The TENth SUNday after pentecost

Sunday, August 14, at 10:00 am

Stream the service on Facebook.

The form for this service can also be found in The Book of Common Prayer, page 355. Spoken responses are in bold typeface.

To give a donation to St. Paul’s, click here.


Prelude: “My Lord, What a Morning!” arr. Cindy Berry

The Entrance Rite

Hymn 637: “How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord”

1. How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he hath said,
to you that for refuge to Jesus have fled?

2. ‘Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed!
For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

3. ‘When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
the rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
for I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

4. ‘When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
my grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply;
the flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

5. ‘The soul that to Jesus hath fled for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
that soul, though all hell shall endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no, never, no, never forsake.’


Opening Acclamation

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

Celebrant

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”

The Collect of the Day

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

Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of his redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Liturgy of the Word

First Lesson: Jeremiah 23:23-29

Am I a God near by, says the Lord, and not a God far off? Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them? says the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord. I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, “I have dreamed, I have dreamed!” How long? Will the hearts of the prophets ever turn back—those who prophesy lies, and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart? They plan to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, just as their ancestors forgot my name for Baal. Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let the one who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? says the Lord. Is not my word like fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?

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

Psalm 82

1  God takes his stand in the council of heaven; *
he gives judgment in the midst of the gods:

2  “How long will you judge unjustly, *
and show favor to the wicked?

3  Save the weak and the orphan; *
defend the humble and needy;

4  Rescue the weak and the poor; *
deliver them from the power of the wicked.

5  They do not know, neither do they understand;
they go about in darkness; *
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

6  Now I say to you, ‘You are gods, *
and all of you children of the Most High;

7  Nevertheless, you shall die like mortals, *
and fall like any prince.’”

8  Arise, O God, and rule the earth, *
for you shall take all nations for your own.

Second Lesson: Hebrews 11:29-12:2

By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted to do so they were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell after they had been encircled for seven days. By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had received the spies in peace.

And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better resurrection. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned to death, they were sawn in two, they were killed by the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, persecuted, tormented—of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.

Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better so that they would not, apart from us, be made perfect.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

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


Hymn 552:
“Fight the good fight, with all thy might”

1. Fight the good fight with all thy might,
Christ is thy strength and Christ thy right;
lay hold on life, and it shall be
thy joy and crown eternally.

2. Run the straight race through God’s good grace,
lift up thine eyes and seek his face;
life with its way before us lies,
Christ is the path and Christ the prize.

3. Cast care aside, lean on thy Guide;
his boundless mercy will provide;
trust, and thy trusting soul shall prove
Christ is its life and Christ its love.

4. Faint not nor fear, his arms are near;
he changeth not, and thou art dear;
only believe, and thou shalt see
that Christ is all in all to thee.


The Gospel: Luke 12:49-56

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

Jesus said, “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, ‘It is going to rain’; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat’; and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?”

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


The Sermon

The Nicene Creed Said in unison

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

The leader and people pray responsively 

I ask your prayers for God’s people throughout the world; for our Bishops; for this gathering; and for all ministers and people. Pray for the Church.

Silence

I ask your prayers for peace; for goodwill among nations; and for the well-being of all people. Pray for justice and peace.

Silence

I ask your prayers for all victims of violence, and for the poor, the sick, the hungry, the oppressed, and those in prison. Pray for those in any need or trouble.

Silence

I ask your prayers for all who seek God, or a deeper knowledge of him. Pray that they may find and be found by him.

Silence

I ask your prayers for the departed. Pray for those who have died.

Silence

I ask your prayers for those on our parish prayer list, and for those we now name:

Silence. Additional petitions may be included here.

We pray for our sister church of St. Mary’s, Sololá, in our companion diocese of Guatemala.

Silence

Praise God for those in every generation in whom Christ has been honored. Pray that we may have grace to glorify Christ in our own day.

Silence

The Celebrant concludes

Almighty God, to whom our needs are known before we ask: Help us to ask only what accords with your will; and those good things which we dare not, or in our blindness cannot ask, grant us for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Confession of Sin

Celebrant           Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.                       

