The Twelfth SUNday after pentecost
Sunday, August 11, 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: “Duo” Louis-Nicholas Clerambault
The Entrance Rite
Hymn 48: “O day of radiant gladness”
1. O day of radiant gladness,
O day of joy and light,
O balm of care and sadness,
most beautiful, most bright;
this day the high and lowly,
through ages joined in tune,
sing, “Holy, holy, holy”
to the great God Triune.
2. This day at the creation,
the light first had its birth;
this day for our salvation
Christ rose from depths of earth;
this day our Lord victorious
the Spirit sent from heaven,
and thus this day most glorious
a triple light was given.
3. This day, God’s people meeting,
his Holy Scripture hear;
his living presence greeting,
through Bread and Wine made near.
We journey on, believing,
renewed with heavenly might,
from grace more grace receiving
on this blest day of light.
4. That light our hope sustaining,
we walk the pilgrim way,
at length our rest attaining,
our endless Sabbath day.
We sing to thee our praises,
O Father, Spirit, Son;
the Church her voice upraises
to thee, blest Three in One.
Opening Acclamation
Priest ✠ Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
People And blessed be his kingdom, now and forever. Amen.
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.
The Gloria in Excelsis Hymnal 1982, S-280
The Collect of the Day
Priest The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Priest Let us pray.
Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will; 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: 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33
The king, David, ordered Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders concerning Absalom. So the army went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim. The men of Israel were defeated there by the servants of David, and the slaughter there was great on that day, twenty thousand men. The battle spread over the face of all the country; and the forest claimed more victims that day than the sword. Absalom happened to meet the servants of David
Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak. His head caught fast in the oak, and he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on.
And ten young men, Joab’s armor-bearers, surrounded Absalom and struck him, and killed him. Then the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, “Good tidings for my lord the king! For the Lord has vindicated you this day, delivering you from the power of all who rose up against you.” The king said to the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” The Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up to do you harm, be like that young man.”
The king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept; and as he went, he said, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”
Reader The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Psalm 130
1 Out of the depths have I called to you, O Lord;
Lord, hear my voice; *
let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.
2 If you, Lord, were to note what is done amiss, *
O Lord, who could stand?
3 For there is forgiveness with you; *
therefore you shall be feared.
4 I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; *
in his word is my hope.
5 My soul waits for the Lord,
more than watchmen for the morning, *
more than watchmen for the morning.
6 O Israel, wait for the Lord, *
for with the Lord there is mercy;
7 With him there is plenteous redemption, *
and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins.
Second Lesson: Ephesians 4:25-5:2
Putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil. Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Reader The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Hymn 433: “We gather together”
1. We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;
he chastens and hastens his will to make known;
the wicked oppressing now cease from distressing;
sing praises to his Name; he forgets not his own.
2. Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
ordaining, maintaining his kingdom divine;
so from the beginning the fight we were winning:
thou, Lord, was at our side: all glory be thine!
3. We all do extol thee, thou leader triumphant,
and pray that thou still our defender will be.
Let thy congregation escape tribulation:
thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!
Alleluia
The choir sings the Alleluias, then all repeat them.
The Gospel: John 6:35, 41-51
Priest The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to John.
People Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus answered them, “Do not complain among yourselves. No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
Priest The Gospel of the Lord.
People Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Sermon The Rev. Raymond L. Harbort
The Nicene Creed
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.
Welcome & Announcements
The Celebrant introduces the Offertory with a sentence of Scripture, and the people sit.
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 581: “Where charity and love prevail”
1. Where charity and love prevail
there God is ever found;
brought here together by Christ’s love
by love we are thus bound.
2. With grateful joy and holy fear
his charity we learn;
let us with heart and mind and strength
now love him in return.
3. Forgive we now each other’s faults
as we our faults confess;
and let us love each other well
in Christian holiness.
4. Let strife among us be unknown,
let all contention cease;
be his the glory that we seek,
be ours his holy peace.
5. Let us recall that in our midst
dwells God’s begotten Son;
as members of his Body joined
we are in him made one.
6. Love can exclude no race or creed
if honored be God’s Name;
our common life embraces all
whose Father is the same.
The Great Thanksgiving: Eucharistic Prayer A
The people stand and the priest 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. But chiefly are we bound to praise you for the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; for he is the true Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed for us, and has taken away the sin of the world. By his death he has destroyed death, and by his rising to life again he has won for us everlasting life. 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 et Benedictus qui venit Hymnal 1982, S-130
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.
Hymn 431: “For the bread which you have broken”
1. For the bread which you have broken,
for the wine which you have poured,
for the words which you have spoken,
now we give you thanks, O Lord.
2. By this pledge, Lord, that you love us,
by your gift of peace restored,
by your call to heaven above us,
hallow all our lives, O Lord.
3. As our blessed ones adore you,
seated at our Father’s board
may the Church still waiting for you
Keep love’s tie unbroken, Lord.
