel of the Lord.
People Praise to you, Lord Christ.
A tract is then sung by the choir.
The Sermon
The Nicene Creed Said in unison
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
In peace, let us pray to the Lord, saying, “Lord, have mercy.”
For the holy Church of God, that it may be filled with truth and love, and be found without fault at the day of your coming, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For Justin, Archbishop of Canterbury; Michael, Presiding Bishop; Daniel, Bishop of this Diocese; and Daniel, priest of this Parish; for all bishops and other ministers, and for all the holy people of God, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For all who fear God and believe in you, Lord Christ, that our divisions may cease, and that all may be one as you and the Father are one, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the mission of the Church, that in faithful witness it may preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For those who do not yet believe, and for those who have lost their faith, that they may receive the light of the Gospel, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the peace of the world, that you would make all wars to cease, and that a spirit of respect and forbearance may grow among nations and peoples, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For those in positions of public trust, especially ___ , that they may serve justice, and promote the dignity and freedom of every person, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For a blessing upon all human labor, and for the right use of the riches of creation, that the world may be freed from poverty, famine, and disaster, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the poor, the persecuted, the sick, and all who suffer; for refugees, prisoners, and all who are in danger; that they may be relieved and protected, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For this congregation—for those who are present, and for those who are absent—that we may be delivered from hardness of heart, and show forth your glory in all that we do, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For our enemies and those who wish us harm, and for all whom we have injured or offended, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For ourselves; for the forgiveness of our sins, and for the grace of the Holy Spirit to amend our lives, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For all who have commended themselves to our prayers, especially ___ , and for those we now name:
The people may add their own petitions
… for our families, friends, and neighbors; that being freed from anxiety, they may live in joy, peace, and health, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For our sister parish of St. Mary’s, Sololá, in our companion diocese of Guatemala, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For __________, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For all who have ✠ died in the communion of your Church, and those whose faith is known to you alone, that, with all the saints, they may have rest in that place where there is no pain or grief, but life eternal, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
Rejoicing in the fellowship of the ever-blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, blessed Paul the Apostle and all the saints, let us commend ourselves, and one another, and all our life to Christ our God.
To you, O Lord our God.
Silence
The Celebrant concludes the prayers with a Doxology.
The Peace
Priest The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People And also with you.
The Celebrant introduces the Offertory with a sentence of Scripture.
The Holy Communion
An anthem is sung as the Altar is prepared with the elements of Holy Communion.
To give an offering, select an option below:
Online: E-Giving (Realm) | PayPal
Text: message 73256 with the phrase saintpauls $X (insert an amount in place of X)
Check: mail your offering to St. Paul’s Church, 84 E Oakland Ave, Doylestown, PA 18901
Offertory Anthem: “Ubi Caritas” Biery
Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.
Congregavit nos in unum Christi amor.
Exsultemus, et in ipso jucundemur.
Timeamus, et amemus Deum vivum.
Et ex corde diligamus nos sincero.
Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est. Amen.
Where charity and love are, God is there.
Christ’s love has gathered us into one.
Let us rejoice, and be pleased in Him.
Let us fear, and let us love the living God.
And may we love each other with a sincere heart.
Where charity and love are, God is there. Amen.
The Great Thanksgiving: Eucharistic Prayer B
The Celebrant faces the People and sings
The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Celebrant Lift up your hearts.
People We lift them to the Lord.
Celebrant Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People It is right to give him thanks and praise.
Then, facing the Holy Table, the Celebrant continues
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who was tempted in every way as we are, yet did not sin. By his grace we are able to triumph over every evil, and to live no longer for ourselves alone, but for him who died for us and rose again.
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:
Sanctus: “Holy, holy, holy Lord”
The People may stand or kneel. The Celebrant continues
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,
Celebrant and People
We remember his death,
We proclaim his resurrection,
We await his coming in glory;
The Celebrant continues
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 the ever-blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, blessed Paul the Apostle, 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.
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
People and Celebrant
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 Breaking of the Bread
The Celebrant breaks the consecrated Bread. A period of silence is kept.
Celebrant Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
People Therefore let us keep the feast.
Fraction Anthem: Lamb of God
Facing the People, the Priest says
The Gifts of God for the People of God.
Spiritual Communion: Act of Reception
This prayer form is for those who desire to receive the Sacrament but are unable to do so, with the assurance that all the benefits of Communion are received, even though the Sacrament is not received with the mouth.
In union, blessed Jesus, with the faithful gathered at every altar of your Church where your blessed Body and Blood are offered this day, I long to offer you praise and thanksgiving, for creation and all the blessings of this life, for the redemption won for us by your life, death, and resurrection, for the means of grace and the hope of glory.
I believe that you are truly present in the Holy Sacrament, and, since I cannot at this time receive communion, I pray you to come into my heart. I unite myself with you and embrace you with all my heart, my soul, and my mind. Let nothing separate me from you; let me serve you in this life until, by your grace, I come to your glorious kingdom and unending peace. Amen.
Come Lord Jesus, and dwell in my heart in the fullness of your strength; be my wisdom and guide me in right pathways; conform my life and actions to the image of your holiness; and, in the power of your gracious might, rule over every hostile power that threatens or disturbs the growth of your kingdom, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
Communion Anthem: “Adoramus te, Christe” Lassus
Adorámus te, Chríste,
et benedícimus tíbi,
quía per sánctam crúcem túam
redemísti múndum.
