Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

7th August 2022

Ninth Sunday After Pentecost

19th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Year C

8th Sunday after Trinity

Proper 14

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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.

Greetings to you all to our Eucharist Service on the (proper)

A particular welcome to you if you are joining us on the internet either now on the Livestream or later on the replay.

You are very welcome; we are very delighted to have you.

Please bring your own petitions, cares and concerns to God and offer them alongside ours.

As usual, you will find all the spoken and sung material for today’s service on our Facebook page and also on our website.

Remember please, the link to donate or the donate button.  We are very much in need of money to assist with our Ministry.

Now, if you are able, please will you stand as we sing

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.

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.

Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will; 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

Genesis

The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.” But the word of the Lord came to him, “This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.” He brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God

Psalm 33:12-22

Exultate, justi

12 Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord! *
happy the people he has chosen to be his own!

13 The Lord looks down from heaven, *
and beholds all the people in the world.

14 From where he sits enthroned he turns his gaze *
on all who dwell on the earth.

15 He fashions all the hearts of them *
and understands all their works.

16 There is no king that can be saved by a mighty army; *
a strong man is not delivered by his great strength.

17 The horse is a vain hope for deliverance; *
for all its strength it cannot save.

18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon those who fear him, *
on those who wait upon his love,

19 To pluck their lives from death, *
and to feed them in time of famine.

20 Our soul waits for the Lord; *
he is our help and our shield.

21 Indeed, our heart rejoices in him, *
for in his holy Name we put our trust.

22 Let your loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us, *
as we have put our trust in you.

A reading from the book of

Hebrews

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old– and Sarah herself was barren– because he considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, “as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.”

All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God

All stand for the Acclamation and Gospel reading.

Alleluia!  Alleluia!

Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,

for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom to mere children.

Alleluia!

The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to:

Luke

Jesus said to his disciples, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.

“But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”

After the Gospel reading

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ

This was our homily on Sunday, 7th August, 2022.
In the gospel passage for this Sunday, our Lord uses the image of a flame. He says to keep our lamps lit, for we do not know when the master of the house will appear. The monks and ascetics of the Eastern Church have often read this passage as an exhortation to prayer. We keep the lamp burning by reciting the Jesus Prayer, by invoking the name of Christ incessantly in our hearts: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.”
This is a good and sound reading, and I want to endorse it, but I also want to build humbly on its insight. It is true that we keep our lamps burning through prayer, invocation, and spiritual discipline, but it is also true that the fire does not come from us, but from Christ. This fire is His presence in us.
Fire does many things. It keeps us warm. It lights our way. But it also refines. Indeed, the humble flame that glows at the centre of a lamp can also purify gold, it can burn away the dross from precious metals. And in a similar way, the fire of Christ’s grace purifies us from within.
We often think that spiritual maturity comes about through our own efforts and that we must refine ourselves. But this is not so. As we pray, we are not striving; we are standing in a flame—a living flame of love, as St. John of the Cross would say—that issues from the depths of our hearts, and as we are silhouetted against this light we are purified. And this is a far easier process than we usually imagine. It is not us, but Christ, the master, who comes at unexpected hours and perfects our nature. And the hour is always unexpected because we can never fully understand or predict the mysteries of grace.
​Light refines. This is simply the nature of things. The sun rises, and at first, we are sleepy and groggy and we stagger around the house in search of coffee, and yet all the while the light coming in through the window gradually refines the sleep from our minds and eases us into the day, and we awaken, hardly even noticing the process. Grace is like this. It refines so gently that sometimes we can hardly even feel its presence.
​My own life can serve as an example of this. In 2016 I entered seminary, and from that moment I began to experience relentless doubts about my vocation. Eventually, I did manage to finish the degree, but even after graduation, the struggle continued and, indeed, grew fiercer. I worried that I had only decided to pursue ordination for worldly, financial reasons: I was preparing to leave school and enter the workforce, after all, and outside of the church, a seminary degree offers precious little in the way of opportunity. Eventually, I moved to Savannah, Georgia to serve in an Episcopal parish there, and everything came apart at the seams. The culture of the diocese was not a good fit, and my experience with the ordination committee became so negative that ultimately I decided to move back to my hometown of Durham, North Carolina and, after that, to go overseas to Thailand. The plan was to gain teaching experience and see Asia while I regrouped and searched for a new career path.
But most of you know how the story ends. In Thailand, I visited St. George’s, and this parish immediately felt like home. And over the next few weeks, as I watched Fr. David celebrate the liturgy in his usual graceful way, I was inspired and finally knew with certainty that I wanted to be a priest. The doubts vanished completely. I was free, and my spirit was finally calm. Six months later I was ordained as a deacon. Five minutes after that, I was ordained as a priest. And here I am. My life was not falling apart; God was simply refining away the dross.
And the Christian life is very often like this. Sometimes our moments of greatest weakness merely show us that we cannot refine ourselves and that we cannot guide our own lives into perfection. And even this apparent weakness of spirit is, in reality, an abandonment of the mysteries of grace. And just then, the Son comes at an unexpected hour, for He rushes to abide in the emptiness where all expectations have disappeared.
​We often think of sanctification as an arduous process, full of exhaustion and hard labour. But as Meister Eckhart says, we only need to go out of ourselves and let God be God in us. The grace that called us forth from nothing into being is the same grace that sanctifies and refines us.
Amen.