Celebrant 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 Celebrant pronounces an absolution. The people stand.

The Peace

Priest     The peace of the Lord be always with you. 
People     And also with you.

The ministers and the people greet one another in the name of the Lord.

The Holy Communion

The Celebrant introduces the Offertory with a sentence of Scripture.

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During the Offertory the Altar is prepared with the elements of Holy Communion.

The Offering is brought forward.

Offertory Hymn 421: “All glory be to God on high”

1. All glory be to God on high,
and peace on earth from heaven,
and God’s good will unfailingly
be to all people given.
We bless, we worship you, we raise
for your great glory thanks and praise,
O God, Almighty Father.

2. O Lamb of God, Lord Jesus Christ,
whom God the Father gave us,
who for the world was sacrificed
upon the cross to save us;
and, as you sit at God’s right hand
and we for judgment there must stand,
have mercy, Lord, upon us.

3. You only are the Holy One,
who came for our salvation,
and only you are God’s true Son,
who was before creation.
You only, Christ, as Lord we own and,
with the Spirit, you alone
share in the Father’s glory.


The Great Thanksgiving: 
Eucharistic Prayer A

The people stand and the priest says

Priest     The Lord be with you.
People     And also with you.
Priest     Lift up your hearts.
People     We lift them to the Lord.
Priest     Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People     It is right to give him thanks and praise.


The priest continues

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


A proper preface is said.

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”

The priest 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.”

Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith:


Priest and People

Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.


The priest 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.

And now, 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 priest 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.

Priest The Gifts of God for the People of God.


Spiritual Communion: Act of Reception

During Communion, you are invited to say the following prayer form for receiving Spiritual Communion. Know that the grace of God is made present in your heart, even though the Sacrament is not received with the mouth.

In union, blessed Jesus, with the faithful gathered at every altar of your Church where your blessed Body and Blood are offered this day, I long to offer you praise and thanksgiving, for creation and all the blessings of this life, for the redemption won for us by your life, death, and resurrection, for the means of grace and the hope of glory.

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.

Come Lord Jesus, and dwell in my heart in the fullness of your strength; be my wisdom and guide me in right pathways; conform my life and actions to the image of your holiness; and, in the power of your gracious might, rule over every hostile power that threatens or disturbs the growth of your kingdom, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Piano Solo: “Be Still, My Soul” Jean Sibelius

Communion Hymn 635: “If thou but trust in God to guide thee”

1. If thou but trust in God to guide thee,
and hope in him through all thy ways,
he’ll give thee strength whate’er betide thee,
and bear thee through the evil days.
Who trusts in God’s unchanging love
builds on a rock that nought can move.

2. Sing, pray, and keep his ways unswerving;
so do thine own part faithfully,
and trust his word, though undeserving;
thou yet shalt find it true for thee;
God never yet forsook in need
the soul that trusted him indeed.

After Communion, the priest says

Let us pray.


Priest 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.

Welcome & Announcements

The Blessing

The peace of God, which surpasses 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 among you, and remain with you always. Amen.

Dismissal

The Celebrant says the dismissal. The people respond             Thanks be to God.

Postlude:
“All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name” Oliver Holden


Service Participants

  • Celebrant & Preacher: The Rev. Ernest A. Curtin, Jr.

  • Eucharistic Minister: John Black

  • Acolyte: Alex Kelly

  • Lector: Widgette Kelly

  • Ushers: Carol Fox, Joe DeTato

  • Altar: Elizabeth Pitts, Carol Fox

  • Flowers: Lisa Farina

  • A/V: Emery Kohut

  • Pianist: Shelley Reed


Choir:
George Achilles, Trudie Benton, Wendy Brumbaugh, John Capps, Carol Fox, Melanie Moyer, Shelley Reed, Robert Risch, Mike Roberts, Sue Roberts, Anne Shute, Jim Shute, Caitlin Stein, Marian Wentworth


Online giving
is available through Realm E-Giving and PayPal. We thank you for your generous giving to St. Paul’s.


