Holy Eucharist for the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost, September 12, 2021, 10:30 AM (Livestreamed and In-Person) Service

Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Holy Eucharist, Rite II
September 12, 2021, 10:30 a.m.

Welcome to St. Titus’ Episcopal Church

We’re glad you’re here! For the safety of all in attendance, you are required to wear a mask throughout the service, with the exception of a few seconds when you put the host into your mouth. Lectors are permitted to remove their masks while reading, as is the preacher.
Remember that no gathering can be completely safe. The COVID vaccine remains your best protection against contracting COVID-19. If you are able to be vaccinated, we urge you to do so.

* * *

Prelude: Jesus Shall Reign; tune: Duke Street; arr.: Lana Kelley

Welcome

Opening Hymn: When morning gilds the skies, vv. 1, 5; Hymnal 1982 #427

1 When morning gilds the skies,
my heart, awaking, cries,
may Jesus Christ be praised!
When evening shadows fall,
this rings my curfew call,
may Jesus Christ be praised!

5 Sing, suns and stars of space,
sing, ye that see his face,
sing, Jesus Christ be praised!
God’s whole creation o’er,
both now and evermore
shall Jesus Christ be praised!

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 Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

O God, because without you we are not able to please you, mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

First Reading Isaiah 50:4-9a

Reader: A Reading from Isaiah

The Lord God has given me
the tongue of a teacher,
that I may know how to sustain
the weary with a word.
Morning by morning he wakens–
wakens my ear
to listen as those who are taught.
The Lord God has opened my ear,
and I was not rebellious,
I did not turn backward.
I gave my back to those who struck me,
and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard;
I did not hide my face
from insult and spitting.
The Lord God helps me;
therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like flint,
and I know that I shall not be put to shame;
he who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?
Let us stand up together.
Who are my adversaries?
Let them confront me.
It is the Lord God who helps me;
who will declare me guilty?

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

Psalm 116:1-8
Dilexi, quoniam

1 I love the Lord, because he has heard the voice of my supplication, *
because he has inclined his ear to me whenever I called upon him.
2 The cords of death entangled me;
the grip of the grave took hold of me; *
I came to grief and sorrow.
3 Then I called upon the Name of the Lord: *
“O Lord, I pray you, save my life.”
4 Gracious is the Lord and righteous; *
our God is full of compassion.
5 The Lord watches over the innocent; *
I was brought very low, and he helped me.
6 Turn again to your rest, O my soul, *
for the Lord has treated you well.
7 For you have rescued my life from death, *
my eyes from tears, and my feet from stumbling.
8 I will walk in the presence of the Lord *
in the land of the living.

Second Reading James 3:1-12

Reader: A Reading from James

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits.

How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell. For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, but no one can tame the tongue– a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh.

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

Sequence Hymn: I Surrender All, vv. 1, 4; LEVAS #133

1 All to Jesus I surrender,
all to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

Refrain:
I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

4 All to Jesus I surrender
Lord, I give myself to thee;
Fill me with thy love and power,
Let thy blessings fall on me. [Refrain]

Gospel Mark 8:27-38

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

Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

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

Sermon The Reverend Harmon L. Smith

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
Gracious God, you have saved us through your Son Jesus Christ and you call us to take up our cross and follow him: Incline your ear to us as we call upon you, saying: Let the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight. O God, our strength and our redeemer.

Litanist: Holy God, you have promised life to your Church as we lose our lives for Jesus’ sake and for the sake of the gospel: Inspire our witness to your Messiah, that we may share in his work of resurrection.

Let the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight;
O God, our strength and our redeemer.

Wise and wonderful God, keep our leaders and all in authority from presumptuous sins and guide them, that they may set their minds upon divine things and not upon human things.

Let the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight;
O God, our strength and our redeemer.

Ever-present God, comfort all who undergo great suffering throughout the world and let your saving hand raise them to new life.

Let the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight;
O God, our strength and our redeemer.

Benevolent God, be near to us and sustain us in conflict and in prosperity, that our community may be whole and sound, and innocent of great offense.

Let the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight;
O God, our strength and our redeemer.

The heavens declare your glory, O God, and the firmament shows your handiwork. Hear our prayers for those for whom we intercede, especially _________________.

[You may add your own intercessions at this time.]

We thank you for teachers and all who speak your good news to the world. Hear our gratefulness for our many blessings, especially for _____________________.

[You may add your own thanksgivings at this time.]

In Christ you have suffered, died, and risen. May Jesus, the Messiah, the Anointed One of God, bring all humanity into eternal life. Hear our prayers for those who have died, especially _______________.

Let the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight;
O God, our strength and our redeemer.

Celebrant: Holy and Gracious One, through your Son, Jesus the Messiah, you have shown us how to save our lives by losing ourselves into the grace of your good news for all people: Fill us with the power of your Spirit, that we may live with faithful courage, sharing in Christ’s sufferings so that we may share in his resurrection, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. 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.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord; who on the first day of the week overcame death and the grave, and by his glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life.

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 deacons will bring the consecrated bread to you at your seats. You may remove your mask briefly to consume the consecrated bread.

Due to COVID precautions, we are not sharing the cup at this time. The consecrated wine will be returned to the earth.

For those of you who are participating in this celebration of Holy Eucharist from a different location, we invite you to pray with these words during the distribution of the holy sacrament:

A Prayer for Spiritual Communion
In union, O Lord, with your faithful people at every altar of your Church, where the Holy Eucharist is now being celebrated, I desire to offer to you praise and thanksgiving. I remember your death, Lord Christ; I proclaim your resurrection; I await your coming in glory. Since I cannot receive you today in the Sacrament of your Body and Blood, I beseech you to come spiritually into my heart. Cleanse and strengthen me with your grace, Lord Jesus, and let me never be separated from you. May I live in you, and you in me, in this life and in the life to come. Amen.

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.

Closing Hymn: O for a thousand tongues to sing, vv. 1,2,6; Hymnal 1982 #493

1 O for a thousand tongues to sing
my dear Redeemer’s praise,
the glories of my God and King,
the triumphs of his grace!

2 My gracious Master and my God,
assist me to proclaim,
and spread through all the earth abroad
the honors of thy Name.

6 Glory to God and praise and love
be now and ever given
by saints below and saints above,
the church in earth and heaven.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Many thanks to choir member Janice Williams for singing the opening and sequence hymns. The congregation is invited to join her in singing the closing hymn. Thank you for observing this Covid precaution.

St. Titus’ music director Susan Stedman is retiring today. Please join me in thanking Susan for her years of service to St. Titus’, and to the wider church. We wish her well in the next stage of her journey.

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 has changed is that the service will no longer be exclusively online. You are 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. You may register for in-person services on the St. Titus’ website.

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 the registration link in the weekly email, 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 .
Subscribe to weekly updates from the Diocese of North Carolina by following this link: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/QCPKOTo .