THE WORD OF THE LORD
Opening Acclamation

Presider   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.

 

The Gloria (said in unison)   
Glory to God in the highest,

    and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
    we worship you, we give you thanks,
    we praise you for your glory.
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
    have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
    receive our prayer.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
    Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,
    in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

 

The Collect of the Day
Presider   The Lord be with you.

People       And also with you.

Presider   Let us pray.
Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and follow us, that we may continually be given to good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

 

 

The First Lesson: Exodus 32:1-14                                                
A Reading from the Book of Exodus: 

When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” Aaron said to them, “Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears, and brought them to Aaron. He took the gold from them, formed it in a mold, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, “These

are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a festival to the Lord.” They rose early the next day, and offered burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel.

The Lord said to Moses, “Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” The Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation.”

But Moses implored the Lord his God, and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’” And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people. The Word of the Lord.                                         People   Thanks be to God.

 

Psalm 106:1-9, 19-23  (responsively, by half verse)                                     

1 Hallelujah!
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, *
for his mercy endures for ever.

2 Who can declare the mighty acts of the Lord *
or show forth all his praise?

3 Happy are those who act with justice *
and always do what is right!

4 Remember me, O Lord, with the favor you have for your people, *
and visit me with your saving help;

5 That I may see the prosperity of your elect
and be glad with the gladness of your people, *
that I may glory with your inheritance.

6 We have sinned as our forebears did; *
we have done wrong and dealt wickedly.

19 Israel made a bull-calf at Horeb *
and worshiped a molten image;

20 And so they exchanged their Glory *
for the image of an ox that feeds on grass.

21 They forgot God their Savior, *
who had done great things in Egypt,

22 Wonderful deeds in the land of Ham, *
and fearful things at the Red Sea.

23 So he would have destroyed them,
had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, *
to turn away his wrath from consuming them.

 

The Second Lesson:  Philippians 4:1-9                                                   
A Reading from Paul’s Letter to the Philippians:                   

My brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.

I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

The Word of the Lord.

People Thanks be to God.

 

The Gospel Acclamation

 

The Holy Gospel    Matthew 22:1-14

Gospeller The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.

People Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Once more Jesus spoke to the people in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’ But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Gospeller The Gospel of the Lord.                        

People Praise to you, Lord Christ.

 

The Sermon                              Ms. Stacy Carlson, Seminarian

You can listen to Stacy’s sermon 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.

 

The Prayers of the People                                                          

Intercessor     In the silence after each bidding, you are invited to offer your own prayers, either silently, or aloud.

 

Intercessor     I ask your prayers for God’s people throughout the world; for Michael, our Presiding Bishop; Susan, Jennifer and Porter, our Bishops; Fran, Anne, Susan, Walter, Joy, Mary, and Nicole, our staff; for Stacy, our seminarian; for Hanover with Brunswick Parishes—King George; for Ascension Church in Beraud, Haiti; for this gathering; and for all ministers and people. Pray for the Church. Silence

 

Intercessor     I ask your prayers for peace; for goodwill among nations; and for the well-being of all people. Pray for justice and peace. Silence

 

Intercessor      I ask your prayers for the poor, the sick, the hungry, the oppressed, and those in prison. For Walter, Ethan, Dick, David, Chris, Andrei, Jane, Thomas, Kait, Johnny, Emma, Cheryl, Julie, Caroline, George, David, and Anne, those suffering from COVID 19, and those you would name. Pray for those in any need or trouble. Silence

Intercessor      I ask your prayers for all who seek God, or a deeper knowledge of him. Pray that they may find and be found by him. Silence

 

Intercessor       I ask your prayers for the departed. Pray for those who have died. Silence

 

Intercessor     I ask your thanksgiving for Becky & Jim Ventorini marking their anniversary on Saturday and those thanksgivings you would name. Silence

 

Intercessor     Praise God for those in every generation in whom Christ has been honored, especially St. Thomas whom we remember today. Pray that we may have grace to glorify Christ in our own day. Silence

 

O God of heavenly powers, by the might of your command you drive away from our bodies all sickness and all infirmity: Be present in your goodness with your children, the president and first lady, and all in the White House or government who have been infected by this virus, that their weakness may be banished and their strength restored; and that, their health being renewed, they may bless your holy name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

 

Today’s Prayers of the People are adapted from The Book of Common Prayer, Form II, pages 385-386.

 

Intercessor     We pray for our upcoming election: Almighty God, to whom we must account for all our powers and privileges: Guide the people of the United States in the election of officials and representatives; that, by faithful administration and wise laws, the rights of all may be protected and our nation be enabled to fulfill your purposes; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (from The Book of Common Prayer, page 822)

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

Presider   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

Presider   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 Sentence

Presider   Walk in love, as Christ loves us, and gave himself an offering and a sacrifice to God.

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
Presider

The Lord be with you.

People And also with you.

Presider Let us pray.

Presider 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
Presider 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.  

 

The Dismissal

Presider Let us go forth in the name of Christ.

People Thanks be to God.