The thirteenth Sunday after pentecost
Sunday, August 27, 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: “Lobe den Herren” Paul Manz
The Entrance Rite
Hymn 523: “Glorious things of thee are spoken”
1. Glorious things of thee are spoken,
Zion, city of our God;
he whose word cannot be broken
formed thee for his own abode;
on the Rock of Ages founded,
what can shake thy sure repose?
With salvation’s walls surrounded,
thou may’st smile at all thy foes.
2. See! the streams of living waters,
springing from eternal love,
well supply thy sons and daughters
and all fear of want remove.
Who can faint, when such a river
ever will their thirst assuage?
Grace which, like the Lord, the giver
never fails from age to age.
3. Round each habitation hovering,
see the cloud and fire appear
for a glory and a covering,
showing that the Lord is near.
Thus deriving from their banner,
light by night, and shade by day,
safe they feed upon the manna
which he gives them when they pray.
4. Blest inhabitants of Zion,
washed in the Redeemer’s blood!
Jesus, whom their souls rely on,
makes them kings and priests to God.
’Tis his love his people raise
over self to reign as kings:
and as priests, his solemn praises
each for a thank-offering brings.
Opening Acclamation
Priest ✠ Alleluia. Christ is risen.
People The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.
The Collect for Purity
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, O merciful God, that your Church, being gathered together in unity by your Holy Spirit, may show forth your power among all peoples, to the glory of your Name; 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: Isaiah 51:1-6
Listen to me, you that pursue righteousness, you that seek the Lord. Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him, but I blessed him and made him many. For the Lord will comfort Zion; he will comfort all her waste places, and will make her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song. Listen to me, my people, and give heed to me, my nation; for a teaching will go out from me, and my justice for a light to the peoples. I will bring near my deliverance swiftly, my salvation has gone out and my arms will rule the peoples; the coastlands wait for me, and for my arm they hope. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and those who live on it will die like gnats; but my salvation will be for ever, and my deliverance will never be ended.
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: Romans 12:1-8
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.
Reader The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Hymn 525: “The Church’s one foundation”
1. The Church’s one foundation
is Jesus Christ her Lord;
she is his new creation
by water and the word:
from heaven he came and sought her
to be his holy bride;
with his own blood he bought her,
and for her life he died.
2. Elect from every nation,
yet one o’er all the earth,
her charter of salvation,
one Lord, one faith, one birth;
one holy Name she blesses,
partakes one holy food,
and to one hope she presses,
with every grace endued.
3. Though with a scornful wonder
men see her sore oppressed,
by schisms rent asunder,
by heresies distressed;
yet saints their watch are keeping,
their cry goes up, “How long?”
and soon the night of weeping
shall be the morn of song.
4. Mid toil and tribulation,
and tumult of her war
she waits the consummation
of peace for evermore;
till with the vision glorious
her longing eyes are blessed,
and the great Church victorious
shall be the Church at rest.
5. Yet she on earth hath union
with God, the Three in One,
and mystic sweet communion
with those whose rest is won.
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we
like them, the meek and lowly,
on high may dwell with thee.
Alleluia
The cantor sings a verse, then all repeat the Alleluias.
The Gospel: Matthew 16:13-20
Priest The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to Matthew.
People Glory to you, Lord Christ.
When Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
Priest The Gospel of the Lord.
People Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Sermon The Rev. Raymond L. Harbort
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
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, saying “He is risen!”
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 an anthem is sung, and the Altar is prepared with the elements of Holy Communion.
The Offering is brought forward.
Hymn 524: “I love thy kingdom, Lord”
1. I love thy kingdom, Lord
the house of thine abode,
the Church our blest Redeemer
saved with his own precious blood.
2. For her my tears shall fall;
for her my prayers ascend;
to her my cares and toils be given,
till toils and cares shall end.
3. Beyond my highest joy
I prize her heavenly ways,
her sweet communion, solemn vows,
her hymns of love and praise.
4. Jesus, thou friend divine,
our Savior and our King,
thy hand from every snare and foe
shall great deliverance bring.
5. Sure as thy truth shall last,
to Zion shall be given the
brightest glories earth can yield,
and brighter bliss of heaven.
The Great Thanksgiving: Eucharistic Prayer B
The Celebrant faces the People and sings
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. Because you sent your beloved Son to redeem us from sin and death, and to make us heirs in him of everlasting life; that when he shall come again in power and great triumph to judge the world, we may without shame or fear rejoice to behold his appearing.
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
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.
Celebrant And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
The Fraction
The Celebrant 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.
The Celebrant sings the Antiphon, then all repeat it.
Celebrant: The bread which we break, alleluia, is the communion of the body of Christ.
Then all repeat the Antiphon.
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 Solo: “V’adoro, pupille” from Guilio Cesare George Frederic Handel
Caitlin Stein, Soprano
V’adoro, pupille,
saette d’amore,
le vostre faville
son grate nel sen.
Pietose vi brama
il mesto mio core,
ch’ogn’ora vi chiama
l’amato suo ben.
I adore you, eyes
darts of love;
Your sparks are
welcome in my breast.
My sad heart,
which calls you its dearly beloved
In every hour, longs for you
to be compassionate.
Hymn 390: “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”
1. Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation;
O my soul, praise him, for he is thy health and salvation:
join the great throng,
psaltery, organ, and song,
sounding in glad adoration.
2. Praise to the Lord; over all things he gloriously reigneth:
borne as on eagle-wings, safely his saints he sustaineth.
Hast thou not seen
how all thou needest hath been
granted in what he ordaineth?
3. Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy way and defend thee;
surely his goodness and mercy shall ever attend thee;
ponder anew
what the Almighty can do,
who with his love doth befriend thee.
4. Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him!
All that hath life and breath come now with praises before him!
Let the amen
sound from his people again;
gladly for ever adore him.
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 God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you, and remain with you always. Amen.
Dismissal
Priest Let us go forth in the name of Christ. Alleluia, alleluia.
People Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.
Postlude: “The Church’s One Foundation” Paul Bunjes
Service Participants
Celebrant & Preacher: The Rev. Raymond L. Harbort
Organist: Susan Johnson
Eucharistic Minister: Pike Stephens
Thurifer: Alex Kelly
Crucifer: Fiona Mayorga
Lector: David Taylor
Ushers: Ted Hopkins, Rob Wilkinson
Altar: Rachel Morse, Carol Fox
Livestream: Liam Kelly
Flowers: Kay Johnson
Choir: George Achilles, Trudie Benton, Wendy Brumbaugh, J.T. Capps, Carol Fox, Laura Pankoe, Shelley Reed, Mike Roberts, Sue Roberts, Amber Robinson, 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.
Weekday Worship
Mass for the lesser feast of martyrs Margaret Ward (d. 1588), Margaret Clitherow (d. 1586), and Anne Line (d. 1601) will take place this week on Wednesday, Aug. 30 at noon in the Chapel.
Blessing of Backpacks and Parent Meeting
Parents, children, and youth - save the date for Sunday, September 17 for Blessing of Backpacks during the 10 AM service followed by a Parents Meeting in Paxson Hall during coffee hour for all parents and caregivers of youth and children to hear about new and exciting plans for faith formation for the 2023-24 school year. More details to follow!
Calling all 7th-12th graders, we are starting a group for you!
To kick the year off, please join us for Mass on September 17th for the Blessing of the Backpacks. We will meet for about 30 minutes after the service as well to chat about plans for the year and our first event.
We are excited to see everyone. Please reach out to Kristin Moore, Laura Pankoe, or Elizabeth Pitts with any questions.
Our historic and beautiful stained glass windows need our help. The plexiglass protective coverings have yellowed which obscures the windows from the outside and darkens the windows on the inside. We hope to replace this covering on 12 windows. In addition, some of the windows need partial restoration to make repairs and prevent further deterioration. As such, we are starting a pop-up campaign to raise funds. Please address any questions to Maureen McGraw or George Wiemann.
Community Meal
Thank you to everyone who volunteered to help with today’s community meal. Your generous gifts of food, gift cards and your time to those in need is wonderful and greatly appreciated. Please watch for the signup sheet for the next Community Meal which is scheduled for September 24. Thank you in advance for your continued help and support. Mary Lou Parry, Outreach Committee Chair
Driver needed for the Community Meal
Please consider being a van driver for the monthly community meal. We were fortunate enough to have a driver for the June meal and were able to help some additional people. A permanent driver for St. Paul’s would be very helpful. To qualify, an online course offered by Code Blue (CSSH) must be taken. If you are interested, please contact Mary Lou Parry using the church directory. Thank you for your consideration in this effort.
Virtual Food Drive for Maui
Would you please consider participating in the Virtual Food Drive for Maui by registering with the website below? The area is in desperate need of food, and the grocery stores in the area have been destroyed. The website is easy to use. Please click here to donate. Scroll down until you see Donate to Virtual Food Drive. Click on that, and it should bring you to a list of food they are requesting. Finish the transaction with your credit card. Thank you so much for your help in this critical situation. Mary Lou Parry, Outreach Committee Chair
Christmas in Doylestown UPDATE: One Co- Lead Decorator Needed
It is that time of year when the leaves are beginning to change ever so slightly and the summer is coming to an end. The Christmas in Doylestown leadership has been working hard to find 4 wonderful homes in the borough for this year’s Christmas House Tour! That task has been checked off our list and NOW we are looking for any creatives that are looking for a challenge, social bonding and helping two great charities: St. Paul’s and The Bucks County Housing Group.
If you feel so called, please sign up here to oversee the decorating on one of the four houses; if you have questions about what this work entails, please reach out and ask, we’d be glad to tell you more! Thanks for those who have graciously signed up as “Lead Decorator”!! We have some house teams filled but are in need of one more co-lead decorator. The people who have signed up definitely need your help!! Once we have these spots full we will reach out for “Helping Hands” to assist in ALL the tasks involved with getting the homes ready for the tour.
We are looking forward to another successful tour this year and hope you are as excited as we are to have this event happening again.
Thank you, and merry (early) Christmas!
Lisa Farina and Mary Lou Parry
Bulletin Announcements
Wednesday is the deadline for submitting announcements for inclusion in the Sunday bulletin. Please submit relevant announcements to Angie in the Parish Office. Any announcements submitted after Wednesday will be included in the following week’s printed bulletin.
LITTLE FREE PANTRY
The Little Free Pantry continues to be a huge asset for the community. Your kindness and generosity are greatly appreciated by those suffering from food insecurities in the area. The need continues to be great for supplies such as snack bars, small cereal boxes, fruit cups, pudding and Jell-O cups, pretzels, and crackers. Thank you for your help and support. Questions? Contact Mary Lou Parry using the church directory.
ALTAR FLOWERS
Today’s flowers are given by Nancy Hunter to the glory of God, celebrating the fifth anniversary of Adam and Ryan Hunter, and in loving memory of Robert W. Maier in honor of his birthday.