We adore thee, O Christ,
and we bless thee
because by thy holy Cross
thou hast redeemed the world.
Hymn 690: “Guide me, O thou great Jehovah”
1. Guide me, O thou great Jehovah,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty;
hold me with thy powerful hand;
bread of heaven,
feed me now and evermore.
2. Open now the crystal fountain,
whence the healing stream doth flow;
let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through;
strong deliverer,
be thou still my strength and shield.
3. When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside;
death of death, and hell’s destruction,
land me safe on Canaan’s side;
songs of praises,
I will ever give to thee.
Postcommunion Prayer
Priest Let us pray.
The People may join in saying this prayer
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.
Welcome & Announcements
Blessing & Dismissal
The Celebrant blesses the people and dismisses them.
The people respond Thanks be to God.
Postlude: “Holy is the Lord” Craig Penfield
Service Participants
Celebrant & Preacher: The Rev. Daniel T. Moore
Eucharistic Minister: Robert Ball
Lector: George Achilles
Acolyte: Emma Ward
Ushers: Ted Hopkins, Carol Fox
Organist: W. Edward McCall
Altar: Widgette Kelly, Jacky Grande
A/V: Emery Kohut
Choir: George Achilles, Trudie Benton, Wendy Brumbaugh, John Capps, Carol Fox, Melanie Moyer, Shelley Reed, Robert Risch, Mike Roberts, Sue Roberts, Anne Shute, Jim Shute, Caitlin Stein, Marian Wentworth
Online giving is available through Realm E-Giving and PayPal. We thank you for your generous giving to St. Paul’s.
Easter MUSIC AND FLOWERS: MEMORIALS & THANKSGIVINGS
We invite you to to submit a memorial and/or thanksgiving offering for Easter music and flowers, along with the names of those you wish to be remembered. The deadline for submissions is Sunday, April 10. You can submit names through our website using the buttons below:
Spring Work Day
Our Spring Work Day is officially Saturday, April 9. This is the day before Palm Sunday, and we will help make the grounds beautiful for Holy Week. This fellowship begins at 9 am. Bring your gardening gloves and your friends! Please contact George Wiemann with any questions.
Lenten Collection
All Lenten donations will be directed to St. Mary’s, our sister parish in Sololá, Guatemala. The situation in Guatemala due to the pandemic, and weather-related emergencies, remains a challenge on not only education, but also on basic needs like food, water, and healthcare. Please use the Lenten envelopes available in the pews for your donations. Thank you for your generosity.
Weekday Mass: Wednesdays at 12:00 Noon
During Wednesdays in Lent, mass will be said weekly in the church at 12:00 noon. All are welcome to come and join with us as we offer mid-week prayers and observe a holy Lent.
Stations of the Cross: Fridays at 5:30 PM
The Stations of the Cross will take place in the church at 5:30 in the evening during the Fridays in Lent. This brief, walking prayer service tells the story of Christ's passion in 10 movements (stations). All are welcome.
Collection for Ukraine
St. Paul’s is currently working with the UUARC (United Ukrainian American Relief Committee) to help aid the victims of the war in the Ukraine. A list of the critically needed items is available here. If you are interested in helping, a container will be at the back of the Parish Hall. You can also order the donations online and ship them to: Maria Bakuridze 527 Mark Lane King of Prussia PA 19406. Additionally, we have learned that new or gently used clothing for children between first and fifth grade is also needed. There is a separate box for these donations. Thank you everyone for your thoughtful generosity!!! Questions? Contact Mary Lou Parry, Outreach Committee Chair.
Lenten Day of Reflection: Racial Justice is Christian Justice
You are invited to attend the 2022 Lenten Day of Reflection on April 2. Although the secular world has controlled the conversation on racism and racial justice, we are going to move beyond the sound bites and talking heads and focus on the idea of justice grounded in the Gospel. No matter where you are in your thoughts and exploration of race, racism, and justice we invite you to join us, listen, and reflect on your own heart as we strive to be the Body of Christ.
The day will begin at 9:00AM and will wrap-up by 2:00PM. Morning coffee, tea, breakfast items, and lunch will be provided. Please register for the Lenten Day of Reflection by March 28th using this form.
Contact the Social Justice Committee Co-Chairs, Wendy Brumbaugh and Jim Massey with any questions.
LENTEN BOOK STUDY: THE CROSS AND THE LYNCHING TREE
Wednesdays in Lent, at 7:00 PM, starting March 9—via Zoom
Lent is a season of preparation, and of focusing on the sorrowful mystery of Christ’s crucifixion—and how long the shadow of the cross is cast, even to our present day. This Lent at St. Paul’s, we will take up this work by reading The Cross and The Lynching Tree, by the late Dr. James Cone. From the publisher: “Both the cross and the lynching tree represent the worst in human beings and at the same time a thirst for life that refuses to let the worst determine our final meaning.” Join us for a discussion of this book over the course of five sessions via Zoom; or simply obtain a copy of the book and read it on your own. This study is initiated by the work of our Social Justice Committee, and facilitated by the Rector.
