Welcome, Guests! Thank you for joining us! Please fill out the visitor card in your pew and drop it in the collection plate during the Offertory or give it to one of the ministers as you leave.

Greeters: Please come forward to help!

Fellowship: Nancie Vion-Loisel.

Flowers: Melinda Bobo, in memory of Mattie Shannon.

Cover: “Lake” painting by Ted Waldron.

Sunday, August 27 2 pm Warm Valley Lodge service. Join residents from 4:30-5:30 pm Fridays for Happy Hour.

Tuesday, August 29: 9:30 am Bible Talk at Warm Valley Lodge.

Wednesday, August 30: 5-6 pm Summer Conversations. 6 pm Evening Prayer.

Thursday, August 31: 5-7 pm Farmers’ Market.

Saturday, September 2: 10am-noon Food Bank in the Stewart House.

Sunday, September 3: 10 am Instructed Eucharist Part 2. 2 pm Warm Valley Lodge service.

Tuesday, September 5: 9:30 am Bible Talk at Warm Valley Lodge.

Wednesday, September 6: 5:30 pm Evening Prayer.

Monday, September 18: 6:30 pm AED Training.

Volunteers are needed to mow the lawn. Sign up sheet is in the coffee room.

Please sign up in the Coffee Room to provide Altar Flowers and to host Fellowship.

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St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church 12 Pentecost, Proper 16, Year A

August 27, 2017

9 S. 1st ST, P.O. Box 735, Dubois, WY 82513

The Holy Eucharist: Rite Two (instructed) Hymns may be found in the blue Hymnal 1982. Songs may be found in the maroon St. Thomas’ Songbook.

The Episcopal Church of the United States is part of the Anglican Communion, the global community of churches that have their roots in the Church of England. In the Anglican tradition, common prayer is at the very heart of our worship. We call it “common prayer” because our worship is communal, that is, something to be shared.

We believe in a concept called lex orandi, lex credendi: in Latin literally “the law of prayer” (the way we worship) is “the law of belief” (what we believe). It means we discover our beliefs through our prayer, and those beliefs shape how we live. If what we pray shapes our belief and ultimately affects how we live, then we should have a good idea of what we are praying. This instructed Eucharist will help us to come to a deeper understanding of our worship and its meaning so that we may participate with more enthusiasm, understanding and joy, and be strengthened in our union with God through Christ Jesus.

Liturgy comes from the Greek word leitourgia or “work of the people.” Originally meaning a public duty or service to the state undertaken by a citizen, in the Septuagint it became associated with the work of the priests in the Temple. Christians later broadened it to mean the work the people do in worship that they then take into the world.

Word and Sacrament together are the essential components of Christian liturgy, for we believe that Christ is present both as the Living Word of God proclaimed in the assembly and as the Bread of Life received in the Sacrament. Therefore, there are two parts to the Eucharist: 1) The Liturgy for the Proclamation of the Word of God and 2) The Liturgy for the Celebration of the Holy Communion. Today we will look closely at the first half of our liturgy, The Liturgy for the Proclamation of the Word of God.

The Liturgy of the Word comes to us almost unchanged from the early worship of the Jewish synagogues and was originally a series of lessons, or readings from Scripture alternating with responses from the Psalms and other songs in Scripture. The number of lessons gradually was reduced until only two were read. With the new lectionary of the 1979 BCP, an optional third lesson from the Old Testament was restored. The current pattern of the Liturgy of the Word provides for an Old Testament lesson, a psalm, a New Testament lesson, a hymn, and the proclamation of the Holy Gospel.

The Gathering of the People Our worship begins with the gathering of the people. In fact, the Greek word ekklesia which is translated as “church” means “called out” (ek, kaleo) or “assembly.” We gather as Christians from

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Celebrant: The Rev. Melinda Bobo

Preacher: Sylvia Crouter Eucharistic Minister: Sheryl Isaly

Lector: Jake Isaly Acolyte: Dalton Finley

Music: Cindy Lewis Choir Director: Sue Bodar

Altar Guild: Cindy Lewis, Kathy Hodge, Lillie Lichtenwalner, Toni Finley, Nancie Vion-Loisel, Janice Peck.

