8:00 Service February 26, 2023: First Sunday in Lent
Our Mission Welcome to The Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion, a welcoming and diverse community seeking to walk in the way of Jesus and to reveal Christ’s reconciling love in our city, nation, and world.
Pandemic Precautions Continue: Vaccination is required for everyone eligible. Windows are open. There are a few other recommendations. These recommendations are in the spirit of protecting the most vulnerable members of the congregation.
Distancing: Keeping a distance of six feet or more is one tool to help limit spread.
Masks: Masks are recommended to protect your neighbor. We ask that all members of the congregation respect others’ choices about masking.
Refrain from coming if you are sick: If you are experiencing any new symptoms, if you are currently testing for COVID, or recovering from COVID, we ask that you give yourself time before coming to church in person.
Communion: All are welcome to receive. When it comes time, please follow the directions of the ushers. Walk past the chalice bearer to return to your pew from the other side. If you would like to receive wine you may either “sip” or hand your wafer to the chalice bearer, who will “intinct” (dip) for you. If you would prefer not to receive, simply cross your arms across your chest and the minister will give you a blessing. Gluten free wafers are available, on request from the minister.
Donations: We welcome donations to support the work of Holy Communion, whether a payment on a pledge or simply an offering. You can also text GIVE to (833) 864-5384 or give any time on our website holycommunion.net/give
Wheelchair accessibility. Our entrances have auto-open buttons, and our elevator is ADA compliant. Both the downstairs restrooms and one of the upstairs restrooms are accessible.
Hearing Assistance: Hearing assistance devices are available from the welcome table. Just ask an usher.
Get Involved: If you begin by filling out a “Connect Card” in your pew, or at the Welcome Table, we’d be glad to keep you up to date with all that goes on here. You can also use the Connect Cards to update your information, request prayers, or to ask a question. Turn them in to the wooden offering box in the entryway.
The congregation is invited to say the words together in bold. If you are worshiping with us from home, to prepare for worship, you may want to place a candle or two in the place where you worship, to light during the opening prayer.
Gathering
The congregation is invited to hold silence before worship.
Procession
The in-person congregation is invited to rise in body or in spirit as the clergy enter and reverence the altar.
Penitential Order
Blessed be the God of our salvation.
Who bears our burdens and forgives our sins. Amen.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8,9
The Confession
The Deacon (or other minister) bids the confession:
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Silence is kept for a time.
Most holy and merciful God: We confess to you and to one another, and to the whole communion of saints in heaven and on earth that we have sinned by our own fault in thought, word, and deed; by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart, and mind, and strength. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have not forgiven others, as we have been forgiven.
Our past unfaithfulness: the pride, hypocrisy, and impatience of our lives,
We confess to you, O God.
Our self-indulgence, and our exploitation of others, our anger at our own frustration, and our envy of those more fortunate than ourselves,
We confess to you, O God.
For all false judgments, for uncharitable thoughts toward our neighbors, and for our prejudice and contempt toward those who differ from us,
Accept our repentance, O God.
For our waste and pollution of your creation, and our lack of concern for those who come after us,
Accept our repentance, O God.
Restore us, Holy God, and let your anger depart from us;
Favorably hear us, for your mercy is great.
Kyrie
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Absolution
Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.
The Collect of the Day
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Lessons
We hear the stories of the experience of God from our spiritual ancestors. Following an ancient pattern originally from Jewish synagogue worship, readings follow a set calendar for what will be read when. The translation used at Holy Communion is the Common English Bible translation.
A Reading from the Book of Genesis Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-5
The Lord God took the human and settled him in the garden of Eden to farm it and to take care of it. The Lord God commanded the human, “Eat your fill from all of the garden’s trees; but don’t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because on the day you eat from it, you will die!” The snake was the most intelligent of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say that you shouldn’t eat from any tree in the garden?” The woman said to the snake, “We may eat the fruit of the garden’s trees but not the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden. God said, ‘Don’t eat from it, and don’t touch it, or you will die.’” The snake said to the woman, “You won’t die! God knows that on the day you eat from it, you will see clearly and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” The woman saw that the tree
was beautiful with delicious food and that the tree would provide wisdom, so she took some of its fruit and ate it, and also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then they both saw clearly and knew that they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made garments for themselves.
