Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Holy Eucharist, Rite II
August 29, 2021, 8:30 a.m.
The Celebrant says,
Blessed be God: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
People: And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.
The Celebrant 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 Celebrant says to the people
The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Celebrant: Let us pray.
Collect for the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.
First Reading Song of Solomon 2:8-13
Reader: A Reading from Song of Solomon
The voice of my beloved!
Look, he comes,
leaping upon the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
My beloved is like a gazelle
or a young stag.
Look, there he stands
behind our wall,
gazing in at the windows,
looking through the lattice.
My beloved speaks and says to me:
“Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away;
for now the winter is past,
the rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth;
the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtledove
is heard in our land.
The fig tree puts forth its figs,
and the vines are in blossom;
they give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away.”
Reader: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God
Psalm 45:1-2, 7-10
Eructavit cor meum
1 My heart is stirring with a noble song;
let me recite what I have fashioned for the king; *
my tongue shall be the pen of a skilled writer.
2 You are the fairest of men; *
grace flows from your lips,
because God has blessed you for ever.
7 Your throne, O God, endures for ever and ever, *
a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom;
you love righteousness and hate iniquity.
8 Therefore God, your God, has anointed you *
with the oil of gladness above your fellows.
9 All your garments are fragrant with myrrh, aloes, and cassia, *
and the music of strings from ivory palaces makes you glad.
10 Kings’ daughters stand among the ladies of the court; *
on your right hand is the queen,
adorned with the gold of Ophir.
Second Reading James 1:17-27
Reader: A Reading from James
Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.
But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act-they will be blessed in their doing.
If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Reader: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God
Gospel Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
The Deacon says
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.
When the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” He said to them, “Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written,
‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching human precepts as doctrines.’
You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.”
Then he called the crowd again and said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.” For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
After the Gospel the Deacon says
The Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.
Sermon The Reverend Stephanie Yancy
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
The Celebrant says
Let the words of our mouths express the thoughts of our hearts, O God, as we offer to your divine compassion the needs of the world, praying: Let our hearts be conformed to your purpose; and grant us your blessing.
Litanist: Gracious God, you have given birth to your Church by your word of truth and raised us as the first fruits of your creatures: Grant that we may be doers of your word and not merely hearers, effectively sharing in your reconciling work throughout the world.
Let our hearts be conformed to your purpose;
and grant us your blessing.
Almighty One, help our leaders to carry your scepter of righteousness in order to create justice and peace, care for orphans and widows, and remove the stains that pollute your creation.
Let our hearts be conformed to your purpose;
and grant us your blessing.
Ever-present God, you have so linked our lives one with another that all we do affects, for good or ill, all other lives: So guide us in the work we do, that we may do it not for self alone, but for the common good; make us mindful of the rightful aspirations of other workers, and around our concern for those who are out of work.
Let our hearts be conformed to your purpose;
and grant us your blessing.
Compassionate God, let your generosity abound among all the peoples of the earth, that humanity may respond with empathy and grace toward all who suffer, especially orphans and widows and any who are vulnerable or poor.
Let our hearts be conformed to your purpose;
and grant us your blessing.
Loving God, our hearts and lips are close to you as we intercede for our community: Inspire us to resist following human traditions which divide rather than unite, that we may faithfully follow your perfect law of liberty.
Let our hearts be conformed to your purpose;
and grant us your blessing.
Healing God, empower our reconciling work to share your blessing with all for whom we intercede, especially __________________.
[You may add your own intercessions at this time.]
We thank you for all that is good and true and gracious, especially for ________________.
[You may add your own thanksgivings at this time.]
Welcome into your diving heart those who have died, especially _____________________.
Let our hearts be conformed to your purpose;
and grant us your blessing.
Celebrant: Holy and Eternal One, you lead us through your Word Jesus Christ, who taught us to obey all of your commandments by loving you and by loving our neighbors as ourselves: Purify our hearts that we may be instruments of your reconciliation and peace, in the power of your Spirit, through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
The Deacon or Celebrant 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 Peace
Celebrant: 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.
Welcome and Announcements
The Great Thanksgiving
Eucharistic Prayer A
The people remain standing. The Celebrant, whether bishop or priest, faces them and sings or says
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.
Then, facing the Holy Table, the Celebrant proceeds
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.
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:
Celebrant and People:
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.
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.
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, 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 for ever. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
As our Savior Christ has taught us 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.
The Breaking of the Bread
The Celebrant breaks the consecrated Bread.
A period of silence is kept.
Then may be sung or said
Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.
Facing the people, the Celebrant says the following Invitation
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.
The Celebrant will distribute the consecrated bread, and then the whole congregation will consume together.
Due to COVID precautions, we are not sharing the cup at this time. The consecrated wine will be returned to the earth.
After Communion, the Celebrant says
Let us pray.
Celebrant and People
Eternal God, heavenly Father,
you have graciously accepted us as living members
of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ,
and you have fed us with spiritual food
in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood.
Send us now into the world in peace,
and grant us strength and courage
to love and serve you
with gladness and singleness of heart;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Blessing
The Celebrant 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.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
By now you know that the 9:00 am service has moved to 8:30 am. The 10:30 am service time will not change. What will change is that the service will no longer be exclusively online. You will be able to register to attend in person if you wish. If you choose to attend in person, please remember that you will need to wear a mask covering both your nose and mouth at all times that you are inside the church building. We ask that you not attend in person if you feel unwell or display any COVID symptoms. Please help us keep St. Titus’ safe for all. Click here to Register for In-person Services.
Bishop Anne Hodges-Copple Visitation: Bishop Anne will preach and celebrate the Eucharist at St. Titus’ on Sunday, September 5, 2021. There will be one service only at 10:30 am. Registration is required to attend the service in person. The service will also be live streamed for those who are unable to attend in person.
Intergenerational Christian Formation: Catechist Donna Smith will lead a study on Christianity – Our Jewish Roots & Heritage on Sunday mornings from 9:30 am until 10:20 am. The program is for both youth (10 years and older) and adults. The study will begin on September 19. Registration is required. You may register by following here: Registration Link, or by emailing Rev. Yancy or Jack, our administrative assistant. We will need to limit the number of participants, so please register quickly. Please see Donna Smith or Rev. Stephanie with any questions.
Support St. Titus’: If you would like to support our ministries you can make an online donation here: https://secure.myvanco.com/YQQT/home . Or you can mail or hand-deliver a check to St. Titus’ at 400 Moline St., Durham, NC, 27707. Thank you!
Stay in Touch: To receive weekly email announcements from St. Titus’, email Jack at st.titussecretary@gmail.com or sign up by following this link: http://eepurl.com/htIWIr .
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