Nursery Care

Nursery care for toddlers and babies is available for those who wish to use it. The Nursery is located at the end of the Education Wing hallway, in the classroom closest to the Education Wing entrance. For help finding the Nursery, please ask an usher.


Saint Paul’s Market is OPEN

featuring bounty from parishioners’ gardens

Proceeds benefit the ‘Little Red House’ Collection, to be used to buy food for the residents of the Doylestown Homeless Shelter. 

Gardeners:  Bring in your extras!
Buyers:  Please make a donation.


Welcome

Please extend a warm welcome to our new tenants, Tad and Claire. They will be moving into 94 East Oakland Avenue very soon, and we should no longer park in their driveway.


Education for Ministry Program  

Interested in knowing more about the Bible? About the church? About connecting what we say and do on Sundays with your Monday through Saturday life? Wish you had a trust-worthy group of companions to worship with and with whom you felt free to ask your most important or irreverent questions and share your insights? EfM* (Education for Ministry) is for you! The Central Bucks EfM meets at Trinity Buckingham on Monday afternoons from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. We are enrolling new students for fall 2022. We are having an introductory session on the EFM program at Trinity Buckingham on the 21st of August, Sunday afternoon at 2pm. Several prospective students have been invited and you are very welcome to attend as well. There will be refreshments! All the registration information will be available there. If you can’t attend, no problem. I will forward everything to you. Also, if you have a friend who might want to learn more about EFM, feel free to invite them. Last year’s graduates have also been invited, so we can do a bit of catching up as well. If you are interested, or would like more information please contact the church office at 215-348-5511.


Outreach Committee Updates

The Little Free Pantry has proven to be very successful and as a testament to that, we are in need of replacements like peanut butter, boxes of cereal, small water bottles, nuts, and snack bars without chocolate.  Thank you for any donation you can make.

St. Paul’s will be joining other local churches to provide a Community Meal for the homeless.  We will provide a meal on the fourth Sunday of the month. Our first meal is scheduled for August 28th @1pm.  In the beginning, the meals will be provided by Outreach with the hope of expanding the invitees after the first of the year to other local social agencies in the area.  If you would like to help with the donations, gift cards to Wawa, McDonald’s, Wendy’s in the amount of $5.00 each would be greatly appreciated.  If you do get gift cards, please just use the places mentioned and only in $5.00 increments...those are the rules from CSSH.

Thank you to everyone who has helped with donations of money, food and of course time....and a huge thank you to the Committee.  Anyone interested in joining the committee please let me know.  Contact Mary Lou Parry, Outreach Committee Chair, using the church directory.


CARING FOR FRIENDS

Caring for Friends has resumed our meal packing at the church. Our next meeting will be on Saturday, August 20 from 9:30-11:30am. We are asking for anyone who would like to cook at home to bring the food to church on the 20th to pack. Please include a list of ingredients for all meals. For everyone attending we will be social distancing and wearing masks. Casseroles with a protein source, meats like meatloaf, chicken, beef, turkey breasts with a side of rice or potatoes are some other ideas. Donations of canned goods are appreciated, especially fruits and vegetables. Hope you can make it on the 20th.

For questions, please contact George Wiemann, Mary Smith, or Myra Parker using the church directory.


Save the Date: Welcome Back Picnic on Sunday, September 18, Burpee Park

We will be having a Welcome Back Picnic on Sunday, September 18 at Burpee Park (on the corner of Oakland Ave and Church St), beginning at 11am. This is a potluck-style picnic—with good food, and great company. As this is an event for the parish as a whole, please feel free to invite your friends as well as our neighbors nearby. More details will follow in the weekly communications.


Summer Office Hours

During the summer months, the church office hours will be reduced on Friday afternoons. From June 17 through August 26, the office will close at noon on Fridays. In September, the office will once again resume its normal schedule.


ALTAR FLOWERS

Today’s flowers are given by Jeffrey Thomas and Gail Thomas to the glory of God, and in thanksgiving of the birthday of their mother Caryl Miller Thomas.