August 18, 2020
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
Let us pray.
Gracious God, we commend to your loving care all who suffer, especially those who come seeking your healing grace. Give them patience and hope in their distress; strengthen and uphold them in mind and body; and grant, by your intervention, that all your people may be made whole according to your desire, through Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen
From the Old Testament
A reading from Ezekiel 36:26-28
A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances. Then you shall live in the land that I gave to your ancestors; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s People.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 87:1-7
- Bow down your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and in misery.
- Keep watch over my life, for I am faithful; save your servant who puts his trust in you.
- Be merciful to me, O Lord, for you are my God; I call upon you all the day long.
- Gladden the soul, of your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
- For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, and great is your love toward all who call upon you.
- Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer, and attend to the voice of my supplications.
- In the time of my trouble I will call upon you, for you will answer me.
From the New Testament
A reading from Acts 3:1-10
One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, at three o’clock in the afternoon. And a man lame from birth was being carried in. People would lay him daily at the gate of the temple called the Beautiful Gate so that he could ask for alms from those entering the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them for alms. Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, ‘Look at us.’ And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, ‘I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.’ And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. Jumping up, he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. All the people saw him walking and praising God, and they recognized him as the one who used to sit and ask for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
From the Gospels
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew 5:2-10
Then Jesus began to speak, and taught them, saying:
‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you, Lord Christ
Homily
Prayers and Hope
During the time of the 2020 pandemic we are experiencing a time like we have never experienced before.
We have been separated from our families, friends and church friends. We are left on our own to figure out, just how we are to get through these days.
We can become so busy in our own life, sometimes complaining about what we don’t have, that we have no time for the Word of God in our daily lives’, we might fill “full” and especially “Stressed out” and yet be “spiritually” starving to death.
Jesus, seeks to rescue and feed us, as He says: In John 6:47, “I am the bread of life.”
What can we say about healing the world, a subject so large it is hard even to imagine? And as healing and salvation are one, Jesus, has already saved the world. But, unless we cooperate with God, unless we except salvation, the world will not be healed.
Prayers calls us and offers hope. Hope is something that we have neglected today. It appears to me, like Hope is something in the past and not fashionable today. Yet without Hope we will fail as followers of Christ. And a lack of Hope will eat through our “Faith”. It is time we realize that unless we face this; we will become as a people of this nation and world…” lost”.
We don’t want God to become merely a symbol and no longer really God!
We don’t want the lack of Hope to erase Love. We pray for our friends, but seldom for our enemies. It’s all too much for us. We give up to easily on the world’s terrible problems and only think of ourselves!
Just because we are at home, is no reason to give up and stop caring for others.
I have spoken of this before, how a deep spiritual life and a deep spiritual prayer life, are so important in healing the world.
The deep opening to the Sprit, not only gives us a vision, but it will help us see our world differently.
It is the Spirit of God and the Love of God that will lead us to see the new ways of the church, world and that will tie us to our traditions and the future.
“May the healing love and grace of God and the hope, be throughout your heart, a complete blanket over your mind and each cell of your body.” That we pray for healing of our church…The church and the world.
Amen
Rev. Lola Culbreath
Pray for the World and the Church, particularly for God’s healing grace.
A litany of Healing
Let us name before God those for whom we offer our prayers
We ask for prayers for The Rt. Rev. Michael Curry our Presiding Bishop and The Rt. Rev. Jim Waggoner, our acting Bishop.
We ask for prayers for St. Martin’s our Parish Church.
We ask for prayers for our Priest, Rev. Kathleen, Rev. Lola and Rev. John.
We ask for prayers for our vestry.
We ask for prayers for our diocese’s office.
We ask for prayers for our standing committee and our search committee.
We ask for prayers for all our diocese’s parishes and churches.
We ask for prayers for St. Marin’s In the Desert congregation.
We ask for prayers for those we may have forgotten!
God the Son, you came that we might have life, and might have it more abundantly;
We praise you and thank you, O Lord.
God the Holy Spirt, you make our bodies the temple of your presence;
We praise you and thank you, O Lord.
Holy Trinity, one God, in you we live and move and have our being;
We praise you and thank you, O Lord.
Lord, grant your healing grace to all who are sick, injured, or disabled, that they may be made whole;
Hear us, O Lord of life.
Grant to all who seek your guidance, and to all who are lonely, anxious, or despondent, a knowledge of your will and an awareness of your presence;
Hear us, O Lord of life.
Mend broken relationships, and restore those in emotional distress to soundness of mind and serenity of spirit;
Hear us, O Lord of life.
Bless physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the suffering, granting them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience;
Hear us, O Lord of life.
Grant to the dying peace and a holy death, uphold by the grace and consolation of your Holy Spirit those who are bereaved;
Hear us, O Lord of life.
Restore to wholeness whatever is broken by human sin, in our lives, in our nation, and in the world;
Hear us, O Lord of life.
You are the Lord, who does wonders;
You have declared your power among the peoples.
With you, O Lord, is the well of life;
And in your light, we see light.
Hear us, O Lord of life;
Heal us, and make us whole.
Let us pray.
Almighty God, giver of life and health: Send your blessing on all who are sick, and upon those who minister to them, that all weakness may be vanquished by the triumph of the risen Christ; who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen
Confession of Sin
God of all mercy, we confess that we have sinned against you, opposing your will in or 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 the grace of Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all good ness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen
An Act of Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from you.
Amen
Rev. Lola Culbreath