Holy Eucharist for the Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany, February 20, 2022, 8:30 am (in-person) & 10:30 am (live streamed and in-person) Services

The Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany
Holy Eucharist, Rite II
February 20, 2022
St. Titus’ Episcopal Church
400 Moline St., Durham, NC 27707

Welcome to St. Titus’ Episcopal Church

Whether you are here for the first time or your family has been part of St. Titus’ for generations, whether you’re here in person or watching online, the Holy Spirit has brought you to this place. We’re glad you’re here! Our Mission and Vision Statements are printed below. You can learn more about this faith community on our website, sttitusdurham.org. Our curate, Rev. Mawethu or our deacon, Rev. Sarah would be happy to talk with you about who we are and what we do at St. Titus’. We invite you to join us on our journey of faith.

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

St. Titus’ is a diverse and growing community committed to walking with Christ by serving others, pursuing justice and welcoming all.

OUR VISION STATEMENT

God dreams for St. Titus’ to be sacred ground where all of God’s children experience the unconditional love of Jesus. In faithful response, we will offer Spirit-filled worship where people from diverse backgrounds encounter God. As an intergenerational community, we will deepen our faith through sharing scripture, Christian tradition and our own experience. We will be open and authentic with one another, and respond to the needs of our neighbors with compassion and creativity. Our passion for God’s justice and peace will compel us to become agents for social, political, and economic transformation. St. Titus’ will be Beloved Community.

Serving Today: February 20, 2022

8:30
Celebrant: The Rev. Mawethu Ncaca
Preacher: The Rev. Canon Gregory Jacobs
Deacon: The Rev. Deacon Sarah Woodard
Curate: The Rev. Mawethu Ncaca
First Lesson: Jack Peterson
Epistle: Lew Myers
Intercessor: Mary Hawkins
Altar Guild: Danita Parker, Lionell Parker

10:30
Celebrant: The Rev. Mawethu Ncaca
Preacher: The Rev. Canon Gregory Jacobs
Deacon: The Rev. Deacon Sarah Woodard
Curate: The Rev. Mawethu Ncaca
First Lesson: Yvette Matthews
Epistle: Diane Hundley
Intercessor: Lionell Parker
Altar Guild: Danita Parker, Lionell Parker
Tech Team: Yvette Matthews, Chuck Hennessee, Livio Carnera

The Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany
Holy Eucharist, Rite II
February 20, 2022 at 8:30 am (no music) & 10:30 am

Prelude

Hymn Lift Every Voice and Sing Hymnal 1982 #599

Celebrant: Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
People: And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and forever. Amen.

The Celebrant then continues
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.

Glory to God LEVAS II #243

Refrain:
Glory, Glory, hallelujah,
Lord we praise your Holy name,
Glory, Glory hallelujah,
Lord we praise your Holy name.

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, Refrain

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. Refrain Amen.

Collect for the Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany

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

O Lord, you have taught us that without love whatever we do is worth nothing: Send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts your greatest gift, which is love, the true bond of peace and of all virtue, without which whoever lives is accounted dead before you. Grant this for the sake of your only Son Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

First Reading Genesis 45:3-11, 15

Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence.

Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me.” And they came closer. He said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. I will provide for you there–since there are five more years of famine to come–so that you and your household, and all that you have, will not come to poverty.'”

And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him.

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

The Psalm Psalm 37:1-12, 41-42

Noli aemulari

1 Do not fret yourself because of evildoers; *
do not be jealous of those who do wrong.
2 For they shall soon wither like the grass, *
and like the green grass fade away.
3 Put your trust in the Lord and do good; *
dwell in the land and feed on its riches.
4 Take delight in the Lord, *
and he shall give you your heart’s desire.
5 Commit your way to the Lord and put your trust in him, *
and he will bring it to pass.
6 He will make your righteousness as clear as the light *
and your just dealing as the noonday.
7 Be still before the Lord *
and wait patiently for him.
8 Do not fret yourself over the one who prospers, *
the one who succeeds in evil schemes.
9 Refrain from anger, leave rage alone; *
do not fret yourself; it leads only to evil.
10 For evildoers shall be cut off, *
but those who wait upon the Lord shall possess the land.
11 In a little while the wicked shall be no more; *
you shall search out their place, but they will not be there.
12 But the lowly shall possess the land; *
they will delight in abundance of peace.
41 But the deliverance of the righteous comes from the Lord; *
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
42 The Lord will help them and rescue them; *
he will rescue them from the wicked and deliver them,
because they seek refuge in him.

Second Reading 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50

Someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” Fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And as for what you sow, you do not sow the body that is to be, but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body.

