Holy Eucharist Rite II
June 11, 2023 8:30 am & 10:30 am
Please join the worship by following the liturgy (program) in this bulletin. We encourage you to use the time before worship to pray and invite the presence of the Holy Spirit to keep you centered and focused on what God may be saying to you. After worship, we invite you to pray for God’s strength to help you face and meet the demands of the world from this moment and in the days to come.
Opening Hymn: Come, thou fount of every blessing Hymnal 1982 #686
The Opening Acclamation BCP Page 355
Celebrant Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
People And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.
The Collect for Purity BCP page 355
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
Collect of the Day BCP page 228
The celebrant says to the people
The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Celebrant Let us pray.
O God, from whom all good proceeds: Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by your merciful guiding may do them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
First Reading Genesis 12:1-9
Reader A reading from the book of Genesis
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot, and all the possessions that they had gathered, and the persons whom they had acquired in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan. When they had come to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. Then the Lord appeared to Abram, and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. From there he moved on to the hill country on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and invoked the name of the Lord. And Abram journeyed on by stages toward the Negeb.
Reader The Word of the Lord
People Thanks be to God.
Psalm 33:1-12 Exultate, justi
1 Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous; *
it is good for the just to sing praises.
2 Praise the LORD with the harp; *
play to him upon the psaltery and lyre.
3 Sing for him a new song; *
sound a fanfare with all your skill upon the trumpet.
4 For the word of the LORD is right, *
and all his works are sure.
5 He loves righteousness and justice; *
the loving-kindness of the LORD fills the whole earth.
6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, *
by the breath of his mouth all the heavenly hosts.
7 He gathers up the waters of the ocean as in a water-skin *
and stores up the depths of the sea.
8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; *
let all who dwell in the world stand in awe of him.
9 For he spoke, and it came to pass; *
he commanded, and it stood fast.
10 The LORD brings the will of the nations to naught; *
he thwarts the designs of the peoples.
11 But the LORD’s will stands fast for ever, *
and the designs of his heart from age to age.
12 Happy is the nation whose God is the LORD! *
happy the people he has chosen to be his own!
Second Reading Romans 4:13-25
Reader A reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans
The promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.
For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”) —in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become “the father of many nations,” according to what was said, “So numerous shall your descendants be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Therefore his faith “was reckoned to him as righteousness.” Now the words, “it was reckoned to him,” were written not for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.
Reader The Word of the Lord
People Thanks be to God.
Sequence Hymn O for a thousand tongues to sing Hymnal 1982 #493
Then, all standing as able, the Deacon reads the Gospel, first saying
Deacon The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
People Glory to you, Lord Christ.
The Gospel Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.”
And he got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”
While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.” Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, he said, “Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. And the report of this spread throughout that district.
After the Gospel the deacon says
The Gospel of the Lord
People Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Sermon The Rev. Sarah Woodard
We will maintain a brief silence to allow for reflection.
The Nicene Creed BCP page 358
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 intercessor says,
Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High. Call on the Lord, saying,
“O God, we long to see your face;
show us your favor.”
Forgive us, O God. You desire steadfast love and yet too often our hearts are fickle. You long for us to be people of mercy and yet it is much easier to simply go through the motions. Help your Church, O God.
Silence
O God, we long to see your face;
show us your favor.
God of Abraham, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth. Restore us to unity. Help your people, O God.
Silence
O God, we long to see your face;
show us your favor.
Most High, every wild animal of the forest is yours; all that moves in the field is yours. The world and all that is in it is yours. Make us good stewards of your creation. Help us, O God.
Silence
O God, we long to see your face;
show us your favor.
Mighty God, come to us like the spring rains that water the earth. Restore this community; refresh its people. Help our city, O God.
Silence
O God, we long to see your face;
show us your favor.
Holy Jesus, you have come to heal the sick. Heal us. Bind us up. Help those who are suffering, O God.
We pray especially for: Dennis, Marjorie, Ama, Dorothy, Lawrence, Ann, Murphy, Karen, Derek, Walter, Vivian, Danita, Lionell, Vincent, Howard, Sydney, Carol, Robert, Barton, Beverly, Harmon, Cedric, Allen, Damon, Chuck, Pam, and Denise.We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life.
We pray for all those who are celebrating birthdays and anniversaries during the month of June.
O God, we long to see your face;
show us your favor.
Living God, your Holy Child was raised for our justification. We pray for the dead. Raise them up on the last day, that they may live before you in eternity. Help the dying and the dead, O God.
Silence
O God, we long to see your face;
show us your favor.
A Prayer to End Gun Violence
God of Justice, help us, your church, find our voice. Turn us from the worship of power. Give us courage to confront our false gods and to protest the needless deaths caused by gun violence.
