The Epistle: Romans 12:1-8

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God-- what is good and acceptable and perfect.

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

The Gospel: Matthew 16:13-20

When Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

The Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost

August 24, 2008

The Collect

Grant, O merciful God, that your Church, being gathered together in unity by your Holy Spirit, may show forth your power among all peoples, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Old Testament: Exodus 1:8-2:10

Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. He said to his people, "Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase and, in the event of war, join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land." Therefore they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor. They built supply cities, Pithom and Rameses, for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread, so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites, and made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labor. They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed on them.

The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, "When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she shall live." But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live. So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this, and allowed the boys to live?" The midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them." So God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and became very strong. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, "Every boy that is born to the Hebrews you shall throw into the Nile, but you shall let every girl live."

Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three months. When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him.

The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it. When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him, "This must be one of the Hebrews' children," she said. Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?" Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Yes." So the girl went and called the child's mother. Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed it. When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses, "because," she said, "I drew him out of the water."

The Psalm: Psalm 124 Page 781, BCP

Nisi quia Dominus

If the LORD had not been on our side, *
let Israel now say;

If the LORD had not been on our side, *
when enemies rose up against us;

Then would they have swallowed us up alive *
in their fierce anger toward us;

Then would the waters have overwhelmed us *
and the torrent gone over us;

Then would the raging waters *
have gone right over us.

Blessed be the LORD! *
he has not given us over to be a prey for their teeth.

We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowler; *
the snare is broken, and we have escaped.

Our help is in the Name of the LORD, *
the maker of heaven and earth.

The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

August 24, 2008

Holy Eucharist: Rite II 9:00 A.M.

Hymn in Procession 427 “When morning gilds the skies” Hymnal

The Word of God

Opening Acclamation BCP 355

Collect for Purity BCP 355

Gloria S-278 Hymnal

The Collect Insert

The Old Testament: Genesis 32:22-31 Insert

The Response: Psalm 17:1-7,16 Insert

The Epistle: Romans 9:1-5 Insert

Sequence Hymn 334 “Praise the Lord, rise up rejoicing” Hymnal

The Gospel: Matthew 14:13-21 Insert

The Sermon The Rev. Elizabeth Grundy

The Nicene Creed BCP 358 Prayers of the People Form III BCP 387

Confession BCP 360

The Passing of the Peace

The Holy Communion

Offertory Hymn 525 “The Church’s one foundation” Hymnal

The Great Thanksgiving, Eucharistic Prayer A BCP 361

Sanctus S-130 Hymnal

Prayer of Consecration BCP 362

The Lord’s Prayer BCP 364

The Breaking of Bread BCP 364

Fraction Anthem S-152 Hymnal

The Communion (All are welcome to receive communion.)

Communion Hymn 304“I come with joy to meet my Lord” Hymnal

Prayer of Thanksgiving BCP 365

Hymn 518 “Christ is made the sure foundation” Hymnal

Dismissal BCP 366

Thanksgiving and Prayers

The flowers on the altar are given by Sue Pavao in loving memory of Thomas Milton Ogden. The flowers at the pulpit today are given by Betty Bednarik in loving memory of Benny Bednarik.

We give thanks to God for those celebrating birthdays this week: Chris Munro, Jennifer Valiente, Elizabeth Wood, Sue Carvalho, Kelly Croft, Joan Padrenoss, Steven Cantafio, Charlie Gauthier, and Mason Mormile.

Today, we pray for those in our Diocesan Cycle of Prayer:

St. Cyprian’s Church, Roxbury (Boston); St. John & St. James Church, Roxbury (Boston); Society of St. Margaret, Roxbury (Boston); Grace Church, Salem; Congregations: Parish Historians.

We continue to pray for the newly formed church of the Holy Spirit in Fall River and for their sister church, St. Luke’s.

Today, we pray for own congregation here at Christ Church as a part of our Swansea Parish Cycle of Prayer.

The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

August 24, 2008

Prayer List

Thelma Grondin, Pat & Larry Teixeira, Lee Berard , Deborah Hooker, Muriel Kusmit and Michael Saurette, Jill Moylan, Adam Girard, Baby Scarlett Isidoro and her Family; Estelle Teasdale; Linwood Baer; Mike Neville; Beverly Cross; Herbert Smith; Alan Scott; Rose Mizher; Thelma Grondin; Margaret Gray; Nancy Cunha; Elias Farquhar; Joyce Sokolski; Jeannine Freeborn; Joanne Moniz; Ernestine Bell; Bea Ministeri; Linda Charron; Robert Ogden; The Rev. Dana Reardon; Terri Gallucci; Dorothy Danis; Jack Newcomb; Ursula Tobia; Edith & Henry Miranowicz; Lorraine Julius; Lucie Demers; Marcie Zuehlke; Edna Tucker; Theresa & Frederick Walczyk.

Prayer as you leave Christ Church

Let us pray for one another and the coming week: May God’s Holy Spirit be greatly visited upon all who worship here today, and upon all our church family. If there is anger or pain in any of us, let it be left upon the altar. Gracious Lord, make us a prayerful people. Teach us to look for your guidance in all of our undertakings. May we see You this week in the face of every family member, stranger and friend. May we know the wonderful peace and love of God, share it with one another, and tell it out abroad. Amen.

The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

August 24, 2008

Prayer List

Prayer as you leave Christ Church