The Liturgy of the Word
(Liturgy: Expansive Language Prayer C, from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer.)
The responses of the people are in bold.
Prelude
Processional Hymn *SEE MUSIC (at end of service bulletin)
Welcome
Opening Acclamation
Officiant Blessed be God: most holy, glorious, and undivided Trinity.
People And blessed be God’s reign, now and for ever. Amen.
Song of Praise (10:30am only)
The Collect of the Day
Officiant God be with you.
People And also with you.
Officiant Let us pray.
O God, whose blessed Son came into the world that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves as he is pure; that, when he comes again with power and great glory, we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Readings
First Lesson: Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25 (please be seated)
Reader A reading from The Book of Joshua.
Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors—Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor—lived beyond the Euphrates and served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan and made his offspring many.
“Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; and the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”
But Joshua said to the people, “You cannot serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm, and consume you, after having done you good.” And the people said to Joshua, “No, we will serve the Lord!” Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” He said, “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” The people said to Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and him we will obey.” So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem.
Reader The word of the Lord.
All Thanks be to God.
Psalm 78:1-7
1 Hear my teaching, O my people; *
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable; *
I will declare the mysteries of ancient times.
3 That which we have heard and known,
and what our forefathers have told us, *
we will not hide from their children.
4 We will recount to generations to come
the praiseworthy deeds and the power of the Lord, *
and the wonderful works he has done.
REFRAIN
5 He gave his decrees to Jacob
and established a law for Israel, *
which he commanded them to teach their children;
6 That the generations to come might know,
and the children yet unborn; *
that they in their turn might tell it to their children;
7 So that they might put their trust in God, *
and not forget the deeds of God,
but keep his commandments;
REFRAIN
Living Epistle
Sequence Hymn Over My Head
The Gospel: Matthew 25:1-13
Deacon The Holy Gospel of our Savior Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
All Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Jesus said, “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
Deacon The Gospel of the Savior.
All Praise to you, Lord Christ.
Sermon
Contemplative Silence
The Nicene Creed (please rise in body or spirit)
Officiant Let us affirm our faith in the words of the Nicene Creed.
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.
Prayers of the People Form VI, BCP
The Leader and People pray responsively
Leader In peace, we pray to you, God. For all people in their daily life and work;
All For our families, friends, and neighbors, and for those who are alone.
Leader For this community, the nation, and the world;
All For all who work for justice, freedom, and peace.
Leader For the just and proper use of your creation;
All For the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.
Leader For all who are in danger, sorrow, or any kind of trouble;
All For those who minister to the sick, the friendless, and the needy.
Leader For the peace and unity of the Church of God;
All For all who proclaim the Gospel, and all who seek the Truth.
Leader For Deon, our Bishop; and for all bishops and other ministers;
All For all who serve God in God’s Church.
Leader For the special needs and concerns of this congregation, including those on our parish prayer list.
The People may add their own petitions
Leader Hear us, Lord;
All For your mercy is great.
Leader We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life, including the ministries of Holy Communion, especially ____ .
The People may add their own thanksgivings, silently or aloud.
Leader We will exalt you, O God;
All And praise your Name for ever and ever.
Leader We pray for all who have died, that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom.
The People may add their own petitions
Leader God, let your loving-kindness be upon them;
All Who put their trust in you.
Concluding Collect
Officiant Holy One, hear the prayers of your people; and what we have asked faithfully, grant that we may obtain effectually, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Confession
Deacon Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Silence (kneeling in body or spirit)
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 our Savior 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 Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through the grace of Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.
The Peace (Please rise in body or spirit)
Officiant The peace of Christ be always with you.
People And also with you.
Announcements & Offering (please be seated)
Offering:
Blessing of Birthdays & Anniversaries
Watch over your children, O Lord, as their days increase; bless and guide them wherever they may be. Strengthen them when they stand; comfort them when discouraged or sorrowful; raise them up if they fall; and in their heart may your peace which passes all understanding abide all the days of their life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Offertory Sentence
Officiant Let us with gladness present the offerings and oblations of our life and labor to the Lord.