Church Phone: 307-455-2313 Office Manager: Connie Ticknor

Church Office Hours: Tuesday-Friday 9 am-noon and 1:30-4 pm

St. Thomas’ e-mail address: stthomas.wy@gmail.com Website: stthomasdubois.diowy.org

Rector: The Rev. Melinda Bobo Cell: 307-240-0514 Office Hours: Wednesdays 10 am-noon and 1-4 pm

Vestry Members

Senior Warden: Randy Lahr Junior Warden: John McPhail

Treasurer: Twila Blakeman Clerk: Sandy Lahr

Carol Petera Mandy Rose Julia Royall Lary Treanor

Food Bank hours: Saturday 10 am-noon Food Bank e-mail address: stthomas.fb@gmail.com

many different walks of life as a people of God to worship together. Our gathering creates the Church in this place at this moment, as we gather in Christ’s name. We gather, aware that Christ’s presence is already there to welcome us.

In the Episcopal Church, meditative quiet is our custom before the service. This is a good time for personal prayer time with God, opening yourself to God’s presence and offering to God your concerns from the past week and for the coming week. Helpful resources include Psalm 43 (BCP p. 644), Psalm 84 (BCP p. 707), and the devotional prayers found in BCP pp. 832-35. The instrumental Preludes are to enhance meditative preparation. Here at St. Thomas during the Prelude the acolyte lights the candles to show that the light of Christ is present in our worship.

The Introit, from the Latin word introitus, meaning “entrance,” is part of the opening of the liturgical celebration of the Eucharist for many Christian denominations. In its most complete version, it consists of an antiphon, psalm verse and Gloria Patri that is spoken or sung at the beginning of the celebration. At St. Thomas it is the anthem sung to set our minds on God as we begin our worship.

Please remain seated.

Let us sing our Introit Surely the Presence of the Lord (sung twice) page 16

The Processional Hymn Music in worship is one of the primary ways we express our devotion, a means through which we proclaim our love for God. Singing is a response which engages the whole self and unites us in common prayer with one another and all of creation. Our Processional Hymn is usually a hymn of praise to God and begins the first of four processions in our worship. Its purpose is not only to allow the choir, clergy and other ministers to enter, but it also is a sign that we are entering the presence of the holy.

Please stand.

Let us stand and sing our Processional Hymn 304 I come with joy to meet my Lord

Opening Acclamation The celebrant and people begin by stating briefly what we have come together to do. There are three forms for the Opening Acclamation: one for Lent and penitential seasons, one for Easter through Pentecost, and the third for the remainder of the church year. In this season we begin our work by blessing God. We have come to offer God our thanks, honor and worship. We also proclaim and remember that God is one in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Celebrant Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. People And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.

The Collect for Purity This prayer has been used for about 1000 years in the British Isles, and it has been in every Book of Common Prayer since Thomas Cranmer put out the first edition in 1549. Originally said by priests preparing themselves before Mass, this expresses our desire to be honest with God, that our desire for God may be purified of all selfishness by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is based upon Psalm 51.

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Holy, Holy, Holy Lord

Sanctus S-130

18 3

The Celebrant says

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.

People Amen.

Opening Canticle The Gloria in Excelsis, an ancient hymn, is also known as the Greater Doxology, the first verse of which is derived from Luke 2:13-14, the song of the angels at the time of Jesus’ birth. It may date from as early as the 2nd century. The Book of Common Prayer prohibits the use of the Gloria in Excelsis in Advent or Lent. In those seasons the Kyrie or the Trisagion or some more penitential Hymn of Praise is used.

Glory to God Gloria in excelsis page 17

The Collect of the Day The Collect of the Day is a special prayer for each Sunday, which focuses our thoughts and hearts on the themes of the Scriptures and prepares us to receive God who is made present to us in Word and in Sacrament. Some of these collects are modern, others are from the time of the Reformation, and still others are rooted in the ancient liturgies of the Church.

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

The Celebrant says

Grant, O merciful God, that your Church, being gathered together in unity by your Holy Spirit, may show forth your power among all peoples, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

People Amen.

Please be seated.

