A Christ-Centered Community of Practice Awaking to the Abiding Presence of God

August 30, 2020

MORNING PRAYER

WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS After the Announcements, a period of silence is kept.

HYMN The Hymnal 439

OPENING SENTENCES BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER, PAGE 78 CONFESSION PAGE 79

The officiant reads an invitation to confession

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.

The Priest alone stands and says

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 INVITATORY AND PSALTER

ANTIPHON Officiant: The Holy One is in our midst. People: O come, let us worship.

THE JUBILATE

ANTIPHON Officiant: The Holy One is in our midst. People: O come, let us worship.

PSALM 105: 1-6, 23-26, 45C

1 Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name; * make known his deeds among the peoples.

2 Sing to him, sing praises to him, * and speak of all his marvelous works.

3 Glory in his holy Name; * let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

4 Search for the Lord and his strength; * continually seek his face.

5 Remember the marvels he has done, * his wonders and the judgments of his mouth,

6 O offspring of Abraham his servant, * O children of Jacob his chosen.

23 Israel came into Egypt, * and Jacob became a sojourner in the land of Ham.

24 The Lord made his people exceedingly fruitful; * he made them stronger than their enemies;

25 Whose heart he turned, so that they hated his people, * and dealt unjustly with his servants.

26 He sent Moses his servant, * and Aaron whom he had chosen.

45 Hallelujah!

Following the Psalm:

Officiant and People: Praise to the holy and undivided Trinity, one God:

as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

FIRST LESSON Exodus 3: 1-15

Moses is encountered by the Lord in the burning bush. He is called to his mission to lead the people of Israel out of slavery in

Egypt, and he asks to know the name of this God of his ancestors.

Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.” When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” He said further, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”

But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” He said, “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.” But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’“ God also said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’:

This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations.

Following the Lesson...

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

CANTICLE N A Song of God’s Love Beloved, let us love one another, *

for love is of God.

Whoever does not love does not know God, *

for God is Love.

In this the love of God was revealed among us, *

that God sent his only Son into the world,

so that we might live through Jesus Christ.

In this is love, not that we loved God but that God loved us *

and sent his Son that sins might be forgiven.

Beloved, since God loved us so much, *

we ought also to love one another.

For if we love one another, God abides in us, *

and God’s love will be perfected in us.

SECOND LESSON Matthew 16: 21-28

Jesus teaches Peter and the other disciples that the way of his ministry and theirs is the way of the cross.

Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?

“For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Reader The Word of the Lord. People Thanks be to God.

HYMN The Hymnal 654

HYMN IS PRINTED ON THE NEXT PAGE

THE SERMON The Rev. Mary Lindquist THE APOSTLES’ CREED BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER, PAGE 96

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth; 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. 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. Amen.

PRAYERS PAGE 97

Officiant The Lord be with you.

People And also with you.

Officiant Let us pray.

Our 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.

THE COLLECTS INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC We will offer our intercession durng this music. Please use this as a time of reflection to gather your intercessions and thanksgivings and offer them “in Zoom the chat.”

INTERCESSIONS HYMN Levas 100

THE GENERAL THANKSGIVING PAGE 101

Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.

CONCLUDING VERSICLE AND RESPONSE

CLOSING SENTENCE PAGE 102

PARTICIPANTS TODAY

Jeff Hiam and Laura Andrews, Readers; Cary Gaunt, Prayer Leader.

ST. MICHAEL’S WEEKDAY WORSHIP ON LINE OR BY TELEPHONE

Morning Prayer, 8-8:30 am, Monday-Friday Evening Prayer, 5-5:30 pm, Every Day

Contemplative Worship, 5:30-6:00 pm, Thursday

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: Thad Bennett, Thursday; Jacki Capponcelli, Friday.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO: Vince Johnson & MJ Woodburn, Today; Ed & Jane

Sbardella and Robert & Susan Kochinskas, Monday; Christine Triebert & Carol Ross,

Thursday; Robert & Becky Anderson, Friday; Michael & Alix Fedoruk, Saturday.

SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE FOR LOVED ONES WHO HAVE DIED DURING

THIS PANDEMIC TIME, TODAY, 9 AM: We will gather outside at Christ Church at 9 am

(following the 8 am service) for a Service of Remembrance for those loved ones who have died

during this COVID time whose funerals we were not able to attend or for whom there have been no

funerals. If there is someone who has died during these last few months that you would like to be

remembered during this service, please email me at mary@stmichaelsvermont.org. You do not need

to make a reservation to attend this service.

ADULT FORUM TODAY, 9 – 10 AM

• “Two ways to experience and view Jesus -- The Jesus of History versus the Christ of Faith. Or said another way: The pre-Easter Jesus and the post-Easter Christ.” Framed by the theologian Marcus Borg, this forum invites us into a conversation that offers a way that we, as 21st century people, can take the Jesus we find in the Gospels seriously. This conversation asks us to what degree do we see ourselves as Christians who are called to follow the vision and actions of Jesus the rabbi, who walked this earth or are called to believe in a Jesus as the unique Son of God who came to save the world. This conversation looks at differences between the flesh and blood Jesus killed by Romans and the Christ experienced by his followers as alive within them after his death. This is a conversation that looks for better ways to express our truth as Christians today and at the same time, to take seriously what gets in the way. Led by Phillip Wilson.

Click this Link to enter the meeting on Sunday mornings, Meeting ID: 932 0641 6516

Password: theology

Call by phone: +1 646 558 8656, Meeting ID: 932 0641 6516, Password: 679508

Gathering & Blessings of the Backpack for Kids, Teachers and Families

Sunday, September 6, 4-5 pm

The Rectory Lawn, 18 Bradley Avenue

• Please bring a blanket to sit on with your family; blankets will be spaced 10 feet apart to be safe & everyone with masks (except young children).

• We will have a brief service on the lawn, followed by some physically distance games and individually wrapped ice cream cones.

• This is our chance to see each other and offer blessings for children and youth as they begin their new school year!

SUNDAY REUNION AT CHRIST CHURCH

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 13; 8, 9 & 10:15 AM

September is usually the time when we “kick off” our education programs and start our program

year. This year is different. We cannot gather in the church. Instead, we are inviting you to gather

outside safely so that we may see one another and worship together in one place. SO, on Sunday

September 13, we will offer three worship services on the lawn of Christ Church, Guilford. We will

have chairs for sitting, but if you are in a family unit, you might want to bring a picnic blanket to sit

on the lawn together.

Although we are not allowed to sing, there will be music at the 9 and 10:15 services and we will try

humming (yes HUMMING!) some hymns. Please note that there are no bathrooms at Christ

Church.

Please contact the Church office at jeanie@stmichaelsvermont.org or call 254-6048 ext 104

and let Jeanie know which service you would like to attend so we can monitor numbers at

each service.

If it happens to rain on September 13, we will postpone to September 20.

DONATION STATEMENTS: We recently sent via USPS mail or email statements of giving to

St. Michael’s in 2020. These statements reflect donations from January through July of this year. If

you did not receive a statement or if you have any questions about your statement, please contact

the church office at jeanie@stmichaelsvermont.org or call 254-6048, extension 104. Thank you for

all your gifts!

BLUE BIN IS BACK ON THE BENCH: “On Wednesday I was again able to deliver your

generous donations to Southern Vermont Correctional Facility and they were most grateful. The

good news is there are currently no Covid-19 cases at the facility and all persons there will be tested

again this week. Please keep them in your prayers.

The blue bin is now back on the bench outside the church. While the current needs for clothing

have been met, there is still a need for men's toiletries. Because all activities and even recreation

time are limited, the weekly bingo games are a big treat and prizes of toiletries are much

appreciated. Items might include toothbrushes, toothpaste, body wash, shampoo and

soap. Remember, all bottled items must be in clear containers. I will make a delivery to SVCF

during the first week of September. If you are cleaning closets this summer, please remember that I

will be requesting winter clothes in the fall. Thank you for your generosity and support of our social

justice work.” Cliff Wood

ST. MICHAEL'S VIMEO CHANNEL - St. Michael's now has a Vimeo channel where you can

watch or listen to past sermons, services or adult forums. Here is the

link: https://vimeo.com/channels/1603817. If you "subscribe," you will receive news in your email

inbox when new content is available.

KEEPING UP WITH YOUR PLEDGE – Summer can be a slow time for pledges coming in and

this year is no different. Please don’t forget to send in your pledges or make online payments to

support St. Michael’s ministry and mission. Thank you for your generosity!