The seventh SUNday after pentecost

Sunday, July 24, at 10:00 am

Stream the service on Facebook.

The form for this service can also be found in The Book of Common Prayer, page 355. Spoken responses are in bold typeface.

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Prelude: “Cromhorne sur la taille” Francois Couperin

The Entrance Rite

Hymn 709: “O God of Bethel, by whose hand”

1. O God of Bethel, by whose hand
thy people still are fed;
who through this earthly pilgrimage
hast all thine Israel led:

2. Our vows, our prayers, we now present
before thy throne of grace:
O God of Israel, be the God
of this succeeding race.

3. Through each perplexing path of life
our wandering footsteps guide;
give us each day our daily bread,
and raiment fit provide.

4. O spread thy sheltering wings around,
till all our wanderings cease,
and at our Father’s loved abode
our souls arrive in peace!

5. Such blessings from thy gracious hand
our humble prayers implore;
and thou shalt be our covenant God
and portion evermore.


Opening Acclamation

Celebrant             Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
People                 And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.

Celebrant

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.


Gloria
: “Glory to God in the highest”

The Collect of the Day

Priest     The Lord be with you. 
People     And also with you.
Priest     Let us pray. 

O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Liturgy of the Word

First Lesson: Genesis 18:20-32

The Lord said to Abraham, “How great is the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah and how very grave their sin! I must go down and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me; and if not, I will know.”

So the men turned from there, and went toward Sodom, while Abraham remained standing before the Lord. Then Abraham came near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will you then sweep away the place and not forgive it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will forgive the whole place for their sake.” Abraham answered, “Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” Again he spoke to him, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” Then he said, “Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” He said, “Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” Then he said, “Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak just once more. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.”

Reader     The Word of the Lord.
People     Thanks be to God.

Psalm 138

1  I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with my whole heart; *
before the gods I will sing your praise.

2  I will bow down toward your holy temple
and praise your Name, *
because of your love and faithfulness;

3  For you have glorified your Name *
and your word above all things.

4  When I called, you answered me; *
you increased my strength within me.

5  All the kings of the earth will praise you, O Lord, *
when they have heard the words of your mouth.

6  They will sing of the ways of the Lord, *
that great is the glory of the Lord.

7  Though the Lord be high, he cares for the lowly; *
he perceives the haughty from afar.

8  Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you keep me safe; *
you stretch forth your hand against the fury of my enemies;
your right hand shall save me.

9  The Lord will make good his purpose for me; *
O Lord, your love endures for ever;
do not abandon the works of your hands.

Second Lesson: Colossians 2:6-19

As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a spiritual circumcision, by putting off the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ; when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it.

Therefore do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or sabbaths. These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Do not let anyone disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, dwelling on visions, puffed up without cause by a human way of thinking, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God.

Reader     The Word of the Lord.
People     Thanks be to God.


Hymn 698:
“Eternal Spirit of the living Christ”

1. Eternal Spirit of the living Christ,
I know not how to ask or what to say;
I only know my need, as deep as life,
and only you can teach me how to pray.

2. Come, pray in me the prayer I need this day;
help me to see your purpose and your will—
where I have failed, what I have done amiss;
held in forgiving love, let me be still.

3. Come with the vision and the strength I need
to serve my God, and all humanity;
fulfillment of my life in love outpoured—
my life in you, O Christ, your love in me.


The Gospel: Luke 11:1-13

Priest      The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to Luke. 
People     Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial.”

And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

“So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Priest     The Gospel of the Lord. 
People     Praise to you, Lord Christ.


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

The leader and people pray responsively 

I ask your prayers for God’s people throughout the world; for our Bishops; for this gathering; and for all ministers and people. Pray for the Church.

Silence

I ask your prayers for peace; for goodwill among nations; and for the well-being of all people. Pray for justice and peace.

Silence

I ask your prayers for all victims of violence, and for the poor, the sick, the hungry, the oppressed, and those in prison. Pray for those in any need or trouble.

Silence

I ask your prayers for all who seek God, or a deeper knowledge of him. Pray that they may find and be found by him.

Silence

I ask your prayers for the departed. Pray for those who have died.

Silence

I ask your prayers for those on our parish prayer list, and for those we now name:

Silence. Additional petitions may be included here.

We pray for our sister church of St. Mary’s, Sololá, in our companion diocese of Guatemala.

Silence

Praise God for those in every generation in whom Christ has been honored. Pray that we may have grace to glorify Christ in our own day.

