THE WORD OF THE LORD
                                                                                            

Opening Acclamation

Celebrant       Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
People           And blessed be his kingdom, now and forever. Amen.

 

Collect for Purity
Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: 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.

 

Gathering hymn   “Holy, Holy, Holy”                                                                                     From Blue Hymnal, 362, vs. 1 

 

 

The Collect of the Day 

Celebrant       The Lord be with you.

People            And also with you.

Celebrant        Let us pray.

Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity: Keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see you in your one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, for ever and ever.Amen.

 

  

The Lessons

 

The First Lesson:  Genesis 1:1-2:4a                                                                                                     

A Reading from the Book of Genesis:

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

 

And God said, “Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

 

And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

 

And God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

 

And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.” So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

 

And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”

 

So God created humankind in his image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.

God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

 

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.

 

These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created. The Word of the Lord.  

                            

People     Thanks be to God.

 

Psalm 8 (responsively, by half verse)

1 O Lord our Governor, *
how exalted is your Name in all the world!

2 Out of the mouths of infants and children *
your majesty is praised above the heavens.

3 You have set up a stronghold against your adversaries, *
to quell the enemy and the avenger.

4 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, *
the moon and the stars you have set in their courses,

5 What is man that you should be mindful of him? *
the son of man that you should seek him out?

6 You have made him but little lower than the angels; *
you adorn him with glory and honor;

7 You give him mastery over the works of your hands; *
you put all things under his feet:

8 All sheep and oxen, *
even the wild beasts of the field,

9 The birds of the air, the fish of the sea, *
and whatsoever walks in the paths of the sea.

10 O Lord our Governor, *
how exalted is your Name in all the world!

 

The Second Lesson: 2 Corinthians 13:11-13                                                                                                                                        

A Reading from Second Corinthians:

Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you. The Word of the Lord.   

                                           

People      Thanks be to God.

 

 

Gospel Acclamation             “Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia”                                From the Blue Hymnal 208

 

 

 

The Holy Gospel           Matthew 28:16-20

Gospeller       The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
People           Glory to you, Lord Christ

The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

 

Gospeller       The Gospel of the Lord.

People           Praise to you, Lord Christ.

 

The Sermon            Rev. David

Rev. David’s sermon will be posted here.

 

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God,
    the Father, the Almighty,
    maker of heaven and earth,
    of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
    the only Son of God,
    eternally begotten of the Father,
    God from God, Light from Light,
    true God from true God,
    begotten, not made,
    of one Being with the Father.
    Through him all things were made.
    For us and for our salvation
        he came down from heaven:
    by the power of the Holy Spirit
        he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
        and was made man.
    For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
        he suffered death and was buried.
        On the third day he rose again
            in accordance with the Scriptures;
        he ascended into heaven
            and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
        and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
    who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
    With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
    He has spoken through the Prophets.
    We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
    We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
    We look for the resurrection of the dead,
        and the life of the world to come. Amen.

 

Prayers of the People                                                                                     

Intercessor     In recognition for the life of relationship God calls us to in the example of the Holy Trinity, let us pray for the church, the world, and all with whom we are called to be in right relationship, saying,

People    God of all goodness, hear our prayer.

Intercessor   We pray that the love which passes ceaselessly between the Father and the Son in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit may renew and deepen the life of each Christian and draw us all into your unending life.

People    God of all goodness, hear our prayer.

 

Intercessor   For the leaders of the church: We pray especially for our Bishops Susan and Jennifer, for our staff Fran, Anne, Susan, Walter, Joy, Mary, and Nicole, for St. John’s (McLean), Fork  (Doswell), St. Timothy’s (Herndon), for Ascension Church in Beraud, Haiti, and those whom you would name: [A time of silence], For the church throughout the world,

People     God of all goodness, hear our prayer.

 

Intercessor   For the nations of the world and their leaders, especially Donald our President and Ralph our Governor. May they listen to the voices of those they serve, recognize the interconnectedness of all, and make just decisions that uphold the dignity and safety of all people. [A time of silence]. For nations and leaders,

People      God of all goodness, hear our prayer.

