Prelude: O Lamb of God, most stainless by Joh. Sebastian Bach
Welcome: The Rev. Dr. Jennifer Reece Hymn: H-410 -
Praise, my soul, the King of heaven Opening Acclamation - BCP pg. 355
Celebrant: Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
People: And blessed be God's Kingdom, now and forever. Amen. 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. Trisagion Celebrant: Holy God
Holy and Mighty
Holy Immortal One,
People: Have mercy upon us. The Liturgy of the Word Collect of the day Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen. The First Reading: Jonah 3:10-4:11 A reading from the book of Jonah
When God saw what the people of Nineveh did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.
But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord and said, "O Lord! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing. And now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live." And the Lord said, "Is it right for you to be angry?" Then Jonah went out of the city and sat down east of the city, and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, waiting to see what would become of the city.
The Lord God appointed a bush, and made it come up over Jonah, to give shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort; so Jonah was very happy about the bush. But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the bush, so that it withered. When the sun rose, God prepared a sultry east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint and asked that he might die. He said, "It is better for me to die than to live."
But God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?" And he said, "Yes, angry enough to die." Then the Lord said, "You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?"
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God!
Psalm: 145:1-8 (in unison)
1 I will exalt you, O God my King, *
and bless your Name for ever and ever.
2 Every day will I bless you *
and praise your Name for ever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; *
there is no end to his greatness.
4 One generation shall praise your works to another *
and shall declare your power.
5 I will ponder the glorious splendor of your majesty *
and all your marvelous works.
6 They shall speak of the might of your wondrous acts, *
and I will tell of your greatness.
7 They shall publish the remembrance of your great goodness; *
they shall sing of your righteous deeds.
8 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, *
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The Second Reading: Philippians 1:21-30
A reading from the book of Philippians
To me, living is Christ and dying is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which I prefer. I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith, so that I may share abundantly in your boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to you again.
Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel, and are in no way intimidated by your opponents. For them this is evidence of their destruction, but of your salvation. And this is God's doing. For he has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as well-- since you are having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Gradual Hymn: H-694 - God be in my head
The Gospel: Matthew 20:1-16
The Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and he said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o'clock, he did the same. And about five o'clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, 'Why are you standing here idle all day?' They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard.' When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, 'Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.' When those hired about five o'clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, 'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' But he replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?' So the last will be first, and the first will be last."
The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you, Lord Christ. Homily: The Rev. Dr. Jennifer Reece
Nicene Creed - BCP page 358
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. Prayers of the People for September 20 2020 (Form V) In peace, let us pray to the Lord, saying, "Lord, have mercy".
For the holy Church of God, that it may be filled with truth and love, and be found without fault at the day of your
coming, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy. For Michael our Presiding Bishop, for Thomas our own Bishop, for all bishops and other ministers, and for all the holy people of God, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy. For all who fear God and believe in you, Lord Christ, that our divisions may cease, and that all may be one as you and the Father and the Spirit are one, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy. For the mission of the Church, that in this time of pandemic and civil distress, we may be a source of hope, and an example of the healing and reconciliation that lives filled with God's love and modelled on the peaceful way of Jesus can accomplish, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy. For the peace of the world; that a spirit of respect and cooperation may grow among nations and peoples, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy. For those in positions of public trust especially Donald our President, our nation's Governors and civic leaders, members of the military and law enforcement, that they may serve justice, and promote the dignity and freedom of every person, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy. For all who live and work in this community, especially for those who visit during this season, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy. For a blessing upon all human labor, and for the right use of the riches of creation, that the world may be freed from poverty, famine, and disaster, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy. For the poor, the persecuted, the sick, and all who suffer; for refugees, prisoners, all who live with fear and anxiety and all who are in danger; that they may be relieved and protected. Grant mercy to all those whose lives and livelihoods have been impacted by the COVID 19 virus, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy. For the congregations of the Churches on this island, and for those who are joining us for this online service, that we may be delivered from hardness of heart, and show forth your glory in all that we do, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy. For our enemies and those who wish us harm; and for all whom we have injured or offended, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy. For all who have commended themselves to our prayers; for our families, friends, and neighbors; that being freed from anxiety, they may live in joy, peace, and health, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy. Please say your own petitions and intercessions…… we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy. For Joan and all who have died in the communion of your Church, and those whose faith is known to you alone, that, with all the saints, they may have rest in that place where there is no pain or grief, but life eternal, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy. Rejoicing in the fellowship of the Blessed Trinity and all the saints, let us commend ourselves, and one another, and all our life to Christ our God.
