“Behold what you are; Become what you receive.”

-Saint Augustine

189th Convention of the Diocese of Alabama

Holy EucharistThursday, February 6, 2020

7:00 p.m.

We prepare for our time together.

We take our places and allow the prelude music to center and calm us. We cometogether to sing praise with whatever voice God has given us!

This bulletin is designed to be a formational opportunity with information about our worship in the sidebars.

This is a way to help visitors and newcomers understand the service as well as educate our younger participants.

Prayer for those gathered this night.

Gracious and loving God, we are thankful and glad tobe in your house. Help us, as your children , to be gracious and welcoming to all of your children. Help us to see and experience worship as a child, so that we might beopen to your presence in new and startling ways.Challenge us to see andrespond to opportunities for ministry to all as you have called us to do. As we teach them , may you teach us through them. As we lead them , may you lead us through them. As we help them seek and wonder, may they help us see and wonder as well. In Christ's name we pray. Amen

THE HOLY EUCHARIST RITE IIPrelude Praise to the Lord Almighty arr. Theresa

WilhelmiHymn in Procession: Immortal, Invisible (423, The Hymnal 1982)

W. C. Smith

THE WORD OF GODThe people standing, the Celebrant says

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

Amen.The Celebrant may sayAlmighty 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.Gloria (S280, The Hymnal 1982)

The bold portions are the parts the congregation says together.

The priest asks God to help us love and worship him.

Glory to God in the highest- a short hymn of praise to the Trinity. We praise God forbeing God and praise him for sending Jesus to take awayour sins. We use the words the angels sang to theshepherds at the time of Jesus birth.

Liturgy of the Word

The first part of the service is the Liturgy of the Word: Based on ancient Jewish worship, we hear and learn about God’s work in the world. This is a listening and learning time.

The first prayer is called a Collect. The priest or bishop asks God to help us tobecome closer to Him and to help us to make the world a better place.

Amen means ‘yes’ or ‘so be it’ or ‘yes, I agree God’!

We follow a three-year cycle of readings called a Lection- ary. These are the lessonsbeing heard in congregations of all types throughout the world on this day.

The Hebrew Bible or Old Testament and contains the books that were written be- fore Jesus was born. Lesson is another word for reading.

The Collect of the DayCelebrant The Lord be with you.People And also with you.Celebrant Let us pray.

Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom: Enlighten by your Holy Spir- it those who teach and those who learn, that , rejoicing in the knowledge of your truth, they may worship you and serve you from generation to genera- tion; through Jesus Christ our Lord , who lives and reigns with you and theHoly Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.The First Lesson Deuteronomy 6:1-9A Reading from the book of Deuteronomy.Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the ordinances—that the Lord your God charged me to teach you to observe in the land that you are about to cross into and occupy, so that you and your children and your chil- dren’s children may fear the Lord your God all the days of your life, and keep all his decrees and his commandments that I am commanding you, so thatyour days may be long. Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe them diligently, so that it may go well with you, and so that you may multiply greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, haspromised you. Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in yourheart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are athome and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

The Word of the Lord.People Thanks be to God.Psalm Psalm 78 1-7Let us read the Psalm in unison 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.5 He gave his decrees to Jacob

and established a law for Israel, *which he commanded them to teach their children;

6 That the generations to come might know, and the children yet unborn; *

that they in their turn might tell it to their children;7 So that they might put their

trust in God, * and not forget the deeds of God, but keep his commandments;

The Second Lesson Ephesians 4:1-13A Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Ephesians.I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of thecalling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 0ne God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’sgift. Therefore it is said, “When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.” (When it says, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of theearth? He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors andteachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of theknowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.

Another word for the second lesson is Epistle whichmeans Letter. Most of the Epistles in the Bible were written by Saint Paul. They were written to the Christian people long ago to help them understand about Jesus and what he did for us and howhe wants us to live.

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

We stand to sing and indicate the importance we place of Jesus’ words and actions.

Sequence Hymn: I want to walk as a child of the Light (490, The Hymnal 1982)

The Gospel Matthew 5:13-20The Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.People Glory to you, Lord Christ.

“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its salti- ness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out andtrampled under foot. “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill can- not be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works andgive glory to your Father in heaven. “Do not think that I have come to abol-ish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to dothe same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For Itell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

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

The Sermon The Reverend Dr. Glenda

Curry The Renewal of Baptismal Vows

BCP 304Celebrant Do you reaffirm your renunciation of evil and renew your

commitment to Jesus Christ?People I do.Celebrant Do you believe in God the Father?People I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.Celebrant Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?People 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 wasburied.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.

Celebrant Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?

People 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.

The Gospel book comes into the midst of the people and all turn toward the reader. This reading is always from the book of Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John in the New Testament.

The New Testament contains Gospels which are stories about Jesus , Letters which are the Epistles , the Book of Acts, and the Revelation ofJohn. Gospel means Good News . The Gospel is good news because it is s story of Jesus life .

The Homily or Sermon isdesigned to help us make the Word a living and transform- ing reality in our lives.It explains to us some of the things we can learn from the readings . The sermon helps us understand ways Jesus wants us to live and to do His work.

We all join together inrenewing our baptismal promise with the words of The Baptismal Covenant. It begins with three ques- tions from the Apostle’sCreed and the five promises about living out the Christian faith.

The church has a mission to bring the reconciling love of God to all the broken andhurting places of the world, and this mission is carried out by all of its members.The Baptismal Covenanthelps Christians live into this mission in practical ways. It is ultimately about love.

The response to the five promises is “ I will , with God’s help”. We are not left with the impossible burden of living a perfect life. We are reminded that we do not do these things on our own, but with God.

Prayers of the People

A deacon or priest calls us to pray, then a person or people from the congregation lead us in prayer. We include prayers for others through-out the world and ourdiocese (regional body) on a rotating basis. You are welcome to add your own prayers, out loud or silently, at the indicated time.We ask God to help us and the people we care about.

Celebrant Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers?

People I will, with God’s help.Celebrant Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?People I will, with God’s help.Celebrant Will you proclaim by word and example the Good

News of God in Christ?People I will, with God’s help.Celebrant Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons,

loving your neighbor as yourself?People I will, with God’s help.Celebrant Will you strive for justice and peace among all

people, and respect the dignity of every human being?

People I will, with God’s help.The Celebrant concludes the Renewal of Vows as follows

May Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given us a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and bestowed upon us the for-giveness of sins, keep us in eternal life by his grace, in Christ Jesus our Lord.Amen.

The Prayers of the PeopleCelebrant: The word of God compels us to love God with our whole selves, and to teach our children, family, friends, and neighbors about this love. Letus turn to God to lift up the needs of the world and the Church saying, “Lord, hear our prayer.”Intercessor:For the peace of Christ to spread among the nations, and for

the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to bring reconciliation and joy, let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, hear our prayer.Intercessor:For the liberation of all oppressed and

incarcerated, and for repentance of all who oppress others, let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, hear our prayer.Intercessor:For the healing of all gripped by addiction,

despair, and grief, and for those who bring hope, shelter, and joy to the lonely, let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, hear our prayer.Intercessor:For all in this diocese, as we celebrate what is

means to be dis ciples of Jesus, leading people into deeper relationship with God. For all who share the light-bearing word of Christ in our parishes, let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, hear our prayer.

Intercessor:For Michael, our Presiding Bishop; for Kee, our Bishop, and

Glenda, our Bishop-Elect; for our Companion Diocese of the Virgin Islands and its bishop, Ambrose; and for all who serve inroles across the Diocese of Alabama, let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, hear our prayer.Intercessor: For this gathering, as we celebrate the ministries of

those who teach in your Church, that by word and example they lead their students to the knowledge and love of you. For the specialneeds of this congregation, let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, hear our prayer.Intercessor:For the sick and aging and those who care for them,

and for all who find themselves in any need or trouble, let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, hear our prayer.Intercessor:For all who have died in the hope and assurance of

Christ’s full victory in life and death, let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, hear our prayer.Celebrant: Almighty and everliving God, source of all wisdom

and under- standing, receive the prayers of your people. Be present withthose who take counsel in this Diocese for the renewal and mis- sion of your Church. Teach us in all things to seek first your hon- or and glory. Guide us to perceive what is right and grant usboth the courage to pursue it and the grace to accomplish it; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Peace All stand.

The Celebrant says to the peopleThe peace of the Lord be always with you.

People And also with you.

Then the Ministers and People may greet one another in the name of the Lord.Welcome and Announcements

THE HOLY COMMUNIONOffertory Anthem Who but the Lord? Craig Courtney

Doxology: This Little Light Of Mine Harry Dixon Loes

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let

it shine This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it

shine This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.Hide it under a bushel, no, I’m gonna let it shine... Jesus gave this light to me, I’m gonna let it shine...

We give thanks for God’s love for us and for those we love. Intercessory prayer is one of the most ancient acts of theChurch. It is also one of the most holy.

In the Peace, we affirm our reconciliation with one an- other as preparation for re- ceiving communion. (See Matthew 5:23-24)

The Peace links together the first and second parts of the service. The first part centers around the readings from the Bible and prayers. It centers around the lectern and the pulpit. The second partcenters on the altar— The Table

We shake hands with those around us to greet one an- other as forgiven people.There are no set words-“Peace”, “God’s Peace”, and “The Peace of the Lord be with you.” are all commonly used.

With the Greetings andAnnouncements we deliver any information that isimportant for the community gathered.

The Liturgy of the Table The second part of the liturgy moves to the Table. Itis based on Jewish fellowship meals, particularly thePassover observance.

We begin The Offertory by collecting financial gifts and passing the plate serves as a visual reminder that our whole lives are offered toGod, and a part of the riches God has given us are offered back to God in Thanksgiving for all that we have and all that we are. We give thanks to God (the Eucharist means “giving thanks”) for the gifts God has given us.

There are a number ofEucharistic Prayers that we use. Some come from the Book of Common Prayer.Others from Enriching our Worship- a supplementalresource with more contem- porary wording and modern sensibilities. But all the prayers contain the sameelements: We are invited into the prayer. God is given thanks for creation andrevelation to God’s people. God is praised for the salvation of the worldthrough Jesus Christ. And the words recorded in the Holy Scriptures that Jesus saidover the bread and wine are repeated. Words that have been spoken by people in many languages throughout the world for generations.

The Sanctus (Holy, holy,holy) recalls the words of the prophet Isaiah, overwhelmed by the presence of God in the sanctuary, and they were sung by the people as Jesusentered Jerusalem on PalmSunday.

Through repeating the words and actions of Jesus’ lastmeal with his disciples, we ourselves join the story and make it our own.

While the bread and wineremain the bread and wine, they are not unchanged.

The Great ThanksgivingThe people remain standing. The Celebrant, whether bishop or priest, faces them and saysCelebrant: All Things come of you O Lord.People: And of our own have we given you.Celebrant: This is the table, not of the Church, but of the Lord. It is made ready for those who love him and for those who want to love him more.So, come, you who have much faith and you who have little, you who have been here often and you who have not been here long, you who have tried to follow and you who have failed.Come, because it is the Lord who invites you. It is his will that those whowant him should meet him here. (Offertory Prayer, Didache 3rd Centu- ry)

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.Celebrant: It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and every-where to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.Because in the mystery of the Word made flesh, you have caused a new light to shine in our hearts, to give the knowledge of your glory in the face of your son Jesus Christ our Lord.Then the Celebrant continues

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 (S125, The Hymnal 1982)

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, inyour 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.At the following words concerning the bread, the Celebrant is to hold it, or to lay a hand upon it; and at the words concerning the cup, to hold or place a hand upon the cup and any other vessel containing wine to be consecrated.

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, andgave 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 Cove- nant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenev- er 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 uni- ty, 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 Fa- ther, now and for ever. AMEN.And now, gathered as one in the Spirit, let us pray in the

words our Savior Christ has taught us,

They become outward signs of inward grace. That grace, or gift from God, is Jesus’ real presence in the Eucharist through the power of theHoly Spirit.

The Great Amen is the only word in our Book ofCommon Prayer in all capital letters. In it we all join in asking Jesus to be present in the bread and the wine- the Body and the Blood.

The Lord’s Prayer follows. The link between our daily bread and the spiritual food we receive in the Eucharist is an ancient connection. In the Lord’s Prayer we ask fordaily bread, meaning the things we need to get through each day. Likewise, the bread symbolizes God’s presence, with is also essen- tial to our getting through the day. This is the prayerJesus taught us to say. This is the only prayer Jesus actually taught the disciples

The Fraction, also called the Breaking of the Bread, both recalls Jesus breaking breadat the Last Supper, and it also reminds us that Jesus’ body was broken on the cross for us. Therefore we keep a mo- ment of silence for prayers of awe and gratitude.

Receiving Communion All are welcome at God’s table. All baptized Christians may receive the bread and wineby holding out your hands to receive the bread and by guiding the chalice to your lips by holding the base or by partly dipping your bread into the chalice. This is called intinction.

Those who do not wish to receive are invited to come forward at the time of communion for a blessing.Indicate this by crossingyour hands across your chest at the rail. You have fullyreceived communion if youreceive only the bread or the wine- you do not need both.

Celebrant 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 thosewho 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 Breaking of the BreadThe Celebrant breaks the consecrated Bread. A period of silence is kept.Fraction Anthem: Take o Take me as I Am (216, Alleluia III) John Bell

Facing the people, the Celebrant says the following InvitationBehold what you are; become what you receive.

Communion Hymns:Here I Am Lord (59, Alleluia III) Daniel L. Schutte

We share in this Bread and Wine because Jesus hasbrought us together; and through baptism, Jesus had made us a part of His family. When we receive the Bread and Wine , we are like thedisciples who shared Jesus’ last meal with Him. Webecome part of remembering that Jesus died and rose again to bring us back to God.

Every time we eat this bread and drink this wine webecome part of Jesus and he becomes part of us. God’sfamily, the church, celebrates together. When we havereceived communion we say “thank you” to God quietly in our hearts

Surely the presence (155, Alleluia III) Lanny Wolfe

Peace I give to thee (96, Alleluia III) Traditional

I Love to Tell the Story (76, Alleluia III) William G. Fischer

Take my life, and let it be (707, The Hymnal 1982) Francis Ridley Havargal

Post Communion Prayer Together we say “thank you” for the gifts of bread and wine. We ask God to be with us as we go out into the world. We want to carry his love and peace into the world.

A Blessing is given as a pro- nouncement of God’s favor.

We join together in singing together one final time in our Dismissal Hymn.

The Post Communion PrayerAfter Communion, the Celebrant says

Let us pray.Celebrant and PeopleAlmighty and everliving God,we thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Bloodof your Son our Savior Jesus Christ;and for assuring us in these holy mysteriesthat we are living members of the Body of your Son, and heirs of your eternal kingdom.And now, Father, send us outto do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve youas 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 BlessingGo forth into the world in peace, be strong and of good courage. Hold fast to that which is good; sing to the Lord a new song. Render to no one evil for evil; make no peace with oppression. Weep with those who weep, laugh withthose who laugh, wonder with those who wonder, trusting and hoping in the grace of God. And the blessing of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be among us, and remain with us forever. Amen.

Hymn in Procession: Christ is the world's true Light(542, The Hymnal 1982) George Wallace Briggs

Let us turn toward the cross as it processes out to remind us that we follow the cross out into the world.

The DismissalArchdeacon: In the name of the Light that comes into the world, go in peace.People Thanks be to God.

Postlude Alleluia (Exsultate, Jubilate) J. S. Mozart

The final act of our common worship is the Dismissal. It is not an afterthought, but an inte- gral part of the service.The word “Mass” comes from the Latin words “missa est”- “you aresent”. Jesus‘ final action on earth was to send his fol- lowers into the world to make disciples, baptizing and teaching them to obey all that he commanded.This is what we are all called to do. Together we say “thank you” for the gifts of bread and wine. We ask God to be with us as we go out into the world. We want to carryhis love and peace into the world.

God’s family has come together: we have listened and learned, we have prayed and shared, wehave sang and broken bread. Now it’s time to live as God’s children in the world! Alleluia !Amen!

Musicians

Marianne Griffin, violin Lucinda Horn, viola Patty Pilon, cello Vera Britton, piano

The Rev. Marge Doyle, guitar Katie Murphy, guitar Sally Marsh, guitar

Camille Samples, guitar

Ministers In The Service

Celebrant: The Right Rev. John McKee SloanDeacon: The Venerable Marti Holmes Lectors: Elizabeth Tagg

Patrick BrockPrayers of the People:

Kathleeen Lynch

Ushers:Department of Christian

Formation Assisting Clergy:The Rev. Dr. Glenda CurryThe Rev. Corey JonesThe Rev. Aaron Raulerson The Rev. Jeannie Randall The Rev. Paul Goldman

Acolytes:

Crucifer - Evan DunbarDio. Banner - Sam Wilson

The Rev. Carolyn Foster The Rev. Dave Whetstone

The flowers are given to the glory of Godand in thanksgiving for the people and ministries of

our diocese by the Diocesan Altar Guild.

The offering today is designated for students of the AIMS program from the Virgin Islands.

Thank you to Theresa Hester for her work on formatting, type-setting and designing this bulletin. The Dept. of Liturgy and Music made suggestions for readings and music to align with the theme of convention- Christian Formation. All selections were chosen and approved by the bishop. The Prayers of the People were written by The Rev. Katherine Harper, chair of the Dept . of Liturgy and Music. The information for the sidebars was designed by Kathy Graham using the following as resources to show. a way that worship can be formational for all - children , adults, visitors,new members,etc.

St. David's Episcopal Church - Austin , Texas

A Child's Service Book for Eucharist and Baptism by The Rev. Beryl T. Choi and The Rev. C.E. Visminas

Holy Communion for Children by Shan Glandan and Joan LippaThe Rite Place:Kids Do Church and Adults Do Too by Shawn Schreiner Alleluia ! Amen by Gretchen Wolff PritchardA Child's Guide to the Holy Eucharist commentary by Sarah Horton