Morning Prayer
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost B
August 25, 2024 at 9:30 AM
Presider: The Rev. Ella Roundtree-Davis, Deacon
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The Liturgy of the Word: Rite II
Hymn 680: O God, Our Help in Ages Past
The Opening Acclamation
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!
The Confession of Sin
Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14, 16)
The Deacon or Lay Celebrant says:
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Silence may be kept. All pray together, kneeling, as they are able,
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 Deacon or Lay Celebrant says:
Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen.
Hymn S-280: Glory to God
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
[Music: Robert Powell © 1985, Church Publishing, Inc. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #28331. All rights reserved.]
The Collect of the Day
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
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.
A Reading from the Book of Joshua 24:1-2a,14-18
Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel:
“Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; and the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 34:15-22
15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, *
and his ears are open to their cry.
16 The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, *
to root out the remembrance of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry, and the Lord hears them *
and delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted *
and will save those whose spirits are crushed.
19 Many are the troubles of the righteous, *
but the Lord will deliver him out of them all.
20 He will keep safe all his bones; *
not one of them shall be broken.
21 Evil shall slay the wicked, *
and those who hate the righteous will be punished.
22 The Lord ransoms the life of his servants, *
and none will be punished who trust in him.
A Reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians 6:10-20
FINALLY, BE STRONG in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Hymn 440: Blessed Jesus, at Thy Word(verses 1-2)
The People stand, as they are able, for the reading of the Gospel.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to John (6:56-69)
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Jesus said, “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.” He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.
When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But among you there are some who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.”
Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. So Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
Hymn 440: Blessed Jesus, at Thy Word (verse 3)
The Sermon
The Nicene Creed
The People stand, as they are able, to recite the 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 (Form VI)
In peace, we pray to you, Lord God.
For all people in their daily life and work;
For our families, friends, and neighbors, and for those who are alone.
For Joseph, our president; Brian, our governor; Van, our mayor; and all other civic officials; For this community, the nation, and the world;
For all who work for justice, freedom, and peace.
For the just and proper use of your creation;
For the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.
For all who are in danger, sorrow, or any kind of trouble;
For those who minister to the sick, the friendless, and the needy.
For all the churches in Savannah, that we may be one as you are one with the Son, and the Holy Spirit; For the peace and unity of the Church of God;
For all who proclaim the Gospel, and all who seek the Truth.
For Justin, Archbishop of Canterbury; Michael, our Presiding Bishop; Sean, our Presiding Bishop Elect, Frank, our Bishop; Ella our Deacon; and for all bishops and other ministers;
For all who serve God in his Church.
For the special needs and concerns of this congregation, especially for our Day Care’s staff, students, and families, and for those on our Parish Prayer List: Betty Bryant (Mother of Patrece Grant), Lazola Cope, Ruth Crouse, Enrique’ Davis, Heather Hobbs, Charles Gordon, Marva Harris, David Jones, Donald Jones, Marilyn Jones, Sheila Jones, Georgette Kelley, Beverly Kemp, Whitney Kennedy, Denise Larkin, Jessica Mathis, Marion Mathis, Sada Maxwell, John “Butch” Mitchell, Gordon Moore, Kathy Robinson, Frieda McDew Shorter, Karsten Tyson, Edward Vaughn, and Jewel Wheeler; and those we remember now… Silence. The People may add their own petitions. Hear us, Lord;
For your mercy is great.
We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life, especially for all visitors to this parish, all those celebrating birthdays including: Charles Tennerson and Shaina Berksteiner (08/28), Margo Jackson (08/30), Jason Carrington (08/31); those celebrating anniversaries: Anthony and Kathleen Carrington (08/26), Dr. Enrique and The Rev. Ella Roundtree-Davis (08/28) and those thanksgivings we offer now… Silence. The People may add their own thanksgivings. We will exalt you, O God our King;
And praise your Name for ever and ever.
We pray for all who have died, that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom, especially those we remember now,... Silence. The People may add their own petitions. Lord, let your loving-kindness be upon them;
Who put their trust in you.
The Celebrant concludes with the following or some other suitable Collect:
Almighty and eternal God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth: Mercifully accept the prayers of your people, and strengthen us to do your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Peace
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
Parish Announcements
Diocesan Offices Moving: With the support of the Standing Committee and Diocesan staff, Bishop Logue has made the decision to move the Diocesan offices to the former building of St. Michael and All Angels in Savannah.