The Celebrant says

The Candidate(s) for Holy Baptism will now be presented.

Adults and Older Children

The candidates who are able to answer for themselves are presented

individually:

Deacon: I present N. to receive the Sacrament of Baptism.

The Celebrant asks the candidate when presented

Do you desire to be baptized?

Candidate:         I do.

Presentation and Examination of the Candidate

Parents:           We present Francesca Andrea Leschanz to receive the Sacrament of Baptism.  

Celebrant:      Will you be responsible for seeing that the child you present is brought up in the Christian faith and life?

Parents

& sponsor:      We will, with God’s help.

Celebrant:     Will you by your prayers and witness help this child to grow into the full stature of Christ?

Parents & sponsor:     We will, with God’s help.

Then the Celebrant asks the following questions of the parents & sponsor:

Do you renounce Satan and all the spiritual forces of wickedness that rebel against God?

Response:     We renounce them.

Celebrant:    Do you renounce the evil powers of this world that corrupt and destroy the creatures of God?

Response:     We renounce them.

Celebrant:    Do you renounce all sinful desires that draw you from the love of God?

Response:     We renounce them.

Celebrant:    Do you turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as your Saviour?

Response:   We do.

Celebrant:    Do you put your whole trust in his grace and love?

Response:  We do.

Celebrant:    Do you promise to follow and obey him as your Lord?

Response:  We do.

After Francesca has been presented, the Celebrant addresses the congregation:

Celebrant:    Will you who witness these vows do all in your power to support this person in her life in Christ?

People:      We will.

Celebrant:  Let us join with those who are committing themselves to Christ and renew our own baptismal covenant.

The Baptismal Covenant

Celebrant:       Do you believe in God the Father?

People:             We believe in God, the Father almighty,

                           creator of heaven and earth.

Celebrant:       Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

People:             We believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,

                           He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit

                           and born of the Virgin Mary.

                           He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried.

                           He descended to the dead.

                         On the third day he rose again.

                        He ascended into heaven,

                        and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

                        He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

Celebrant:       Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?

People:             We believe in the Holy Spirit,

                           the holy catholic Church,

                           the communion of saints,

                           the forgiveness of sins,

                          the resurrection of the body,

                          and the life everlasting.

Celebrant:       Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and

fellowship, in the breaking of the bread, and in the prayers?

People:             We will, with God’s help.

Celebrant:       Will you persevere in resisting evil, and , whenever

you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?

