The Thirteenth SUNday after pentecost
Sunday, September 4, at 10:00 am
The form for this service can also be found in The Book of Common Prayer, page 355. Spoken responses are in bold typeface.
Prelude: “Prelude on ‘Wachet Auf’” Paul Manz
The Entrance Rite
Hymn 9 (verses 1-3): “Not here for high and holy things”
1. Not here for high and holy things
we render thanks to thee,
but for the common things of earth,
the purple pageantry
of dawning and of dying days,
the splendor of the sea,
2. the royal robes of autumn moors,
the golden gates of spring,
the velvet of soft summer nights,
the silver glistering
of all the million million stars,
the silent song they sing,
3. of faith and hope and love undimmed,
undying still through death,
the resurrection of the world,
what time there comes the breath
of dawn that rustles through the trees,
and that clear voice that saith:
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.
Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; for, as you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Liturgy of the Word
First Lesson: Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Moses said to all Israel the words which the Lord commanded him, “See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”
Reader The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Psalm 1
1 Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, *
nor lingered in the way of sinners,
nor sat in the seats of the scornful!
2 Their delight is in the law of the Lord, *
and they meditate on his law day and night.
3 They are like trees planted by streams of water,
bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; *
everything they do shall prosper.
4 It is not so with the wicked; *
they are like chaff which the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes, *
nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.
6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, *
but the way of the wicked is doomed.
Second Lesson: Philemon 1-21
Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our dear friend and co-worker, to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus. I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ. I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother.
For this reason, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do your duty, yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love—and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful both to you and to me. I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. I wanted to keep him with me, so that he might be of service to me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel; but I preferred to do nothing without your consent, in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not something forced. Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother—especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it. I say nothing about your owing me even your own self. Yes, brother, let me have this benefit from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ. Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.
Reader The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Hymn 484: “Praise the Lord through every nation”
1. Praise the Lord through every nation;
his holy arm hath wrought salvation;
exalt him on his Father’s throne.
Praise your King, ye Christian legions,
who now prepares in heavenly regions
unfailing mansions for his own:
with voice and minstrelsy
extol his majesty:
Alleluia!
His praise shall sound all nature round,
and hymns on every tongue abound.
2. Jesus, Lord, our Captain glorious,
o’er sin, and death, and hell victorious,
wisdom and might to thee belong:
we confess, proclaim, adore thee;
we bow the knee, we fall before thee;
thy love henceforth shall be our song.
The cross meanwhile we bear,
the crown erelong to wear:
Alleluia!
Thy reign extend world without end;
let praise from all to thee ascend.
The Gospel: Luke 14:25-33
Priest The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to Luke.
People Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Now large crowds were traveling with Jesus; and he turned and said to them, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.”
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:
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 576: “God is Love, and where true love is”
1. Here in Christ we gather, love of Christ our calling.
Christ, our love, is with us, gladness be his greeting.
Let us fear and love him, holy God eternal.
Loving him, let each love Christ in one another.
2. When we Christians gather, members of one Body,
let there be in us no discord but one spirit.
Banished now be anger, strife and every quarrel.
Christ, our God, be always present here among us.
God is love, and where true love is
God himself is there.
3. Grant us love’s fulfillment, joy with all the blesséd,
when we see your face, O Savior, in its glory.
Shine on us, O purest Light of all creation,
be our bliss while endless ages sing your praises.
God is love, and where true love is
God himself is there.
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 675: “Take up your Cross, the Savior said”
1. Take up your cross, the Savior said,
if you would my disciple be;
take up your cross with willing heart,
and humbly follow after me.
2. Take up your cross, let not its weight
fill your weak spirit with alarm;
his strength shall bear your spirit up,
and brace your heart, and nerve your arm.
3. Take up your cross, heed not the shame,
and let your foolish heart be still;
the Lord for you accepted death
upon a cross, on Calvary’s hill.
4. Take up your cross, then, in his strength,
and calmly every danger brave:
it guides you to abundant life
and leads to victory o’er the grave.
5. Take up your cross, and follow Christ,
nor think till death to lay it down;
for only those who bear the cross
may hope to wear the glorious crown.
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: “Little Prelude in B-flat” J. S. Bach
Service Participants
Celebrant & Preacher: The Rev. Daniel T. Moore
Eucharistic Minister: Christopher McCall
Acolyte: Emma Ward
Lector: George Achilles
Ushers: John Fraser, Maureen McGraw
Altar: Jacky Grande, Jean Rollo
Flowers: Kim Jacobsen
A/V: Emery Kohut
Organist: Susan Johnson
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
Nursery care for toddlers and babies is available 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.
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.
Memorial Service for Deborah Howard Taylor
Friday, September 9 at 1:30pm
A memorial service for Deborah Howard Taylor will be held at St. Paul’s Church on Friday, September 9 at 1:30pm. Deborah passed away at the end of last year, and family considerations prevented us from holding a service for her until now. Please join us for this service in remembrance of her, and also spread the word to those in our wider community who knew and loved her.
Outreach Opportunity: Doylestown Bike Race
The annual Doylestown Bike Race will be held on Sunday, September 11. As we have done in the past, St. Paul’s will support the event by providing bottled water and packaged snacks. We will have a table on the sidewalk at the corner of Oakland & Pine starting after the 10:00am service. Your donations of small water bottles and packaged snacks are greatly appreciated. Any questions, please contact Mary Lou Parry using the church directory. A huge thank you in advance!!!