 

Intercessor   For the sick and those who suffer in any way; for those who struggle to pay rent or a mortgage; for those who have no home; for those who are neglected and abused in our communities; for people who long for family and are instead alone; for children who do not have a good guide to raise them up; and for whatever else you see that we need. [A time of silence]. We pray,

People    God of all goodness, hear our prayer.

 

Intercessor   We pray especially for Mitzi, Ethan, Bishop Susan, Declan, Dick, Sally, Guy, Marco, David, Chris, Gail, Andrei, Jane, Thomas, Chris, Stephanie, Ally, Kait, Johnny, Emma, Cheryl,  for those suffering from COVID-19, and those that you would name: [A time of silence]. For those in need of healing,

People    God of all goodness, hear our prayer.

 

Intercessor   We pray for those who have fallen victim to hatred and inhumanity; for those loved ones who are left behind to mourn; for those whose hearts remain cold. May we find new ways, with the guidance of your Holy Spirit, to bring justice and healing to these painful places in our human community. [A time of silence]. In your wisdom,

People     God of all goodness, hear our prayer.

 

Intercessor   We remember before you all who have died, and pray for all who will die today, and for   those whom you would name: [A time of silence]. May we all know the joy of life eternal shared with you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

People      God of all goodness, hear our prayer.
 

Intercessor   We give thanks for all the blessings of this life, for Robin, Graham, and Skeets celebrating their birthdays this week; for Sarah & Eric on their wedding anniversary, and for those blessings you would name: [a time of silence]

People    God of all goodness, hear our prayer.

 

Intercessor  For all those needs still unnamed but placed before you now, either silently or aloud… [A time of silence is kept]

People    God of all goodness, hear our prayer.

 

Intercessor    Ever present God, you called us to be in relationship with one another and promised to dwell wherever two or three are gathered. In our human community, we are many different people; we come from many different places, have many different cultures. Open our hearts that we may be bold in finding the riches of inclusion and the treasures of diversity among us. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.

 

Kimberly Bracken Long. Feasting on the Word Worship Companion: Liturgies for Year A, Volume 1: Advent through Pentecost (pp. 174-175). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition, adapted by The Very Rev. Fran Gardner-Smith.

 

A Prayer for Graduates:

Intercessor Let us pray for our graduates. All wise, all loving God, we thank you for all your gifts to us; for making us, for saving us in Christ, for calling us to be your people. Look with love on our graduates Emily, Anna, Ella, Edward, Julie, Pamela, Sarah, and Natalie, and for those you would now name [A time of silence]. Bless them as they complete their years of high school and university studies. May your Spirit give them many skills and talents and help them to use these gifts for your glory and for the good of all people. In your kindness, guide them along paths that are level and smooth. We ask these blessings through Christ our Lord. Amen. 

 

Intercessor:     Together let us pray for St Thomas Church.

All: Almighty God, by your Spirit the whole body of your Church is governed and sanctified, hear our prayer for St Thomas, build in us a renewed vision of your Church; shape our life according to your will; empower us with the gifts to make us one that together we may grow as a church in the spiritual strength of community and reach out to include all people in Christ’s love, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

 

 

Offertory Hymn   “O threefold God of tender Unity”, vv. 1 & 3                                         From Wonder, Love, & Praise, 743

 

During this unprecedented time, giving is crucial to our health and viability. Please consider this a time of reflection and an opportunity to contribute to the ongoing ministries of St. Thomas Episcopal Church. Contributions can be mailed to the church office (8991 Brook Road, McLean, VA 22102 ) or given online here.  Thank you!

 

The Lord’s Prayer

Officiant      The Lord be with you.

People         And also with you.

Officiant      Let us pray.

 

Officiant and People

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 Peace

Celebrant       The peace of the Lord be always with you.

People             And also with you.

 

The Blessing

Be of good courage, never be afraid

Because God who created you,

Is always with you

And loves you fiercely.

And may the blessing of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

Be upon you and remain with you always.

Amen.

 

 

Closing Hymn   “Holy Father, great Creator”, vv. 1 & 4                                From the Blue Hymnal, 368

 

 

The Dismissal

Celebrant       Let us go forth in the name of Christ, 
People           Thanks be to God.

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