The Holy Eucharist – the Feast of the Creator
Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
August 31, 2025 @ 10:00 a.m.
St. Paul’s Parish
Prelude: God’s Time Is the Best J.S.
Bach; Voluntary in D Major John Alcock; Soul, Adorn Thyself with
Gladness Johannes Brahms
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.
631 The Kingdom
of God is Justice and Joy
The Collect of the Day
Let us pray.
Grant us,
O God, the courage to choose Jesus’ way even at great cost, bearing our cross
and releasing our possessions, for the liberation and healing of your world;
through Jesus Christ the Wisdom of Creation, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.
The Proclamation of the Word
Reading:
Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
A
Reading From The Letter To The Hebrews
Let
mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by
doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those who
are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being
tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured. Let marriage be held in
honour by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge
fornicators and adulterers. Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be
content with what you have; for he has said, "I will never leave you or
forsake you." So we can say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper;
I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?" Remember your leaders,
those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of
life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and
forever. Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to
God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. Do not neglect to do good
and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
For
the Word of God in scripture, among us and with us.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm
81:1, 10-16
Sing
with joy to God our strength and raise a loud shout to the God of Jacob. I am
the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and said,
"Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it."
Sing with joy to God our strength.
And
yet my people did not hear my voice, and Israel would not obey me. So I gave
them over to the stubbornness of their hearts, to follow their own devices.
Sing with joy to God our strength.
Oh,
that my people would listen to me! that Israel would walk in my ways! I should
soon subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes.
Sing with joy to God our strength.
Those
who hate the Lord would cringe before him, and their punishment would last for
ever. But Israel would I feed with the finest wheat and satisfy him with honey
from the rock.
Sing with joy to God our strength.
585 Lord, Whose
Love in Humble Service
The Gospel:
Luke 14:1, 7-14
The Lord be with you.
And also
with you.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to Luke.
Glory to
you, Lord Jesus Christ.
On one occasion when Jesus was going to
the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were
watching him closely. When he noticed how the guests chose the places of
honour, he told them a parable. "When you are invited by someone to a
wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honour, in case someone more
distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited
both of you may come and say to you, 'Give this person your place,' and then in
disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go
and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to
you, 'Friend, move up higher'; then you will be honoured in the presence of all
who sit at the table with you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled,
and those who humble themselves will be exalted." He said also to the one
who had invited him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite
your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbours, in case
they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a
banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will
be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the
resurrection of the righteous."
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
God
of all hopefulness, we bring before you our concerns for the world and all the
people, saying, “hear our prayer.”
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. God of love,
Hear our prayer.
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. God of love,
Hear our prayer.
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. God of love,
Hear our prayer.
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. God of love,
Hear our prayer.
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. God
of love,
Hear our prayer.
We pray for your guidance in all our labours:
We pray for all who labour and for all who employ, and for fairness, safety and
justice in the economy of our world. God of love,
Hear our prayer.
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. God of love,
Hear our prayer.
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. God of love,
Hear our prayer.
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
Dear friends in Christ, God is steadfast in
love and infinite in mercy; he welcomes sinners and invites them to his table.
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
Mine
Eyes Have Seen the Glory
The Celebration of the Eucharist
The Prayer over the Gifts
Let us pray,
God of
glory, receive all we offer this day as a symbol of our love, and increase in
us that true and perfect gift. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Great Thanksgiving – Eucharistic
Prayer 4
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 our thanks and praise.
It is right to give you thanks and praise, O
Lord, our God, sustainer 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.
Glory to
you for ever and ever.
From the primal elements you brought forth the
human race, and blessed us with memory, reason, and skill; you made us the
stewards of creation.
Glory to
you for ever and ever.
But we turn against you, and betray your
trust; and we turn against one another. Again and again you call us to return.
Through the prophets and sages you reveal your righteous law. In the fullness
of time you sent your Son, born of a woman, to be our Saviour. He was wounded
for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities. By his death he opened
to us the way of freedom and peace.
Glory to
you for ever and ever.
Therefore we praise you, joining with the
heavenly chorus, with prophets, apostles, and martyrs, and with those in every
generation who have looked to you in hope, to proclaim with them your glory, in
their unending hymn:
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.
Blessed are you, Lord our God, for sending us
Jesus, the Christ, who on the night he was handed over to suffering and death,
took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread, gave it to his friends, and
said, “Take this, and eat it: this is my body which is given for you. Do this
for the remembrance of me.”
In the same way, after supper, he took the cup
of wine; he gave you 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.”
Glory to
you for ever and ever.
Gracious God, we recall the death of your Son
Jesus Christ, we proclaim his resurrection and ascension, and we look with
expectation for his coming as Lord of all the nations. We who have been
redeemed by him, and made a new people by water and the Spirit, now bring you
these gifts. Send your Holy Spirit upon us and upon this offering of your
Church, that we who eat and drink at this holy table may share the divine life
of Christ our Lord.
Glory to
you for ever and ever.
Pour out your Spirit upon the whole earth and
make it your new creation. Gather your Church together from the ends of the
earth into your kingdom, where peace and justice are revealed, that we, with
all your people, of every language, race, and nation, may share the banquet you
have promised;
through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ,
all honour and glory are yours, creator of all.
Glory to
you for ever 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 180 Free Us
(repeated)
SNC 104 Love
the Lord Your God (repeated)
The Sending Forth of the Community
SNC 104 Love
the Lord Your God
Prayer after Communion
Let us pray,
Living
God, increase in us the healing power of your love. Guide and direct us that we
may please you in all things, for the sake 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
Go forth into the world in peace;
be of good courage;
hold fast that which is good;
render to no one evil for evil;
strengthen the fainthearted;
support the weak;
help the afflicted;
honour everyone;
love and serve the Lord,
rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit;
and the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always. Amen.
572 Let There Be
Light
Dismissal
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be
to God.