Road Closure Next Sunday, September 11
Next Sunday the intersection of Pine Street and East Oakland Avenue will be closed due to the annual Bike Race. This will prevent parking or dropping off in front of the church. Parking will still be available in our main lot—you’ll need to come from Ashland in order to access it. There is plenty of street parking on Ashland or Oakland (east of the church). Parking is also available at the Library (150 S. Pine St.—just 2 blocks away).
SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE
Our next meeting is at 7:30 PM on September 13th, the usual 2nd Tuesday of every month. Join us on Zoom (login credentials can be found in the most recent Weekly E-Notes email). Contact chair Jim Massey with any questions. All are welcome!
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), starting right after the 10:00am mass, around 11:00-ish. This is a potluck-style picnic: good food, and great company. You can sign up to bring food here. We have reserved the covered pavilion at the park, but you may also wish to bring a lawn chair—and you are invited to bring balls, frisbees, lawn games, etc. As this is an event for the parish as a whole, please feel free to invite your friends as well as our neighbors nearby.
Christmas in Doylestown Planning Meeting
Wednesday Sept. 14 at 7pm in the Parish Hall
Please join us if you’d like to help with the planning or if you wish to learn more about this important outreach project.
Outreach Committee Updates
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.
St. Paul’s hosted their first Community Meal on Sunday August 28th. It was a huge success thanks to the help and support that was provided by many people. Thank you to Michael Kelly, Jim Massey, Father Moore and Mae O’Brien for helping with meeting and greeting and conversing with the guests, clean up after the meal and explaining the CSSH role to the guests. Also, a HUGE thank you to the Outreach Committee...Myra Parker, George Wiemann, Maureen McGraw, Sherrie Prizer and Mary Smith for their dedication and willingness to go above and beyond to make the event a success. The food was wonderful and plentiful, and the guests enjoyed and appreciated it
Thank you also to everyone who contributed gift cards to be distributed to the guests. Your kindness and generosity was truly appreciated. The next Community Meal is scheduled for September 25th. If you are interested in participating, please sign up here.
If you have any questions, please contact Mary Lou Parry, Outreach Committee Chair using the church directory.
CARING FOR FRIENDS
Caring for Friends has resumed our meal packing at the church. Our next meeting will be on Saturday, September 17 from 9:30-11:30am. We are asking for anyone who would like to cook at home to bring the food to church on the 17th to pack. Please include a list of ingredients for all meals. For everyone attending we will be social distancing and wearing masks. Casseroles with a protein source, meats like meatloaf, chicken, beef, turkey breasts with a side of rice or potatoes are some other ideas. Donations of canned goods are appreciated, especially fruits and vegetables. Hope you can make it on the 20th.
For questions, please contact George Wiemann, Mary Smith, or Myra Parker using the church directory.
Quaker Meetinghouse Open House on September 10
The Quakers of the Doylestown Friends Meetinghouse at 95 East Oakland Avenue are hosting an Open House on Saturday, Sept. 10, from 10am-4pm during the Doylestown Arts Festival. If you’ve ever been curious about Quakers, the Doylestown Friends community or that little brick building set back from the street on Oakland near Pine, now’s your chance to drop by and get some answers to your questions. By the way, the 1836 meetinghouse is the oldest building in the borough occupied by the same faith community to present day.
Food Packing: Feed My Starving Children
St. Paul’s will be participating in Feed My Starving Children again this year. This program organizes the packaging and distribution of food to malnourished children in orphanages, schools, clinics, refugee camps in nearly 70 countries. The event will take place at DelVal University from Friday Oct. 7 to Monday Oct. 10. If you are interested in helping children in need, and having a fun time please consider volunteering. The shifts available are listed below.
Friday Oct. 7: 8:30am-10:30am, 11:30am-1:30pm, 2:30pm-4:30pm, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Saturday Oct. 8: 8:00am-10:00am, 11:00am-1:00pm, 2:00pm-4:00pm, 5:00pm-7:00pm
Sunday, Oct. 9: 10:00am-12:00pm, 1:00pm-3:00pm
Monday Oct. 10: 8:00am-10:00am, 11:00am-1:00pm, 1:30pm-3:30pm
Please contact Mary Lou Parry with the shift you prefer, using the church directory. She will register you and provide any additional information needed.
Education for Ministry Program
Interested in knowing more about the Bible? About the church? About connecting what we say and do on Sundays with your Monday through Saturday life? Wish you had a trust-worthy group of companions to worship with and with whom you felt free to ask your most important or irreverent questions and share your insights? EfM* (Education for Ministry) is for you! The Central Bucks EfM meets at Trinity Buckingham on Monday afternoons from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. We are enrolling new students for fall 2022. If you are interested, or would like more information please contact the church office at 215-348-5511.
ALTAR FLOWERS
Today’s flowers flowers are given to the glory of God, and in loving memory of Edward L. McGill, Sr. Given by his wife, Janet, and children, Edward Jr., Sean, Diane, and Mary and also his grandchildren Christoffer, William, and Anna; and also in thanksgiving for God’s blessings on the 85th birthday of Catherine Wehmeyer.
