Saint Stephen s Episcopal Church

Transcription

1 Saint Stephen s Episcopal Church 228 Halifax Street, Petersburg, VA Organized in 1867 Dedicated on June 2, 1918 The Reverend Father Willis R. Foster, Sr., Rector John Thompson, Verger CHURCH SERVICES 8:00 A.M Sunday Holy Eucharist Rite II 9:15 A.M. Sunday Christian Education 10:30A.M. Sunday Holy Eucharist Rite II Office Hours: By Appointment Phone: (804) Fax: (804) ststephensepiscopal@yahoo.com Website: Facebook:

2 Mission Statement: To meet the needs of the Church and Community Vision: We are Stewards of God s Grace Core Values: Actively Engage Clear & Timely Communication Integrity Transparency Trust 2

3 Fourth Sunday after Pentecost June 17, :00* am & 10:30 a.m.: Holy Eucharist Rite II The Prelude Organ All are Welcome Let us build a house where love is found in water, wine and wheat: a banquet hall on holy ground where peace and justice meet. Here the love of God, through Jesus, is revealed in time and space: as we share in Christ the feast that frees us: All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place. The Processional Hymn 524 I love thy kingdom, Lord *The Opening Acclamation Page 355 *The Collect for Purity Page 355 *The Gloria Page 356 Song of Praise LEVAS 245 We Have Come Into This House *The Collect for the Day Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. 3

4 HEARING GOD S WORD * Ezekiel 17:22-24 *J. Bland / M. Wallace Thus says the Lord God: I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of a cedar; I will set it out. I will break off a tender one from the topmost of its young twigs; I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. On the mountain height of Israel I will plant it, in order that it may produce boughs and bear fruit, and become a noble cedar. Under it every kind of bird will live; in the shade of its branches will nest winged creatures of every kind. All the trees of the field shall know that I am the Lord. I bring low the high tree, I make high the low tree; I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. I the Lord have spoken; I will accomplish it. 4

5 *Psalter Psalm 92:1-4, *J.Bland 1 It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord, * and to sing praises to your Name, O Most High; 2 To tell of your loving-kindness early in the morning * and of your faithfulness in the night season; 3 On the psaltery, and on the lyre, * and to the melody of the harp. 4 For you have made me glad by your acts, O Lord; * and I shout for joy because of the works of your hands. 11 The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, * and shall spread abroad like a cedar of Lebanon. 12 Those who are planted in the house of the Lord * shall flourish in the courts of our God; 13 They shall still bear fruit in old age; * they shall be green and succulent; 14 That they may show how upright the Lord is, * my Rock, in whom there is no fault. *2 Corinthians 5:6-17 *C. Dickens / N. Ross We are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord-- for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So 5

6 whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade others; but we ourselves are well known to God, and I hope that we are also well known to your consciences. We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them. From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! The Gradual Hymn 525 The church s one foundation *The Holy Gospel Mark 4:26-34 Jesus said, The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come. 6

7 He also said, With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade. With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples. *The Sermon Fr. Foster *The Nicene Creed Page 358 *Prayers of the People *C. Dickens / N. Ross Priest: Holy God, in whom we find our refuge and our hope, hear us as we offer our prayers on behalf of all that is yours, saying: My heart, therefore, is glad and my spirit rejoices. You have given your people the confidence to come before you through the new and living way that Jesus Christ has opened for us. Grant your church the grace to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together but encouraging one another in Christ. My heart, therefore, is glad and my spirit rejoices. Illumine the minds of the leaders of the world with the wisdom that shines like the brightness of the skies. Help us to remember that the future is in your hands and hidden from human view, that we 7

8 might place our faith less in our clouded understanding than in your divine guidance. My heart, therefore, is glad and my spirit rejoices. In this time of wars and rumors of war, earthquake and famine, and of nation rising against nation, we pray for the welfare of the world and for the faith to see that these troubles are but the birth pangs of your coming kingdom of peace. My heart, therefore, is glad and my spirit rejoices. Put your laws in the hearts of this community and write them on our minds, that we may approach one another with true hearts in full assurance of faith. My heart, therefore, is glad and my spirit rejoices. Protect all who take refuge in you, O God, remembering especially. Help them and all of us, to find and follow your path of life that leads toward fullness of joy. We commend to you those who have departed before us, especially. Help us to remember that in your love, all of us, those here and those gone before us, rest in hope. My heart, therefore, is glad and my spirit rejoices. Priest: Loving God, you have inscribed your holy will upon our hearts and minds: Grant us grace to hold fast to the confession of our hope, without wavering, in the assurance of your faithfulness, through Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen *Confession of Sin Page 360 *The Peace Page 360 8

9 RECEIVING GOD S GRACE *The Offertory *At the Offertory All things come of Thee O Lord and of Thine own have we given Thee. Amen Musical Offertory *The Eucharistic Prayer B Page 367 *Holy, Holy, Holy Page 367 *The Lord s Prayer Page 364 *The Breaking of the Bread Page 364 Communion LEVAS 154 Taste and see *Post Communion Prayer Page 365 Choral Response Be strong in the Lord v.1 Be strong in the Lord, and be of good courage. Your mighty Defender is always the same. Mount up with wings, as the eagle ascending; Vict ry is sure when you call on His name. Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord; And be of good courage, for He is your guide. Be strong, be strong, be strong in the Lord: And rejoice for the vict ry is yours. The Recessional Hymn 588 Faith of our fathers 9

10 *The Dismissal Page 366 The Postlude Organ PRAYER LIST Ernestine Brown Maureen Norman Olivia Theriot Jerome Burns Mina Forte Jeanette Ransom Mildred Townes Mary Cox Annie Henderson Willie Campbell LaVerne Venable Gary Young Benjamin Ford Brandon Seymour Amani Dailey Porcher Taylor George Henderson Eleanor Johnson Helen Pulliam NURSING HOME Mary Cox, Lucy Corr, room Lucy Corr Boulevard, Chesterfield, VA James Lowe, English Meadows, 1140 W. Main St., Rm.39A, Christiansburg, VA Benjamin Ford, Ashland Nursing & Rehab Center, Rm Thompson St., Ashland, VA ST. STEPHEN'S CYCLE OF PRAYERS Phyllis Voorhees Willis & Duanne Foster DIOCESAN CYCLE OF PRAYERS St. Mark s, Suffolk St. Paul s, Suffolk The Most Reverend, Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop 10

11 PARISH NOTES FLORA: Offered by Judy Bland FELLOWSHIP: The ECW NEXT SUNDAY: Job 38:1-11 Psalm 107:1-3, Corinthians 6:1-13 Mark 4:35-41 Today is the last 8:00 service for the summer The ECW s 2018 Women s Day will be held June 24 th. The guest speaker will be the Honorable Rosalyn Dance, Senator for Virginia s 16 th District. The St. Stephen s Men s Club Yard Sale has been rescheduled to Saturday, June 30th 11

12 Vestry Charles Palmer, Sr. Warden Cassandra Coleman, Jr. Warden Joy Chapman C. Martin Cutler, Robin Magee James Norman, Harriet Scruggs, Joyce Small, John Thompson The administration reserves the right to edit all material printed and distributed via the church 12