7th Sunday after Pentecost – 11th July 2021

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Year B – Track 2

Proper 10

ORDER OF SERVICE

You can click to expand or minimize the order of service below.

All are requested to join in wherever text is GREEN or when instructed by Fr. David.

Where the ✝ is shown, all are encouraged to make the sign of the cross.

Where the ✊ is shown all are encouraged to strike their breast with a closed hand following the actions of Fr. David.

Where the ✋ is shown all are encouraged to tap their breast with an open hand following the actions of Fr. David.

♫ Note: Scroll to the bottom of the page for the media player where you can hear the music and practice your singing. ♫

Sing, ye faithful, sing with gladness,
Wake your noblest, sweetest strain,
With the praises of your Saviour
Let his house resound again;
Him let all your music honour,
And your songs exult his reign.

Now on high, yet ever with us,
From his Father’s throne the Son
Rules and guides the world he ransomed,
Till the appointed work be done,
Till he see, renewed and perfect,
All things gathered into one.

Alleluia to the Father,
Alleluia to the Son,
Alleluia to the Spirit,
Ever three and ever one,
One in love and one in glory,
While unending ages run. Amen

♫ Note: Scroll to the bottom of the page for the media player to hear the music and practice. ♫

Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ✝

And blessed be his kingdom, now and forever. Amen

 

From Easter to Pentecost:

Allelulia. Christ is risen!

The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia

 

In Lent and other penitential occasions:

Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins;

His mercy endures for ever.

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

 

Let us pray:

Almighty God, to whom all hearts be open, all desires known and from whom no secrets are hidden: 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.

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

This prayer is omitted during Lent and Advent:

Glory to God in the highest, and peace to God’s people on earth.  Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.  Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.  Amen.

 Holy God, holy and mighty ✝, holy and immortal, have mercy on us.

O Lord, mercifully receive the prayers of your people who call upon you, and grant that they may know and understand what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to accomplish them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. 

Amen.

A Reading from the book of:

Amos

This is what the Lord God showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said,

“See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass them by;

the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate,
and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste,
and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”

Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent to King Jeroboam of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the very centre of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos has said,

‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword,
and Israel must go into exile
away from his land.’ “

And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, earn your bread there, and prophesy there; but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.”

Then Amos answered Amaziah, “I am no prophet, nor a prophet’s son; but I am a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees, and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’”

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God

Psalm 85:8-13

Benedixisti, Domine

8 I will listen to what the Lord God is saying, *
for he is speaking peace to his faithful people
and to those who turn their hearts to him.

9 Truly, his salvation is very near to those who fear him, *
that his glory may dwell in our land.

10 Mercy and truth have met together; *
righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

11 Truth shall spring up from the earth, *
and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

12 The Lord will indeed grant prosperity, *
and our land will yield its increase.

13 Righteousness shall go before him, *
and peace shall be a pathway for his feet.

A Reading from the book of

Ephesians

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight, he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God

All stand for the Acclamation and Gospel reading.

Acclamation:

Alleluia! Alleluia!

Herod feared John, knowing he was a righteous and holy man,

And he protected him.

Alleluia!

The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to:

Mark

✝✝✝

King Herod heard of Jesus and his disciples, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some were saying, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.” But others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.”

For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod had married her. For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.” And he solemnly swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.” She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the baptizer.” Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

After the Gospel reading

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

“John, whom I’ve beheaded, has been raised!”

Herod must have been terrified.  A man like Herod, who relied on treachery, questionable political moves, the power gained through wealth, is confronted with his worst nightmare.  He knew John was dead.  He saw his head – yes, through a haze of drunkenness – but he sawthe head.  But this Jesus, obviously a man of power himself, is becoming known throughout Herod’skingdom.  Who is he?  Could it really be John, raised from the dead?  John, the man Herod killed because of a grudge, a grudge he held against him for telling the truth?

How very sad.  How very tragic.  And yet, because of what we’ve seen in our own lifetimes of the consequence of misused power, political greed, and society’s belief that “it’s all about me,” we have to realize Herod has something to teach us.

Herod is an interesting character.  What Benedict Arnold is to the word “traitor,” the name Herod has become to the word “evil,” but a sad kind of evil.   In Herod, we see a man desperate to be king.  He killed his own relatives to gain the throne, and then surrounded himself with sycophants, men who would use Herod’s favour to garner their own power.