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
The Psalm Psalm 32
The Psalm is read in unison
1 Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven, *
and whose sin is put away!
2 Happy are they to whom the Lord imputes no guilt, *
and in whose spirit there is no guile!
3 While I held my tongue, my bones withered away, *
because of my groaning all day long.
4 For your hand was heavy upon me day and night; *
my moisture was dried up as in the heat of summer.
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, *
and did not conceal my guilt.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” *
Then you forgave me the guilt of my sin.
6 Therefore all the faithful *
will make their prayers to you in time of trouble;
when the great waters overflow, *
they shall not reach them.
7 You are my hiding-place;
you preserve me from trouble; *
you surround me with shouts of deliverance.
8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go; *
I will guide you with my eye.
9 Do not be like horse or mule, which have no understanding; *
who must be fitted with bit and bridle,
or else they will not stay near you.”
10 Great are the tribulations of the wicked; *
but mercy embraces those who trust in the Lord.
11 Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord; *
shout for joy, all who are true of heart.
A Reading from the Letter to the Romans Romans 5:12-19
Just as through one human being sin came into the world, and death came through sin, so
death has come to everyone, since everyone has sinned. Although sin was in the world, since
there was no Law, it wasn’t taken into account until the Law came. But death ruled from Adam
until Moses, even over those who didn’t sin in the same way Adam did—Adam was a type of the
one who was coming. But the free gift of Christ isn’t like Adam’s failure. If many people died through what one person did wrong, God’s grace is multiplied even more for many people with the gift—of the one person Jesus Christ—that comes through grace. The gift isn’t like the consequences of one person’s sin. The judgment that came from one person’s sin led to punishment, but the free gift that came out of many failures led to the verdict of acquittal. If death ruled because of one person’s failure, those who receive the multiplied grace and the gift of righteousness will even more certainly rule in life through the one person Jesus Christ. So now the righteous requirements necessary for life are met for everyone through the righteous act of one person, just as judgment fell on everyone through the failure of one person. Many people were made righteous through the obedience of one person, just as many people were made sinners through the disobedience of one person.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The Gospel
Please rise in body or in spirit for the reading of the Gospel.
The Holy Gospel of our Savior Jesus Christ according to Matthew (Matthew 4:1-11)
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Then the Spirit led Jesus up into the wilderness so that the devil might tempt him. After Jesus
had fasted for forty days and forty nights, he was starving. The tempter came to him and said,
“Since you are God’s Son, command these stones to become bread.”
Jesus replied, “It’s written, People won’t live only by bread, but by every word spoken by God.”
After that the devil brought him into the holy city and stood him at the highest point of the
temple. He said to him, “Since you are God’s Son, throw yourself down; for it is written, I will command my angels concerning you, and they will take you up in their hands so that you won’t
hit your foot on a stone.”
Jesus replied, “Again it’s written, Don’t test the Lord your God.”
Then the devil brought him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the
world and their glory. He said, “I’ll give you all these if you bow down and worship me.”
Jesus responded, “Go away, Satan, because it’s written,You will worship the Lord your God and
serve only him.” The devil left him, and angels came and took care of him.
The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Sermon:
Please be seated, at the invitation of the preacher.
Deborah Nelson Linck
The Creed Please rise in body or in spirit.
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, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped 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.
The Prayers of the People
Please rise in body or in spirit. The Leader and People pray responsively.
With all our heart and with all our mind, let us pray to the Lord, saying, “Lord, have mercy.”
