Proper 16
Celebrated August 26, 2023, for St. Mark’s Diocese of Southern Virginia
The Rt. Rev. Susan B. Haynes, Bishop
The Rev. Dr. Ronald Ramsey, Celebrant
The Rev. Dana VanVliet-Pullin, Deacon
(Please Stand)
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 Lessons
Old Testament Exodus 1:8-2:10 Patty Green
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 otherPuah, “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.
BCP-355BCP- 356BCP- 222
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.”
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church. Thanks Be to God
The Psalm Response
Psalm 124 BCP-781Nisi quia Dominus
1-If the LORD had not been on our side, *let Israel now say; 2- If the LORD had not been on our side, *when enemies rose up against us; 3- Then would they have swallowed us up alive *in their fierce anger toward us; 4- Then would the waters have overwhelmed us *and the torrent gone over us; 5- Then would the raging waters *have gone right over us. 6- Blessed be the LORD! *he has not given us over to be a prey for their teeth. 7- We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowler; *the snare is broken, and we have escaped. 8- Our help is in the Name of the LORD, *the maker of heaven and earth.
The Epistle Romans 12:1-8 Jim Fagley
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.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to the church. Thanks Be to God
The Gospel
(Please Stand)
Matthew 16:13-20
Glory to You Lord Christ
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.
Praise to you Lord Christ
HOMILY
THE NICENE CREED
(Please Stand)
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
CONFESSION OF SIN
THE PEACE
ANNOUNCEMENTS
(Please Stand)
Form V
(Al Banwell)
Fr. Ron BCP-358 BCP-389 BCP-360 BCP-360 Wardens
Old 100thBCP-367 BCP-364 BCP-364
PRESENTATION OF ALMS & OBLATIONS:
“Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow” Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above,
ye heav'nly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
THE LORD’S PRAYER
THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD
PRAYER B
Prayer of Spiritual Communion For those on Zoom
In union, O Lord, with your faithful people at every altar of your Church, where the Holy Eucharist is now being celebrated, I desire to offer to you praise and thanksgiving. I remember your death, Lord Christ; I proclaim your resurrection; I await your coming in glory. Since I cannot receive you today in the Sacrament of your Body and Blood, I beseech you to come spiritually into my heart. Cleanse and strengthen me with your grace, Lord Jesus, and let me never be separated from you. May I live in you and you in me, in this life and in the life to come. Amen.
POSTCOMMUNION PRAYER
BCP-365 BLESSING Fr. Ron
(Please Wait for Procession to Exit before stirring)
DISMISSAL
Prayers for those who suffer in Body, Mind, and Spirit:
Bishop Michael Curry (health), Barry (surgery), Deacon Dana, Juliana (health), Shawn (health), Danny, Tina (sister of Danny), Karen (health), Randy (health), Steven (son of Kathy and Chuck), Megan (granddaughter of Chuck & Kathy), Jamie (their nephew), Joan Webb (shut in), Joan Winters (shut in).For those feeling alone and/or depressed
For those traveling
For those not mentioned here that are known to you, Lord
BIRTHDAY AND ANNIVERSARIES KNOWN TO THE OFFICE BIRTHDAYS 31.
Barbara Fagley Sept 4. Jim Fagley
ANNIVERSARIES
None known to the Office
THANKSGIVINGS:
For The Rev. Dr. Ron Ramsey’s presence with us today, and the continued service of Deacon Dana. For those that helped with Bethany, who brought food, and who attended. For God’s help in every way – seen, unseen, and that which is to come. The Rev. Dr. Ronald Ramsey has been a Christian leader and an ordained minister for more than forty years. He is the author of five books - Pastoral Leadership in the Black Church (Richard Osborne Publishers), Maiden Voyage: Practical Advice for New Pastors (iUniverse), Living Water: Sermons for All Seasons (iUniverse), The Water's Edge: A Collection of Poems (iUniverse), Help From The Hills: Meditations on the Spiritual Life (iUniverse). In addition, he has experience as a Business Coach and Management and Human Resources Consultant, serving in both retail and community development arena. Headline