The Lessons The public reading of Scripture is rooted in the practice of the Jewish Synagogue and was adapted for use in the early Church. Over time the practice of reading one lesson from the Old Testament, a Psalm, a lesson from a New Testament Epistle, and a selection from one of the four Gospels became normative. Thus, the four Scripture lessons we read each Sunday. The Episcopal Church uses the Revised Common Lectionary which is a three-year cycle of readings. Each year of the RCL centers on one of the synoptic Gospels. (Year A—Matthew, Year B—Mark, Year C—Luke). John is read in each year in the major seasons of Christmas, Lent, and Easter.

“Thanks be to God” (“Deo Gratis”), is a response to the lessons used since medieval times, which acknowledges that what was read has been heard.

Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow

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Glory to God Gloria in excelsis S-280

Reader A Reading from the Book of Exodus.

After the Reading,

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

Psalm 124 Nisi quia Dominus (said responsively by verse)

1 If the LORD had not been on our side,

*let Israel now say;

2 If the LORD had not been on our side,

*when enemies rose up against us;

3 Then would they have swallowed us up alive

*in their fierce anger toward us;

4 Then would the waters have overwhelmed us

*and the torrent gone over us;

5 Then would the raging waters

*have gone right over us.

6 Blessed be the LORD!

*he has not given us over to be a prey for their teeth.

7 We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowler;

*the snare is broken, and we have escaped.

8 Our help is in the Name of the LORD,

*the maker of heaven and earth.

Reader A Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans.

After the Reading,

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

The Gospel Our second procession, the Gospel procession, is a particularly holy and powerful time when the Good News is proclaimed. The Gospel Book, itself a symbol of the presence of Christ, is brought into the midst of the Church to symbolize the coming of the good news of Christ to His people. The Gospel Procession also reminds us that it is our responsibility to carry the Good News of Jesus Christ into all the world. We stand at the reading of the Gospel and face the Book in order to be addressed and encountered by the One who comes to us in His Word. For this reason before and after the proclamation of the Gospel we acknowledge not the reading, but Christ himself, the Word of God, who is present in these words of Scripture.

5 16

Please stand

Sequence Songbook 75 Jesus, name above all names (sung twice)

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

After the Gospel,

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

Please be seated

The Sermon The purpose of the sermon is to interpret the readings and apply them to the life of the congregation. It is not a pep talk, lecture, or piece of performance art; rather, it is a breaking open of the Word of God we have heard so that we can feed on it. Sometimes that feeding may refresh us; sometimes it may give us indigestion! Whatever the case may be, it should provoke a response in us—a response that will take shape in the remainder of the liturgy and overflow into our daily lives where we bear witness to the Good News we have heard for the sake of the world, and not simply our own edification. We follow the sermon with a brief period of silence for reflection, giving us time to discern how to make the Word a living and transforming reality in our lives.

The Sermon

Silence for reflection.

The Nicene Creed The Nicene Creed was composed to denounce heresy and clarify the orthodox faith. The Creed was never intended as a “last word” and only gradually became part of the Eucharistic liturgies of the Church. It is, rather, a first word—a word of identity, that is, an affirmation of the fundamental beliefs that have formed Christianity.

The Celebrant says

Let us stand and join together in the Nicene Creed.

All say together

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.

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Friday in Easter Week (white) Saturday in Easter Week (white) The Second Sunday of Easter (white) The Third Sunday of Easter (white) The Fourth Sunday of Easter (white) The Fifth Sunday of Easter (white) The Sixth Sunday of Easter (white) Ascension Day (white) The Seventh Sunday of Easter: The Sunday after Ascension Day (white) The Day of Pentecost: Whitsunday (red)

The Season After Pentecost The First Sunday after Pentecost: Trinity Sunday (white) The Second Sunday through the Twenty-Seventh Sunday after Pentecost (green) The Last Sunday after Pentecost (Christ the King Sunday) (white)

Sources for this service: The Book of Common Prayer Grace Episcopal Church, Colorado Springs, CO

St. David’s Episcopal Church, Richmond, VA http://www.stdavidschesterfield.org/index.php?page=instructeuch

