The 21th Sunday after Pentecost: Modified Holy Communion Service

Sunday, October 25, 2020 at 10:00 am

Opening Hymn: All hail the power of Jesus’ name Coronation

Welcome and Opening Sentence

Celebrant Alleluia. Christ is risen! People The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Collect for Purity (All say together) 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

Collect of the Day

Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The First Lesson Deuteronomy 34:1-12

Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho, and the LORD showed him the whole land: Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, the Negeb, and the Plain—that is, the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees—as far as Zoar. The LORD said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants’; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.” Then Moses, the servant of the LORD, died there in the land of Moab, at the LORD’s command. He was buried in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor, but no one knows his burial place to this day. Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died; his sight was unimpaired and his vigor had not abated. The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the period of mourning for Moses was ended. Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him; and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the LORD had commanded Moses. Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face. He was unequaled for all the signs and wonders that the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land, and for all the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.

Reader: The Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God.

Psalm 1 (responsively by whole verse)

1 Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, * nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seats of the scornful!

2 Their delight is in the law of the Lord, * and they meditate on his law day and night.

3 They are like trees planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; * everything they do shall prosper.

4 It is not so with the wicked; * they are like chaff which the wind blows away.

5 Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes, * nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.

6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, * but the way of the wicked is doomed.

The Second Lesson 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8

You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain, but though we had already suffered and been shamefully mistreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us. Reader: The Word of the Lord. People: Thanks be to God.

Sequence Hymn: Lord, whose love in humble service BEACH SPRING

The Gospel Matthew 22:34-46

Gospeller: The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew. People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: “What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” He said to them, “How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”’? If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?” No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions. Gospeller: The Gospel of the Lord. People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon The Rev. Dr. Libby Gibson Catania An affirmation of Faith (all say together)

You, O God, are supreme and holy. You create our world and give us life. Your purpose overarches everything we do. You have always been with us. You are God. You, O God, are infinitely generous, good beyond all measure. You came to us before we came to you. You have revealed and proved your love for us in Jesus Christ, who lived and died and rose again. You are with us now. You are God. You, O God, are Holy Spirit. You empower us to be your gospel in the world. You reconcile and heal; you overcome death. You are our God. We worship you.

Prayers of the People Bidding: Lord, you have been our refuge Response: From one generation to the another.

Please join us in praying for: Brittany Anthony, Richard Allen, Claire Anderson, Robert Anderson, Kathryn Anschutz, Philip Armstrong, Jordon Ashwood, Dottie Averna, Bill Babcock, Don Barton, Joyce Bertschmann, Eric Blackburn, Jill Blum, Michelle Bond, Ken Bradbury, Meg Broadhurst, Marcia Brown, Jonie Buckley, Carol Call, Marilyn Cannon, Byrd Cassibry, Ellen Chechile, Joanna Chechile, Don Clark, Nancy Connor, Eddie Crowley, John Damon, Alexis Daniuk and Tony Botticello, Caroline Eaddy, Bill and Paula Connolly, Dick Cryan, Tino DiGiovanni, Rick deMello, Susan Dewey, Cherrie Dubois, Beatrice Endocott, Betsey Edwards, Sallie Irwin, James & Ellen Falway, Vanessa & Matt Flannes, Stan Flynn, Bishop Alan Gates, Carol Gatto, Cindy Giovaniello, Beth Goodrich, Peter Grant, Beartrice Greenwood, Gregory Greenwood, Ken Harper, Mary Hickey, ‘Red’ Jalbert, Sue Jilson, Nathan Jones, Deborah Kearns, Fred Kraics, David Lapham, Art Laughton, Karen LeBlanc, Tessa LeBlanc, Joan LeMarbre, Martha Lewis, Bev Lieberman, Kate Lonergan, Amy Loudemilk, Jim Lovell, Bill Low, Chris Low, Barbara Maier, Vic Mankiewicz, Jesse Mueller, Dauna Musick, David Nawrocki, Sue Nash, Maria Nelson, Sean Norton, B.L. Owens, Marian Painter, Robert Parker, Gwen Persichetti, Bonnie Phelps, Marta Pleiter, Jan Quaritius, Jim Quarto, Carol Quinley, Kimberly Richards, Pat and Don Ritchie, Peg Rose, Paul Rusesabagina, Nancy Scotton, Brooks Smith, John Stackhouse, Melinda, Caroline and Nicole Stackhouse-Eaddy, Lauren Stanley, Alice Sweeney, Sherry Tarpinian, Janet Thornton, Charlie Walden, Stephen Wilkinson, Linda Wolfe, Raymond Wright Jr., and for: Alexandra, Allen, Anne-Marie, Clif, Cory, David, Don, Debbie, Ed & Irish, Gary, Greer, Jake, Jan, Jane, Janet, Jerrie, Jeff, Jess, Jim, Joe, Kate, Kathey, Kim, Kristin, Izzy, Laura, Madeleine, Margaret, Melissa, Mike, Murray, Nickie, Pamela, Pat, Patti, Phyllis, Rebecca, Sara, Siena, Sue, Ted, Terry, Tony, Winnie & Don. Please join us in praying for professionals on the front line: Jennifer Babcock, Michelle Babcock, Chris Flynn, Rebecca Graziano, Andy Huther, Bill Huther, Katie Huther, Kelcie & Kenneth Knowles, David Mason, Tom McKean, Rosa Ramirez-Mendez, Diane Munsell, Kimberly Schoener, Jeff Spillane, Jonathan Stackhouse, Kari Steinetz, Kelsey Rezendes, Mary Tempesta, Beatrix Walters, Wendy Young, Brian, Shawn.

