SAINT THOMAS PARISH EPISCOPAL CHURCH DUPONT CIRCLE Feast of All Saints November 5, 2017 Holy Eucharist
Prelude Clair de Lune Debussy The Liturgy of the Word A Litany of Saints The Congregation is invited to follow the Crucifer in procession during the Litany of Saints. Dear people of God, on this most holy day let us join our voices with that great cloud of witnesses that has gone before. Holy ones present at our beginnings: Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Rachel and Leah, makers of the covenant: Elizabeth and Simeon, Joseph, Monica and Helen, exemplars in the love and care of children: John the baptizer, map-maker of the Lord's coming: Thomas the doubter; Augustine of Canterbury; all travelers who carried the Gospel to distant places: John and Charles Wesley, preachers in the streets; all whose power of speaking gave life to the written word: Peter and Paul apostles; Ambrose of Milan; Hilda, abbess at Whitby; all faithful shepherds of the Master's flock: Luke the physician; Florence Nightingale; Albert Schweitzer; all who brought to the sick and suffering the hands of healing:
Holy ones who made the proclaiming of God's love a work of art: Johann Sebastian Bach; Thomas Tallis; Christina Rossetti; John Coltrane; all who sang the Creator's praises in the language of the soul: Holy ones who died in witness to the Christ: Stephen the deacon, the first martyr, stoned in Jerusalem; Perpetua and Felicity, torn by beasts in the arena at Carthage; Thomas Cranmer, Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley, burned in Oxford: Maximilian Kolbe and Edith Stein, put to death at Auschwitz; Martin Luther King, Jr., shot in Memphis; Oscar Romero, shot in San Salvador; Harvey Milk, murdered in San Francisco; Matthew Shepherd, beaten and left for dead in Wyoming. Martyrs everywhere: Holy ones of every time and place; Glorious company of heaven; all climbers of the ladder of Paradise; all runners of the celestial race; great cloud of witnesses: Mary most holy, chief of the saints; Mary most holy, yes-sayer to God; Mary most holy, gate of heaven and ark of the covenant: Jesus our liberator, creator of all: Jesus our liberator, redeemer of all: Jesus our liberator, sanctifier of all: Jesus our liberator, the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end:
Hymn For All the Saints Sine Nomine Please return to your seat as we sing the following hymn The Collect of the Day The Lord be with you. And also with you. Let us pray. A LMIGHTY GOD, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. All sit for the first lesson.
Reading 1 John 3:1-3 S EE WHAT LOVE the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. Lector: The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Sequence Hymn Please stand. The following is sung before and after the Gospel. The Holy Gospel Matthew 5:1-12 Priest: W The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew. Glory to you Lord Christ. HEN JESUS SAW THE CROWDS, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. "Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Priest: The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you Lord Christ. Sermon Please observe a moment of silence following the sermon. The Renewal of Baptismal Vows The Rev. Alex Dyer Do you reaffirm your renunciation of evil and renew your commitment to Jesus Christ? I do. Do you believe in God the Father? I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God? I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit? I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Will you continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers? I will, with God's help. Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord? I will, with God's help.
Celebrant People Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ? I will, with God's help. Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself? I will, with God's help. Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being? I will, with God's help. The Celebrant concludes the Renewal of Vows as follows May Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given us a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and bestowed upon us the forgiveness of sins, keep us in eternal life by his grace, in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. The Prayers of the People As we recall the blessed ones who have gone before us, let us offer prayers to God who adorns us with victory. With the holy patriarchs, matriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs; with all the saints, witnesses to the Gospel. O Christ, hear us. For Justin, Archbishop of Canterbury, for Michael, our Presiding Bishop, for Mariann, our bishop, for Gene, our Bishop in Residence, for Alex, our priest, Becky, our adjunct clergy, for our vestry, for this holy gathering, and for the people of God in every place. O Christ, hear us. For all nations, tribes, peoples, and languages. O Christ, hear us. For those who are sick and those who are suffering, those who are hungry and those who are thirsty, those who are poor, and those who are needy, and all who are persecuted for righteousness sake. O Christ, hear us. For our enemies and those who wish us harm. O Christ, hear us. For the faithful departed and those who mourn. O Christ, hear us. For our ancestors and all who have gone before us in faith. O Christ, hear us.
The Peace Announcements Bless us with your healing presence, make us hungry for justice, strengthen our faith, and increase our love for others, especially those we find it the most difficult to love. Amen. Offertory Sentence The peace of The Lord be always with you. And also with you. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6:9-10 The people remain seated while an offering is collected to support the work of sharing God s love with the world and living out God s mission. The bread and wine are brought forward to the altar as the Priest prepares the altar. Offertory Anthem Blest Are They Haas Blest are they, the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom of God. Blest are they, full of sorrow; they shall be consoled. Refrain: Rejoice, and be glad! Blessed are you, holy are you! Rejoice and be glad! Yours is the kingdom of God! Blest are they, the lowly ones: they shall inherit the earth. Blest are they, who hunger and thirst; they shall have their fill. Blest are they, who show mercy; mercy shall be theirs. Blest are they, the pure of heart; they shall see God! Blest are they, who seek peace; they are the children of God. Blest are they who suffer in faith; the glory of God is theirs. Blest are you, who suffer hate, all because of me. Rejoice and be glad, yours is the kingdom of God; shine for all to see.