St. Elisabeth’s Episcopal Church, Memphis, TN http://www.stelisabeths.org/worship/instructed-eucharist/

St. George’s Episcopal Church, Ardmore, PA https://stgeorgesardmore.wordpress.com/notes-from-an-instructed-eucharist/

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Casper, WY http://s3.amazonaws.com/dfc_attachments/public/documents/3205183/Instructed_Eucharist_Robinson.Major.pdf

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Cambridge, MA http://www.tituspresler.com/parish_ministry/eucharist/InstructedEucharistTemplate.pdf

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church http://www.ststeph.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/InstructedEucharistGuide.pdf

The Right Reverend Mark Sisk, Episcopal Diocese of New York http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs039/1102067254998/archive/1105586716868.html

Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Sacramento, CA http://www.trinitycathedral.org/worship/instructed-eucharist

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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

After hearing and responding to God’s Word, we are moved to lift up to God our prayers of intercession, supplication, and thanksgiving. Prayer is one of the vital tasks of the church, and we share in that together as a worshipping community. Our lives are closely linked in Christ, and the power of prayer is real. When we pray for others, we do so prepared to be instruments which God may use in responding to that prayer. Prayer is not to change God’s mind as much as to change us so that we may accept and respond to God’s call to us to act on His behalf in the world. It is understood that we will continue to pray, each of us personally, daily throughout the week to come.

In every Anglican Church the Prayers of the People include prayers for the Universal Church, its members, and its mission; the Nation and all in authority; the welfare of the world; the concerns of the local community; those who suffer and those in any trouble; and, the departed. The Book of Common Prayer has six forms of the Prayers of the People, which St. Thomas uses in turn. This week we will use Form I. The Prayers end with a Concluding Collect which binds together the prayers of all who are present.

The Leader and People pray responsively

With all our heart and with all our mind, let us pray to the Lord, saying, “Lord, have mercy.”

Silence

For the peace from above, for the loving-kindness of God, and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

For the peace of the world, for the welfare of the holy Church of God, and for the unity of all peoples, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

For our Bishop, and for all the clergy and people, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

For our President, for the leaders of the nations, and for all in authority, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

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Advent Season The First Sunday of Advent (purple) The Second Sunday of Advent (purple) The Third Sunday of Advent (rose) The Fourth Sunday of Advent (purple)

Christmas Season Christmas Eve (white) The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ: Christmas Day, December 25(white) The First Sunday after Christmas Day (white) The Holy Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, January 1 (white) The Second Sunday after Christmas Day (white)

Epiphany Season The Epiphany, or the Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles, January 6 (white) The First Sunday after the Epiphany: The Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ (white) The Second Sunday through the Eighth Sunday after the Epiphany (green) The Last Sunday after the Epiphany (green)

Lenten Season The First Day of Lent, or Ash Wednesday (purple) The First Sunday in Lent (purple) The Second Sunday in Lent (purple) The Third Sunday in Lent (purple) The Fourth Sunday in Lent (rose) The Fifth Sunday in Lent (purple)

Holy Week The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday (red) Monday in Holy Week (red) Tuesday in Holy Week (red) Wednesday in Holy Week (red) Maundy Thursday (white) Good Friday (red) Holy Saturday (red)

Easter Season Easter Eve (white) The Sunday of the Resurrection, or Easter Day (white) Monday in Easter Week (white) Tuesday in Easter Week (white) Wednesday in Easter Week (white) Thursday in Easter Week (white)

For the town of Dubois, for every city and community, and for those who live in them, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

For the good earth which God has given us, and for the wisdom and will to conserve it, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

For the aged and infirm, for the widowed and orphans, and for the sick and the suffering, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we pray for the Diocese of Ruvuma, Tanzania. In the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, we pray for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Evanston. In our daily prayers we pray for those in the Armed Services. We also pray for [prayers in notebook]. Please add your own petitions, either silently or aloud. We give thanks for [thanksgivings in notebook]. Please add your own thanksgivings, either silently or aloud. Let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

For the poor and the oppressed, for the unemployed and the destitute, for prisoners and captives, and for all who remember and care for them, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

For all who have died in the hope of the resurrection, and for all the departed, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

For deliverance from all danger, violence, oppression, and degradation, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

That we may end our lives in faith and hope, without suffering and without reproach, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.