Help us rise above our dread that nothing can be done and grant us the conviction to advocate
for change. For your dream of a world where children are safe and all of us live together
without fear, Loving God, make us instruments of your peace. Amen.
A Prayer for a Rector Search
Almighty God, giver of every good gift: Look graciously on your Church, and so guide the minds of those who shall choose a rector for this parish, that we may receive a faithful pastor, who will care for your people and equip us for our ministries; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Confession BCP page 360
Deacon Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
silence
Deacon 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 Absolution BCP page 360
The celebrant 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 Minister and People may greet one another in the name of the Lord.
Welcome and Announcements
The Holy Communion
Offertory Sentence
Ascribe to the Lord the honor due his Name; bring offerings and come into his courts. Ps 96:8
Offertory Hymn: Please, guide me AAHH #613
The Great Thanksgiving (Eucharistic Prayer A) BCP page 361
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.
For you are the source of light and life, you made us in your image, and called u sot new life in 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:
Sanctus LEVAS II #255
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.
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.
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.”
The Memorial Acclamation
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 PrayerBCP page 364
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,
for ever and ever. Amen.
The Breaking of the Bread
Celebrant Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
People Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.
The Priest 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.
Communion Hymns We remember you AAHH #683
Post-communion Prayer BCP page 365
The Celebrant says
Let us pray.
The celebrant and people say together
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 BCP page 366
The Celebrant says
As you leave this place may you never leave the presence of God. Amen.
As you enter the world may you always go with the love and protection of God. Amen.
The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you for ever. Amen.
Recessional Hymn God be with you AAHH #639
The Dismissal BCP page 366
Deacon Let us go forth in the name of Christ.
People Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.
Announcements
Gun Violence Prevention: Season of Pentecost
In his Pentecost Sunday sermon, Canon Greg Jacobs announced that the Episcopal Peace Fellowship has declared that the entire season of Pentecost (May 28-December 3) will be devoted to efforts to prevent gun violence in our communities. (A link to his sermon is available on our website, sttitusdurham.org.)
Recognizing gun violence as a crisis threatening our entire nation, the bishops of our diocese issued a pastoral letter declaring:
“More than ever before, it seems we are responding almost weekly to news of another mass shooting. Anytime violence happens anywhere, at a church or other house of worship, a school, a grocery store, a concert, we feel the pain, the horror and the outrage in a deep and personal way. A steady drumbeat of gun violence is unfolding with increasing frequency, an alarming and consistent threat to personal and public safety.
We cannot allow the volume and frequency of these events to leave us feeling numb and powerless…It is time to step outside our comfort zone. It is time to put our thoughts and prayers into action. It is time to bear witness in the public square that our country’s tolerance of inaction to this violence is itself a form of collusion with such violence. This is our call as followers of Jesus. This is what it means to become a disciple, making a difference.”
– from the Bishops’ Pastoral Letter (June 26, 2022)
As a first step, a diocesan Taskforce on Gun Violence Prevention has been convened to promote education, action, and advocacy in our congregations in the wake of this public health epidemic. Heeding the call of the Holy Spirit, St. Titus’ will seek to promote awareness and empower our members to become actively engaged in reducing, preventing, and ultimately ending gun violence in our community.
As an outward and visible sign of our commitment, we now have orange ribbons available at church and we ask our parishioners to wear them throughout the Pentecost season. The color orange has been adopted by the gun violence prevention movement as it is the color used by hunters to prevent themselves and others.
In the following weeks and months, we will provide educational resources to promote awareness of gun violence as well as resources to equip St. Titus’ members to take effective action in our community and to advocate for meaningful change in our gun laws. St. Titus’ has long promoted efforts to protect and enrich the lives of our children. Gun violence has put our children at unimaginable risk. We must do all that we can to assure them of a future where they can be safe and secure.
Pauli Murray Service: June 21, 2023, at 7pm
A service to commemorate the life and work of The Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray will be held at St. Titus’ Episcopal Church on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, at 7 p.m. The service will also be streamed on Facebook.
The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Brooke-Davidson will be Celebrant, and The Rev. Lisa Yebuah, Southeast Raleigh Table, will preach. The community choir, led by St. Titus’ Choir Director Ramon Holloway, will provide the music. For more information, go to sttitusdurham.org
or call 919-682-5504.
A Request from St. Titus’ Communications Committee: As we prepare for the coming of a new rector, we would like to have an updated database of St. Titus’ parishioners that contains current, accurate information. We need your participation to make this happen.
Please provide the following information for each person in your household or family: name, address, phone number(s), email, birthday, anniversary if applicable. At this stage, the information will be for St. Titus’ internal use only so will be kept confidential.
There are several ways you can submit your information:
Sign up for The Titusian, St. Titus’ monthly newsletter, on the St. Titus’ homepage: sttitusdurham.org, or by emailing the parish administrator.