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ST. PAUL’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

“An Inclusive and Progressive Community of Faith”

The Holy Eucharist

6 September 2020

Season of Creation: Love Your Neighbor

Announcements & Welcome We acknowledge that the land upon which we have gathered this week is the

traditional ancestral and unceded territory of the Suquamish, and Coast Salish People.

Gather Hymnal #851: “Christ Has Promised to Be Present”

Celebrant Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. People And Blessed be God’s Kingdom, now and forever. Amen.

Spoken

Glory to God in the highest, and peace to God's people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.

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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.

Celebrant The Lord be with you. And also with you. Celebrant Let us pray together.

Lord of all existence, of land, and sea, and sky, fish, and fowl, and butterfly help us to find each other in the fellowship of created beings, and to celebrate our diversity in the love and praise to you through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Exodus 12:1-14 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household. If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one; the lamb shall be divided in proportion to the number of people who eat of it. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a year-old male; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembled congregation of Israel shall slaughter it at twilight. They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. They shall eat the lamb that same night; they shall eat it roasted over the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted over the fire, with its head, legs, and inner organs. You shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the passover of the LORD. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance.

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Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people. Thanks be to God.

Psalm 149 © 1989 The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia.

1. O sing to the Lord a new song: give praise in the assembly of the faithful.

2. Let the people of God rejoice in their maker: and let the servants of the Most High exult in their king.

3. Let them praise God’s name in the dance: let them sing God’s praise with timbral and harp.

4. For you O Lord take delight in your people: and crown your humble folk with victory.

5. Let the faithful exult in their triumph: let them shout for joy as they feast.

6. Let the praises of God be on their lips: and a two-edged sword in their hand.

Romans 13:8-14 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet”; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.

Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people. Thanks be to God.

Gradual Hymn: Gather Hymnal #334: “Gather Acclamation”

The Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew 18:15-20 Glory to you, Lord Christ.

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Jesus said, “If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”

The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon: Rev. Kathleen Kingslight

Affirmation of Faith

As Children of God, we affirm: That God, who is Love, created all and called it good, that God is present with all of creation, and that in darkness and in light, God is faithful, therefore, too, seek to be faithful.

That Jesus came to show us Love with a human face, that he taught justice and reconciliation and suffered on our behalf, and that through his faithful example, he embodies hope; therefore we, too, seek to be people of justice, reconciliation and hope.

That the Holy Spirit guides and accompanies us, the this same Spirit offers wisdom and discernment, and that , when we are open, the Spirit can always find a way; therefore, we seek to be people filled with God’s Spirit: discerning, loving and transforming our worlds. Amen.

The Prayers of the People (from Intercessions for the Christian People)

Let us pray our Vision Statement together:

• O God, help us to be progressive Christians in an open, inclusive and affirming community of faith.

• O Jesus, guide us in providing a safe harbor for everyone on their spiritual journey.

• O Holy Spirit be with us in our endeavors to bring God’s presence into our world in need.

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God’s word tells us that those who love their neighbors have fulfilled the law. Out of love and compassion for a broken world, let us pray to the Lord, saying: Lord, have mercy.

We have miss used your gifts of creation, and have regarded them as nothing more than resources for us to exploit, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

For nations crippled by international debt and the virus, for nations who must beg and scramble for the necessities of life, for nations whose people live in poverty, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

For all Christians who have more than they need, that taking the Lord’s word to heart, they may be content with what is necessary and generously share their surplus with the poor, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

Remembering the children of our own country caught in the cycle of poverty, ignorance, disease, and despair. We have seen the ill treatment of others and not gone to their aid, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

For those in our own neighborhood who are out of work and out of luck, for broken families, for those crippled by debt, for those at their wit’s end, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

Empower us to make the right decision in the upcoming elections. We pray for our President, all governmental leadership, for bishops, all clergy, deacons, and all who minister in the church, especially Michael our Presiding Bishop, Greg our Bishop, Kathleen our rector, and Navy Chaplain David. Let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

We pray for our community, especially parishioners Vincent & Joshea Eblacas, Steve & Betty Fabry, Georgann Falotico, Paula Fitzsimmons, and Philip Fryer. We also pray for Bishop Rickel and his staff, Holy Spirit, Battle Ground, St. Matthew, Castle Rock, St. James, Cathlamet, and St. Luke’s Center For Mentally Disturbed Children, Beit Mery, Lebanon, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

• “I never intend to become adjusted to segregation and discrimination.

