The Holy Eucharist Reign of Christ Sunday November 26, 2023 @ 10:00 a.m.

 
The Holy Eucharist
Reign of Christ Sunday
November 26, 2023 @ 10:00 a.m.
St. Paul’s Parish
 
Preludes: Siciliano John Alcock; Allegro Thomas Arne; Christ, Who is My Life J.G. Walther
 
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.
 
378 Crown Him with Many Crowns
 
The Collect of the Day
Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, our Lord and King, grant that the peoples of the earth, now divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his gentle and loving rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
 
The Proclamation of the Word
Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
A Reading From The Book Of Ezekiel
For thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land. I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice. Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because you pushed with flank and shoulder, and butted at all the weak animals with your horns until you scattered them far and wide, I will save my flock, and they shall no longer be ravaged; and I will judge between sheep and sheep. I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church
Thanks be to God
 
Psalm 100
Refrain We are God's people, the sheep of his pasture.
Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with a
song. R Know this: The Lord himself is God; he himself has made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. R Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise; give thanks to him and call upon his name. R For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his faithfulness endures from age to age. R
 
504 Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us with Your Love
 
Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46
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
Jesus said, "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.' Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?' Then he will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
The Gospel of Christ
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ
 
Sermon
 
Anthem: How Can I Keep From Singing?
Traditional American, arr. Bradley Ellingboe
Kathleen Wiens, oboe
 
Prayers of the People
Let us with confidence present our prayers to the throne of grace, saying, “hear our prayer.”
 
We pray for all those in positions of power, that they may govern with wisdom and integrity, serving the needs of all people. We pray this day for people with HIV/Aids and their caregivers and their families and friends. We give thanks for researchers and all who help the suffering. O God, may your reign come;
Hear our prayer.
We pray for the Church, the sign of your reign, that we may extend a welcome to people of every race and background. We pray this day for peace in our hearts, community and the world, remembering especially all war-torn places on Earth. O God, may your reign come;
Hear our prayer.
We pray for Christians of every denomination, that together we may come to understand the royal priesthood you bestowed on us in baptism. We pray this day for ecumenical cooperation seen in events like the Prince Street Advent series and the Charlottetown Christian Council. O God, may your reign come;
Hear our prayer.
We pray for those whose commitment to truth brings them into conflict with earthly powers, that they may have the courage to endure. We pray this day that the spin-doctors loose their momentum and that the influence of advertisers weakens as we approach the holidays. O God, may your reign come;
Hear our prayer.
We pray for this community of faith, that attentive to your word we may always worship in spirit and in truth. We pray this day for a renewed commitment to showing your transforming love and justice in all that we do. O God, may your reign come;
Hear our prayer.
We pray for everyone who is ill at this time, remembering especially those we know who are ill at home or in the hospital,
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And others we may name out loud or in our hearts…
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… that they may find hope in Christ’s love and forgiveness. O God, may your reign come;
Hear our prayer.
We pray for those who have died in your peace and whose faith is known to you alone, remembering especially,
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… and we hold before you all who mourn and in need of comfort. God of peace.
               Hear our prayer.
Loving God, you have taught us that the power of the heart is greater than the power of wealth and might. Hear us as we pray for the fulfilment of your reign. We ask this through Jesus Christ our King; to him be glory and power for ever. Amen.
 
Confession and Absolution
Dear friends in Christ, God is steadfast in love and infinite in mercy; welcoming sinners and invites us to this 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.
 
PB 197 I Will Enter His Gates
 
The Celebration of the Eucharist
Prayer Over the Gifts
Let us pray,
Eternal God, by your grace you have raised us up and enthroned us with Christ in the heavenly realms. Receive all we offer you this day, and lead us in those good works for which you have created us. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.
 
Eucharistic Prayer 3
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.
Blessed are you, gracious God, creator of heaven and earth; we give you thanks and praise through Jesus Christ our Lord. You exalted him as Lord of all creation that he might present to you an eternal and universal kingdom: a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love, and peace.
 
Therefore at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow as heaven and earth proclaim the glory of your name.
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, Lord our God, for the goodness and love you have made known to us in creation; in calling Israel to be your people; in your Word spoken through the prophets; and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus your Son. For in these last days you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the Saviour and Redeemer of the world. In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you. In him, you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life.
 
On the night he was handed over to suffering and death, a death he freely accepted, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, 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; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, 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.”
 
Therefore, Father, according to his command,
we remember his death,
we proclaim his resurrection,
we await his coming in glory;
 
and we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, Lord of all; presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and this wine.
 
We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts, that they may be the sacrament of the body of Christ and his blood of the new covenant. Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we, made acceptable in him, may be sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
 
In the fullness of time, reconcile all things in Christ, and make them new, and bring us to that city of light where you dwell with all your sons and daughters; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation, the head of the Church, and the author of our salvation;
 
by whom, and with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory are yours, almighty Father, now and for 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
“I am the bread which has come down from
heaven,” says the Lord.
Give us this bread for ever.
 “I am the vine, you are the branches.”
May we dwell in him, as he lives in us.
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.
 
85 Shepherd of Souls, Refresh and Bless
PB 222 Communion Song (verses 1 – 3)
 
The Sending Forth
PB 222 Communion Song (verses 1 and 2)
 
Prayer After Communion
Let us pray,
Almighty God, you have made us a royal priesthood in the kingdom of your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Make known his victory through us, we pray, that all the world may see his light. We ask this 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
O God, in Jesus Christ we celebrate your power at work.
You raised him from the dead to rule with you forevermore.
Enlighten the eyes of our hearts,
that we may see the hope
to which Christ calls us,
And, may the blessing of God almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always. Amen.
 
What Does the Lord Require?
To commemorate the 250^th of St. Paul’s, Charlottetown, PEI
 
The Scattering
Go forth in the name of Christ.
Thanks be to God.