9/28/23

The Holy Eucharist Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost October 1, 2023 @ 10:00 a.m.

 
The Holy Eucharist
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
October 1, 2023 @ 10:00 a.m.
St. Paul’s Parish
The Season of Creation 2023
"Let Justice and Peace Flow"
 
Preludes: Largo G.F. Handel; A Scottish Magnificat Christopher Tambling
 
The Gathering of the Community
The heavens declare the glory of God.
The firmament proclaims God’s handiwork.
The plants and trees show God’s presence.
Let us join with creation in praising God.
 
God of all creation,
who moves and inspires us through every time and season,
we bless you and praise you for the gift of life in your good, created world.
 
Grant us grace and humility to so order our lives
that we may honour you among all peoples and nations,
create wholesome and right companionship with our fellow living creatures,
and work for the healing of this world that you created.
 
Teach us to see and hear your power in the winds and waves, mountains and valleys
 so that we may glorify your goodness to us and live rightly in your creation.
We pray to you through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with You and the Spirit,
Three in One, One in Three, now and forever. Amen.
 
412 O God, Beyond All Face and Form
 
The Collect of the Day
Let us pray,
Grant, O merciful God, that your Church, being gathered by your Holy Spirit into one, 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, now and for ever. Amen.
 
The Proclamation of the Word
Reading: Philippians 2:1-13
A Reading From The Letter Of Paul To The Philippians
If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death - even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church
Thanks be to God
 
179 Tree of Life and Awesome Mystery
 
The Gospel: Matthew 21:23-32
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
When Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?" Jesus said to them, "I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?" And they argued with one another, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?' But if we say, 'Of human origin,' we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet." So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things. What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' He answered, 'I will not'; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, 'I go, sir'; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him."
The Gospel of Christ.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
 
Sermon
 
An Act of Commitment for the Care of Creation
As the whole of creation looks with eager longing for the redemption of humankind, let us pledge ourselves anew to serve our Creator God, the One who is the maker of all things,
the Saviour through whom all things are made, and the Holy Spirit,
the giver of life, who renews the face of the earth.
 
Let us affirm our commitment to care actively for God’s creation.
Lord of life and giver of hope,
we pledge ourselves to care for creation,
to reduce our waste,
to live sustainably,
and to value the rich diversity of life.
May your wisdom guide us,
that life in all its forms may flourish,
and may be faithful in voicing creation’s praise.
May the commitment we have made this day
be matched by our faithful living. Amen.
 
Prayers of the People
Creator God, teach us to see you in the beauty of the universe, for all things speak of you. Awaken our praise and thankfulness for everything that you have made. Give us the grace to perceive that we are connected to everything that is. In gratitude let us pray to the Lord
We give you thanks, O God.
God whom we love, we are here with open and humble hearts. In our imagination, allow us to see and hear and feel the beautiful expressions of the earth, that speak to each of us - mountains, rivers, prairie, oceans, islands, forest, meadows, trees, flowers.
… we pray for the church, that we will strive for truth and reconciliation with Indigenous people
In gratitude let us pray to the Lord
We give you thanks, O God.
God of love, show us our place in this world, as kin to all the non-human creatures with whom we share the earth. They came forth from your hand; they are yours, filled with your presence and your tender love, and not one of them is forgotten in your sight.
… we pray for peace and for those in authority, and for all those who are anxious about climate change and for effective policies to combat its effect
In gratitude let us pray to the Lord
We give you thanks, O God.
Saving God, we give thanks for all human beings on the earth, created from dust, yet crowned with glory, those we know and those who are strangers; those near to us and those far away; All of us beautiful, all of us flawed.
… we pray for those who are ill…
-
In gratitude let us pray to the Lord
We give you thanks, O God.
God of abundance, we give thanks for the sun, for water, for soil, for air, on which our lives depend moment by moment. In silence we are aware of our frailty, our complete dependence on our beloved Mother Earth who nurtures us and sustains our every breath.
… we pray for those who mourn and those who have died…
-
In gratitude let us pray to the Lord
We give you thanks, O God
Creator God, we enjoy the abundant fruits of the earth, yet, we acknowledge that we in the developed world, have often wasted the gifts of the earth, taking more than our share, leaving other people in other places in poverty and need. Renew our minds and transform us into servants of the earth, so that her richness and bounty will sustain, not only us, but generations to come after us.
… we pray for a deeper understanding of the challenges facing the poor and neglected people all around us and that we may be generous in finding dignified and positive solutions
In gratitude let us pray to the Lord
We give you thanks, O God.
 