• I never intend to adjust myself to religious bigotry.

• I never intend to adjust myself to economic conditions that will take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few, and leave people by the thousands and the millions, smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society.

• I never intend to adjust myself to the madness of militarism and the self-defeating effects of physical violence.” The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Lord, you invited the beggars and the crippled, the lame and the blind, to eat and drink at your table and to feast in your kingdom; and lo, here we are. Grant us

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the grace to extend to others the same generosity you have shown to us; for you are our Lord, our God forever and ever. Amen.

Confession of Sin Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways,

to the glory of your Name. Amen.

Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen. The Peace The peace of the Lord be always with you. And also with you.

Musical Offering: Gather Hymnal #478: “Return to God”

(As you are listening this is a good time to do your giving online.)

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The Great Thanksgiving: from Eucharistic Prayers Celebrant The Lord be with you. People And also with you.

Celebrant Lift up your hearts. People We lift them to the Lord.

Celebrant Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. People It is right to give God thanks and praise.

Celebrant: We glorify and enjoy you now and forever, gracious God, because you created the universe as your work of art, and set us in the midst of it. When the canvas of your kindness was torn by our sin, you crafted a work for even more depth and beauty from the damage we had done. When your Son’s body was scarred and pierced, you raised him to glorious life.

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In your chosen people you drew out a song of thankfulness and praise, and in your church you give us voices to shout and dance and sculpt and inscribe the wonders of your love. And so we rejoice to join with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven, singing the hymn of your unending praise.

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.

The Celebrant continues: We lift our hearts to you, Lord God, because you draw your whole creation into the celebration of your glory. Send down your Holy Spirit upon us now, that every part of every one of us might become an instrument of your peace. Give us your very self in these gifts of bread and wine and make them be for us the body and blood of your Son Jesus Christ; who, at supper with his disciples, took bread, gave you thanks, broke the bread, and gave it to them, saying, “Take, eat: this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” After supper he took the cup. Again he gave you thanks, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Drink this, all of you: this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for all for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

Great is the mystery of faith.

Christ has died Christ is risen Christ will come again.

God of justice, make us a prophetic people, whose every work and every act is a proclamation of the new order found in you and worthy of your kingdom. Holy God, make us a priestly people, whose lives are so transparent with your truth that we become a place of encounter between you and your beloved children.

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Reigning God, make us a kingly people, whose hearts are filled with worship and wonder, and who seek to bring every one of your gifts to fruition in the power of your Spirit. We pray in union with Christ in the power of your Holy Spirit, God of glory, forever and ever. Amen.

And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to pray,

The Lord's Prayer Our Father in heaven hallowed be your Name, your kingdom come your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day 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 forever. Amen.

The Breaking of the Bread The Celebrant breaks the consecrated Bread. A period of silence is kept.

Alleluia! Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us; Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia!

Gather Hymnal #922: “Without Seeing You”

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Prayer after Communion: My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.

Blessing Tend the earth, care for God’s good creation, and bring forth the fruits of righteousness. Love your neighbor and the blessing of God all mighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

Recessional Hymn: Gather Hymnal #614: “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore You”

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The Great Beginning Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Let us go forth into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit. Thanks be to God. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

~ St Paul's Episcopal Church ~

700 Callahan Dr Bremerton, WA 98310-3304

~ 360-377-0106 ~ ~ www.stpaulsbremerton.org ~ stpaul700@gmail.com ~

All music used with permission CCLI 11537808, One License A-718300