6th Sunday after Pentecost – 4th July 2021

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

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.

Breathe on me, breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love what thou dost love,
And do what thou wouldst do.

Breathe on me, breath of God,
Until my heart is pure,
Until with thee I will one will,
To do and to endure.

Breathe on me, breath of God,
Till I am wholly thine,
Until this earthly part of me
Glows with the fire divine.

Breathe on me, breath of God,
So shall I never die,
But live with thee the perfect life
Of thine eternity.

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 God, you have taught us to keep all your commandments by loving you and our neighbor: Grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit, that we may be devoted to you with our whole heart, and united to one another with pure affection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. 

Amen.

A Reading from the book of:

Ezekiel

The Lord said to me: O mortal, stand up on your feet, and I will speak with you. And when he spoke to me, a spirit entered into me and set me on my feet; and I heard him speaking to me. He said to me, Mortal, I am sending you to the people of Israel, to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have transgressed against me to this very day. The descendants are impudent and stubborn. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, “Thus says the Lord God.” Whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house), they shall know that there has been a prophet among them.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God

Psalm 123

Ad te levavi oculos meos

1 To you I lift up my eyes, *
to you enthroned in the heavens.

2 As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, *
and the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,

3 So our eyes look to the Lord our God, *
until he show us his mercy.

4 Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy, *
for we have had more than enough of contempt,

5 Too much of the scorn of the indolent rich, *
and of the derision of the proud.

A Reading from the 2nd letter of Paul to the Corinthians:

I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. And I know that such a person—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows— was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat. On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me, even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God

All stand for the Acclamation and Gospel reading.

Acclamation:

Alleluia! Alleluia!

The Lord has sent me to bring good news to the poor,

To proclaim liberty to the captive.

Alleluia!

The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to:

Mark

✝✝✝

Jesus came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offence at him. Then Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honour, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.” And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at their unbelief.

Then he went about among the villages teaching. He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

After the Gospel reading

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

The prophet Ezekiel was active, scholars think, from about 593 to 571 BC.  This period encompasses the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, and the exile to Babylon in 587 BC.  It was a time of great turmoil for Israel.  The reading for today comes from the second chapter of the book of Ezekiel, and tells the story of God’s commission to Ezekiel as prophet to the people of Israel.

Ezekiel has an amazing vision of fire, winged creatures, a chariot, and something that seemed like a human form seated on a throne.  When he saw this, which he said was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord, he fell on his face. And then he heard the voice of the Lord.

The voice said it was sending him to the people of Israel, to a nation of rebels. You shall speak my words to them, the Lord said, whether they hear or refuse to hear.  And then the Lord told Ezekiel not to be afraid or dismayed.

This is pretty standard stuff, in terms of what we know of the Old Testament prophets: they are sent by God to the people of Israel to call them back to the covenant – they are ignored, forgotten, berated, mistreated, tortured, and killed.   Nobody takes the slightest bit of notice of them. This plays out over and over again.

Then we move forward 400 years or so, to Jesus. As Christians, we have a different view of Jesus; it’s hard for us to understand that to most of the people of his time, he was just another prophet.  And his experience was no different.  In today’s Gospel reading he’s back in his own hometown, teaching in the synagogue, and no one is very happy with what he has to say.  These are the people he grew upwith, who know him and his family.  And how do they respond?   They are scandalised.  Hey, isn’t this Joseph and Mary’s boy?  What does he know?  Who does he think he is?

“Who do you think you are” is one of the most enduring phrases from childhood.  We use it to put people down, to rein people in when we sense they are starting to think too highly of themselves, when they start getting too big for their boots.  Everyone thought Ezekiel and the other prophets had a real nerve claiming they spoke for God.  And the people of Jesus’s hometown knew for certain that he was overreaching himself, coming home and preaching to them that way.

We have not changed much over the centuries, have we?  Human nature being what it is, we don’t care much for people who think they have a monopoly on the truth, or that they know God’s will.   Very often, our suspicion and scepticism is important.  There are just too many instances of people being led astray by self-proclaimed experts and zealots, usually with very bad results.  We’re right to be careful, to be sceptical – it can be dangerous not to be.  Just think of all the internet scams with which are bombarded on an almost daily basis!

But then how do we determine who is speaking the truth?  How do we discern the real prophets from the fakes?  It can be very difficult.  We let our prejudices get in the way; we expect people to fit a certain mould, to look and sound a certain way, to be of a certain social status.  But all through the Bible, we read of God using the least expected people to do His work, and very often the people involved weren’t too happy about it.  Moses said he was noteloquent, that he was slow of speech: “Oh My Lord, please send someone else.” Jeremiah said, ”Ah, Lord God!  Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.”€Nobody with any sense wants this job!  But God says again and again, don’t be afraid.  I’ll tell you what to say!€So who is telling us what we want to hear, or what they want us to hear, and who is telling us the truth?  In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul says he will not boast of what he has seen and heard, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me, or heard from me. Paul wants people to see and hear Christ in him, not Paul.  This is one way of determining if someone is telling the truth: if it is for self-aggrandisement, for gaining power and attention, for promoting personal beliefs, then it is indeed best to be sceptical.

Very often the truth comes from the sources we least expect.  Very often the truth is inconvenient.  In our culture, the truth has become less important than what sells, than sound bites and twisted rhetoric, used to push a certain point of view.  We are not certain who to believe.  Remember the fable of The Emperor’s New Clothes? Something was happening, and the truth was not part of it — and the least likely person saw through the scam!

The truth disrupts our intricately-designed constructs, our carefully- guarded prejudices, and our convenient belief systems. No wonder we cry, “Who do you think you are?”€The truth can threaten the very foundations upon which we have built our assumptions about other people, about systems of governance, about everything.  We all have prejudices and assumptions that get us through the day.  Look at our world: here we are in the twenty-first century, and human beings are still fighting wars and practicing genocide across the globe, and allowing corporations to make billions of dollars by keeping people in economic slavery.

But life in Christ is life in truth.  Who is speaking the truth to us today?  And how are we called to speak the truth?  When and what do we hear or refuse to hear, speak, or refuse to speak?   We often confuse speaking the truth with judging others — Paul’s phrase  ‘speak the truth in love’ has been sadly misused over the centuries, used by people to say anything they want under the guise of truth.But what if speaking the truth starts with telling the truth to ourselves, with heeding the still, small voice in our own hearts?  We may not all be called as prophets to the nations, but we are called to discern the truth, to listen to the truth, to speak the truth.  It starts with deconstructing our own carefully-built walls of convenient assumptions and half-truths. Once we begin to tell the truth to ourselves, we will be better able to hear the word of the Lord all around us.   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.

04/07 PROPER 9 – YEAR B – p83/4
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Let us pray to God, by whose power and authority we are called to his service.

Keep your church steadfast, confident in the strength that comes only from your grace…Bless those who are chosen as your ministers and messengers, that they may preach the Gospel with assurance…Sustain those who burdens are heavy as they work to relieve the troubles of others.

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.

Whereever your word is preached, grant that it may be heard with understanding, and received with faith…Soften the hearts of those who glory in their own strength and authority, and teach them to bear their power humbly.

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 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.

Give us wisdom to discern the gifts that you have given to us, our friends and colleagues…..Teach us to learn from one another, and to give whatever support we can,  where and when it is needed.

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.

Uphold those who wish to help others, but yet are frustrated by opposition and indifference…..

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.

We remember all those who have been touched by the COVID 19 pandemic; particularly for all those here in Pattai-Ya whose livelihoods have been destroyed;  and where so many depend 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 hear us – Lord graciously hear us.

We give thanks for all the faithful departed, who in this world were granted a partial vision of your wonder, and to whom its splendour is now revealed in all its fullness….

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

We remember also Margaret, and 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 behold his glory. 

6 Lord hear us – Lord graciously hear us.

[DAVID] – That through our prayers, in the name of Christ, may we overcome evil

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.

O Jesus, I have promised
To serve thee to the end;
Be thou for ever near me,
My Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle
If thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If thou wilt be my guide.

O let me hear thee speaking
In accents clear and still,
Above the storms of passion,
The murmurs of self-will;
O speak to reassure me,
To hasten or control;
O speak, and make me listen,
Thou guardian of my soul.

O Jesus, thou hast promised
To all who follow thee,
That where thou art in glory
There shall thy servant be;
And, Jesus, I have promised
To serve thee to the end;
O give me grace to follow,
My Master and my Friend.

O let me see thy footmarks,
and in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly
Is in thy strength alone;
O guide me, call me, draw me,
Uphold me to the end;
And then in heaven receive me,
My Saviour and my Friend.

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.

Strengthen for service, Lord, the hands
That holy things have taken;
Let ears that now have heard thy songs
To clamour never waken.

Lord, may the tongues which ‘Holy’ sang
Keep free from all deceiving;
The eyes which saw thy love be bright,
Thy blessed hope perceiving.

The feet that tread thy holy courts
From light do thou not banish;
The bodies by thy Body fed
With thy new life replenish.

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 ‘Air’, from Suite No.3 – Bach