People:             We will, with God’s help.

Celebrant:       Will you proclaim by word and example the Good

News of God in Christ?

People:             We will, with God’s help.

Celebrant:       Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving

your neighbour as yourself?

People:             We will, with God’s help.

           

Celebrant:       Will you strive for justice and peace among all

people, and respect the dignity of every human being?

People:             We will, with God’s help.

Prayers for the Candidate

The Celebrant then says to the congregation:

Let us now pray for Francesca Leschanz who is to receive the Sacrament

of new birth.

Leader:         Deliver Bethany, O Lord, from the way of sin and death.

People:         Lord, hear our prayer.

Leader:          Open Bethany’s heart to your grace and truth.

People:          Lord, hear our prayer.

Leader:             Fill Bethany with your holy and life-giving Spirit.

People:             Lord, hear our prayer.

Leader:            Keep Bethany in the faith and communion of your holy Church.

People:             Lord, hear our prayer.

Leader:             Teach Bethany to love others in the power of the Spirit.

People:             Lord, hear our prayer.

Leader:             Send Bethany into the world in witness to your love.

People:             Lord, hear our prayer.

Leader:             Bring Bethany to the fullness of your peace and glory.

People:             Lord, hear our prayer.

The Celebrant says:

Grant, O Lord, that all who are baptized into the death

of Jesus Christ your Son may live in the power of his

resurrection and look for him to come again in glory; who

lives and reigns now and forever. Amen.

Thanksgiving over the Water:

Celebrant:        The Lord be with you.

People:              And also with you.

Celebrant:        Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

People:              It is right to give him thanks and praise.

Celebrant:       We thank you, Almighty God, for the gift of water.

Over it the Holy Spirit moved in the beginning of creation.

Through it you led the children of Israel out of their bondage

in Egypt into the land of promise. In it your Son Jesus

received the baptism of John and was anointed by the Holy

Spirit as the Messiah, the Christ, to lead us, through his death

and resurrection, from the bondage of sin into everlasting life.

We thank you, Father, for the water of Baptism. In it we are

buried with Christ in his death. By it we share in his

resurrection. Through it we are reborn by the Holy Spirit.

Therefore in joyful obedience to your Son, we bring into his

fellowship those who come to him in faith, baptizing them in

the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

At the following words, the Celebrant touches the water:

Now sanctify this water, we pray you, by the power of your

Holy Spirit, that those who here are cleansed from sin and

born again may continue forever in the risen life of Jesus

Christ our Saviour.

To him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit, be all honour and

glory, now and forever. Amen.

The Baptism

Francesca Leschanz is presented to the priest who then pours water upon the

candidate, saying:

Bethany Noor, I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Bethany Noor, you are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked

as Christ’s own forever.  Amen.

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, we thank you that by water and the Holy

Spirit you have bestowed upon Bethany Noor, your servant the

forgiveness of sin, and have raised her to the new life of

grace. Sustain her, O Lord, in your Holy Spirit. Give her

an inquiring and discerning heart, the courage to will and to

persevere, a spirit to know and to love you, and the gift of joy

and wonder in all your works.  Amen.

Celebrant:   Let us welcome the newly baptized.

All:                  We receive you into the household of God. Confess the faith

                        of Christ crucified, proclaim his resurrection, and share with

                        us in his eternal priesthood.

Celebrant:       The peace of the Lord be always with you.

People:             And also with you.

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.

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

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.

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.

Thank you all for being with us today, either here in the chapel or scattered around the world.  We are delighted to have you, to share our worship with you.

We hope that you will join us again in future weeks.

You remember please that as a Mission Church we are in need of your support to enable our ministry and you will find details of how to donate on our website StGeorgesPattaya.com

Now, if you are able please, will you stand as we sing;

(First line of last hymn)

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. ♫♫

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 A Fugue in E flat (BWV 552 (1st. section) – Bach