The Holy Eucharist Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Labour Day, Season of Creation) September 1, 2024 @ 10:00 a.m. St. Paul’s Parish

 
The Holy Eucharist
Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Labour Day, Season of Creation)
September 1, 2024 @ 10:00 a.m.
St. Paul’s Parish
 
Prelude: Adagio John Bennett; Pastorale Charles Wesley; In Green Pastures Harold Darke
 
The Gathering of the Community
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with you all.
And also with you.
 
Almighty God,
to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hidden. 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.
 
For Labour Day
‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ Matt 11:28-30
The Lord is our light and our life:
O come, let us worship.
 
355 All Creatures of Our God and King (v. 1-4, 7)
 
The Collect of the Day
Let us pray.
Author and Giver of all good things, graft in our hearts the love of your name, increase in us true religion, nourish us in all goodness, and of your great mercy keep us in the same; 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: James 1:17-27
A Reading From The Letter Of James
Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. In fulfilment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures. You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God's righteousness. Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act - they will be blessed in their doing. If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church
Thanks be to God.
 
Psalm 45:1-2, 7-10
My heart is stirring with a noble song; let me recite what I have fashioned for the king; my tongue shall be the pen of a skilled writer. You are the fairest of men; grace flows from your lips, because God has blessed you for ever.
God has blessed you for ever.
Your throne, O God, endures for ever and ever, a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of your kingdom; you love righteousness and hate iniquity. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.
God has blessed you for ever.
All your garments are fragrant with myrrh, aloes, and cassia, and the music of strings from ivory palaces makes you glad. Kings' daughters stand among the ladies of the court; on your right hand is the queen, adorned with the gold of Ophir.
God has blessed you for ever.
 
439 Blest Are the Pure in Heart
 
The Gospel: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to Mark.
Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?" He said to them, "Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honours me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.' You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition." Then he called the crowd again and said to them, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile. For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person." 
The Gospel of Christ.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
 
Sermon:
 
610 Before I Take the Body of My Lord
 
An Affirmation of Faith (Colossians 3.10-16)
We affirm our faith in a compassionate God,
We clothe ourselves with the new self, according to the image of God our creator. We clothe ourselves without distinction of race, Creed or colour, we are one humanity; but Christ is all and in all! We clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 
 
We clothe ourselves with forgiveness; just as the Lord has forgiven us, so we also will forgive. We clothe ourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. We clothe ourselves with the peace of Christ in our hearts. We clothe ourselves with gratitude for all wisdom and praise. Amen.
 
The Prayers of the People (Scottish Eco-congregation 2018 adapted)
God of all hopefulness, we bring before you our concerns for the world and all the people. Gracious God, we turn to you,
For you are the source of our hope and the
creator of all that is.
 
We pray for parents around the world who reach out in hope for their children. We pray for justice: when they struggle to provide food for their families; when they cannot find a place to make a home for their children. Gracious God, we turn to you,
For you are the source of our hope and the
creator of all that is.
 
We pray for those who find themselves on the margins of society. We pray for justice: that they might confront centres of power with the experience of life on the margins; that they might be allowed to contribute to the welfare of society; that we may all be enriched by the insights and wisdom they bring to our communities. Gracious God, we turn to you,
For you are the source of our hope and the
creator of all that is.
 
We pray for our common home and all who seek to ensure its wellbeing. We pray for justice: that all nations of the world will work together for the common good of each person and our planet; that conservation will enable habitats to flourish while meeting the needs of local communities; that we each understand the impact we have upon the earth and adjust our lifestyle accordingly. Gracious God, we turn to you,
For you are the source of our hope and the
creator of all that is.
 
We pray for ourselves, disturb us and disquiet us with a passion for justice. Challenge us to grasp a vision of your new world and motivate us to act to birth it into being. Enable us to encourage the gift of hope, so others are empowered to continue the journey of faith. Gracious God, we turn to you,
For you are the source of our hope and the
creator of all that is.
 
We pray for all schools, colleges, and universities, that they may be lively centres for sound learning, new discovery, and the pursuit of wisdom; and grant that those who teach and those who learn, and all support staff may find you to be the source of all truth. Gracious God, we turn to you,
For you are the source of our hope and the
creator of all that is.
 