The parties given by the king were as sick and sad as were the participants – days of feasting, uncontrolled drinking, and entertainment that was sometimes lessthan respectable.  Into this sad state of the political life of Israel, John the Baptizer dropped the embarrassing and dangerous truth. For this John lost his life because Herod was a fool, and his character terribly weak!

So today’s gospel tells us that this same Herod, who thought he had got rid of his adversary, John, is nowfaced with a new adversary, Jesus. Herod had to be frightened.  Who is this man about whom he was hearing so much?  Could John have come back from the dead to haunt him, or was this someone new who would challenge his authority?

We know the answer, and Herod would soon find out.  Jesus was soon known by most as a man who taught with authority, who spoke the truth without fear, and who preached a return to faith by all Jews, if they were to be truly children of God.  And he broke the rules made up by weak men, who were afraid of losing power.

While today’s gospel passage is mostly a bit of history, the letter from Paul to the Ephesians fills out what the people were saying about Jesus in Herod’s time.  Paul helps us understand how we are connected to God.  Paul reminds us of the amazing gifts we are given, because God loves us.  Instead of being afraid that Jesus is John raised from the dead, Paul says, “Blessed be God … who has blessed us in Christ, with ever spiritual blessing in the heavens!”  No fear here, just deep and joyful gratitude that we are empowered by God’s blessings.  Paul goes on to tell us what some of those blessings are: adoption as God’s children, redemption through the blood of Jesus, forgivenessfor our sins, and grace lavished on us.  Isn’t that a wonderful image?  God’s grace being lavished on us!   None of these things is a worldly gift.  They are all of a heavenly nature that we can, however, use here in our earthly lives.  These gifts give us a spiritual authority, and power that we must use to do good, and to spreadthe Good News among our brothers and sisters.

There’s no comparison between this kind of power and authority, and that of people such as Herod and Pilate, or those before them: Ahasuerus in Esther’s time, Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel’s.  Those people built their power on fear and treachery.  Our power comes from the deep and abiding love of God.  Paul tells us that with all wisdom and insight, God has made known tous the mystery of his will.

That sounds – well – mysterious.  Can we understandthat?  Yes, indeed, we can, because that will is simply that God wants to gather up all things in heaven and on earth into Himself.  It is our inheritance. The question is, do we want this?  Is being gathered up into God’s love enough for us?

We have to ask that question seriously and truthfully.  What does it mean to be gathered up into God, here on earth?  It’s all fine and good to think about that being what happens in heaven, where all is supposed to be perfect love, and union with God.  But don’t we oftenfind that people still think that in heaven it will be “me and Jesus”?  We seem to be fixated, here on earth, with deciding who gets there, and who doesn’t.  Let’s be honest about that.  We want to be able to judge whogets there, and who doesn’t.  We too often forget that Jesus constantly talked about the kingdom of God being right here, right now, too.  Wait a minute – thatmeans we ought to be living in this abiding love right now, with everyone!

But we are surrounded still with people like Herod and Pilate.  People are fighting for power, literally – killing innocent people just to keep control over land, and the gifts of the land.  We can’t get away from it! The TV and newspapers inundate us with images and blaring headlines that would kill any thought of living in love and peace we might have. And then, if we’re honest, we, too, want some control.  We want to have somekind of power; it’s what society tells us is important.

Maybe this gospel about Herod is getting a little tooclose to home.  It’s no longer just a history lesson – it’s a moral lesson, and we may find ourselves coming up short.  We’re not yet thrilled with Paul’s words of the blessings of God’s grace.  But it’s something we must learn to want more and more.  We must want to be delighted in the thought that God lavishes his grace on us – pours it out joyfully – if only we’d be aware that it’s happening, and learn to bathe ourselves in that abundance.  We might ask what the consequencewould be if we could do this.  It would change our lives.  We might see the beauty in all God’s people, and be willing to take their hands when solidarity for goodis needed. We might see our churches begin to fillagain, because others would see our witness, and want to share what we have.  We’d learn to speak about our faith in convincing and inviting ways!

Unlike Herod, and others like him, we wouldn’t have to fight, and connive and fawn over others, so that power would be ours to abuse; we have the power of a lovingGod supporting us.  We have the inheritance of the saints in light.  We have the example and teachings of Jesus to show us the way.  That’s a much better power.  It’s a much more loving, and peace-giving authority.  We too can lavish our care on God’s world and on God’s people, if we set our minds and hearts to it.  Remember, Paul tells us we are marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit.  We are destined to be God’s peoplehere on earth. We can make no other choice.  Amen

Please stand for the Nicene Creed.

