Celtic Evening Prayer and Communion Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Proper 17 September 2, 2018, at Half-Past Five o clock in the Evening Welcome. We are aware that many who attend this service come from other churches and faith traditions, and we are delighted to have many who consider Saint Paul s to be their second church home. The mixture of faith traditions represented at this service makes up a community we especially cherish. We are glad you are here. Prelude In order to prepare for worship and allow for private prayer, we ask that silence be observed upon entering and that you turn off cell phones. At the sound of the bell, all stand. Opening Lord Jesus, as God s Spirit came down and rested upon you, May the same Spirit rest on us, Bestowing his sevenfold gifts. First, grant us the gift of understanding, By which your precepts may enlighten our minds. Second, grant us counsel, by which we may follow in your footsteps on the path of righteousness. Third, grant us courage, by which we may ward off the enemy s attacks. Fourth, grant us knowledge, by which we can distinguish good from evil. Fifth, grant us piety, by which we may acquire compassionate hearts. Sixth, grant us fear, by which we may draw back from evil and submit to what is good. Seventh, grant us wisdom, that we may taste fully the life-giving sweetness of your love.
Prayer for the Evening Creator God who breathed this world into being, who is discernible within the harmony of nature, the perfection of a butterfly s wing, the grandeur of a mountain range, the soaring eagle and humming bird, thank you for this world which you have created. Thank you for summer sun, which reminds us that your creative breath is still alive and active. Thank you for the warmth of your love, sustaining this world, your garden. grant to us light. grant to us peace. grant to us rest. grant to us grace. grant to us joy. Amen. Please be seated. A period of silence is observed. The Holy Gospel Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 Reader A reading from the Gospel according to Mark. When the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, 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 honors 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. these evil things come from within, and they defile a person. Reader May your Spirit light up your Word and illumine our hearts, O Lord. Thanks be to God. A period of silence is observed after the reading. Reflection The Reverend John Jenkins A period of silence is observed. Music for Meditation Prayers for Ourselves, Others, and the World Please stand. Let us pray for the Church and the world. Father It s that picture of God the Father as potter Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are the work of your hand. May we, through your creative power, demonstrate our true potential. It s that picture of a father welcoming home the prodigal son, arms open wide ready to accept, embrace and enfold. May we know the warmth and abiding love of your embrace. It s that picture of Jesus standing in the river, as God announces to the universe that This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. May we understand our own worth, and that of our neighbor in your eyes. It s that picture of Jesus walking to a lonely place to be quiet and be at one with His Heavenly Father. May we find place in our lives to be quiet, to be close to you. It s that picture of God s own Son in the Garden of Gethsemene showing perfect obedience: Yet not as I will, but as you will. Grant us the strength to be obedient to your will, even when it hurts. Son Lord Jesus, Son of God, Saviour of the world, Lord Jesus, Light in this dark World, illuminate our hearts and minds; Lord Jesus, Bread of Life, feed us in those times of emptiness and hunger;
Lord Jesus, Water of Life, flow through our hearts and into our lives; Lord Jesus, may ours be fruitful lives as branches and shoots of the one True Vine; Lord Jesus, Servant King, may we understand the true meaning of service; Lord Jesus, for whom death could claim no victory, May we live in the knowledge and assurance of Your Resurrection. Spirit Holy Spirit, giver of life, creative breath of God through whom this world was breathed into existence and is sustained, Spirit of Truth and Wisdom through ages past and present who guides God s people into all Truth, Holy Spirit, Counsellor, sent by the Father, convicting, comforting, guiding and reassuring, Holy Spirit, enabler of your servants and prophets through the ages, source of authority, wisdom and power, Holy Spirit, indwelling presence of God, empowering the lives of the apostles at Pentecost and the Church today, Let us now name before God those for whom we offer our personal prayers, either silently or aloud. Add your intercessions silently or aloud. Lord, you have called us to serve you. Grant that we may walk in your presence: your love in our hearts, your truth in our minds, your strength in our wills, until, at the end of our journey, we know the joy of our homecoming and the welcome of your embrace, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Healing Service Almighty God, who inspired your servant Luke the physician to set forth in the Gospel the love and healing power of your Son: Graciously continue in your Church this love and power to heal, to the praise and glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. are invited to come forward to receive the laying on of hands and anointing with oil in prayer for healing for yourself, for others, for our world. Additional Prayers of Intercession and Thanksgiving Please sit. During the instrumental music and anytime hereafter, you may come forward to light votives as a symbol of your prayers. After lighting a votive, please fully extinguish the lit taper and return it to the holder. Music for Meditation The Grace Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen. The Peace Christ, the Good Shepherd, bind us with a bond of love that cannot be broken. My sisters and brothers, the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. And also with you. greet one another in the name of the Lord. Welcome and Announcements The Reverend John Jenkins The Holy Communion The alms basin is not passed at this service, but stands in front of the Baptismal Font. The Offertory Music Eucharistic Prayer stand. We are the body of Christ. His Spirit is with us. Let us lift up our 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. Indeed thanks and praise erupt from our lips, O Lord, for you pour out your Spirit upon us, arousing us with visions and dreams and intoxicating us with an uncontainable fervor to proclaim your truth in the language of praise. things were created when you sent forth your Spirit and filled the earth with your wonders. You breathed into us and we rose from the dust. The face of the earth came alive. In these last days your son, Jesus Christ, came among us. Speaking your words and doing your works, he revealed the truth of who you