Confession (in unison) and Absolution

Merciful God, we have sinned in what we have thought and said, in the wrong we have done and in the good we have not done. We have sinned in ignorance, we have sinned in weakness, we have sinned through our own deliberate fault. We are truly sorry. We repent and turn to you. Forgive us for our Savior Christ’s sake and renew our lives to the glory of his name. Amen.

Officiant: Through the love of Christ, God have mercy on you, pardon you and set you free. Know that you are forgiven and be at peace. God strengthen you in all goodness and keep you in life eternal. Amen.

The Peace

Celebrant: The Peace of the Lord be always with you. People: And also with you.

Modified Holy Communion

Celebrant: The Spirit of God be with you. People: And also with you. Celebrant: Lift your hearts to heaven People: Where Christ in glory reigns. Celebrant: Let us give thanks to God. People: It is right to offer thanks and praise.

Gracious and Everlasting One, it is right and good, always and everywhere to give thanks to you — even the places where we are scattered right now. We give you thanks for calling forth creation and blending dust with your breath in the emergence of life. We bless you for the covenants you have made with your people, for our ancestors in the faith, and the ways that you call us into community with all people everywhere.

We praise you, for the life, ministry, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and for the way of compassion, justice, and communion he lived and taught. Therefore with saints and martyrs, apostles and prophets, with all the redeemed, joyfully we praise you and say:

Holy, holy, holy: God of mercy, giver of life; earth and sea and sky and all that lives, declare your presence and your glory.

We remember, Blessed One, that when the risk of arrest and execution became clear, Jesus asked his disciples to prepare a borrowed room where they could eat together, and give thanks, and prepare. When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this

Passover with you; for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

Until we can gather our weary bodies in this place again, until we can share among us the same food and drink, until we can breathe the same air, and look into each other’s eyes, and pass the peace of your Son Jesus among these bodies you have created as good, and perhaps sense your beloved kingdom coming near, may your Holy Spirit hover, and brood like a mother hen, over each and every table, every meal where we wait. May that tender Spirit reach into all the quiet corners of loneliness and worry, reminding us of the deeper, wider communion in which all things dwell with you. May that Spirit keep us hungry for community, for the just and compassionate world you seek; may it keep us awake and expectant, looking always for your kingdom coming near.

Now together let us pray as Jesus taught us: The Lord’s Prayer (said in unison)

We pray for your church, that it may rise up in the face of this crisis and embody the ministry of Jesus once again, bringing healing, bringing justice, reaching out to those who are alone. We pray for other faith communities as well, for the ways that they are responding with compassion and care, and we pray for those of no faith, who are also loved dearly by you. Blessing and honor, glory and power, be unto you. Amen, and let all the people say “Amen.”

A moment of silence is observed

A General Thanksgiving (Officiant and People pray together)

God, you are our beginning and you will be our end; we are made in your image and likeness. We praise and thank you for this day. This is the day on which you created light and saw that it was good. This is the day in whose early morning light we discovered the tomb was empty, and encountered Christ, the world’s true light. This is the day you have made; we shall rejoice and be glad in it. Eternal God, grant to us this day and every day such readiness and delight in following Christ, that whether our lives are short or long we shall have lived abundantly.

Closing Hymn: O God our help in ages past Vs 1-4 ST ANNE

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Blessing, Dismissal, and Announcements