NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
September 29, 2024
Springwell Holy Eucharist
Call to Gather for Worship
Celebrant ☩ Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
People And blessed be his kingdom, now and forever. Amen.
Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you 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.
Celebrant Jesus said, “The first commandment is this: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There are no other commandments greater than these.”
The Collect of the Day
Celebrant The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Celebrant O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant us the fullness of your grace, that we, running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
THE LITURGY OF THE WORD
Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22
The king and Haman went in to feast with Queen Esther. On the second day, as they were drinking wine, the king again said to Esther, “What is your petition, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.” Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have won your favor, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me—that is my petition—and the lives of my people– that is my request. For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. If we had been sold merely as slaves, men and women, I would have held my peace; but no enemy can compensate for this damage to the king.” Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther, “Who is he, and where is he, who has presumed to do this?” Esther said, “A foe and enemy, this wicked Haman!” Then Haman was terrified before the king and the queen.
Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs in attendance on the king, said, “Look, the very gallows that Haman has prepared for Mordecai, whose word saved the king, stands at Haman’s house, fifty cubits high.” And the king said, “Hang him on that.” So, they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the anger of the king abated.
Mordecai recorded these things, and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, enjoining them that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same month, year by year, as the days on which the Jews gained relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and presents to the poor.
People: Thanks be to God.
Let us read from the psalm in unison
Psalm 19:7-14
7 The law of the Lord is perfect and revives the soul; * the testimony of the Lord is sure and gives wisdom to the innocent.
8 The statutes of the Lord are just and rejoice the heart; * the commandment of the Lord is clear and gives light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the Lord is clean and endures forever; * the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, more than much fine gold, * sweeter far than honey, than honey in the comb.
11 By them also is your servant enlightened, * and in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can tell how often he offends? * cleanse me from my secret faults.
13 Above all, keep your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not get dominion over me; * then shall I be whole and sound, and innocent of a great offense.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, * O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.
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THE GOSPEL
Celebrant The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to Mark.
People Praise be to you, O Christ.
Celebrant: The Gospel of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
SERMON PASTOR NEIL
Celebrant The Gospel of the Lord.
People Praise to you, Lord Christ.
SERMON PASTOR NEIL
Mark 9:38-50
John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.
“If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.
“For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
Celebrant: The Gospel of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Sermon
At the end of the sermon—Celebrant: Let us bless the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
THE APOSTLES’ CREED
Celebrant and People together
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I 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.
I 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. Amen.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Celebrant Let us pray for the Church and for the world.
With all our heart and with all our mind, let us pray to the Lord, by saying, “Lord, have mercy.”
Leader For the peace from above, for the loving-kindness of God, and for the salvation of our souls. For the welfare of the holy Church of God, and for the unity of all peoples, let us pray to the Lord. People Lord, have mercy.
Leader For our Bishops and church leaders; for congregations and their leaders and people. For our President, for the leaders of the nations, and for all in authority, let us pray to the Lord. People Lord, have mercy.
Leader For this city of Baltimore, for every city and community; on our mountains and farms; and for holy places—and for those who live in all these places. For the residents and staff of Springwell and their families. For the good earth that God has given us, and for the wisdom and will to conserve it, let us pray to the Lord. People Lord, have mercy.
Leader For the aged and infirm, for the widowed and orphans, the sick and the suffering. For Jackie, Joyce, John, Paul, Lynn, Joe, Carlton, Laura, Holly, Miles and Wanda; Robert, Arthur, Margie, and all their families; for Tim and Jim, Sister Anne and Neil, and all also needing prayers. Let us pray to the Lord. People Lord, have mercy.
Leader For the people and peace of the Holy Land in the Middle East, and all the pe0ple of various tribes and nations who live there. We deeply pray for Ukraine; and for peace-makers and for their success; and for all those for whom we have promised to pray; for all of them and their concerns, let us pray to the Lord. People Lord, have mercy.
Leader For the poor and the oppressed, for the unemployed and the destitute, for prisoners and captives, and for all those who remember them and care for them, let us pray to the Lord. People Lord, have mercy.
Leader For all who have died in the hope of the resurrection, and for all the dearly departed, particularly, Georgia, Helen, Yvonne, Cynthia, Maureen, Donald, and all their families and loved ones. And, that we may end our lives in faith and hope, without suffering or reproach, let us pray to the Lord. People Lord, have mercy.
Celebrant Almighty and eternal God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth: Mercifully accept the prayers of your people and strengthen us to do your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. People Amen.
A Confession of Our Sins to God
Celebrant Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbors.
Silence will be kept
Celebrant and People Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you 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; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.
Celebrant May 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.
Offertory Prayer
Celebrant and People Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. For everything in heaven and on earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom, and you are exalted as head overall. Amen.
The Peace
Celebrant The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People And also with you.
Then the Ministers and People may greet one another
in the name of the Lord
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
Celebrant The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Celebrant Lift up your hearts.
People We lift them to the Lord.
Celebrant Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People It is right to give our thanks and praise.
Celebrant It is indeed right and holy that we should—in all times and in all places—give thanks to you, Almighty Father. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Our Lord was tempted in every way as we are tempted, but he did not succumb to sin. By his grace we are able to triumph over every evil; and to live no longer for ourselves alone, but for him who died for us and rose again. Therefore, we praise your name and join angels and archangels by saying:
All, spoken: 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.
Holy and gracious Father: In your infinite love you made us for yourself. When we had fallen into sin and become subject to evil and death, you in your mercy sent Jesus Christ, your only and eternal Son, to share our human nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to you, the God and Father of all. He stretched out his arms upon the cross, and offered himself in obedience to your will, a perfect sacrifice for the whole world.
On the night before his death, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”
After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, “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. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”
Therefore, we proclaim the mystery of faith:
Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
We celebrate the memorial of our redemption, O Father, in this sacrifice of praise and thanks- giving. Recalling his death, resurrection, and ascension, we offer you these gifts. ☩ Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of your Son, the holy food and drink of new and unending life in him. ☩ Sanctify us also that we may faithfully receive this holy Sacrament, and serve you in unity, constancy, and peace. And at the last day bring us with all your saints into the joy of your eternal kingdom. All this we ask through your Son Jesus Christ.
(Said together) By him, and with him, and in him,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit
all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father,
now and forever. Amen.
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to pray:
the Lord’s Prayer
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 forever and ever. Amen.
The Call to Communion
Celebrant The gifts of God for the people of God. Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.
Celebrant will distribute communion to people in their chairs.
Post Communion Thanksgiving
Celebrant Almighty and ever-living God,
All We thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; and for assuring us in these holy mysteries that we are living members of the Body of your Son, and heirs of your eternal kingdom. And now, Father, send us out to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord. To him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and forever. Amen
The Sending Blessing
Celebrant Sisters and brothers, we go out into the world in peace. We live and walk as part of God’s beloved community. May God help us all to be of good courage, to hold on to what is good, and to return to no one an evil for an evil. Strengthen the faint-hearted, support the weak, aid the suffering; do justice, honor all people, and let our gentleness be known by everyone. May God, who raised our Lord Jesus from death, lift us up and restore us to wholeness. And may God bless us all, ☩ in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
dismissal
Celebrant Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
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