To you, O Lord our God. Amen. Confession and Absolution - BCP page 360
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 Peace The Holy Communion Eucharistic Prayer C - BCP page 369
The Lord be with you.
And also with you. Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give him thanks and praise. God of all power, Ruler of the Universe, you are worthy of glory and praise.
Glory to you for ever and ever. At your command all things came to be: the vast expanse of interstellar space, galaxies, suns, the planets in their courses, and this fragile earth, our island home.
By your will they were created and have their being. From the primal elements you brought forth the human race, and blessed us with memory, reason, and skill. You made us the rulers of creation. But we turned against you, and betrayed your trust; and we turned against one another.
Have mercy, Lord, for we are sinners in your sight. Again and again, you called us to return. Through prophets and sages you revealed your righteous Law. And in the fullness of time you sent your only Son, born of a woman, to fulfill your Law, to open for us the way of freedom and peace.
By his blood, he reconciled us. By his wounds, we are healed. And therefore we praise you, joining with the heavenly chorus, with prophets, apostles, and martyrs, and with all those in every generation who have looked to you in hope, to proclaim with them your glory, in their unending hymn:
Celebrant and People Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest. The Celebrant continues And so, Father, we who have been redeemed by him, and made a new people by water and the Spirit, now bring before you these gifts. Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord.
On the night he was betrayed he took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to his friends, 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, gave thanks, 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."
Remembering now his work of redemption, and offering to you this sacrifice of thanksgiving,
We celebrate his death and resurrection, as we await the day of his coming. Lord God of our Fathers: God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: Open our eyes to see your hand at work in the world about us. Deliver us from the presumption of coming to this Table for solace only, and not for strength; for pardon only, and not for renewal. Let the grace of this Holy Communion make us one body, one spirit in Christ, that we may worthily serve the world in his name.
Risen Lord, be known to us in the breaking of the Bread. Accept these prayers and praises, Father, through Jesus Christ our great High Priest, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, your Church gives honor, glory, and worship, from generation to generation.
Amen. The Lord's Prayer Fraction Anthem Prayer of Spiritual Communion Presider: Since now we are apart, let us pray:
In union, O Lord, with your faithful people at every altar of your Church, where the Holy Eucharist is now being celebrated, I desire to offer to you praise and thanksgiving. Since I cannot receive you today in the Sacrament of your Body and Blood, I beseech you to come spiritually into my heart. Cleanse and strengthen me with your grace, Lord Jesus, and let me never be separated from you. May I live in you, and you in me, in this life and in the life to come. Amen. Communion Hymn Post Communion Prayer Presider: Let us pray.
Eternal God, you have graciously accepted us as living members of 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 Savior. Amen. The Blessing Closing Hymn: H-527 -
Singing songs of expectation Dismissal Postlude: O God in heaven, we praise thee by Joh. Sebastian Bach
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Today, we especially remember Joan Allen, departed this life, and her family and friends. Celebrant and Preacher | The Reverend Dr. Jennifer Reece |
Musician | Daniel Pyle |
Psalmist | Dave Cuthbertson |
Reader #1 | Sue Olson |
Reader #2 | Liz McMullan |
Prayer Leader | Pat and Roger Samuel |
Video Technicians | Roger Samuel, Jim Vallette |