The Great Thanksgiving At St. Thomas Parish, we invite all those who seek God and a deeper life in Christ to receive the sacrament of Holy Eucharist. To receive communion, take the consecrated bread in the palm of your hand. Eat the bread and then drink from the cup when it is offered to you. If you do not wish to receive the consecrated bread or wine but would like a blessing, please come forward and cross your arms with your hands on your shoulders and a priest will provide a blessing. 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 God thanks and praise. IT IS RIGHT AND A GOOD and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. For in the multitude of your saints you have surrounded us with a great cloud of witnesses, that we might rejoice in their fellowship, and run with endurance the race that is set before us; and, together with them, receive the crown of glory that never fades away Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who forever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:
To you indeed be glory, Almighty God, because on the night before he died, your Son, Jesus Christ, took bread; when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, 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, This cup is the new covenant in my blood poured out for you; do this as often as you drink it for the remembrance of me. Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith: We remember his death, We proclaim his resurrection, We await his coming in glory; Loving God, recalling now Christ s death and resurrection, we ask you to accept this our sacrifice of praise. Send your Holy Spirit upon this bread and this wine and upon us and our celebration that we may be fed with the body and blood of your Son and be filled with your life and goodness. Strengthen us to do your work, and to be your body in the world. Unite us in Christ and give us your peace. All this we ask through your Son Jesus Christ. By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN. The Lord s Prayer As our Savior Christ has taught us, we now pray, O UR 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.
Fraction Anthem The Celebrant breaks the consecrated Bread and after a moment of silence, all sing. The gifts of God for the people of God. Communion is distributed at a station at the foot of the steps to the altar. All enter via the center aisle (alternating sides for each person) and return via the side aisles.
Hymn Let us break bread together African American Spiritual Sung by all during communion.
Prayer after Communion Said by all, standing. O GOD, the source of all holiness and giver of all good things: grant that we, who have shared at this table as strangers and pilgrims here on earth, may with all your saints be welcomed to the heavenly feast in the day of thy kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Common Worship, Church of England A Prayer for Those Who Mourn O GOD OF GRACE AND GLORY, we remember before you this day our sisters and brothers who now dwell with you. We thank you for giving them to us to know and to love as companions on our earthly pilgrimage. In your boundless compassion, console us who mourn. Give us faith to see in death the gate of eternal life, so that in quiet confidence we may continue our course on earth, until by your call, we are reunited with those who have gone before, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Blessing M Common Worship, Church of England AY GOD, WHO KINDLED THE FIRE of her love in the hearts of the saints, pour upon you the riches of her grace. May she give you joy in their fellowship and a share in their praises. May she strengthen you to follow them in the way of holiness and to come to the full radiance of glory. And the blessing of God be with you this day and always. Amen
Hymn I Sing A Song of the Saints of God" Grand Isle
Dismissal Let us go forth in the name of Christ! Thanks be to God! Postlude When the Saints Go Marching In arr. Adkins Please feel free to exit quietly during the postlude and join us for a time of fellowship. The worship has ended, let the service begin. Service Participants: Greeters Ushers David Swanson Dan Costello Dennis Hobb George Wiggington Verger Altar Guild Lector Ryan Winfield Barbara Hays John Stanton Coffee Hour Jason Forman Brett Snyder Cherie Brown George Mazza Intercessor John Coonrod Eucharistic Minister Jason Crighton Offertory Guild Tony Alverno
As St. Thomas Parish we are followers of Jesus, striving to see Christ in each person, and to be Christ in our community, our city, and our world. Vestry Carol Coonrod, Senior Warden Dennis Hobb, Junior Warden David Swanson, Treasurer Jeremy Ayers, Doug Evans, Karen Garlick, Bob McDonald, Kevin Montgomery, Stephen Schembs, Ariel Vaagen Staff The Rev. Alex Dyer Priest in Charge adyer@stthomasdc.org Robert Koehnke Parish Administrator rkoehnke@stthomasdc.org Cindy Adkins Music Director cadkins@stthomasdc.org Stacey George Accountant accountant@stthomasdc.org Kimberly Davis -- Nursery Care Worker Assisting Clergy The Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson The Rev. Rebecca Zartman Bishop in Residence Adjunct Priest Parish Office Hours: 9:00am 1:00pm Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Fridays 11:00am 3:00pm Thursdays St. Thomas Parish 1777 Church St. NW Washington, DC 20036 202-332-0607 www.stthomasdc.org info@stthomasdc.org