Pentecost-18 (Yr A) October 1, 2023

 

 

 

PRELUDE              “Prelude and Fugue in F minor“                     Johann Ludwig Krebs

 

OPENING HYMN        “All hail the power of Jesus’ name”                Hymn #450

 

1  All hail the power of Jesus’ Name!

        Let angels prostrate fall;

    bring forth the royal diadem,

        and crown him Lord of all!

 

 2  Crown him, ye martyrs of our God,

        who from his altar call:

    praise him whose way of pain ye trod,

        and crown him Lord of all!

 

 3  Hail him, the Heir of David’s line,

        whom David Lord did call,

    the God incarnate, Man divine,

        and crown him Lord of all!

 

 4  Ye heirs of Israel’s chosen race,

        ye ransomed of the fall,

    hail him who saves you by his grace,

        and crown him Lord of all!

 

 5  Sinners, whose love can ne’er forget

        the wormwood and the gall,

    go, spread your trophies at his feet,

        and crown him Lord of all!

  

6  Let every kindred, every tribe,

        on this terrestrial ball,

    to him all majesty ascribe,

        and crown him Lord of all!

 

 

Celebrant     Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

People     And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and forever. Amen

 

Celebrant

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

 

 

HYMN OF PRAISE                      “Glory to God”                               S278 Matthias

 

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.

 

 

Celebrant   The Lord be with you.

People   And also with you

 

Celebrant: Let us pray

O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant us the fullness of your grace, that we, running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

 

                    Please be seated for the lessons.

 

FIRST LESSON            Exodus 17: 1-7                        A Reading from the Book of Exodus

 

From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages,
as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for
the people to drink. The people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to
drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?”
But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and
said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with
thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost
ready to stone me.” The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and
take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you
struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb.
Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did
so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because
the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or
not?”

 

The Word of the Lord Response:  Thanks be to God.

 

 

PSALM                              Psalm 78: 1-4, 12-16                     Read responsively by whole verse.

 

1 Hear my teaching, O my people; *
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

 

2 I will open my mouth in a parable; *
I will declare the mysteries of ancient times.

 

3 That which we have heard and known,
and what our forefathers have told us, *
we will not hide from their children.

 

4 We will recount to generations to come
the praiseworthy deeds and the power of the LORD, *
and the wonderful works he has done.

 

12 He worked marvels in the sight of their forefathers, *
in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

 

13 He split open the sea and let them pass through; *
he made the waters stand up like walls.

 

14 He led them with a cloud by day, *
and all the night through with a glow of fire.

 

15 He split the hard rocks in the wilderness *
and gave them drink as from the great deep.

 

16 He brought streams out of the cliff, *
and the waters gushed out like rivers.

 

 

Epistle         Philippians 2:1-13    A Reading from Paul’s letter to the Church in Philippi

 

To me, If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing
in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the
same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing
from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than
yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of
others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

 

who, though he was in the form of God,

did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,

but emptied himself,

taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form,

he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death–
even death on a cross.

Therefore God also highly exalted him

and gave him the name
that is above every name,

so that at the name of Jesus

every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue should confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

 

Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence,
but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his
good pleasure.

 

The Word of the Lord Response:   Thanks be to God.

 

 

GRADUAL              “Forgive our sins as we forgive”                       Hymnal #674

GOSPEL                        Matthew 21:23-32

 

Deacon or Priest: The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew

 

People:  Glory to you Lord Christ.

 

When Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people
came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing
these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus said to them, “I will also
ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what
authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it
of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’
he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human
origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” So they answered
Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by
what authority I am doing these things.

 

“What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go
and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his
mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered,
‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?”
They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and
the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to
you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors
and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change
your minds and believe him.

 

The Gospel of the Lord. Response:    Praise to you Lord Christ

 

 

SERMON                                                                                                               The Rev. Cricket Park

 

 

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

 

The celebration continues with the Prayers of the People. The Leader and People

pray responsively.

 

In peace, we pray to you, Lord God.

Silence

 

For all people in their daily life and work;

For our families, friends, and neighbors, and for those who are alone.

 

For this community, the nation, and the world;

For all who work for justice, freedom, and peace.

 

For the just and proper use of your creation;

For the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.