The Liturgy of the Table
Offertory Hymn or Anthem *SEE MUSIC
Doxology (Please rise in body or spirit, sung at 10:30 only) H380, vs. 3
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise God, all creatures here below;
praise God above, ye heavenly host:
Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost.
The Great Thanksgiving
Celebrant God 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 God of all power, Source and Sustainer of the Universe, you are worthy of glory and praise.
All Glory to you for ever and ever.
Celebrant At your command all things came to be: shining light and enfolding dark; the vast expanse of interstellar space, galaxies, suns, the planets in their courses, and this fragile earth, our island home.
All By your will they were created and have their being.
Celebrant From the primal elements you brought forth the human race, and blessed us with the capacity for memory, reason, and skill. You made us the stewards of your creation. But we turned against you, and betrayed your trust; and we turned against one another.
All Have mercy, Lord, for we are sinners in your sight.
Celebrant Again and again, you called us to return. Through prophets and sages you revealed your righteous Law. And in the fullness of time you sent your eternal Word, born of your servant Mary, to fulfill your Law, opening for us the way of freedom and peace.
All By his blood, he reconciled us. By his wounds, we are healed.
Celebrant And therefore we praise you, joining with the heavenly chorus, with prophets, apostles, and martyrs, and with all those in every generation who have looked to you in hope, to proclaim with them your glory, in their unending hymn:
Sanctus
Celebrant and People
Please rise or kneel, in body or spirit.
Celebrant Blessed are you, Lord our God, for sending us Jesus, the Christ, who on the night he was handed over to suffering and death, took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to his friends, and said,
"Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me."
After supper, Jesus took the cup of wine, gave thanks, and said,
"Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for all for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me."
Remembering now his work of redemption, and offering to you this sacrifice of thanksgiving,
All We celebrate Christ’s death and resurrection as we await the day of his coming.
Celebrant Therefore, O God, we who have been redeemed by Jesus Christ, and made a new people by water and the Spirit, now bring before you these gifts. Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Savior. Sanctify us also, and let the grace of this Holy Communion make us one body, one spirit in Christ, that we may worthily serve the world in Christ’s name.
All Risen Lord, be known to us in the breaking of the Bread.
Celebrant God of our ancestors; Redeemer and Mother of Israel; God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: Open our eyes to see your hand at work in the world about us. Deliver us from the presumption of coming to this Table for solace only and not for strength; for pardon only and not for renewal.
Accept these prayers and praises, Almighty God, through Jesus Christ our great High Priest, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, your Church gives honor, glory, and worship, from generation to generation. AMEN.
The Lord’s Prayer
Celebrant As our Savior Christ has taught us, we now pray, using the language or version of our hearts,
Our Father who art . . . Padre nuestro que estás . . .
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen.
The Breaking of the Bread
The Celebrant breaks the consecrated Bread. A period of silence is kept.
Fraction
Celebrant Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
People Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.
Celebrant These are God's holy gifts, for you, God's holy people.
Deacon This is the table of company with Jesus. It is the table of sharing with the poor and lowly of the world, with whom Jesus identified.
Celebrant So come to this table you who have much faith or you who would like to have more; you who have been here often and you who have not been here in a long time. Come. It is Christ who invites you to meet him here.
People Amen. As the bread and wine are transformed, may we be changed into the likeness of Christ; bone of his bone, flesh of his flesh, loving and caring in the world.
Communion Protocol
Everyone is welcome at God’s table. The Greeters will direct you to the altar rail, where you are welcome to stand or kneel. The host (bread) will be dropped into your cupped hands. When you move to the wine, you may either drink from the cup, or have your host dipped. If you require gluten-free, let the server know. If you are avoiding alcohol, let the bread-server know and you will be given grape juice. If you prefer a blessing, cross your arms over your chest, and if you are unable to come to the altar rail, let an usher know, and we will bring communion to you.
Communion Hymns *SEE MUSIC
The Sending of Lay Eucharistic Visitors (LEVs)
At various times, Lay Eucharistic Visitors take the consecrated bread and wine to those who cannot physically be present for worship. When we do so, the following prayer may be offered:
Deacon In the name of Christ and this congregation, we send you forth bearing these holy gifts, that those to whom you go may share with us in the communion of Christ’s body and blood.