Let us together affirm the faith of the Church. ✝

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:

was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary,

and became truly human.

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, who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified,

who 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.

11/07 PROPER 10 – YEAR B – p84/5

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Let us pray to God,  whose rightiousness is made known through his mighty word and works.

Keep your church ,  called to be your messenger here on earth and the channel of your grace,  in faithful service of the Gospel…Defend her in adversity,  and give to your priests and ministers courage to witness in both word and deed.

We pray for the welfare of your church here on earth;  guide and govern it by your Spirit,  so that all Christians may be led in the way of truth,  and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life.

We ask your blessing on +Vsevolod our Bishop,  on this, our parish of St. George – for its work,  its worship and its witness.  We pray particularly for Fr. David in his ministry to us,  and for all members of our congregation,  be they near or far.

1 Lord in your mercy – Hear our prayer.

Turn the hearts of those who wilfully misuse their powers over others….Bring hope and freedom to the places where people live in fear of tyranny and injustice.

We pray for the leaders of all the nations of this world,  most particularly for the King and Government of Thailand,  and also in the countries from which we come, and for all the people in countries that have had problems of any kind during this past week.

Grant wisdom to all those in authority in every land,  and give to all people a desire for righteousness and peace,  the will to work together in trust,  to seek the common good,  and to share with justice and equity the limited resources of the earth.

2 Lord in your mercy – Hear our prayer.

As we have been made members of your family by adoption and grace,  bless our human families with your continual, and loving presence…Help us to follow in the way that you have prepared for us all in our relationship with others.

We pray for all who are prevented from,  or persecuted for practising their faith,  wherever they may be.  We pray for our fellow Christians, both here in Thailand,  and also in our own home countries.

3 Lord in your mercy – Hear our prayer.

Have mercy on all who suffer for the sake of truth….Comfort those who are unjustly imprisoned,  and those who have been brought by human judgement into the shadow of death.

We pray for all those who suffer in body,  mind and spirit;  the sick;  the poor;  the depressed;  the lonely;  the unloved;  the persecuted;  the unemployed and those who care for them. Those who grieve;  and those who have nobody to pray for them.

4 Lord in your mercy – Hear our prayer.

We remember all those who have been touched by the COVID 19 pandemic;  particularly here in Pattai-Ya,  where so many lives and livelihoods have been destroyed;   and where there is such heavy dependence on the hotel, hospitality and tourist industry,  now given added urgency as the outbreak continues to  increase in severity.

Amongst the sick we remember;

Fr. Tom, Colin, Mavis, Patricia,  Eric, Kent, David, Graham, Elizabeth, Conrad, Jun and any others known personally to each and every one of us…

5 Lord in your mercy – Hear our prayer.

We pray for all those who have died violently,  at the hand of others,, or alone…Grant them the peace that was denied them at their end,  and bring them to the joy of your heavenly kingdom.

We bring to you all who have died in the hope of the resurrection,   especially the millions who have perished in the COVID pandemic – for Ian, for Ron, for Herman, for Margaret, and for all those known personally to each and every one of us…

We remember also all those whose anniversary falls at this time, who we have known and loved…(1, 2, 3)  

Give us grace so to live in Christ,  that we too may come at length to behold his glory.

6 Lord in your mercy – Hear our prayer.

[DAVID] – May the courage and fidelity of John the Baptist be our example as we pray,  and live out our lives.

Grant that what we have asked in faith we may by your grace receive, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

THE CONFESSION:

God is steadfast in love and infinite in mercy, welcoming sinners and inviting them to the Lord’s table.

Let us confess our sins in penitence and faith, confident in God’s forgiveness.

Merciful God, our maker and our judge, we have sinned against you in thought, word and deed, and in what we have failed to do: we have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves; we repent and are sorry ✊ for all ✊ our sins ✊, Father forgive us, strengthen us to love and obey you in newness of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen

**(Note: all are encouraged to strike their breast 3 times following the lead of Fr. David as he utters the words: ‘sorry for all our sins’)**

Almighty God, who has promised forgiveness to all who turn to him in faith, pardon you ✝ and set you free from all your sins, strengthen you in all goodness and keep you in eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

THE PEACE:

The congregation stands.

We are the Body of Christ.

His Spirit is with us.

 

The peace of the Lord be always with you.

And also with you.

Please greet each other with a sign of peace.