In the communion of St. Thomas and of all the saints, let us commend ourselves, and one another, and all our life, to Christ our God. To you, O Lord our God.

Silence

The Celebrant says

O Lord our God, accept the fervent prayers of your people; in the multitude of your mercies, look with compassion upon us and all who turn to you for help; for you are gracious, O lover of souls, and to you we give glory, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever.

People Amen.

Please be seated.

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The Confession of Sin and Absolution

Now we collectively ask God's forgiveness for the wrongs we have done as the people of God. When we pray the Prayer of Confession we are confessing our sins as the gathering of God’s people and not only as individuals; we confess our own sins and the sins of the world. In confession, we seek to have the relationship between ourselves and God set right as we approach the altar for communion. As we acknowledge that we are sinful and need God’s forgiveness, we also celebrate our faith in God’s mercy and power to change us. First, the deacon or celebrant calls us to confess our sins. Then, there is a time of silence for private, silent individual confession. We then together recite the words of the prayer of confession. Following the prayer of confession, the priest pronounces absolution. The priest’s declaration of forgiveness assures us that God’s greatest joy is to free us from sin, and that all those who have turned away from sin and toward God have been restored to right relationship with God.

Celebrant Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

The people kneel as they are able.

Silence as we call to mind our sins.

All say together 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 Celebrant 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. People Amen.

Please be seated.

The Peace Having faced the reality of our own shortcomings, and received the assurance of God’s forgiveness and love, we stand as a new people, renewed in Christ, to exchange Christ’s Peace with one another. The Peace is one of the most ancient, traditional, and universal of all Eucharistic actions. It is offered at this place in our liturgy, as St. John Chrysostom explained in the 4th Century, as a sign of reconciliation before coming to the Holy Communion. The Peace is not a time for idle chatter, but it is a prayerful act, to be offered reflecting upon the profound miracle of our unity in Christ. Such an action also reminds us that as Christians we are instruments of Christ’s peace not only for one another but also for the world.

All stand.

Celebrant The peace of the Lord be always with you. People And also with you.

The Ministers and People greet one another in the name of the Lord.

Sitting is a posture of listening and meditation, so the congregation sits for the pre-Gospel readings and the sermon and may also sit following Communion. We strive to assume a seated posture that is attentive rather than merely at rest.

Genuflecting is kneeling briefly on the right knee and returning upright. It is appropriate to genuflect in honor of our Lord when approaching or passing an altar where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved. People often genuflect as they leave their pew to go to communion and as they return.

Bowing may be a low reverence from the waist to recognize God’s presence before sitting down before worship, when passing the altar, or at the mention of the Incarnation in the Nicene Creed. (“By the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.”) Bowing may at other times be a simple inclination of one’s head, as is done when the Cross passes by one during a procession, when the Holy Trinity is praised at the end of a psalm or hymn, when the Gospel is announced and concluded, and in general whenever the holy Name of Jesus is said or heard.

The Sign of the Cross is made with the right hand, from forehead to chest, then from left shoulder to right. This sign symbolizes God’s blessings on us through Christ’s self-giving on the cross, and it expresses our trust in God and the hope that we receive from our baptism, wherein we were born again in Christ and made one with him in his resurrection. The sign of the cross is both a reminder and renewal of our baptism.

When the deacon or celebrant announces the Gospel reading some Episcopalians trace a cross with their thumb over their forehead, lips and heart. This is enacted prayer, asking that the Gospel be inscribed in the mind, spoken with the lips and loved in the heart.

These gestures are entirely optional. All are welcome to use whatever gestures aid their worship and free to omit any that do not.

The Calendar of the Church Year The Church Year consists of two cycles of feasts and holy days: one is dependent upon the movable date of the Sunday of the Resurrection or Easter Day; the other, upon the fixed date of December 25, the Feast of our Lord's Nativity or Christmas Day.

Easter Day is always the first Sunday after the full moon that falls on or after March 21. It cannot occur before March 22 or after April 25.