People We who are many are one body, because we all share one bread, one cup. Amen.
Post Communion Prayer (standing or kneeling as able)
Celebrant Let us pray.
All Eternal God, you have graciously accepted us as living members of our Savior Jesus Christ, and you have fed us with spiritual food in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood. Send us now into the world in peace, and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart; through Christ our Savior. Amen.
The Blessing
Recessional Hymn *SEE MUSIC
Dismissal
Officiant Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.
All Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia!
Postlude
*Music*
Processional Hymn: O God of Every Nation H607
Sequence Hymn: Over My Head SEE ABOVe
Offertory Anthem: Sing a New Song unto the Lord Michael Praetorius, arr. Mark Schweizer
Communion Hymn: Just a Closer Walk with Thee L72
As Longs the Deer for Cooling Streams H659
Recessional Hymn: Do, Lord, Do Remember Me L164
Announcements
Intergenerational Art, Nov. 1 & 8: Help us create a mosaic of the "Joseph" stained glass window. Supplies and directions can be found on the "Art" table in Mitchell Hall.
Men’s Prayer Group: Sat, Nov 7 at 8am in Mitchell Hall. All are welcome!
Church Work Day: Sat, Nov 7! Join the Building & Grounds Committee 9am-12pm for fall clean-up.
Hot Breakfast Nov. 8: Join us for hot breakfast and fellowship at 9am in Mitchell Hall, Sunday, Nov. 8!
Asylum Book Study with Intern Alicia: Join us via Zoom on Tuesdays, 7-8pm, starting Nov. 10 to explore this memoir of an LGBTQI immigrant. Even if you can't read ahead, you're welcome to participate, but here's the discussion Schedule: -11/10: Prologue & Chptr 1; -11/17: Chptr 2; -11/24: Chptrs 3 & 4; 12/1: Chptrs 5, 6 & 7.
Setting-up Pledge vs. Automatic Contributions: As we all enter into the annual pledging process, our finance team wants to remind you that while connected, pledging and contributing are two different processes, if you are setting up an automatic payment. Most importantly, you'll want to double-check whether you put an end-date on your 2026 auto pay in your PushPay account. If you have any questions, please contact the office.
Seeking New Trinity Lunch Leadership: After many years of dedicated service, Scott Ferguson plans to step down from his role of coordinating the monthly hot lunch served at Trinity-CWE. If you've been wanting to know more about the program and feel you might be called to a leadership role, email Scott to arrange a few months of shadowing: scott@scottfergusonphoto.com.
SAVE-THE-DATE
Theology on Tap: 11/19 (we've moved to 3rd Thursdays)
UCity School District’s Holiday Appeal: Donate gift cards to the district’s Holiday fundraiser by Tues, Dec. 7. Submit online here: www.ucityschools.org/HolidayAppeal
Servers
Preacher: Alicia Shapinsky
Guest Organist: Cheryl Foster
Crucifer: Scott Ferguson
Readers: Elizabeth Hines (8), Bradley Currey (10:30)
Intercessor: Gloria Grenwald (10:30)
Greeters: Earl Bonds (8), Rudy Walz (10:30)
Chalice Bearers: Karen Payne (8), Elizabeth Hines (10:30)
Streamer: Fran Caradonna
Vestry
Joe Donahou, Rector’s Warden
Heidi Volkl, People’s Warden
Jim Wire, Treasurer
Pat Redington, Secretary
Tim Anderson, Bex Comas, Nancy Donohoo,
Gloria Grenwald, Karen Payne, Rudy Walz
Staff
The Rev. Brenda Sol, Rector
314-721-7401 x302; rector@holycommunion.net
The Rev. Chester Hines, Deacon
314-386-7762; chinesj@charter.net
Darcy Brainard, Parish Administrator
314-721-7401 x301; office@holycommunion.net
Mary Chapman, Director of Music
Earl Naylor, Organist
Erin Meadows, Financial Administrator
314-721-7401 x304; financeadmin@holycommunion.net
Music used and reprinted with permission under OneLicense #A-704988, WorshipCast License #13476, and St. James Music Press License #14747.