Disposer supreme, and judge of the earth,
Who choosest for thine the weak and the poor,
To frail earthen vessels, and things of no worth,
Entrusting thy riches which ay shall endure.

O loud be their call, and stirring the sound,
To rouse us O Lord, from sin’s deadly sleep;
May lights which thou kindlest in darkness around,
The dull soul awaken, her vigil to keep.

All honour and praise, dominion and might,
To thee, Three in One, eternally be,
Who pouring around us thy glorious light,
Dost call us from darkness thy glory to see.

THE OFFERTORY

Blessed are you, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have these gifts to share. Accept and use our offerings for your glory and the service of your kingdom.

Blessed be God forever.

 Let us pray

We do not presume to come to your table, merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in your manifold and great mercies.  We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table, but you are the same Lord whose nature is always to have mercy. Grant us, therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of your dear son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that we may evermore dwell in him and he in us.  Amen.

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER C

The Lord be with you.

and also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give thanks and praise.

Father, we give you thanks and praise through your beloved Son Jesus Christ, your living Word, through whom you have created all things; who was sent by you in your great goodness to be our Saviour.

By the power of the Holy Spirit he took flesh; as your Son, born of the blessed Virgin, he lived on earth and went about among us; he opened wide his arms for us on the cross; he put an end to death by dying for us; and revealed the resurrection by rising to new life; so he fulfilled your will and won for you a holy people.

Proper Preface

Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we proclaim your great and glorious name, for ever praising you and saying:

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.

Lord, you are holy indeed, the source of all holiness; grant that by the power of your Holy Spirit, and according to your holy will, these gifts of bread and wine may be to us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; who, in the same night that he was betrayed, took bread and gave you thanks; he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take, eat; this is my body ✝ which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.

In the same way, after supper he took the cup and gave you thanks; he gave it to them, saying: 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. Do this, as often as you drink it,

in remembrance of me.

Great is the mystery of faith:

Christ has died:

Christ is risen:

Christ will come again.

And so, Father, calling to mind his death on the cross, his perfect sacrifice, made once for the sins of the whole world; rejoicing in his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension, and looking for his coming in glory, we celebrate this memorial of our redemption.

As we offer you this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, we bring before you this bread and this cup and we thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you. Send the Holy Spirit on your people and gather into one in your kingdom all who share this one bread and one cup, so that we, in the company of [N and] all the saints, may praise and glorify you for ever, through Jesus Christ our Lord; by whom, and with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory be yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Let us pray with confidence to the Father, as our Saviour has taught us:

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, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

O Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.  ✋

O Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.✋

O Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant us peace.✋

**(Note:  All are encouraged to tap their breast three times following the example of Fr. David as he utters the words ‘…have mercy, …have mercy and …grant us peace’)**

We break this bread to share in the body of Christ.

Though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in one bread.

This is the Lamb of God ✝, who takes away the sins of the world;

Happy are those who are called to his supper.

Lord, I am not worthy ✊ to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.

**(Note:  All are encouraged to strike breast following the example of Fr. David as all utter the words ‘not worthy’)** 

After Communion the celebrant and the congregation say

 

Let us pray.

Father of all we give you thanks and praise that when we were still far off you met us in your Son and brought us home. Dying and living, he declared your love, gave us grace, and opened the gate of glory. May we who share Christ’s body live his risen life; we who drink his cup bring life to others; we whom the Spirit lights give light to the world. 

Keep us in this hope that we have grasped; so we and all your children shall be free, and the whole earth live to praise your name.

Father, we offer ourselves to you as a living sacrifice through Jesus Christ our Lord. Send us out in the power of your Spirit to live and work to your praise and glory.

The peace of God, which passes 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 amongst you and remain with you always.

Amen.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord:

In the name of Christ.  Amen.

Teach me, my God and King,
In all things thee to see;
And what I do in anything
To do it as for thee.

All may of thee partake;
Nothing can be so mean,
Which with this tincture, ‘For thy sake’,
Will not grow bright and clean.

A servant with this clause
Makes drudgery divine;
Who sweeps a room, as for thy laws,
Makes that and the action fine.

This is the famous stone
That turneth all to gold;
For that which God doth touch and own
Cannot for less be told.

CONTRIBUTE TO OUR WORK

Music

Here is the music for this week’s hymns, if you would like to practice beforehand.

Performed by Fr. David Price

NOTE: The introductory music is ‘Allegro’, from Concerto in C – Felton