LITURGY OF THE WORD FOR THE ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, AUGUST 8, 10:30 AM (ONLINE) SERVICE

Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost
Liturgy of the Word, Rite II
August 8, 2021, 10:30 a.m.

Prelude: Praeludium in C JS Bach (1685-1750)

Welcome and Announcements

Opening Hymn: Praise my soul the King of Heaven Hymnal 1982 #410

1 Praise, my soul, the King of heaven;
to his feet thy tribute bring;
ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
evermore his praises sing:
Alleluia, alleluia!
Praise the everlasting King.

2 Praise him for his grace and favor
to his people in distress;
praise him still the same as ever,
slow to chide, and swift to bless.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Glorious in his faithfulness.

3 Father-like he tends and spares us;
well our feeble frame he knows;
in his hand he gently bears us,
rescues us from all our foes.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Widely yet his mercy flows.

4 Angels, help us to adore him;
ye behold him face to face;
sun and moon, bow down before him,
dwellers all in time and space.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Praise with us the God of grace.

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

The Officiant may say
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

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.

The Officiant says to the people
The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Officiant: Let us pray.

Collect for the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

First Reading 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33

Reader: A reading from 2 Samuel

The king, David, ordered Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders concerning Absalom. So the army went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim. The men of Israel were defeated there by the servants of David, and the slaughter there was great on that day, twenty thousand men. The battle spread over the face of all the country; and the forest claimed more victims that day than the sword. Absalom happened to meet the servants of David.

Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak. His head caught fast in the oak, and he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on.

And ten young men, Joab’s armor-bearers, surrounded Absalom and struck him, and killed him.

Then the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, “Good tidings for my lord the king! For the Lord has vindicated you this day, delivering you from the power of all who rose up against you.” The king said to the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” The Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up to do you harm, be like that young man.”

The king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept; and as he went, he said, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”

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

Psalm 130
De profundis

1 Out of the depths have I called to you, O Lord;
Lord, hear my voice; *
let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.

2 If you, Lord, were to note what is done amiss, *
O Lord, who could stand?

3 For there is forgiveness with you; *
therefore you shall be feared.

4 I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; *
in his word is my hope.

5 My soul waits for the Lord,
more than watchmen for the morning, *
more than watchmen for the morning.

6 O Israel, wait for the Lord, *
for with the Lord there is mercy;

7 With him there is plenteous redemption, *
and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins.

Second Reading Ephesians 4:25 – 5:2

Reader: A Reading from Ephesians

Putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil. Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

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

Sequence Hymn: Precious Lord, Take my hand LEVAS #106

Precious Lord, take my hand,
Lead me on, let me stand,
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn;
Through the storm, through the night,
Lead me on to the light,
Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me on.

When my way grows drear,
Precious Lord linger near,
When my life is almost gone;
Hear my cry, hear my call,
Hold my hand, lest I fall,
Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me on.

When the darkness appears
And the night draws near,
And the day is past and gone;
At the river I stand,
Guide my feet, hold my hand,
Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me on.

Gospel John 6:35, 41-51

The Deacon says
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus answered them, “Do not complain among yourselves. No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

After the Gospel the Deacon says
The Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon: The Reverend Stephanie Yancy

Music Meditation: Let There be Peace on Earth Sy Miller (1908-1941)

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.

Prayers of the People

Officiant: God our Creator, you draw all humanity to yourself through your Son Jesus Christ, who gives the bread of life to all who are hungry: Hear our prayers for the whole human family, that we may be nourished and strengthened through your gracious care, as we say: We wait for you, O God; our souls wait for you; in your word is our hope.

Litanist: Gracious One, the Church has been taught by God and drawn into your holy communion as members of one another: Feed us with the living bread of Christ, that we may be witnesses of his grace and ministers of his reconciliation.

We wait for you, O God, our souls wait for you;
in your word is our hope.

Almighty One, teach our leaders and all in authority in the nations of the world to put away all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, that they may be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven.

We wait for you, O God, our souls wait for you;
in your word is our hope.

Compassionate One, look upon the needs of the world, and bring bread to the hungry, peace to the threatened, healing to the ill, hope to the despairing, and our continuing presence and vision to all.

We wait for you, O God, our souls wait for you;
in your word is our hope.

Loving One, grant us grace to put away falsehood and to speak the truth to our neighbors, that the relationships in our community may be useful for building up with words that give grace to those who hear, and that those who labor and work will do so honestly, so as to have something to share with the needy.

We wait for you, O God, our souls wait for you;
in your word is our hope.

Healing One, hear our prayers for those for whom we pray in intercession, especially _____________.

[You may add your own intercessions here.]

We give you thanks and ask your blessing upon all teachers and students as they begin a new year of learning and exploration. Hear us as we express our gratitude for all of our blessings, especially for ____________________.

Mark all who have died with your seal for the day of redemption and grant them your gift of eternal life. We remember especially __________________________.

We wait for you, O God, our souls wait for you;
in your word is our hope.

Officiant: Your beloved children come to you in trust, our Creator, opening our hands and mouths and hearts for your food and drink which alone satisfies our longings: Be present throughout your creation to nourish life, that all the earth may wait upon you, O God, and receive your mercy and your plenteous redemption, through Jesus Christ our Savior, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Deacon or Officiant says
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

Silence may be kept.

Minister and People
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 Bishop when present, or the Priest, stands and says
Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

As our Savior Christ has taught we are bold to 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.

A Prayer for Sundays
O God our King, by the resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ on the first day of the week, you conquered sin, put death to flight, and gave us the hope of everlasting life: Redeem all our days by this victory; forgive our sins, banish our fears, make us bold to praise you and to do your will; and steel us to wait for the consummation of your kingdom on the last great Day; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The General Thanksgiving

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

The Peace

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

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

Blessing

The Officiant says
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 Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.

Deacon: Let us go forth in the name of Christ.
People: Thanks be to God.

Closing Hymn: Take my life and let it be Hymnal 1982 #707

1 Take my life, and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee;
take my moments and my days,
let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move
at the impulse of thy love;
take my heart, it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne.

2 Take my voice, and let me sing
always, only, for my King;
Take my intellect, and use
every power as thou shalt choose.
Take my will and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine.
Take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee.