9th Sunday after Pentecost – 25th July 2021
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
8th Sunday after Trinity
Year B – Track 2
Proper 12
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.
♫♫ Scroll to the bottom of the page for the media player where you can hear the music and practice your singing. ♫♫
HYMN: O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come
O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home;
Under the shadow of thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is thine arm alone,
And our defence is sure.
Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting thou art God,
To endless years the same.
Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away;
They fly, forgotten as a dream
Dies at the opening day.
O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be thou our guide while troubles last,
And our eternal home.
♫♫ Scroll to the bottom of the page for the media player where you can hear the music and practice your singing. ♫♫
BLESSED BE GOD: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
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.
THE COLLECT OF THE DAY
O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
THE FIRST READING
A Reading from the book of:
2 Kings
A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing food from the first fruits to the man of God: twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. Elisha said, “Give it to the people and let them eat.” But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred people?” So he repeated, “Give it to the people and let them eat, for thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and have some left.’” He set it before them, they ate, and had some left, according to the word of the Lord.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God
THE RESPONSE
Psalm 145:10-19
Exaltabo te, Deus
10 All your works praise you, O Lord, *
and your faithful servants bless you.
11 They make known the glory of your kingdom *
and speak of your power;
12 That the peoples may know of your power *
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; *
your dominion endures throughout all ages.
14 The Lord is faithful in all his words *
and merciful in all his deeds.
15 The Lord upholds all those who fall; *
he lifts up those who are bowed down.
16 The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord, *
and you give them their food in due season.
17 You open wide your hand *
and satisfy the needs of every living creature.
18 The Lord is righteous in all his ways *
and loving in all his works.
19 The Lord is near to those who call upon him, *
to all who call upon him faithfully.
THE SECOND READING
Ephesians
I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God
All stand for the Acclamation and Gospel reading.
ACCLAMATION
Acclamation:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
A great prophet has appeared among us;
God has visited his people.
Alleluia!
THE GOSPEL
The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to:
John
✝✝✝
Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.”
When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.
After the Gospel reading
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ
THE HOMILY
We might be tempted to gloss over the miracle stories about Jesus that are recorded in the Gospels. Taken at face value, most of them stretch our credulity, perhaps further than we are willing to go, and for what? Is it necessary to believe that Jesus really walked on water, or magically multiplied the loaves and fishes? Why do we keep telling these improbable stories?
The story we heard in the Gospel of John today — about Jesus feeding the 5,000 — stands out in the Gospels. The Gospel writers clearly thought this story was important. It shows up in Matthew, Mark, and Luke — since these three all share a common source, and repeat a lot of material, this is not surprising. But John alsoincludes it, which is interesting, because there’s not much overlapbetween John and the other Gospels. And on top of that, Matthew and Mark like this story so much that they tell it twice! The second telling is almost identical, except in that version only 4,000 people are fed. The point is, this story about feeding the multitudes was important enough to make it into the Gospels six times. And there are only four Gospels!
Let’s dig down then, and see if we can discover why the Gospel writers thought this story was so important. To begin with, it’s morethan a miracle story. In the Gospel writers’ hands, the miracle becomes a parable. The feeding of the 5,000 is a parable about what we are called to do, and who we are called to be. If we are going to follow Jesus, at some point, he’s going to turn to us and say: Yougive them something to eat. And it matters how we respond to his command!
The more you begin to imagine the world of this story, the more you see that it’s not about magic at all. It’s about how we see the world, and what we do with what we already have. In a way, the magic has already happened: God has already given us a world out of nothing, already provided sun and earth, water and seeds—how much moremagic do we need? Everything we have comes from God, and will return to God.
God provides something out of nothing. That is the basic story of creation, and it is the way God provided manna for his people in the wilderness. But this story is different. Jesus does not make something out of nothing here. No — he takes what God has already provided. He draws out the resources that are alreadypresent in the community.
John has altered one important detail though in the way he tells the story. In each of the other Gospels, it isn’t Jesus who asks, “Whereare we to buy bread?” Instead, that question belongs to the disciples— in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, when the disciples ask this question, Jesus turns to them and says, “You give them something to eat.”
But of course, the disciples can see that feeding so many people would be impossible. As Andrew points out, all they can find is fivebarley loaves and two fish belonging to a boy in the crowd. But then, Jesus gets them to see what’s there with new eyes. The disciples are coming from a place of fear, of scarcity: there will never be enough! Six month’s wages would not buy enough bread to feed them! What Jesus shows us is that, whatever we have, whatever God has already given us, is always enough, if we look at it in the right way – if we decide to share. If we let go of our fear, and stopholding onto to what’s “ours” so tightly. If we can do those things, we absolutely have enough bread to feed the whole world. There is just so much here that has a direct bearing on the situation in which we have found ourselves here in Pattaya during the Covid pandemic!
Imagine this crowd that Jesus confronts – an ‘al fresco’ meal for 5,000 people, a picnic with everyone spread out on the grass, enjoying the sunset on the lakeshore, and the cool evening breeze. That’s how Jesus wants us to see the world: 5,000 people on the lakeshore isn’t a problem, it’s a party. Whatever we brought with us is what we have to share, and there’s plenty for everyone, and more left over besides. This is a pretty compelling picture of just what the Kingdom of God is like.
Here’s another way of looking at it: this story about feeding the five thousand is the first supper, instead of the last supper. Jesus sat down and broke bread with his friends many times over the course of his ministry, not just that last night in the upper room. It’s important to remember that the last supper is not the only Eucharistic feast in the Gospels. Every time Jesus broke bread with friends, it was a thanksgiving meal (for that is what ‘Eucharist’ means—thanksgiving).
Jesus follows the same pattern at this first supper as he does at the last supper. Here is how Mark records the scene: “Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.” Take, bless, break, give – those are the actions of the Eucharistic feast. Jesus wants us to take what we have, whatever it is, whatever’s already here, and bless it: in other words, give it to God. And then break it open, divide it up, and give it away. – Joyfully – so that all will have enough.
Jesus does this with bread, every time he shares a meal. And he does this with his life: lives it for God, breaks it open, and gives it to us. And this is what Jesus wants with our lives too: You give them something to eat. It’s not enough simply to pray that God will change things, will feed the hungry, and clothe the naked. God needs us to participate in this Eucharistic action. God is calling us to take our lives, and bless them, and be broken open, and then given away in service of others.
It’s the breaking that can be hard to face. But you cannot be a follower of Jesus without the risk of being broken. Serving a meal to a homeless person, or taking communion to someone dying of cancer — sometimes, such an encounter is going to break your heart. It would be easier to stay safe, where you never have to facethat reality. But we don’t have that option: you give them something to eat!
Take, bless, break, give – no matter how hard or impossible this seems, the end result is worth it: everyone ate until they were satisfied, and when they gathered up what was left over, they filled twelve baskets. This vision is possible. We already have what we need, right here in our midst. The Kingdom is waiting to be born. Will we join in this Eucharist? Let us pray then that we will be both ready and willing to accept Our Lord’s invitation. Amen.
THE NICENE CREED
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.
INTERCESSION
25/07 PROPER 12 – YEAR B – p86/7
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Let us pray to God, who gives to his people both bodily and spiritual food.
Guide the Church to feed your flock as Christ wonderfully fed the multitude. Make your faithful people, being rooted and grounded in love, instruments of your love to all people.
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 hear us – Lord graciously hear us.
We pray for all in the world who do not know the name of Christ, or will not honour him….Give to the learned knowledge of the love that is beyond knowledge, and to the rich understanding of the true riches of your glory.
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 hear us – Lord graciously hear us.
Since the whole family of heaven and earth is named by you, give grace to our families to reflect on your perfect love in our human love…Bless those in our community who work to bring food and comfort to the infirm and to those in want.
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 hear us – Lord graciously hear us.
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 hear us – Lord graciously hear us.
Have mercy on those who lack the food that they need. Prosper all efforts to relieve hunger in the world…Grant help and courage to all those who cannot properly feed those they love.
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. We pray for the on-going vaccination programme here in Thailand, that greater numbers might be safeguarded more speedily, and then be spared the worst of the unpleasant side-effects.
Amongst the sick we remember;
Fr. Tom, Brian, Colin, Mavis, Patricia, Eric, Kent, Graham, Elizabeth, Conrad, Jun and any others known personally to each and every one of us…
5 Lord hear us – Lord graciously hear us.
We pray for all who have died, that the love of Christ will gather them into the fellowship of the saints…May they rejoice in your heavenly feast, where he presides for ever.
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 David, for Ian, for Herman, for Margaret, and for all those known personally to us, collectively or individually…
We remember also John, and all those whose anniversary falls at this time, who we have known and loved…(1, 2, 3)
Give them joy in the fellowship of the heavenly church, where Christ reigns for ever.
6 Lord hear us – Lord graciously hear us.
[DAVID] – May the Lord receive our offering of prayer, and multiply it towards the coming of his kingdom.
Grant that what we have asked in faith we may by your grace receive, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
THE CONFESSION:
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’)**
THE ABSOLUTION:
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 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.
HYMN: Praise, my soul, the King of heaven; To his feet thy tribute bring
Praise, my soul, the King of heaven;
To his feet thy tribute bring.
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Who like me his praise should sing?
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Praise the everlasting King.
Praise him for his grace and favour
To our fathers in distress;
Praise him still the same for ever,
Slow to chide and swift to bless.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Glorious in his faithfulness.
Father-like, he tends and spares us;
Well our feeble frame he knows;
In his hands he gently bears us,
Rescues us from all our foes.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Widely as his mercy flows.
Angels, help us to adore him;
Ye behold him face to face;
Sun and moon, bow down before him;
Dwellers all in time and space.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Praise with us the God of grace.
♫♫ Scroll to the bottom of the page for the media player where you can hear the music and practice your singing. ♫♫
THE OFFERTORY
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
CLICK HERE FOR EUCHARISTIC PRAYER
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.
HYMN: Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord god Almighty! Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee;
Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord god Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee;
Holy, Holy, Holy! Merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, Holy, Holy! All the saints adore thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
Which wert, and art, and evermore shall be.
Holy, Holy, Holy! Though the darkness hide thee,
Though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see,
Only thou art holy, there is none beside thee
Perfect in power, in love, and purity.
Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name in earth and sky and sea;
Holy, Holy, Holy! Merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!
♫♫ Scroll to the bottom of the page for the media player where you can hear the music and practice your singing. ♫♫
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 A Fugue in E flat (BWV 552 (1st. section) – Bach, B, C, D.