The nineteenth Sunday after pentecost
Sunday, October 8 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: “Romanza” R. Vaughn Williams
The Entrance Rite
Hymn 483: “The head that once was crowned with thorns”
1. The head that once was crowned with thorns
is crowned with glory now;
a royal diadem adorns
the mighty victor’s brow.
2. The highest place that heaven affords
is his, is his by right,
the King of kings, and Lord of lords,
and heaven’s eternal Light;
3. the joy of all who dwell above,
the joy of all below,
to whom he manifests his love
and grants his name to know.
4. To them the cross with all its shame,
with all its grace is given;
their name, an everlasting name;
their joy, the joy of heaven.
5. They suffer with their Lord below,
they reign with him above,
their profit and their joy to know
the mystery of his love.
6. The cross he bore is life and health,
though shame and death to him:
his people’s hope, his people’s wealth,
their everlasting theme.
Opening Acclamation
Celebrant Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
People And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.
Celebrant There is one Body and one Spirit;
People There is one hope in God’s call to us;
Celebrant One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism;
People One God and Father of all.
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.
Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior; 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 5:1-7
Let me sing for my beloved my love-song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; he expected it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? When I expected it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his pleasant planting; he expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard a cry!
Reader The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Psalm 80:7-14
7 Restore us, O God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
8 You have brought a vine out of Egypt; *
you cast out the nations and planted it.
9 You prepared the ground for it; *
it took root and filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered by its shadow *
and the towering cedar trees by its boughs.
11 You stretched out its tendrils to the Sea *
and its branches to the River.
12 Why have you broken down its wall, *
so that all who pass by pluck off its grapes?
13 The wild boar of the forest has ravaged it, *
and the beasts of the field have grazed upon it.
14 Turn now, O God of hosts, look down from heaven;
behold and tend this vine; *
preserve what your right hand has planted.
The Epistle
Second Lesson: Philippians 3:4b-14
If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.
Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.
Reader The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Hymn 448: “O love, how deep, how broad, how high”
1. O love, how deep, how broad, how high,
how passing thought and fantasy,
that God, the Son of God, should take
our mortal form for mortals’ sake.
2. For us baptized, for us he bore
his holy fast and hungered sore;
for us temptations sharp he knew;
for us the tempter overthrew.
3. For us he prayed; for us he taught;
for us his daily works he wrought:
by words and signs and actions, thus
still seeking not himself, but us.
4. For us to wicked men betrayed,
scourged, mocked, in purple robe arrayed,
he bore the shameful cross and death;
for us gave up his dying breath.
5. For us he rose from death again;
for us he went on high to reign;
for us he sent his Spirit here
to guide, to strengthen, and to cheer.
6. All glory to our Lord and God
for love so deep, so high, so broad;
the Trinity whom we adore
for ever and for evermore.
Alleluia
The choir sings a verse, then all repeat the Alleluias.
The Gospel: Matthew 21:33-46
Priest The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to Matthew.
People Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Jesus said, “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.’ So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.”
Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes’? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.
Priest The Gospel of the Lord.
People Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Sermon “It Gets Personal” by the Rev. Robert H. Linders
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
Let us pray for the Church and for the world.
Grant, Almighty God, that all who confess your Name may be united in your truth, live together in your love, and reveal your glory in the world.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Guide the people of this land, and of all the nations, in the ways of justice and peace; that we may honor one another and serve the common good.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Give us all a reverence for the earth as your own creation, that we may use its resources rightly in the service of others and to your honor and glory.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Bless all whose lives are closely linked with ours, especially ___ , and grant that we may serve Christ in them, and love one another as he loves us.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Comfort and heal all those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit; give them courage and hope in their troubles, and bring them the joy of your salvation.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
We commend to your mercy ✠ all who have died, especially ___ , that your will for them may be fulfilled; and we pray that we may share with all your saints in your eternal kingdom.
Silence
Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.
Silence. Additional petitions may be included here.
The Celebrant adds a concluding Collect.
Lord, hear the prayers of your people; and what we have asked faithfully, grant that we may obtain effectually, to the glory of your Name; through 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.
Offertory Anthem: “For the beauty of the earth” Eric Nelson
For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies,
for the love which from our birth over and around us lies:
Lord of all, to thee we raise this hymn of grateful praise.
For the wonder of each hour of the day and of the night,
hill and vale and tree and flower,
sun and moon, and stars of light:
Lord of all, to thee we raise this hymn of grateful praise.
For the joy of human love, brother, sister, parent,
child, friends on earth and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild.
Lord of all, to thee we raise this hymn of grateful praise.
Fair are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands,
robed in the blooming garb of spring.
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,
who makes the woeful heart to sing.
For thyself, best gift divine to the world so freely given,
for that great, great love of thine,
peace on earth, joy in heaven.
Lord of all, to thee we raise this hymn of grateful praise.
The Great Thanksgiving: Eucharistic Prayer A
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.
The proper preface is sung.
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,
The Fraction
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 Anthem: “Lamb of God” Stephen Caracciolo
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy upon us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; grant us peace.
Hymn 313: “Let thy Blood in mercy poured”
1. Let thy Blood in mercy poured,
let thy gracious Body broken,
be to me, O gracious Lord,
of thy boundless love the token.
