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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: The pandemic means we are keeping things simple, short, and safe. Vaccination is required for everyone eligible. You must be free of COVID-related symptoms, close contact, and not have positive tests to attend. Windows are open. There are a few other ground rules:

Distancing: As much as we wish we could greet one another, out of love for our neighbor we have to stay distanced. Please maintain 6 or more feet from households outside your bubble.

Masks: Masks will continue to be required until local transmission rates drop substantially. We thank you for respecting our guidelines and your neighbors in this transitional time.

Communion: All are welcome to receive. When it comes time, please maintain a distance of greater than 6 feet in a single file line up to the front. Make your way down the side aisle to return to your seat. We are weighing options for re-introducing the chalice. Please listen for verbal announcements. 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.

Prelude

Welcome

A priest welcomes the congregation. If you are new to us, consider filling out our “get connected” form, let us get to know you better.

Entrance Hymn: God the Sculptor of the Mountains WLP 746

Opening Dialogue Please rise in body or spirit

Blessed be God: most holy, glorious, and undivided Trinity.
And blessed be God’s reign, now and forever. Amen.

The Lord be with you
And also with you
Let us pray.

Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of his redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life; 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 calendar shared by Christians around the globe.

A Reading from a Letter to the Hebrews Hebrews 11:29-12:2

By faith they crossed the Red Sea as if they were on dry land, but when the Egyptians tried it, they were drowned. By faith Jericho’s walls fell after the people marched around them for seven days.

By faith Rahab the prostitute wasn’t killed with the disobedient because she welcomed the spies in peace.

What more can I say? I would run out of time if I told you about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. Through faith they conquered kingdoms, brought about justice, realized promises, shut the mouths of lions, put out raging fires, escaped from the edge of the sword, found strength in weakness, were mighty in war, and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured and refused to be released so they could gain a better resurrection. But others experienced public shame by being taunted and whipped; they were even put in chains and in prison. They were stoned to death, they were cut in two, and they died by being murdered with swords. They went around wearing the skins of sheep and goats, needy, oppressed, and mistreated. The world didn’t deserve them. They wandered around in deserts, mountains, caves, and holes in the ground.

All these people didn’t receive what was promised, though they were given approval for their faith.God provided something better for us so they wouldn’t be made perfect without us.

So then, with endurance, let’s also run the race that is laid out in front of us, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us. Let’s throw off any extra baggage, get rid of the sin that trips us up, and fix our eyes on Jesus, faith’s pioneer and perfecter.

He endured the cross, ignoring the shame, for the sake of the joy that was laid out in front of him, and sat down at the right side of God’s throne.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Psalm 82 read responsively, by verse

God stands in the council of heaven *
and gives judgement in the midst of the gods:
“How long will you judge unjustly, *
and show favour to the wicked?
Save the weak and the orphan; *
defend the humble and needy;
Rescue the weak and the poor; *
deliver them from the power of the wicked.
They do not know, neither do they understand;
they go about in darkness; *
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
Now I say to you, ‘You are gods, *
and all of you children of the Most High;
nevertheless, you shall die like mortals, *
and fall like any prince.’”
Arise, O God, and rule the earth, *
for you shall take all nations for your own.

Sequence Hymn Please rise, in body or in spirit. Heleluyan

The Gospel Luke 12:49-56

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.

Glory to you, Lord Christ.

“I came to cast fire upon the earth. How I wish that it was already ablaze! I have a baptism I must experience. How I am distressed until it’s completed! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, I have come instead to bring division. From now on, a household of five will be divided—three against two and two against three. Father will square off against son and son against father; mother against daughter and daughter against mother; and mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Jesus also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud forming in the west, you immediately say, ‘It’s going to rain.’ And indeed it does. And when a south wind blows, you say, ‘A heat wave is coming.’

And it does. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret conditions on earth and in the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret the present time?

The Gospel of our Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.

The Sermon:

Please be seated, at the invitation of the preacher.

The Rev. Mike Angell

Prayers of the People

The Leader and People pray responsively. Please rise, or kneel, in body or in spirit.

In the power of the Spirit and in union with Christ,
let us pray to God our Maker saying: “Lord have Mercy.”