So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven.

What I am saying, brothers and sisters, is this: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

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

Sequence Hymn Give me a clean heart AAHH #461

Gospel Luke 6:27-38

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

Jesus said, “I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”

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

Sermon The Reverend Canon Gregory Jacobs

The Nicene Creed

[Please stand as you are able.]

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

Litanist: Sisters and brothers, do to others as you would have them do to you. Let us pray for others, saying, “We have come before you, O God; and here we will wait for you.”

Merciful God, help us to love our enemies, to do good to those who hate us. It is a hard thing for us. Make us merciful, just as you are merciful.

We have come before you, O God;
And here we will wait for you.

Holy God, make your justice shine like the noonday sun. Vindicate the meek; save the righteous; rescue those who find their refuge in you.

We have come before you, O God;
And here we will wait for you.

We pray, Creator God, for those who experience the pangs of hunger. We cry to you for those dying of starvation. Bless them with provision. Give us a new appreciation for the abundance in our lives.

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

We have come before you, O God;
And here we will wait for you.

Heal families. Heal our families. Heal the families in our community. Mend our divisions. Make us ministers of reconciliation.

We have come before you, O God;
And here we will wait for you.

Heal our bodies, O God, that you have made from the dust of the earth. Deliver us, and those for whom we now pray, from our infirmities.

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

We have come before you, O God;
And here we will wait for you.

Raise in power those who have died in weakness, mighty Redeemer. Raise to imperishability those who have died in the flesh. Raise those whose bodies have returned to the dust to greater and eternal glory.

We have come before you, O God;
And here we will wait for you.

The Celebrant says,
Hasten, O Father, the coming of your kingdom; and grant that we your servants, who now live by faith, may with joy behold your Son at his coming in glorious majesty; even Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.

The deacon says
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor. [The people may stand or kneel.]

[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 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.

Welcome and Announcements

Celebrant: Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and sacrifice
to God. Ephesians 5:2

Offertory I’m so glad, AAHH #238 & Glory, glory, hallelujah, AAHH #500

As a COVID precaution we are not passing the plate for monetary offerings at this time. You may place your offering in the basket at the entrance to the worship space, or you may donate online at sttitusdurham.org.

See page 14 of this bulletin for other ways you can support St. Titus’ ministries.

The Holy Communion

The Great Thanksgiving (Eucharistic Prayer B)

The people remain standing.

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 everywhere 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.

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:

Hosanna in the highest. LEVAS II #255 (sung at 10:30 a.m.)

Holy, holy, holy, holy,
holy Lord God of hosts,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in
the name of the Lord, of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Hosanna in the highest.

The Celebrant continues
We give thanks to you, O God, for the goodness and love which you have made known to us in creation; in the calling of Israel to be your people; in your Word spoken through the prophets; and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus, your Son.

For in these last days you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the Savior and Redeemer of the world. In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you. In him you have bought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life.

On the night before he died for us, 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 according to his command, O Father,

Celebrant and People
We remember his death,
We proclaim his resurrection,
We await his coming in glory;

The celebrant continues
And we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, O Lord of all; presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and this wine.

We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts that they may be the Sacrament of the Body of Christ and his Blood of the new Covenant. Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice that we may be acceptable through him, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In the fullness of time, put all things in subjection under your Christ, and bring us to that heavenly country where, with [__________and] all your saints, we may enter the everlasting heritage of your sons and daughters; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation, the head of the Church, and he author of our salvation.

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

[Spoken at 8:30 am; sung at 10:30 am]

The Celebrant says
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,
or ever and ever. Amen.

The Breaking of the Bread

The Celebrant breaks the consecrated Bread.

[A period of silence is kept.]

Celebrant: Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
People: Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.

The celebrant invites the people to Communion
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.

Please come to the altar to receive the consecrated bread. 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.

Communion Hymn The Blood will never lose its power AAHH #256

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.

Post-communion Prayer [The people stand as they are able.]

The Celebrant says
Let us pray.

The Celebrant and People say together
Almighty God, we thank you for feeding us with the holy food of the Body and Blood of your Son, and for uniting us through him in the fellowship of your Holy Spirit. We thank you for raising up among us faithful servants of your Word and Sacraments. Grant that we may serve you in the days ahead, and always rejoice in your glory, and come at length into your heavenly kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Blessing

The Celebrant says
May the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you for ever. Amen.