 

For all who are in danger, sorrow, or any kind of trouble;

For those who minister to the sick, the friendless, and the needy.

 

For the peace and unity of the Church of God;

For all who proclaim the Gospel, and all who seek the Truth.

 

For Michael our Presiding Bishop, and Wayne, Ken, Nedi, and Wendall our Bishops; and for all bishops and other ministers;

For all who serve God in the Church.

 

For the special needs and concerns of this congregation.
Silence The People may add their own petitions

 

Hear us, Lord;

For your mercy is great.

 

We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life.
Silence The People may add their own thanksgivings

 

We will exalt you, O God our King;

And praise your Name for ever and ever.

 

We pray for all who have died, that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom.
Silence The People may add their own petitions

 

Lord, let your loving-kindness be upon them;

Who put their trust in you.

 

Celebrant:  O God, you prepared your disciples for the coming of the Spirit through the
teaching of your Son Jesus Christ: Make the hearts and minds of your servants ready
to receive the blessing of the Holy Spirit, that they may be filled with the strength of his
presence; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

THE CONFESSION

Deacon/Celebrant:   Let us then 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 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 ABSOLUTION

 

Celebrant:  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

Celebrant:     The Peace of the Lord be always with you.

Response:      And also with you.

 

Please greet one another with a sign of peace.

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

 

OFFERTORY/ANTHEM                      “Prayer of St. Francis”                        William Beckstrand

 

PRESENTATION OF GIFTS

 

At this time the ushers will bring up the offering of money and any pantry items. As they do this, please stand and sing the following:

 

Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise God all creatures here below;

Praise God above ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

 

 

THE HOLY COMMUNION

 

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 him thanks and praise.

 

The Celebrant continues, with the congregation joining in the words in bold type.

 

It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.

 

For by water and the Holy Spirit you have made us a new people in Jesus Christ our Lord, to show forth your glory in all the world.

 

Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:

 

SANCTUS                                                                                                                     HYMN S128

 

All: 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.

 

 

Then the Celebrant continues

 

Holy and gracious Father: In your infinite love you made us for yourself, and, when we had fallen into sin and become subject to evil and death, you, in your mercy, sent Jesus Christ, your only and eternal Son, to share our human nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to you, the God and Father of all.

 

He stretched out his arms upon the cross, and offered himself, in obedience to your will, a perfect sacrifice for the whole world.

 

On the night he was handed over to suffering and death, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”

 

After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, “Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”

 

Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith:

 

Celebrant and People:

 

Christ has died.

Christ is risen.

Christ will come again.

 

The Celebrant continues:
We celebrate the memorial of our redemption, O Father, in this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Recalling his death, resurrection, and ascension, we offer you these gifts.

 

Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of your Son, the holy food and drink of new and unending life in him. Sanctify us also that we may faithfully receive this holy Sacrament, and serve you in unity, constancy, and peace; and at the last day bring us with all your saints into the joy of your eternal kingdom.

 

All this we ask through your Son Jesus Christ: By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and forever.   AMEN.

 

As our Savior Christ has taught us, we now 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 forever.  Amen 

 

THE FRACTION/THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD

Celebrant:   Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;

People:        Therefore let us keep the feast.

 

INVITATION TO COMMUNION:

 

Celebrant:   The Gifts of God for the People of God.

 

Everyone is welcome to come forward for communion or a blessing.

 

 

COMMUNION HYMN                “O food to pilgrims given”                       Hymnal #309

 

1 O Food to pilgrims given,

   O Bread of life from heaven,

       O Manna from on high!

   We hunger; Lord, supply us,

   nor thy delights deny us,

       whose hearts to thee draw nigh.

 

2 O stream of love past telling,

   O purest fountain, welling

       from out the Savior’s side!

   We faint with thirst; revive us,

   of thine abundance give us,

       and all we need provide.

 

3 O Jesus, by thee bidden,

       we here adore thee, hidden

   in forms of bread and wine.

   Grant when the veil is riven,

   we may behold, in heaven,

       thy countenance divine.

 

 

POST COMMUNION PRAYER

Celebrant:  Let us pray.

People:
Almighty and everliving God, we thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; and for assuring us in these holy mysteries that we are living members of the Body of your Son, and heirs of your eternal kingdom.

