Prelude, Allegro, from Trio Sonata No. 5, BWV 529, J. S. Bach

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.

Celebrant Holy God,
People Holy and Mighty,
Celebrant Holy Immortal One,
People Have Mercy upon us.

Please stand.

The Collect of the Day

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

Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and follow us, that we may continually be given to good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, 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, Isaiah 25:1-9

The People sit.

O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you, I will praise your name; for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure. For you have made the city a heap, the fortified city a ruin; the palace of aliens is a city no more, it will never be rebuilt. Therefore strong peoples will glorify you; cities of ruthless nations will fear you. For you have been a refuge to the poor, a refuge to the needy in their distress, a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat. When the blast of the ruthless was like a winter rainstorm, the noise of aliens like heat in a dry place, you subdued the heat with the shade of clouds; the song of the ruthless was stilled. On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear. And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations; he will swallow up death forever. Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. It will be said on that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

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

The Gradual, Psalm 23, Chant by C. Hylton Stewart

THE LORD is my shepherd; * therefore can I lack nothing.

He shall feed me in a green pasture, * and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort.

He shall convert my soul, * and bring me forth in the paths of righteousness for his Name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; * for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff comfort me.

Thou shalt prepare a table before me in the presence of them that trouble me; * thou hast anointed my head with oil, and my cup shall be full.

Surely thy loving-kindness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; * and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

The Second Reading, Philippians 4:1-9

My brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved. I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

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

Please stand for the Holy Gospel.

The Holy Gospel, Matthew 22:1-14

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

Once more Jesus spoke to the people in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’ But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

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 Michael Atkins, Walker Beery, Katie Bourg, Kevin Chestnut,  Tony Grififn, G.G. Griswold, Kirk Groome, Nancy Haslett, Teresa Kelleher, Joy Meade, Medora Monogold, Macon Riddle, and we pray especially for President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump who are  recovering from COVID-19, 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 those who celebrate birthdays and anniversaries this week.  We pray for Trinity Loaves and Fishes and all of our mission  partners, especially Loaves and Fishes Africa. We pray for all those who are affected by the recent hurricanes and fires and wind storms and for the first responders who are working toward  prevention and recovery.

We pray especially for Carrie Wright who is in Seminary. In the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana we pray for St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, Mandeville 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, that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom, and for victims of violence in our city this week, especially Eddie Profit, Lester Jones, and Jo’nryi Hawkins.

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, Adrian Batten

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of Thy 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 communion, you will place the paper cup in the receptacle located near the altar. 

Agnus Dei, Adrian Batten

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world.
Have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world.
Have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world.
Grant us peace.

Communion Anthem, Nolo mortem peccatoris, Thomas Morley

Nolo mortem peccatoris; Haec sunt verba Salvatoris.

(“I do not wish the death of a sinner. These are the words of the Savior.)

Father I am thine only Son, sent down from heav'n mankind to save.
Father, all things fulfilled and done according to thy will, I have.
Father, my will now all is this: Nolo mortem peccatoris.
Father, behold my painful smart, taken for man on ev’ry side;
Ev’n from my birth to death most tart, no kind of pain I have denied,
but suffered all, and all for this: Nolo mortem peccatoris.

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.

Postlude, Fugue in G minor, BWV 578, J. S. Bach