We pray for your guidance in all our labours: you have so linked our lives one with another that all we do affects all others; guide us in the work we do, so that we may do it for the common good; and as we seek a proper return for our own labor, make us mindful of the rightful aspirations of all workers. We pray for all who labour and for all who employ, and for fairness, safety and justice in the economy of our world. Gracious God, we turn to you,
For you are the source of our hope and the
creator of all that is.
 
We pray for all who are sick or in any need, remembering especially those we know who are ill at home or in the hospital,
-
… and others we may name out loud or in our hearts…
-
…that they may know your presence and healing power. Gracious God, we turn to you,
For you are the source of our hope and the
creator of all that is.
 
We pray for all who have died in the peace of Christ and whose faith is known to you alone, especially…
-
And for those who mourn. Gracious God, we turn to you,
For you are the source of our hope and the
creator of all that is.
 
God, Creator of our common home, your boundless love includes everyone. Open our hearts and minds to your generous will that we may proclaim Christ’s love and justice through words and actions. May we serve the needs of our neighbours within the community of all Creation and may justice flow down like rivers. In Christ’s name. Amen.
 
Confession and Absolution
Let us confess our sins, confident in God’s forgiveness.
 
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 neighbours 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.
 
Almighty God have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
 
The Peace
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
 
Announcements
 
PB 269 This Is My Commandment (repeated)
 
The Celebration of the Eucharist
The Prayer over the Gifts
Let us pray,
Merciful God, receive all we offer you this day. Give us grace to love one another that your love may be made perfect in us. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
 
The Great Thanksgiving – 2^nd EP for the Season of Creation
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts
We lift them up unto the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give God thanks and praise.
We thank and praise you almighty Father. In wisdom you guide the course of the world and cherish us with all tender care.
 
We thank you that we can come together around this table in the name of Jesus your Son, the first born of all creation. In him all things were created, visible and invisible, and all things hold together in him.
 
We thank you that you have sent your Holy Spirit to make of us a new community of faith to serve you within your creation.
 
And now we give you thanks because you have given the earth into our care, and call us to praise you day by day for the marvels of your creation.
 
And so with the wonders of creation and the songs of praise of all your creatures both in heaven and on earth we join in one great act of awe and adoration:
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.
 
God of all creation, send your Spirit upon the goodness of the earth, and upon these gifts of bread and wine, that in them we may recognize and receive the fullness of the Risen Christ: bread broken and wine poured, Body given, and Blood shed.
 
On the night he sat at table with his disciples and with them recalled the wonder of your creation and the wonder of your covenant with your chosen people, He took bread, gave you thanks, blessed it and broke it, saying: Take this all of you and eat it. This is my Body, which will be given up for you.
 
In the same way he took the cup and giving you thanks and praise, He gave the cup to his disciples and said: Take this all of you and drink from it, this is the cup of my Blood, the Blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven. Do this in memory of me.
 
So we proclaim the mystery of faith
Christ has died
Christ is risen
Christ will come again
 
As we remember the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, we celebrate the goodness of the earth, our companionship in this world and the sharing of all skills and arts that enrich our lives. We share the cup of our humanity matured over the unnumbered centuries of the long struggle that has gone into making of this world; our living and dying, our fears and our hopes.
 
Together with those who have drawn sustenance from this soil, those with whom we share it, and those to whom we pass it on, we share this bread and raise this cup in fulfilment of the Lord’s command: through him, with him, in him in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honour is yours, Almighty Father, forever and ever, 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
We break this bread
to share in the body of Christ.
We, being many, are one body,
for we all share in the one bread.
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.
 
Hymns-during-communion
PB 229 Open Our Eyes (repeated)
PB 231 To Bless Your Heart
 
The Sending Forth of the Community
PB 231 To Bless Your Heart
 
Prayer after Communion
Let us pray,
Almighty God, you renew us at your table with the bread of life. May your holy food strengthen us in love and help us to serve you in each other. 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.
 
The Blessing
God the Creator has blessed you with all that you need in this life: Go into the world with courage that you might be the channels through which the Lord can bring relief to others; and the blessing of the Creator God, the Eternal Father, the Risen Son and the Promised Holy Spirit bless you that you might be a blessing to others today and always. Amen.
 
412 O God, Beyond All Face and Form
 
Dismissal
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.