are. Crucified by those who would usurp your name, he was raised to glory by your life-giving power. Having secured our adoption as your children and commissioned us to continue his works, he poured out your Holy Spirit on us, setting our hearts ablaze with a passion for peace, and firing our tongues with everlasting songs of joy. Therefore with all the saints and every creature in heaven and earth we praise you, saying: 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. Holy indeed are you, O God, and holy is your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who on the night he was betrayed to his death, took bread, and after thanking you (as even now we thank you, O God, for this bread), he broke it, and gave it to his disciples saying, Take, eat. This is my body, given for you. After the meal was done, Jesus took the cup, the cup of blessing, and after giving you thanks and praise, passed it to his disciples, saying, Take and drink, all of you. This is my blood, the blood of a new covenant for the forgiveness of sin, poured out for many. As oft as you do this, do it in remembrance of me. Loving God, we rejoice in the gift of your grace, remembering Christ s life and death, proclaiming his resurrection, waiting in hope for his coming again. Grant that, in prayer and thanksgiving, we may so offer ourselves to you that our lives may proclaim the mystery of faith. Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. Send O God, your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts, that they may be the body and blood of Christ Jesus for us, and that we may be his people, salt and light to the world. Through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory is yours, God most holy, now and forever. Amen. Because you are one with us, O Christ, make us one with you as we pray the prayer you taught us. The Lord s Prayer Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Breaking of the Bread The Invitation to the Lord s Table A period of silence is observed when the bread is broken. This is the table, not of the Church, but of the Lord. It is made ready for those who love him and for those who want to love him more. So, come, you who have much faith and you who have little, you who have been here often and you who have not been here long, you who have tried to follow and you who have failed. Come, because it is the Lord who invites you. It is his will that those who want him should meet him here. You are welcome to be seated until you come forward to receive. When you receive the consecrated bread, you may consume it and then move to one of the cups of consecrated wine. Music during Communion After Communion Please stand or kneel. Let us pray. God of abundance, you have fed us with the bread of life and cup of salvation; you have united us with Christ and one another; and you have made us one with all your people in heaven and on earth. Now send us forth in the power of your Spirit, that we may proclaim your redeeming love to the world and continue for ever in the risen life of Christ our Savior. Amen. The Blessing The blessing of God and the Son be yours, The blessing of the perfect Spirit be yours, The blessing of the Three be pouring for you, Mildly and generously, Hour by hour, More and more, And for ever. Amen. The Dismissal Go out into the world in peace, have courage, hold on to what is good, return no one evil for evil, strengthen the faint-hearted, support the weak, help the suffering, honor everyone, love and serve God, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit. Thanks be to God. Music for Meditation Please feel free to sit or depart, as you wish, during the closing music.
Welcome To Saint Paul s Church We are glad you are here. No matter who you are, no matter where you come from, and no matter where you are on the journey of life you are welcome in this church. We invite you to participate in our worship service, or simply observe, as you wish. We invite you to share your contact information on a visitor s card, located in each pew. Hand it to one of our clergy, an usher, or place it in the offering plate. Come and See Thursday, September 6 at 6 PM In 2018 we celebrate the 100th anniversary of our present building. To prepare ourselves for our contemporary and forward moving mission we have work to do. As we seek to serve the work of the Gospel there are improvements we need to make to bring our old and beautiful space up to contemporary standards. As Saint Paul s Church rose from the ashes of the 1916 fire we now build on that foundation to be ready for the new life that is before us. On Thursday, September 6, at 6:00 pm, all parishioners and friends of Saint Paul s Church are invited to an open house with heavy hors d oeuvres and refreshments and opportunity to learn more about what lies before us. The event will begin in the church and continue throughout all our buildings and grounds. Plan to be here! Parish Announcements 1st SUNDAY OFFERING Your generous non-pledged offerings (cash and designated checks) on the first Sunday each month support our clergy s Discretionary Account. Frs. Muir and Jenkins use these funds to meet urgent needs within our community, to further the ministries of the church when other funds are not available, and to support community programs and institutions that serve those in need. The Parish Office will be closed Monday, September 3, in observance of Labor Day. New to the Saint Paul s community? Get your questions answered and meet some of our staff and parish leaders in an informal gathering in the parlor 10 am, Sunday, September 9, or join us prior to our next fellowship dinner, Wednesday, September 19, 5:30 pm. RSVP to Elisabeth in the Parish Office at mailbox@saintpauls.org. Fall Formation for all ages begins Sunday, September 9, 9:30-10:30 am. More details to follow. Save the date for these two outreach opportunities Manna Pantry, Friday, September 14, 5 pm and Saturday, September 15, 9:30 am, & Veterans Ice Cream Social, Sunday September 16, 2:15 pm. Details in Friday s Weekly Postings. Mark your calendar for these two fellowship opportunities Wednesday Night Dinner, Wednesday, September 19, 6-7 pm, (please note the third Wednesday date moving forward) and our Southern Low- Country Boil, Sunday, September 16, following the 11 am service. Details to follow. More information about these announcements and other events is available in Friday s Weekly Postings, including registration and contact information. A copy is available on our website or join our email list by signing up on the website, scaning the QR on the back of this bulletin, or contacting the parish administrator, Elisabeth Price at mailbox@saintpauls.org. Visit our website Saint Paul's Church is a member of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia. The Church is open for prayer daily 9 am 3 pm, Monday - Thursday, & 9 am 12 pm, Friday. The Church Office and Parish House are closed Saturdays as well as Sunday afternoons. www.saintpauls.org Tel: 706-724-2485 Join Our E-mail List