Closing Hymn Siyahamba (We are marching in the Light of God) AAHH #164

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

Announcements

Black History Month Series: St. Titus’ is partnering with St. Ambrose Episcopal Church in Raleigh for a series of talks from local clergy, scholars, activists, and civic leaders for Black History Month. Please see below for specific dates, topics, and speakers.

February 23: “The Legacy and Future of Historically Black Businesses” – Dr. Henry McKoy, Dr. Anne-Maria Makhulu, and Naledi Yaziyo

All sessions are from 6:30 – 7:30. Here is the zoom link to join (also available on our website): https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81383614167?pwd=L2JuZTlwMkNNdmlwQXErb2trdlVTUT09

St. Titus’ Annual Parish Meeting will be held on February 27 after the 10:30 service. The Zoom link on the website sttitusdurham.org/weeklyannouncements and here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82689647551?pwd=UUlSR21MWmxtSEhvY0tXNVJaTm9lZz09

Annual Celebration of the Feast of Absalom Jones: February 19, 10 a.m. The annual diocesan celebration of the feast of Absalom Jones will take place on Saturday, February 19, beginning at 10 a.m. The celebration will take place via Zoom and feature a Holy Eucharist (Rite II) with a sermon by the Very Rev. Kim Coleman, president of the Union of Black Episcopalians. The Rt. Rev. Anne Hodges-Copple will preside, and the Rt. Rev. Sam Rodman will be the celebrant. A virtual luncheon will follow the celebration, during which we will share stories and celebrate the Rev. Stephanie Yancy (St. Titus’, Durham), the plans developing for the new life of All Saints’, Warrenton, and, of course, Blessed Absalom Jones.

Special Note: Mary Hawkins will be presenting a tribute to Rev. Stephanie on behalf of St. Titus’ parish. Please join to share in this moment.

There is no cost to attend this event, but registration is required. https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAkf-iuqz0iEtQo6Ic_vsbT7Na0a0ptu8V9

Support St. Titus’: If you would like to support our ministries you can make an online donation here by following the QR code or by visiting our homepage: sttitusdurham.org. You can also 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 or sign up by following this link: http://eepurl.com/htIWIr .

Sign up for The Titusian, St. Titus’ monthly newsletter, on the St. Titus’ homepage: sttitusdurham.org, or by emailing Jack.

Subscribe to Please Note, a weekly update from the Diocese of North Carolina by following this link: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/QCPKOTo .

COVID Precautions: For the safety of all in attendance, we ask you 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, because they are more than six feet away from the rest of the congregation.

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.

Clergy & Staff

Curate: The Rev. Mawethu Ncaca (919) 717-8144 st.tituscurate@gmail.com
Deacon: The Rev. Deacon Sarah Woodard (919) 599-5227 sarah.woodard@duke.edu
Administrator: Jack Peterson (919) 682-5504 st.titussecretary@gmail.com
Music Director: Ramon Holloway (919) 886-5325 sainttitusmusic@yahoo.com

Vestry Roster

Senior Warden Althea Alton 2021 althea.alton@yahoo.com
Junior Warden Keith Bishop 2023 KeithBishop@keithbishoplaw.com
Meisha Davis 2022 meisha.davis1@gmail.com
Diane Hundley 2022 dianehundley@bellsouth.net
Marguerite Peebles 2022 apeeblesmarguerit@bellsouth.net
Gloria Drew 2023 gdrew41@att.net
Mark Perrone 2023 mhperrone@aol.com

Treasurer Deborah DeBourg-Brown st.titustreasurer@gmail.com

Church Organizational Leaders Email

Altar Guild Hazel Brown hazelyb24@gmail.com
Altar Guild Williette Adorker
Acolyte Warden Vincent Quiett quiettv@msn.com
Benevolent Team Coordinator Willette Crews willettec@legalaidnc.org
Card Ministry Alexine Miller alexinemiller@yahoo.com
Communications Ministry Mary Hawkins pisces0835@gmail.com
Episcopal Church Women Valerie Quiett quiettv@msn.com
Episcopal Church Women Vickie Miller vickiemiller746@yahoo.com
Memorial Garden Warden James Barnes jbarnl3719@aol
Parish Outreach Coordinator Willette Crews willettec@legalaidnc.org
Parish Outreach Coordinator William Hennessee wllmhennessee@aol.com
St. David’s Usher Guild Dwight Peebles dapeebles@bellsouth.net
Invite.Welcome.Connect Committee Sarah Woodard sarah.woodard@duke.edu
Youth Coordinator (open)

St. Titus’ Episcopal Church
400 Moline St., Durham, NC 27707
(919) 682-5504;
st.titusepiscopal@gmail.com
sttitusdurham.org