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   “I sing the almighty power of God”                                             From The Blue Hymnal, 398, v. 1  

 

The Collect of the Day 

Celebrant       The Lord be with you.

People            And also with you.

Celebrant        Let us pray.

Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of his redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

 

  

The Lessons

 

The First Lesson:  Isaiah 56:1, 6-8                                                                                            

A Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah:

Thus says the Lord:
Maintain justice, and do what is right,

for soon my salvation will come,
and my deliverance be revealed.

And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord,
and to be his servants,

all who keep the sabbath, and do not profane it,
and hold fast my covenant–

these I will bring to my holy mountain,
and make them joyful in my house of prayer;

their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;

for my house shall be called a house of prayer
for all peoples.

Thus says the Lord God,
who gathers the outcasts of Israel,

I will gather others to them
besides those already gathered. The Word of the Lord.                         

People     Thanks be to God.

 

Psalm 67 (responsively, by half verse)

1 May God be merciful to us and bless us, *
show us the light of his countenance and come to us.

2 Let your ways be known upon earth, *
your saving health among all nations.

3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.

4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, *
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide all the nations upon earth.

5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.

6 The earth has brought forth her increase; *
may God, our own God, give us his blessing.

7 May God give us his blessing, *
and may all the ends of the earth stand in awe of him.

 

The Second Lesson: Romans 11;1-2a, 29-32 
A Reading from Paul’s Letter to the Romans.

I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all. [The Word of the Lord.]

                                           

People      Thanks be to God.

 

 

Gospel Acclamation            

 

The Holy Gospel           Matthew 15:21-28

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

Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

 

Gospeller       The Gospel of the Lord.

People           Praise to you, Lord Christ.

 

The Sermon           Joy Warburton 

Joy’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     Let us pray for the needs of the world, Lord help us.

People      We trust in you.

 

Intercessor     God of mercy and healing, you are Lord of all, embracing the estranged, blessing the banished, reconciling the rejected. We cry out to you now, confident that your provision is abundantly more than enough to preserve the church, redeem the world, and deliver the tormented. Lord, help us.

People      We trust in you.

 

Intercessor     For the household of faith near and far. We pray especially for Michael, our Presiding Bishop; Susan, Jennifer and Porter, our Bishops; Fran, Anne, Susan, Walter, Joy, Mary, and Nicole, our staff; for Students, Faculty, and Administrators at Diocesan Church Schools: Christchurch, St. Catherine’s, St. Christopher’s, St. Margaret’s, St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes, Stuart Hall; for Ascension Church in Beraud, Haiti; and those whom you would name: [pause for intercessions]. Lord, help us.

People      We trust in you.

 

Intercessor     That the church may replicate your reconciliation, model your mercy, and herald your healing for all, [pause for intercessions].  Lord, help us.

People      We trust in you.

 

Intercessor     For unity and harmony to flow freely among your creatures and throughout your creation [pause for intercessions]. Lord, help us.

People      We trust in you.

 

Intercessor     For reconciliation and new beginnings among estranged families, races, nations, and peoples [pause for intercessions]. Lord, help us.

People      We trust in you.

 

Intercessor     For healing for those who are tormented, rejected, marginalized, fearful, forgotten, cast off, or suffering. We pray especially for Ethan, Bishop Susan, Dick, David, Chris, Andrei, Jane, Thomas, Kait, Johnny, Emma, Cheryl, Julie, Caroline, George, David, Anne, Jim, Julie & Kate in their grief, those suffering from COVID 19, and those you would name [pause for intercessions]. Lord, help us.

People      We trust in you.

 

Intercessor     For our ancestors in the faith, now kept in your care and never forgotten by you, [pause for intercessions]. Lord, help us.

People      We trust in you.

 

Intercessor     For all the blessings of this life, we give thanks to You, Loving God. We thank you especially for Chris Forward on her birthday today and for Rick Montfort, Mariko Gardiner, Jennifer Lamanna, Calina Ryder, Barbara Wicks and David Chapin as they celebrate theirs this week; for Pat & David Smith as they mark their anniversary tomorrow, and those blessings you would name: [pause for intercessions]. Save us, O Lord,

People      We trust in you.

 

Intercessor     We stand in your circle of favor, embraced by you, healed by you, blessed by you, remembered by you, secured by you, grateful for your loving care.

People      Amen.

 

Adapted from Kimberly Bracken Long. Feasting on the Word Worship Companion: Liturgies for Year A, Volume 2: Trinity Sunday through Reign of Christ (pp. 119-121).
Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition.

 

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.

 

Confession of Sin

Celebrant       Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.  A time of silence.

All     God of all mercy, we confess that we have sinned against you, opposing your will in our lives. We have denied your goodness in each other, in ourselves, and in the world you have created. We repent of the evil that enslaves us, the evil we have done, and the evil done on our behalf. Forgive, restore, and strengthen us through our Savior Jesus Christ, that we may abide in your love and serve only your will. Amen.

 

Absolution

Celebrant       Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through the grace of Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.

 

Offertory Hymn   “Spirit of God, descend upon my heart”                                      From LEVAS 119, vv. 1 & 2

 

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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   “Lord, dismiss us with thy blessing”                                                      From The Blue Hymnal, 344, v. 1

 

The Dismissal

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