For the peace of the world, for the welfare of the holy Church of God, and for the unity of all peoples, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For Michael, our Presiding Bishop; for Deon, our Bishop and for all clergy, for all who serve God in the church, for our partners in mission in El Salvador; and for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in the Carondelet neighborhood of St. Louis; let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For all who are in authority, and all who govern in the nations of the world; let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For this city of St. Louis, for every city and community and those who live in them; and for those celebrating a birthday this week; especially Rebecca Boester, Ron Bullock, Tim Heaner, Angie Burroughs Kelly, Marlene O Brien, Clara Oliff, Paul Roesler and Karen Sterbenz let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the good earth which God has given us, and for the wisdom and will to conserve it,
let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the aged and infirm, for the widowed and orphans, and for the sick and the suffering,
let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the poor and the oppressed, for the unemployed and the destitute, for prisoners and captives, and for all who remember and care for them, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For all who have died in the hope of the resurrection, and for all the departed, [especially…]
let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
That we may end our lives in faith and hope, without suffering and without reproach,
let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.
You are invited to add your own prayers, silently or aloud.
In the communion of all the saints, let us commend ourselves, and one another, and all our life, to Christ our God.
To you, O Lord our God.
The presider may add a concluding collect.
The Peace
The peace of Christ be always with you.
And also with you.
Please respect your neighbors’ preferences for physical contact/distance as you share a sign of peace.
Welcome & Announcements:
Announcements are shared. You may be seated.
Offering We welcome donations to support the work of Holy Communion, whether a payment on a pledge or simply an offering. Plates will be passed. You can also give on our website or by texting GiveHoCO to (833) 864-5384
Eucharistic Prayer
The second part of the liturgy moves to the Table. As we remember Jesus’ last supper with his disciples, we gather in a way Christians have for millennia. Please rise in body or in spirit.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give God thanks and praise.
The presider offers our thanks to God for the grace and mercy made available to us in Christ.
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
The presider gives thanks to God for the reconciling work of Christ’s passion and resurrection and remembers Jesus’ last supper with his disciples. The people are invited to respond to the words:
Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith:
Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
The presider concludes with prayer for the coming of God’s reign.
Through Christ and with Christ and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor and glory is
yours, Almighty God, now and forever. AMEN.
The Lord’s Prayer
Let us pray in the way Christ taught us, and in the language of our hearts.
Padre nuestro que estás en el cielo, santificado sea tu Nombre,
venga tu reino,
hágase tu voluntad,
en la tierra como en el cielo.
Danos hoy nuestro pan de cada día.
Perdona nuestras ofensas,
como también nosotros perdonamos
a los que nos ofenden.
No nos dejes caer en tentación
y líbranos del mal.
Porque tuyo es el reino,
tuyo es el poder, y tuya es la gloria,
ahora y por siempre. Amén
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,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
The Breaking of the Bread
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world:
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world:
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world:
grant us peace.
Administration of the Sacrament
All are welcome to receive. When it comes time, we will make our way by row starting at the side closest to the windows and then process toward the communion minister. If you would like to receive wine you may either “sip” or hand your wafer to the chalice bearer, who will “intinct” (dip) for you. If you would prefer not to receive, simply cross your arms across your chest and the minister will give you a blessing. Gluten free wafers are available, on request from the minister.
Post Communion Prayer
Please rise in body or in spirit.
God of abundance, you have fed us
with the bread of life and cup of salvation;
you have united us with Christ and one another;
and you have made us one
with all your people in heaven and on earth.
Now send us forth in the power of your Spirit,
that we may proclaim your redeeming love to the world
and continue forever in the risen life of Christ our Savior. Amen.
The Blessing
Grant, most merciful Lord, to your faithful people pardon and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve you with a quiet mind; and the blessing of the Triune God be among you, and remain with you always. Amen
Dismissal
Our worship has ended, our service in the world continues.
The Deacon dismisses the congregation:
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Service Leaders
Preacher: Deborah Nelson Linck
Celebrant: The Rev. Julie Graham
Assisting: The Rev. Mike Angell
Intercessor: Elizabeth Hines
Reader: Alison Nash
Usher: Adam Pearson
Service Notes:
The Form of Worship is Adapted from Enriching Our Worship
The Scripture translation is the Common English Bible
The Psalms come from the Inclusive Language Psalter of the Anglican Church of Canada.
The Prayers of the People are from resources prepared by the Standing Committee on Liturgy and Music of the Episcopal Church for the 2018 General Convention.
The Proper Preface was adapted by our rector from the poem “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by the
All texts used by permission.
