Sunday Worship without Communion
Third Sunday after Pentecost B
June 3, 2024 at 9:30 AM
Presider: The Rev. Ella Roundtree-Davis, Deacon
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The Liturgy of the Word: Rite II
Hymnal #47: On this day, the first of days
1 On this day, the first of days,
God the Father's Name we praise,
who, creation's Lord and spring,
did the world from darkness bring.
2 On this day the eternal Son
over death his triumph won;
on this day the Spirit came
with his gifts of living flame.
3 Maker, who didst fashion me
image of thyself to be,
fill me with thy love divine,
let my every thought be thine.
4 Holy Jesus, may I be
dead and buried here with thee;
and, by love inflamed, arise
unto thee a sacrifice.
5 Thou, who dost all gifts impart,
shine, blest Spirit, in my heart;
best of gifts, thyself bestow;
make me burn thy love to know.
6 God, the blessed Three in One,
dwell within my heart alone;
thou dost give thyself to me:
may I give myself to thee.
[Words: Latin; tr. Henry Williams Baker, alt. Music: Gott sei Dank; melody from Geitstreiches Gesangbuch, 1704; adapt. and harm. William Henry Havergal, alt. Reprinted with permission from ONE LICENSE #84481.]
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:
O God, from whom all good proceeds: Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by your merciful guiding may do them; 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 First Book of Samuel (8:4-11, (12-15), 16-20, (11:14-15))
All the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, “You are old and your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations.” But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to govern us.” Samuel prayed to the Lord, and the Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. Just as they have done to me, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so also they are doing to you. Now then, listen to their voice; only—you shall solemnly warn them, and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”
So Samuel reported all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen, and to run before his chariots; [and he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his courtiers. He will take one-tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and his courtiers.] He will take your male and female slaves, and the best of your cattle and donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take one-tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves; but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”
But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; they said, “No! but we are determined to have a king over us, so that we also may be like other nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles.”
[Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there renew the kingship.” So all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal. There they sacrificed offerings of well-being before the Lord, and there Saul and all the Israelites rejoiced greatly.]
The Word of the Lord.
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.
A Reading from the Second Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians (4:13-5:1)
Just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture—“I believed, and so I spoke” —we also believe, and so we speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Hymn 194: Jesus lives, thy terrors now (verses 1-3)
1. Jesus lives! thy terrors now
can no longer, death, appall us;
Jesus lives! by this we know
thou, O grave, canst not enthrall us.
Alleluia!
2. Jesus lives! for us he died;
then, alone to Jesus living,
pure in heart may we abide,
glory to our Savior giving.
Alleluia!
3. Jesus lives! our hearts know well
nought from us his love shall sever;
life, nor death, nor powers of hell
tear us from his keeping ever.
Alleluia!
[Words: Christian Furchtegott Gellert; tr. Frances Elizabeth Cox. Music: St. Albinus, Henry John Gauntlett.]
The People stand, as they are able, for the reading of the Gospel.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to Mark (3:20-35)
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
The crowd came together again, so that Jesus and his disciples could not even eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.” And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.” And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.
“Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”
Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.” And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
Hymn 194: Jesus lives, thy terrors now (verse 4)
4. Jesus lives! to him the throne
over all the world is given:
may we go where he has gone,
rest and reign with him in heaven.
Alleluia!
[Words: Christian Furchtegott Gellert; tr. Frances Elizabeth Cox. Music: St. Albinus, Henry John Gauntlett.]
The Sermon
by Karsten Tyson
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; 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: Lazola Cope, Charles Gordon, Marva Harris, Tracie Hundley, David Jones, Donald Jones, Sheila Jones, Beverly Kemp, Whitney Kennedy, Leonard Law Jr., Jessica Mathis, Sada Maxwell, John “Butch” Mitchell, Gordon Moore, Terry Newton, Altheria Maynard, Frieda McDew Shorter, 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: Lee Pearson, Jr. (6/09), Patrece Grant (6/09), Juray Brown (6/15); those celebrating anniversaries, 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, and 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
Yoga Retreat at Honey Creek: In recognition of Pentecost, join us May 17-19, 2024 for an exploration of the rhythms, gateways, and symbols that resonate within us and serve as guideposts for our journeys. Professor Emerita of Georgia Southwestern State University, Gabriele Stauf, will use guided meditations to lead participants on their own internal exploration, while Karen Kinnamon of Just Peace Yoga and Wellness will provide yoga sessions to enliven the body, focus the mind, and ignite the spirit.
No prior yoga experience is necessary to attend this retreat. Check the newsletter for more information.
Register Now for Summer Camp at Honey Creek: In less than two months, the Diocese of Georgia's 100th Summer Camp will get underway at Honey Creek. We will have daily camp activities, including arts & crafts, outdoor games, ropes course activities, kayaking, pool time, and more. In addition to every day being filled with fun camp activities, we also devote time to worship and spiritual formation. Each session has Spiritual Directors on staff that will lead a formation program in the afternoon, and we begin and end each day with worship in the Chapel of Our Savior with gorgeous views of the Creek right outside our window.
Registration for each session is open, and scholarship assistance is available.
National Acolyte festival registration has opened: Washington National Cathedral is hosting this years national Acolyte festival on October 12th. Registration is now open, if you are looking for more information go to the dioceses website as well as the form for registration if interested.
Glow and Grow gear still available: The Capital Building Campaign is still selling tee-shirts, mugs, etc. 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
LEV 88: My Faith looks up to thee
1 My faith looks up to thee,
Thou lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away;
O let me from this day
Be wholly thine.
2 May thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire;
As thou hast died for me,
O may my love to thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be
A living fire.
3 While life’s dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread,
Be thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn today,
Wipe sorrow’s tears away;
Pure, warm, and changeless be
A living fire.
4 When ends life’s transient dream,
When death’s cold, sullen stream
Shall o’er me roll;
Blest Savior, then in love,
Fear and distrust remove,
O bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul.
[Words: Ray Palmer. Music: Lowell Mason. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #195323. All rights reserved.]
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 #620: Jerusalem, my happy home
1 Jerusalem, my happy home,
shall I come to thee?
When shall my sorrows have an end?
Thy joys when shall I see?
2 Thy saints are crowned with glory great;
they see God face to face;
they triumph still, they still rejoice
in that most happy place.
3 There David stands with harp in hand
as master of the choir:
ten thousand times would one be blest
who might this music hear.
4 Our Lady sings magnificent
with tune surpassing sweet,
and blessed martyrs'
harmony doth ring in every street.
5 Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
God grant that I may see thine endless joy,
and of the same partaker ever be!
[Words: F.B.P, alt. Music: Land of Rest, American folk hymn; adapt. and harm. Annabel Morris Buchanan. Reprinted with permission from ONE LICENSE: #123007]
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: Lazola Cope, Charles Gordon, Marva Harris, Tracie Hundley, David Jones, Donald Jones, Sheila Jones, Beverly Kemp, Whitney Kennedy, Leonard Law Jr., Jessica Mathis, Sada Maxwell, John “Butch” Mitchell, Gordon Moore, Terry Newton, Altheria Maynard, Frieda McDew Shorter, Edward Vaughn, and Jewel Wheeler
BIRTHDAYS: Lee Pearson, Jr. (6/09), Patrece Grant (6/09), Juray Brown (6/15)
WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES: N/A
RECENT DEATHS: Rev. Kathryn Brown Wheeler
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.