National Acolyte festival registration has opened: Washington National Cathedral is hosting this year's national Acolyte festival on October 12th. Registration is now open, if you are looking for more information go to the diocese's website as well as the form for registration if interested.
Living Hope Strategic Plan: The Diocese will have in person and online sessions for participation in the Strategic Planning process. The next in person session will be held today August 25th from 2-4 pm at Saint Paul's, Augusta and the first online session will be held August 27th from 6-8 pm. Please visit the Diocese website or St. Matthew’s website for registration.
Honey Creek Events: Staff Applications and Registration is now open for fall youth events. New Beginnings #62 will be held October 18th - 20th and Happening #110 will be held November 22nd - 24th. Applications and Registration can be found on the Diocese website.
Vestry Meeting: Vestry meeting was rescheduled and will be held on Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 5:45 pm.
Glow and Grow gear still available: The Capital Building Campaign is still selling mugs and pens. If you are interested in purchasing, please email the church office office@st.mattsav.org.
T/W/Th Evening Prayer on Zoom Only: St. Matthew’s gathers for virtual Evening Prayer services on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 5:00 PM, but we no longer post these videos to our Facebook page. You can pray with us on Zoom using the same link as before, as found in the e-Newsletter or in the St. Matthew’s Linktree (QR Code above).
The Offertory
Giving to St. Matthew's:
Mail us a check or money order at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 1401 Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd, Savannah, GA 31415; OR
Make a secure online gift to St. Matthew’s and/or automate future gifts at: https://onrealm.org/StMattSav/-/give/now; OR
Text “stmattsav” to 73256 to make a secure online donation through your phone.
NOTE: Donations made online (#2 or #3) through Realm incur a processing fee of about 2.5%. Please consider adding an additional 2.5% to your online gift to cover these costs.
The Presider begins the Offertory with a sentence on BCP, p. 376, or some other sentence of Scripture.
Give online at: https://onrealm.org/StMattSav/-/give/now
Hymn 517: How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place
The Doxology
Praise God, Praise God, Praise God!
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow!
Praise him all creatures here below!
Praise him above ye heavenly hosts!
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!
Amen.
[Words: Thomas Ken, Public Domain. Music: Old 100th, attributed to Louis Bourgeois, Public Domain. All rights reserved.]
LEV #264: The Lord’s Prayer
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to sing,
Our Father, which 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 debts, as we forgive our debtors
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
[Music: Albert Hay Malotte; arr. Fred Bock, Copyright © 1934 (renewed) G. Schirmer, Inc. All Rights Reserved.]
The Grace
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all evermore. Amen.
Hymn LEV 226: My Eyes Have Seen the Glory
The Dismissal
[BCP, p. 366]
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord! [Alleluia! Alleluia!]
Thanks be to God! [Alleluia! Alleluia!]
The Parish Prayer List
PRAYER LIST: Betty Bryant (Mother of Patrece Grant), Lazola Cope, Ruth Crouse, Enrique’ Davis, Heather Hobbs, Charles Gordon, Marva Harris, David Jones, Donald Jones, Marilyn Jones, Sheila Jones, Georgette Kelley, Beverly Kemp, Whitney Kennedy, Denise Larkin, Jessica Mathis, Marion Mathis, Sada Maxwell, John “Butch” Mitchell, Gordon Moore, Kathy Robinson, Frieda McDew Shorter, Karsten Tyson, Edward Vaughn, and Jewel Wheeler
BIRTHDAYS: Charles Tennerson and Shaina Berksteiner (08/28), Margo Jackson (08/30), Jason Carrington (08/31)
WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES: Anthony and Kathleen Carrington (08/26), Dr. Enrique and The Rev. Ella Roundtree-Davis (08/28)
RECENT DEATHS: N/A
May the souls of all the departed rest in peace; and may light perpetual shine upon them. Amen.
Permissions and Credits: This service is reproduced from The Book of Common Prayer 1979 (BCP), The Hymnal 1982 (Hymn), Lift Every Voice and Sing II: An African American Hymnal (LEV), Enriching Our Worship 1 (EOW1), The Book of Occasional Services 2022 (BOS22), and other sources cited. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture readings are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible.
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