 

And now, Father, send us out to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord. To him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever.  Amen.

 

 

THE BLESSING

May the peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of God’s son, Jesus Christ our Lord. And the Blessing of God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit, be with you now and remain with you always.

 

RECESSIONAL HYMN          “Lord, dismiss us with thy blessing”                 Hymn #344

 

 

1  Lord, dismiss us with thy blessing;

       fill our hearts with joy and peace;

   let us each, thy love possessing,

   triumph in redeeming grace:

       O refresh us, O refresh us

   traveling through this wilderness.

 

 

2 Thanks we give and adoration

       for thy Gospel’s joyful sound:

   may the fruits of thy salvation

   in our hearts and lives abound:

       ever faithful, ever faithful

   to thy truth may we be found;

 

 

3 so that when thy love shall call us,

       Savior, from the world away,

   fear of death shall not appall us,

   glad thy summons to obey.

       May we ever, may we ever

   reign with thee in endless day.

 

 

DISMISSAL

 

The congregation is dismissed.

People    Thanks be to God.

 

POSTLUDE                               “Postlude on ‘supplication’”                  G. Winston Cassler

 

                 Please join us for coffee in the Fellowship Room of the Community Building.

 

 

————————————-

 

 

Welcome to St. Mark’s! During the service, please assume the postures of prayer and
devotion as best suits your ability. If you are able, please stand for the Gospel, singing
hymns, and the prayers. Kneeling and sitting are also appropriate for the prayers of
the people and the Eucharistic prayers. Remember, the posture of your heart is more
important to God than the position of your body.

 

 

Ministers for October 1, 2023
Altar Guild for October: Katherine Wagner and Elizabeth Wagner-Weber
Organist: Donna Larsen Vocalist: Laura Leach
Acolyte: Stephanie Welch
Lay Readers: TJ Walch and Gabe Walch
Chalice Bearers: Elizabeth Wagner-Weber and Jim Rudd
Tech Table: Gary Welch
Ushers: Carol Williamson and Tony Rubino
Counters: Carol Nancarrow and Dave Reuter
Open/Close: Nancarrow/Reuter
Coffee Hour: Lee and Carol Smith

 

 

Ministers for October 8, 2023
Altar Guild for October: Katherine Wagner and Elizabeth Wagner-Weber
Organist: Donna Larsen Vocalist: Laura Leach
Acolyte: Jackie Hoskinson
Lay Readers: Carol Williamson and Jackie Hoskinson
Chalice Bearers: Elizabeth Wagner-Weber and Don Nancarrow
Tech Table: TJ Walch
Ushers: Dave Reuter and Carol Williamson
Counters: Tony Rubino and Jim Rudd
Open/Close: Wagner/Rudd
Sanctuary Lamp is given in loving memory of Edward Veasey by Katherine Wagner.
Coffee Hour: This week and the next two weeks are open.

 

 

Calendar items:
October 1—CARE House collection day
October 1—Adult Education and Sunday School, 9:15am
October 7—Confirmation at Procter Conference Center, 2 pm
October 8—Adult Education and Sunday School, 9:15am
October 15—Food Pantry collection day
October 15—Adult Education and Sunday School, 9:15am
October 19—Vestry Meeting, 7:00pm
October 21—Valley Vineyards Dinner
October 22—Adult Education and Sunday School, 9:15am
October 29—Adult Education and Sunday School, 9:15am
October 31-November 2: All Hallow’s Eve, All Saints’, All Souls’
November 5—All Saints’ Sunday and CARE House collection day
November 5—Adult Education and Sunday School, 9:15am

 

 

Adult Forum: Fall Feasts and Fasts
There are several significant feast days in September through November. Our Adult
Forum class will talk about these occasions at 9:00am in the Lounge. Come for all;
come for some. Get to know the saints and the history behind a holy day or two.

October 1st—St. Michael and All Angels
October 8th—St. James
October 15th—Teresa of Avila
October 29th—The Autumnal Triduum: All Hallow’s Eve, All Saints, All Souls
November 5th—Edith Cavell
November 12th—Hilda of Whitby
November 19th—St. Andrew

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Mark’s is a parish in the Diocese of Southern Ohio, which is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion.