PreludeGod of grace H594

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St. James’ Episcopal ChurchJune 14, 2020

The Second Sunday after Pentecost

Wherever you are on this journey of faith, you are welcome at this table. Wherever you are on your journey of faith, you are welcome at this table.

 

Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.

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.

Gloria LEVAS 243

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The Lord be with you.And also with you.

Let us pray.Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Psalm 100

Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; serve the Lord with gladnessand come before his presence with a song.Know this: The Lord himself is God; he himself has made us, and we are his;we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.Enter his gates with thanksgiving;go into his courts with praise; give thanks to him and call upon his Name.For the Lord is good;his mercy is everlasting; and his faithfulness endures from age to age.

A Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans Romans 5:1-8

Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person-- though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.

The Word of the Lord.Thanks be to God.

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Heal me, hands of Jesus WLP 773

The Holy Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ according to Matthew. Matthew 9:35-10:8Glory to you, Lord Christ!

Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother

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John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. 

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

Sermon The Rev. Eileen O’Brien

Musical Meditation

We shall overcome LEVAS 227

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The Nicene CreedWe 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.

Celebrant Jesus said, “The first commandment is this: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

In the silence, we are invited to examine the brokenness in our own lives and in the world and to pray that, with God’s merciful help, we might set our feet upon paths of repentance.

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Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against youin 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.

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 Prayers of the People

The Prayers of the PeopleThe refrain of these prayers comes from Sweet Honey in the Rock’s “Ella’s Song”.

Intercessor God of liberation,we remember the waysyou have brought newsof freedom - from sin, death, and bondage -into our lives. And we acknowledgethe ways we desire your liberation now.We who believe in freedom

People will not rest until it comes.

Intercessor Thank you for your presencein all the cities and towns,where those seeking justiceare harassed by forces of powerand resistance to transformation.We who believe in freedom

People will not rest until it comes.

Intercessor Thank you for calling us to beyour disciples, for giving usthe courage to be your Church,for giving us the words withwhich to lament the brokennessof this world and summon the beauty and glory of your communion.

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We who believe in freedomPeople will not rest until it comes.

Intercessor For what else shall we give thanks?(Pause to hear the prayers of others and to offer your own.)You give us the resilience to proclaim,We who believe in freedom

People will not rest until it comes.

Intercessor For those who have no voice,we ask you to speak.We ask for hope that does not disappointand love that does not end.We who believe in freedom

People will not rest until it comes.

Intercessor For those who live in pain,bring compassion and healing.For those who are exhausted,bring rest and renewal.For those who are bereft,bring comfort and consolation.For those who are imprisoned,bring resources and emancipation.For those who are dying,bring love and mercy.May those who have diedrest in peace and rise in glory.We who believe in freedom

People will not rest until it comes.

Intercessor For what else shall we pray?(Pause to hear the prayers of others and to offer your own.)Lord, in your mercy:

People Hear our prayer.

Celebrant God of Redemption, give us strength to renounce evil and turn toward you that, through your grace we may embody your love that sets all of Creation free.

Amen.

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

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        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.

Celebrant Let us pray.Loving God, we give you thanks for gathering us and for pouring out your presence among us through your abundant Spirit. Now send us forth a people forgiven, healed, renewed; that we may proclaim your love to the world and continue in the risen life of Christ our Savior. Amen.

Celebrant Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world's grief.Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now.You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.And may the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit, be with you now and remain with you always. Amen.

O how I love Jesus LEVAS 95

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