The Holy Eucharist Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Season of Creation) September 8, 2024 @ 10:00 a.m. St. Paul’s Parish

 
The Holy Eucharist
Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Season of Creation)
September 8, 2024 @ 10:00 a.m.
St. Paul’s Parish
 
Prelude: Fantasia Johann Pachelbel; Siciliano John Stanley; Jesu, Joy J.S. Bach
 
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 the Church
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. (1 Cor. 12: 12-13)
The Lord is our light and our life:
O come, let us worship.
 
306 O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing
 
The Collect of the Day
Let us pray.
Stir up, O Lord, the wills of your faithful people, that richly bearing the fruit of good works, we may by you be richly rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
 
The Proclamation of the Word
Reading: Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23
A Reading From The Book Of Proverbs
A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favour is better than silver or gold. The rich and the poor have this in common: the Lord is the maker of them all. Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity, and the rod of anger will fail. Those who are generous are blessed, for they share their bread with the poor. Do not rob the poor because they are poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate; for the Lord pleads their cause and despoils of life those who despoil them.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church
Thanks be to God.
 
Psalm 125
Refrain: Those who trust in the Lord stand fast for ever.
Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but stands fast for ever. The hills stand about Jerusalem; so does the Lord stand round about his people, from this time forth for evermore. R
The sceptre of the wicked shall not hold sway over the land allotted to the just, so that the just shall not put their hands to evil. R
Show your goodness, O Lord, to those who are good and to those who are true of heart. As for those who turn aside to crooked ways, the Lord will lead them away with the evildoers; but peace be upon Israel. R
 
613 We Lay Our Broken World
 
The Gospel: Mark 7:24-37
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.
Jesus set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." But she answered him, "Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." Then he said to her, "For saying that, you may go the demon has left your daughter." So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, "He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."
The Gospel of Christ.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
 
Sermon:
 
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 who shape public policies affecting the planet and its creatures, that they may consider wisely the well-being of all those living and those who come after us. We pray for all those who are threatened by fire, flood, earthquakes, war and pandemic, that you will keep them safe and give them hope. 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.
 
Creator, you made the world and declared it to be good: The beauty of the trees, the softness of the air, the fragrance of the grass speaks to us. The summit of the mountains, the thunder of the sky, the rhythm of the lakes speaks to us. The faintness of the stars, the freshness of the morning, the dewdrops on the flower speak to us. But above all, our heart soars for you speak to us in your Son, Jesus Christ, in whose name we offer these prayers. 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
 
The Birthday Song
 
414 God of the Sparrow
 
The Celebration of the Eucharist
The Prayer over the Gifts
Let us pray,
Great and holy God, accept our offering of labour and love. May we bring you true and spiritual worship and be one with you. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the 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
As the grain once scattered in the fields
and the grapes once dispersed on the hillside
and now reunited on this table in bread and wine;
So, Lord may your whole Church
be gathered together
from the corners of the earth.
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
73 One Bread, One Body, One Lord of All
PB 43 Commune with Me (verses 1,2,3)
 
The Sending Forth of the Community
PB 43 Commune with Me (verses 1)
 
Prayer after Communion
Let us pray,
Father, your word and sacrament give us food and life. May we who have shared in holy things bear fruit to your honour and glory, in the name of Jesus Christ the 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
Go out into the world rejoicing, and encounter the Creator who waits to meet you there; Rejoice in its richness and diversity and live as those who praise God for its bounty; 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.
 
423 How Great Thou Art
 
Dismissal
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.