Thou didst give thyself for me,
now I give myself to thee.
2. Thou didst die that I might live,
blessed Lord, thou cam’st to save me,
all that love of God could give
Jesus by his sorrows gave me.
Thou didst give thyself for me,
now I give myself to thee.
3. By the thorns that crowned thy brow,
by the spearwound and the nailing,
by the pain and death, I now claim,
O Christ, thy love unfailing.
Thou didst give thyself for me,
now I give myself to thee.
4. Wilt thou own the gift I bring?
All my penitence I give thee;
thou art my exalted King,
of thy matchless love forgive me.
Thou didst give thyself for me,
now I give myself to thee.
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.
People Thanks be to God.
Postlude: “An Exhortation to Praise” Lani Smith
Service Participants
Celebrant: The Rev. Daniel T. Moore
Preacher: The Rev. Robert H. Linders
Organist: W. Edward McCall
Eucharistic Minister: Widgette Kelly
Thurifer: Alex Kelly
Crucifer: Jon Moore
Lector: Widgette Kelly
Ushers: Michael Kelly, Andy Morse
Altar: Rachel Morse, Sara Frister
Livestream: Josh Pankoe
Flowers: Lisa Farina
Choir: Trudie Benton, Wendy Brumbaugh, Alexander Famous, Carol Fox, Laura Pankoe, Shelley Reed, Mike Roberts, Sue Roberts, Amber Robinson, Annie Rogers, 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 Philip, deacon & evangelist, will take place this week on Wednesday, October 11, at noon in the Chapel.
Youth Group Bake Sale
Are you looking for something a little extra sweet or an extra snack? St. Paul’s Youth group is planning an activity at Hellerick’s and needs your support! Join us this morning at Coffee Hour for a BAKE SALE and get your fill of delicious treats!
Eucharistic Visitation Ministry
Eucharistic Visitors are lay members from the parish who are trained and authorized to bear the elements of Holy Communion to those who, for whatever reason, are unable to be present at mass to receive them (typically those who are elderly or infirm). If you wish to be trained and share in this ministry, please contact Fr. Daniel Moore for further details.
Christmas in Doylestown: Butter Cookies
Once again, our famous Butter Cookies will be available for Christmas in Doylestown. This year we will be taking pre-orders with some boxes of cookies available for sale at the tour. Make sure you place a pre-order so to make sure you don’t miss out on the delicious cookies. Order Forms can be found can be found in the parish hall by the Christmas in Doylestown bulletin board.
Thanks to your generous donations we now have all the ingredients needed for baking. We are still looking for a few more volunteers to help with baking. Please see sign up forms in the parish hall by the Christmas in Doylestown bulletin board starting October 1st. Baking dates begin October 28th through November 12th - some weekends and some weekdays.
Thank you in advance to all that help with the butter cookies!
Contact June Psculkowski with Butter Cookie questions.
Food & Fellowship!
We are looking forward to our next St. Paul’s Women’s event! We are planning a double-header event! First, we will meet Oct. 19 from 5pm – 8pm in the Parish Hall and kitchen to prepare a meal together and at the same time prepare food to contribute to the next Caring for Friends event. Second, we will then meet Saturday to help with the food packing event. Please join us for any or all of these events!
The plan is to prepare a pasta dish and shepherd’s pie with salad and bread for dinner. We will then freeze a portion for the food packing event. If you would like to contribute any ingredients, please see the sign up here.
Please reach out to me (Elizabeth Pitts) with any questions.
Hope to see you there!
SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE
Our next meeting is at 7:30 PM on October 10th, 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!
Community Meal: October 22
Thank you to everyone who helped to make the September 24th Community Meal such a big success. The next meal is scheduled for Sunday, October 22. The Community Meal helps those who are food insecure in the community by providing a nutritious and delicious meal. Volunteers are needed to help with the food preparation and serving. We will also need greeters, servers, and volunteers to help with setup and cleanup. Food should be delivered to the church by 12:30 on October 22nd. If possible, the food should be delivered warm and ready to serve. Please review the signup here and consider signing up to help with the meal. Thank you in advance for your continued support. Mary Lou Parry, Outreach Committee.
Christmas in Doylestown UPDATE: Helping Hands needed
Dear St. Paul’s Parishioners,
It is time to start getting the HELPING HANDS signed up for assisting the LEAD DECORATORS with getting the houses ready for this year’s CHRISTMAS IN DOYLESTOWN HOUSE TOUR. If you have the desire to help our greatest fund raising event of the year please consider being a part of this fun and festive event. We are in need of helpers for inside and outside tasks. Once you have signed up, the LEAD DECORATOR will contact you to make sure their schedule works with yours.
Also, note there are other tasks needed in addition to helping at the homes. Please view the sign up to see what there is to sign up for.
Thanks in advance for everyone’s support!!!
Lisa Farina and Mary Lou Parry
CARING FOR FRIENDS
Caring for Friends has resumed our meal packing at the church. Our next meeting will be Saturday, October 21 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 21st to pack. Please include a list of ingredients for all meals. 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. Please contact Myra Parker, Mary Smith, or George Wiemann with any questions.
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 Jean Rollo to the glory of God, and in loving memory of her father: Thomas J. Rollo.