Confession and Absolution
All creation invites us to join our voices in praise to God.
Trusting in God’s mercy and grace,
let us confess our sin to God and to one another.
 
Generous God,
you created us and placed us here to care for all of creation.
Forgive us for turning away from you
and for neglecting the earth.
Raise us up and make us again stewards of your creation
that we may see your presence in all that surrounds us;
through Christ we pray. Amen.
 
Hear and receive this good news to all who long to see and encounter Christ. Today, salvation comes to you and the land beneath your feet. Know that we are forgiven and are free to live in peace with one another and with the earth. Amen.
 
Peace and Peacemaking
You shall go out in joy and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. (Isa 55:12)
 
The Peace of our God, in Jesus be with us all.
With each other, with us all, and with all creation. Amen.
 
Announcements
 
PB 55 There’s a River of Life (repeat 2x)
 
The Holy Eucharist
Prayer over the Gifts
Let us pray,
Bless these gifts and our lives, O God, that we may share both food and faith with all people and all creation. With our own hunger, feed the hungry; with our doubt, inspire our faith; and with our voice, we join other voices, demanding justice, here and everywhere, now and always.  Amen.
 
The Eucharistic Prayer for Season of Creation
May God be with you
And also with you
Lift up your hearts
We lift them up
Let us give thanks to God our Creator
It is right to give our thanks and praise
 
It is right in all times and in all places to thank and praise you Creator of all. We praise you here, on this green and red island, nestled in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, where city and farm, wilderness and industry are side by side. We praise you at a time when the body of earth is broken again and again.
 
We give thanks for our place in the story of salvation. Our ancestors journeyed with you in creation and migration. They depended on the land, were displaced from the land and displaced others from their lands. They knew you in tents and cities, on mountains and by wells, in families and in dreams, and through wilderness prophets who spoke of cedars and listened to ravens.
 
Together with angels and ancestors, eagle and fox, lobster and sheep, oak trees and the Lady Slipper, we join our voices with all creation in this ancient honour song:
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.
 
We give thanks to you for Jesus, whose first bed was a feed trough. He was baptized in the Jordan, tested in the wilderness, he traveled in fishing boats and told parables of farmers and seeds, labour and wages, yeast and bread.
 
On the night before he died, Jesus took bread, food of the poor, the work of field and hearth, he gave thanks, broke it and gave it to his friends saying: Take and eat, this is my body, given for you, do this to remember me.
 
Again after supper he took the cup of wine, fruit of the land, gave thanks and gave it to his friends saying: This is my blood, which is shed for you. When you do this, do it in memory of me.
 
Remembering Jesus’ life, death and resurrection and awaiting his coming kingdom, we offer you this bread and this cup.
 
Creator, send your Spirit on these gifts so that we know Jesus in them and are gathered together with everyone who shares this sacred meal of justice and community.
 
Fill us with the courage and love of Jesus, that we may strive for justice and peace, respect the dignity of every human being, and safeguard the integrity of creation.
 
Bring us with all your saints to your commonwealth of sparrow and lily, child and beggar which is both now and yet to come.
 
All honour and glory are yours, Creator, Christ and Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
 
The Lord’s Prayer
As our Saviour taught us, let us pray,
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen.
 
The Breaking of the Bread
Today, Christ meets us at the table.
Today, salvation comes to everyone, everywhere.
These are the gifts of God for the people of God.
Thanks be to God
 
Lamb of God
Lamb of God you take away the sin of the world
               have mercy on us.
Lamb of God you take away the sin of the world
               have mercy on us.
Lamb of God you take away the sin of the world
                              grant us your peace.
 
Communion
 
Hymns-during-communion
PB 121 We Remember You (repeat 3x)
PB135 Gathered in His Name (repeat)
 
The Sending forth of the Community
PB 135 Gathered in His Name 
 
Prayer after Communion
Let us pray,
Father in heaven, strengthen the unity of your Church, so that we who have been fed with holy things may fulfil your will in the world. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
 
The doxology
Glory to God,
whose power, working in us,
can do infinitely more
than we can ask or imagine.
Glory to God from generation to generation,
in the Church and in Christ Jesus,
for ever and ever. Amen.
 
Blessing
Be encouraged in Christ, to be a people of love,
sharing in the Spirit, with compassion, sympathy, and joy.
And may the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always. Amen.
 
386 When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
 
Scattering
Go in peace, and may the commitment we have made this day
be matched by our faithful living.
Thanks be to God.

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