4. In your service, Lord, defend us,
in our hearts keep watch and ward,
in the world to which you send us
let your kingdom come, O Lord.
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 & Dismissal
The Celebrant blesses the people and dismisses them.
The People respond Thanks be to God.
Postlude: “A mighty fortress is our God” Eleanor Whitsett
Service Participants
Celebrant & Preacher: The Rev. Raymond L. Harbort
Organist: W. Edward McCall
Eucharistic Minister: Widgette Kelly
Crucifer: Will Boyd
Lector: Trudie Benton
Ushers: John Fraser, Maureen McGraw
Altar: Susan Nejako, Carol Fox
Livestream: Josh Pankoe
Counters: Wendy Brumbaugh, Doug Esser
Flowers: Susan Roberts
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 feast of St. Mary, the Virgin (transferred) will be held this week on Wednesday, August 14, at noon in the Church.
Social Justice Committee Meeting
Our next meeting is at 7:30 PM on August 13th, the usual 2nd Tuesday of every month. Join us on Zoom via the link in the Weekly E-Notes. All are welcome!
Wrapping Presence, a new Outreach project for 2024
Wrapping Presence is an organization that was founded locally almost 30 years ago. Its mission is to return a degree of dignity to residents in nursing facilities who are otherwise no longer able to do for others during the Christmas season. Here is a list of items being collected for Wrapping Presence. You can find information about the ways to get involved here. Please contact Maureen McGraw with any questions.
Community Meal
Thank you to everyone that helped make the recent Community Meal such an incredible experience. We were able to serve a wonderful meal to our guests, provide them with gift cards, toiletries and additional food to take away. Additionally, we provided a comfortable place to cool off, friendly conversation, and people that care about them...this was possible because of you and your help and support...thank you. The next regularly scheduled community meal is Sunday, August 25th. The signup sheet is available here, and as always, any help you can provide with either food, set-up, clean-up, greeting, serving, or any take away items is very much appreciated. Thank you in advance for your help and support. Mary Lou Parry, Outreach Committee Chair
Daughters of the King
Exciting news! A brand-new chapter of the DOK will be inducted. What’s Daughters of the King? It’s an order of Episcopal church women that’s been around for over a century. Basically, it’s women who feel called to focus their lives on the three principles of the order – prayer, study, and evangelism (in the form of service) – who find the delight and wisdom of supporting others along their spiritual journeys. **If you have not identified yourself as interested in becoming a member, please reach out to Leigh DeTato this month, as we will start meeting, informally, in September.**
Saint Paul’s Market is OPEN
featuring bounty from parishioners’ gardens
Proceeds benefit the Little Free Pantry
Gardeners: Bring in your extras!
Buyers: Please make a donation & remember to bring your own bag.
Spiritual Prayer Practices will resume with three Fall sessions.
Come and explore some ancient and some not-so ancient ways of opening and deepening your prayer life. You will be among friends in an informal environment. Meet once a month – as you wish and can – for about an hour. The first Fall meeting is planned for Saturday, September 14 at 10:00 in Paxson Hall. Questions? Contact Leigh DeTato.
Little Free Pantry
Thank you to everyone for the generous donations to the Little Free Pantry...the food and monetary donations are greatly appreciated. If you are considering a donation, we are always in need of snack bars, fruit cups, single serving tuna or chicken salad, shelf stable milk, bottled water...a guideline is…"anything that can be eaten on a bench.” Thank you again for your help and support. Mary Lou Parry, Outreach Committee Chair
Caring for Friends
Caring for Friends is a ministry of packing meals for the hungry in our greater Philadelphia area. You are invited to join for the next packing event: Saturday, August 17 20 from 9:30-11:30am. Those who prefer to cook at home may bring prepared food to the church kitchen on the 17th (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.
Seeking Flower Guild Members:
Do you admire the lovely flower memorial arrangements each Sunday in church? The Flower Guild is responsible for these memorials and we are always open to having new members join our guild.
If you wondered what is involved in this ministry: no experience required, only a desire to create, training available upon request! What is created: One large arrangement for the church and one small arrangement for the Mary shrine.
When is completed: Saturday morning or if needed Friday, keep in mind the flowers need to look fresh for Sunday morning! Schedule: Usually you would be scheduled appx. once every other month - so in total 6 to 8 times a year.
How this is accomplished: Purchase and/or gather the flowers, twigs, seed pods etc. that you wish to include in the arrangement and create the arrangement in the flower guild room, to the left of the altar. You are reimbursed for your purchase. If you feel you are up for this wonderful ministry, please contact: Lisa Farina.
Summer Office Hours
During the summer months, the church office hours will be reduced on Friday afternoons. From June 14 through August 30, the office will close at noon on Fridays. In September, the office will once again resume its normal schedule.
ALTAR FLOWERS
Today’s flowers are given by the Kelly family to the glory of God, and in loving memory of Helmut and Lisa Lutter, great-grandparents of Liam and Alex Kelly. Arranged by Susan Roberts