For the peace of the whole world, for the welfare of the Holy Church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For Michael our Presiding Bishop, Deon our bishop, for the leaders of the Church in El Salvador, in the Diocesan cycle of prayer for: the people and ministry of the Episcopal Church of the Advent in Crestwood, and for all clergy and people, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For Joseph our President, for the leaders of the nations, and for all in authority, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For this community, for every city, town and village, and for all the people who live within them, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For good weather, and for abundant harvests for all to share. We give thanks for all those celebrating birthdays and anniversaries this week especially Joan Dellbringge, Rosemary Burrows, Markie Jo Crismon, and Mary Haggerty...let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

For those who travel by land, air, or water, for the sick and the suffering, for prisoners and captives, and for their safety, health and salvation
you are invited to add your own prayers, silently or aloud. Children are welcome to bring a prayer card up to the bowl in front of the lectern.

Let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

For our deliverance from all affliction, strife and need, and for the absolution of our sins and offences, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

Remembering all who have gone before us in faith, and in communion with all the saints, we commit ourselves, one another, and our whole life to Christ our God; to you, O Lord our God.

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

God of all mercy, we confess that we have sinned against you, opposing your will in our lives. We have denied your goodness in each other, in ourselves, and in the world you have created. We repent of the evil that enslaves us, the evil we have done, and the evil done on our behalf Forgive, restore, and strengthen us through our Savior Jesus Christ, that we may abide in your love and serve only your will. Amen.

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 Peace

The peace of Christ be always with you.
And also with you.

Please do not approach people outside your household. A wave, a peace sign, or a “smize” (a smile with your eyes) will do.

Welcome & Announcements:

Announcements are shared. You may be seated.

See Announcements

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

Offertory Anthem

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 to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

The presider offers thanks to God for the grace and mercy made available to us in Christ.

In response all sing:

The presider gives thanks to God’s work and revelation in creation. The presider invites us to proclaim the mystery of faith. In response all say:
Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.

The presider concludes with prayer for the Holy Spirit to sanctify the bread and wine, and the gathered congregation. The Eucharistic prayer concludes with a plea for the coming of God’s reign.

Through Christ and with Christ and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, to you be honor, glory, and praise, for ever and ever. 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

Alleluia, Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.

Administration of the Sacrament

All are welcome to receive. When it comes time, please maintain a distance of greater than 6 feet in a single file line up to the front. Please come to the priest on the side of the church where you are sitting. Make your way down the side aisle to return to your seat. Under the bishop’s order, wine is not available at this time. If you would rather receive a blessing, please come forward to the altar rail during communion and cross your arms across your chest. Gluten free wafers are available, on request, from the minister.

Prayer for Spiritual Communion

This prayer of Spiritual Communion is offered in the online bulletin for those who cannot join us in person. It was written by parishioner Bob Lewis.

Gracious and Loving God, on this day we are not able to gather around your table to celebrate your presence in the sacrament of bread and wine. We are not able to share your peace with one another.

Nevertheless, we lift up our hearts, we join with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven as we proclaim you holy and receive you into our hearts by faith.

Strengthen our love for you. Help us offer our sacrifice with all your faithful people, that we may restore health and wholeness to one another and to all your creation. Give us patience and hope as we long for the day when we can gather and break bread together again. Through Christ our Savior. Amen.

Hymns During Communion

I want to Walk as a Child of the Light H490

Post Communion Prayer

All are invited to 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.

Blessing

Live without fear: your Creator has made you holy, has always protected you, and loves you as a mother. Go in peace to follow the good road and may the blessing of the Triune God be among you, and remain with you always Amen.

Concluding Hymn:

We’ve Come the Far By Faith LEVAS 208

please rise in body or in spirit

Dismissal

Let us go forth into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit.
Thanks be to God.

Postlude

Service Leaders

Preacher: The Rev. Mike Angell
Celebrant: The Rev. Julie Graham
Deacon: The Rev. Chester Hines
Assisting:
Usher:
Reader:
Video Producer:
Singer: Andrew Carpentier
Musician: Juliet Jackson

Music used and reprinted with permission under OneLicense #A-704988.