November 22 - 6:00pm

November 22, 2020

Opening Acclamation

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

The Celebrant 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.

Ride on King Jesus, Afro-American Spiritual

Ride on King Jesus, no man can hinder thee

King Jesus rides on a milk white horse
The river Jordan did he cross
If you want to find your way to God
The gospel highway must be trod

When I get to Heaven, gonna wear a robe
Gonna see King Jesus on his throne
Gonna walk all over those streets of gold
Because I can’t sit down and I will never grow old 

Ride on King Jesus, no man can hinder thee

Please stand.

The Collect of the Day

Celebrant The Lord be with you.
People
And also with you. 
Celebrant
Let us pray.

Almighty and everlasting God, whose will it is to restore all things in your well-beloved Son, the King of kings and Lord of lords: Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth, divided and enslaved by sin, may be freed and brought together under his most gracious rule; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. People Amen.

The Word of God

The First Reading, Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24

The People sit.

Thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land. I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice.

Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because you pushed with flank and shoulder, and butted at all the weak animals with your horns until you scattered them far and wide, I will save my flock, and they shall no longer be ravaged; and I will judge between sheep and sheep. I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken.

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

The Gradual, Psalm 95:1-7a

Come, let us sing to the Lord; * let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation. 

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms. 

For the Lord is a great God, * and a great King above all gods. 

In his hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are his also.

The sea is his, for he made it, * and his hands have molded the dry land.

Come, let us bow down and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.

For he is our God, * and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.

The Second Reading, Ephesians 1:15-23

I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all..

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

Everybody Ought to Treat a Stranger Right, Blind Willie Johnson

Everybody ought to treat a stranger right, long ways from home. Be careful how you treat a stranger if you lie to them and turn them away. All of us down here are strangers, some of us have no place to stay. Be mindful of what you’re speaking, be careful how you go along. You must always treat a stranger right, don’t insult him in your home. Christ will come down as a stranger, he won’t have no home. He’ll be laid into a manger with the animals to keep him warm.

Please stand for the Holy Gospel.

The Holy Gospel, Matthew 25:31-46

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

Jesus said, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

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

The Sermon, by The Reverend Andrew R. Thayer

Please stand.

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.

The Prayers of the People, Form VI

The Leader and People pray responsively

Leader In peace, we pray to you, Lord God.

Leader For all people in their daily life and work; 
People
For our families, friends, and neighbors, and for those  who are alone.

Leader For this community, the nation, and the world;
People For all who work for justice, freedom, and peace.

Leader For the just and proper use of your creation;
People For the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.

Leader For all who are in danger, sorrow, or any kind of trouble;
People For those who minister to the sick, the friendless, and the needy.

Leader For the peace and unity of the Church of God;
People
For all who proclaim the Gospel, and all who seek the Truth.

Leader For Michael our Presiding Bishop, Morris our Bishop; and for all bishops and other ministers;
People For all who serve God in his Church.

Leader For the special needs and concerns of this congregation.

We ask healing comfort for Bill Beachy, Walker Beery, Drew Brees, Katie Bourg, G.G. Griswold, Kirk Groome, Nancy Haslett, Teresa Kelleher, Medora Monogold, Michael Nestor, Manon Prizgintas, Joan Rogers, Mary Nell Watters and others you would name.

Leader Hear us Lord;
People For your mercy is great.

We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life especially for our families near and far, our Grateful Bakers and those attending the retreat atWe thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life especially for our families near and far, our Grateful Bakers and those attending the retreat at the Solomon Center this weekend and for our national celebration of Thanksgiving Day this week. 

We especially give thanks for the birth of Hilton Brooke Duncan child of Hope and Brooke Duncan IV and those who celebrate birthdays and  anniversaries this week. 

We pray for our our mission partners, Loaves and Fishes Africa and all who serve people who are struggling economically at this time. We pray  for all those who were affected by the hurricanes and fires and wind storms and for the first responders who are working toward recovery and  prevention.

We pray especially for our Seminarian, Carrie Wright and those in  discernment. In the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana we pray for  St. Anna’s Episcopal Church, New Orleans and for the Worldwide  Anglican Communion. 

Leader We will exalt you, O God our King; 
People
And praise your Name for ever and ever.

Leader We pray for all who have died, especially Nancy Haslett, that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom and for victims of violence in our city, Treg Eugene, Sr., Robert Brown and Curlie Thomas.

Leader Lord, let your loving-kindness be upon them;
People Who put their trust in you.

Leader We pray to you also for the forgiveness of our sins.

The Confession of Sin

The People stand or kneel.

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word or 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 Peace

Announcements

The Holy Communion

The Great Thanksgiving (Prayer B)

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 God thanks and praise.

It is right and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.

The Celebrant proceeds with the Proper Preface.

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

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.

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 brought 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;

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 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 the 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

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.

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

A Prayer of Spiritual Communion

Celebrant In communion with those who are participating online, and cannot physically receive the  Sacrament, we pray:

O my Jesus, I believe that you are truly present in the Holy Sacrament, and, since I cannot at this time receive communion, I pray you to come into my heart. I unite myself with you and embrace you with all my heart, my soul, and my mind. Let nothing separate me from you; let me serve you  in this life until, by your grace, I come to your glorious kingdom and unending peace. Amen.

The Invitation

Celebrant The Gifts of God for the People of God. Take them in remembrance that Christ died and was raised for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.

The Communion of the People

Please note that Communion distribution will be very different for the foreseeable future. As you approach the altar area, everyone must use the hand sanitizer station before receiving communion. The consecrated hosts will be in a paper cup on the altar. As you approach the altar, please take one paper cup. Once you have consumed the host, you will place the paper cup in the receptacle located near the altar. 

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, French carol, 17th century

The Post Communion Prayer

All stand.

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.

The Blessing

The Dismissal   

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