The sequence of all Sundays of the Church Year depends upon the date of Easter Day. But the Sundays of Advent are always the four Sundays before Christmas Day, whether it occurs on a Sunday or a weekday. The date of Easter also determines the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday, and the feast of the Ascension on a Thursday forty days after Easter Day.

The liturgical colors are white (joy, purity and truth), red (fire and blood), green (life and hope), purple or indigo (penitence), and rose (penitence permeated with joy).

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Celebrant Ascribe to the Lord the honor due his Name; bring offerings and come into his courts. Psalm 96:8

Please be seated.

Offertory Hymn 529 In Christ there is no East or West

Representatives of the congregation collect the money and other gifts and bring them and the people's offerings of bread and wine to the Celebrant.

Please stand.

Presentation Hymn Praise God from whom all blessings flow (tune 400) page 18

Eucharistic Prayer A

The people remain standing.

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 proceeds

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 you are the source of light and life; you made us in your image, and called us to new life in Jesus Christ our Lord.

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:

Holy, holy, holy S-130 page 19

The people stand or kneel.

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."

Terms for Those Who Help With Worship Celebrant: A priest or bishop who presides at the liturgy.

Deacon: A person ordained to the diaconate. When present a deacon reads the Gospel, leads the Prayers of the People, leads the Confession, sets the Altar at Offertory, distributes Communion, cleans up after Communion, and gives the Dismissal. Deacons interpret to the Church the needs, concerns, and hopes of the world.

Crucifer: Someone who carries the processional cross. At St. Thomas the acolyte fills this position.

Acolyte: Literally this means “torch-bearer.” We do not have torch-bearers at St. Thomas.

Lay Eucharistic Ministers: Lay people who have been authorized by the Bishop and the Rector to help distribute Communion, usually by being chalice-bearers.

Book-bearer: The person who carries the Gospel Book in procession and holds it during the Gospel Reading. At St. Thomas the acolyte fills this position.

Preacher: A person who gives a sermon or homily.

Lector: A person who reads a lesson from the Bible.

Intercessor: A person who leads the Prayers of the People. At St. Thomas the Lay Eucharist Minister fills this position.

Oblation-bearers: Those who bring up the gifts of bread and wine at the Offertory.

Ushers or Greeters: Those who distribute bulletins, help people find a seat, find oblation bearers, and find the person to collect the offering.

Altar Guild: The team of people who help prepare the Altar area and are responsible for cleaning the vessels and linens.

Actions During Worship As Episcopalians we worship not just with our heart and minds, but with our bodies as well. Because we believe Christ is present in Word and Sacrament, we acknowledge that presence with several ritual actions and gestures. “Kneel for prayer, stand for praise, sit for instruction” is one Anglican adage, but those postures are often adapted by each congregation. We may also bow, genuflect, and cross ourselves at various points in the service.

Standing is a posture of respect. In the liturgy, we stand consciously aware of being in the presence of God. This posture is also a rehearsal for experiencing the holiness of all ground and for moving with reverence and gratitude upon it. Thus we stand to praise God and to pray.

Kneeling is a posture of humility, penitence, and devotion. Thus we kneel to pray in recognition of the magnitude of God’s loving grace, our inability to deserve it, and our gratitude for receiving it.

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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 for ever.

People AMEN.

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

Joining hands, the Celebrant and People say 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 Celebrant breaks the consecrated Bread.

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

Celebrant The Gifts of God for the People of God. Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.

You may be seated until you come forward to receive. All who love the Lord are welcome at His table.

Communion Hymn 508 Breathe on me, Breath of God Songbook 4 Eight Fold Alleluia: 1. Alleluia 2. Blessed Jesus 3. Precious Savior 4. My Redeemer 5. Jesus is Lord 6. Alleluia

Postcommunion Prayer

Please stand.

The Celebrant says

Let us pray.

Celebrant and People say together 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 The Bishop when present, or the Priest, gives the blessing

May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you, and remain with you always.

People Amen.

Please be seated.

Announcements

Please stand.

Recessional Hymn 518 Christ is made the sure foundation

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

Postlude

Please join us in the Coffee Room after the service for coffee and fellowship.