Silence

The Celebrant concludes

Almighty God, to whom our needs are known before we ask: Help us to ask only what accords with your will; and those good things which we dare not, or in our blindness cannot ask, grant us for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Confession of Sin

Celebrant           Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.                       

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 an absolution. The people stand.

The Peace

Priest     The peace of the Lord be always with you. 
People     And also with you.

The ministers and the people greet one another in the name of the Lord.

The Holy Communion

The Celebrant introduces the Offertory with a sentence of Scripture.

To give an offering, choose one of the following:

  • Online: click here to give online

  • 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

During the Offertory the Altar is prepared with the elements of Holy Communion.

The Offering is brought forward.

Offertory Hymn 674: “Forgive our sins as we forgive”

1. ‘Forgive our sins as we forgive’
you taught us, Lord, to pray;
but you alone can grant us grace
to live the words we say.

2. How can your pardon reach and bless
the unforgiving heart
that broods on wrongs and will not let
old bitterness depart?

3. In blazing light your cross reveals
the truth we dimly knew,
how small the debts men owe to us,
how great our debt to you.

4. Lord, cleanse the depths within our souls,
and bid resentment cease;
then, reconciled to God and man,
our lives will spread your peace.


The Great Thanksgiving: 
Eucharistic Prayer A

The people stand and the priest says

Priest     The Lord be with you.
People     And also with you.
Priest     Lift up your hearts.
People     We lift them to the Lord.
Priest     Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People     It is right to give him thanks and praise.


The priest 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.


A proper preface is said.

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 priest continues 

Holy and gracious Father: In your infinite love you made us for yourself, and, when we had fallen into sin and become subject to evil and death, you, in your mercy, sent Jesus Christ, your only and eternal Son, to share our human nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to you, the God and Father of all.

He stretched out his arms upon the cross, and offered himself, in obedience to your will, a perfect sacrifice for the whole world.

On the night he was handed over to suffering and death, 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 we proclaim the mystery of faith:


Priest and People

Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.


The priest continues

We celebrate the memorial of our redemption, O Father, in this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Recalling his death, resurrection, and ascension, we offer you these gifts.

Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of your Son, the holy food and drink of new and unending life in him. Sanctify us also that we may faithfully receive this holy Sacrament, and serve you in unity, constancy, and peace; and at the last day bring us with all your saints into the joy of your eternal kingdom.

All this we ask through your Son Jesus Christ: 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,

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 priest breaks the consecrated Bread. A period of silence is kept.

Celebrant           Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
People               Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.

Priest The Gifts of God for the People of God.


Spiritual Communion: Act of Reception

During Communion, you are invited to say the following prayer form for receiving Spiritual Communion. Know that the grace of God is made present in your heart, 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 Hymn 615: “Thy kingdom come!” on bended knee”

1. ‘Thy kingdom come!’ on bended knee
the passing ages pray;
and faithful souls have yearned to see
on earth that kingdom’s day.

2. But the slow watches of the night
not less to God belong;
and for the everlasting right
the silent stars are strong.

3. And lo, already on the hills
the flags of dawn appear;
gird up your loins, ye prophet souls,
proclaim the day is near:

4. the day to whose clear-shining light
all wrong shall stand revealed,
when justice shall be throned in might,
and every hurt be healed;

5. when knowledge, hand in hand with peace,
shall walk the earth abroad;
the day of perfect righteousness,
the promised day of God.

After Communion, the priest says

Let us pray.


Priest and People

Eternal God, heavenly Father, you have graciously accepted us as living members of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, and you have fed us with spiritual food in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood. Send us now into the world in peace, and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Welcome & Announcements

The Blessing

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you, and remain with you always. Amen.

Dismissal

The Celebrant says the dismissal. The people respond             Thanks be to God.

Postlude:
“Caprice, sur les grands jeux” Louis-Nicholas Clerambault


Service Participants

  • Celebrant & Preacher: The Rev. Raymond L. Harbort

  • Organist: W. Edward McCall

  • Eucharistic Minister: John Black

  • Acolyte: Alex Kelly

  • Lector: Leigh DeTato

  • Ushers: Maureen McGraw, John Fraser

  • Altar: Widgette Kelly, Jacky Grande

  • Flowers: Susan Roberts

  • A/V: Emma Ward


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.


Nursery Care: July 24

Nursery care for toddlers and babies will be available on July 24 for those who wish to use it. The Nursery is located at the end of the Education Wing hallway, in the classroom closest to the Education Wing entrance. For help finding the Nursery, please ask an usher.


VBS 2022 - GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT begins monday

Please join us for St. Paul’s upcoming VBS activities, July 25-29!  We are planning evenings of activities centered around the gifts of the Spirit.  All ages are welcome to attend or help! Registration link can be found in the most recent Weekly E-notes email.


Adjusted Office Hours: July 25 – 29

Please note: the parish office hours will be adjusted from Monday, July 25 through Friday, July 29 while Angie is on vacation. The office will be open from 9:00 a.m. to Noon on Monday through Friday


From the SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE

The Diocese of Pennsylvania offers Anti-Racism training through their Anti-Racism Commission.  It is part of the work of the Diocese, in living up to the Loving Presence Publication and the Gospel, to help as many Episcopalians understand anti-racism and become trained anti-racists.  The next ARC training is July 30th and is entitled, Racism and Institutions.  If you have not yet taken the prerequisite session entitled, Introduction to Systemic Racism, it will be offered on August 27th.  You can find out more by following this link to the Diocese webpage. Contact chair Jim Massey with any questions. All are welcome!


Saint Paul’s Market is OPEN

featuring bounty from parishioners’ gardens

Proceeds benefit the ‘Little Red House’ Collection, to be used to buy food for the residents of the Doylestown Homeless Shelter. 

Gardeners:  Bring in your extras!
Buyers:  Please make a donation.


Outreach Committee Updates

The Outreach Committee has been very busy with our various activities which include preparing and packing 125 meals for Caring for Friends.  In addition to the Committee people, and volunteers from the parish, we have been assisted for quite some time by residents of the Youth Center of Bucks County. This relationship has proved to be beneficial for us and for the Center.

Our ongoing involvement with Guatemala is continuing with the latest donation of almost $4000.00.  This money will be used for educational purposes. Recently George Wiemann and Myra Parker attended a luncheon with the Bishop, and had the opportunity to discuss their needs directly.  We are planning to continue to support with their educational needs. Thank you to everyone that helped to make this donation possible.

The Little Free Pantry has proven to be very successful and as a testament to that, we are in need of replacements like peanut butter, boxes of cereal, small water bottles, nuts, and snack bars without chocolate.  Thank you for any donation you can make.

Thank you for all the donations to the Little Red House.  The primary use of the donations is to outfit the Bucks County Housing apartments when there is a new resident.

St. Paul’s will be joining other local churches to provide a Community Meal for the homeless.  We will provide a meal on the fourth Sunday of the month. Our first meal is scheduled for August 28th @1pm.  In the beginning, the meals will be provided by Outreach with the hope of expanding the invitees after the first of the year to other local social agencies in the area.  If you would like to help with the donations, gift cards to Wawa, McDonald’s, Wendy’s in the amount of $5.00 each would be greatly appreciated.  If you do get gift cards, please just use the places mentioned and only in $5.00 increments...those are the rules from CSSH.

St. Paul’s has received an inquiry about helping a Ukrainian refugee and her teenage son find a place to live and a job when they arrive next month.  If anyone has any insight into how the process works and can help, please contact me.   Thank you very much. 

Thank you to everyone who has helped with donations of money, food and of course time....and a huge thank you to the Committee.  Anyone interested in joining the committee please let me know.  Contact Mary Lou Parry, Outreach Committee Chair, using the church directory.


Save the Date: Welcome Back Picnic on Sunday, September 18, Burpee Park

We will be having a Welcome Back Picnic on Sunday, September 18 at Burpee Park (on the corner of Oakland Ave and Church St), beginning at 11am. This is a potluck-style picnic—with good food, and great company. As this is an event for the parish as a whole, please feel free to invite your friends as well as our neighbors nearby. More details will follow in the weekly communications.


FORWARD DAY BY DAY DEVOTIONALS FOR August-October

Forward Movement is a ministry of The Episcopal Church dedicated to forming adult Episcopalians in the faith. Forward Day by Day is one of its publications: a devotional booklet with brief meditations on a passage of Scripture appointed for each day. Paper copies for the three-month period of August-October are now available. To request one by mail, please email the parish administrator, Angela Stoots. You can also read these daily meditations online on the Forward Movement website.


ALTAR FLOWERS

Today’s flowers are given by Joe and Leigh DeTato to the glory of God, and in loving memory of Gloria DeTato, David DeTato, and Maurice Buckner, and in loving memory of Patricia Damrosch Wobensmith whose funeral was held Saturday at St. Paul