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The Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost September 27, 2020

Trinity Church in Menlo Park

An Episcopal Community

Help me O Holy One to rejoice in the gift of this new day. Wherever I am on my journey of faith, through our worship together this day, may the light of your presence set our hearts

on fire with love for you, that we might love one another and ourselves in your name.

“For you alone, O God, my soul waits in silence, for my hope is in you.” Psalm 62:5

Please join us online for our worship livestream at http://www.trinitymenlopark.org/livestream

Following our livestream Sunday service, you're invited to join in a Zoom conversation to share anything from the service that was especially meaningful for you or prompted a question you'd like to ask. We will meet from 11:15 to 11:45. To join the conversation, please click on the following Zoom link:

https://zoom.us/j/98135858326?pwd=ZnpVWklUMEZhU2xJS1A3OS9oOFNoUT09

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PRELUDE The Nightingale Deborah Henson-Conant Mary Pless, Celtic Harp; Emil Miland, Cello OPENING HYMN 450 All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name! Coronation

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OPENING SENTENCES Presider Blessed be the one, holy, and living God.

People Glory to God for ever and ever. Presider Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: 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.

THE COLLECT OF THE DAY Presider God be with you.

People And also with you. Presider Let us pray. 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, for ever and ever. Amen.

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THE SCRIPTURE READINGS First Reading: Philippians 2: 1-13

Reader A reading from Paul’s Letter to the Philippians.

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death-- even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Reader The Word of the Lord.

People Thanks be to God.

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PSALM 25: 1-8

1 To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul; my God, I put my trust in you; * let me not be humiliated, nor let my enemies triumph over me.

2 Let none who look to you be put to shame; * let the treacherous be disappointed in their schemes.

3 Show me your ways, O LORD, * and teach me your paths.

4 Lead me in your truth and teach me, * for you are the God of my salvation; in you have I trusted all the day long.

5 Remember, O LORD, your compassion and love, * for they are from everlasting.

6 Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions; * remember me according to your love and for the sake of your goodness, O LORD.

7 Gracious and upright is the LORD; * therefore he teaches sinners in his way.

8 He guides the humble in doing right * and teaches his way to the lowly.

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GOSPEL HYMN 707 Take My Life, And Let It Be Hollingside

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THE GOSPEL Matthew 21: 23-32

Reader The Holy Gospel of our Savior Jesus Christ according to Matthew.

People Glory to you, O Christ.

When Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

“What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.”

Reader The Gospel of Christ.

People Praise to you, O Christ.

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GOSPEL HYMN 707 Take My Life, And Let It Be

THE SERMON The Rev. Thomas Traylor

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THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE

Presider Let us offer the prayers of the people from the people.

The Leader and People pray responsively

Father, we pray for your holy Catholic Church;

That we all may be one.

Grant that every member of the Church may truly and humbly serve you;

That your Name may be glorified by all people.

We pray for all bishops, priests, and deacons;

That they may be faithful ministers of your Word and Sacraments.

We pray for all who govern and hold authority in the nations of the world;

That there may be justice and peace on the earth.

Give us grace to do your will in all that we undertake;

That our works may find favor in your sight.

Have compassion on those who suffer from any grief or trouble;

That they may be delivered from their distress.

Give to the departed eternal rest;

Let light perpetual shine upon them.

We praise you for your saints who have entered into joy;

May we also come to share in your heavenly kingdom.

The clergy will offer intercessions from our Virtual Prayer Board. The Presider offers a concluding Collect.

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THE CONFESSION

Presider Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

Minister 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.

Presider 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

Presider The peace of Christ be always with you.

People And also with you. ANNOUNCEMENTS

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BIRTHDAY AND ANNIVERSARY PRAYER

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 hearts may your peace which passes understanding abide all the days of their lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ANTHEM Be Thou My Vision Tune: Slane Eric Levintow, soloist; Emil Miland, Cello Arr. by Nathan Pacheco

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art Thou my best thought, by day or by night Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord

Thou my great Father, I Thy true son Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one

High King of Heaven, my victory won May I reach Heaven's joys, O bright Heaven's Sun

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all

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A REMEMBRANCE OF THE LAST SUPPER

Presider

Dear People of God: It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere

to give thanks to God, who by water and the Spirit has made us new people in Jesus

Christ our Lord, to show forth his glory in all the world.

We remember that this same Jesus the Christ gathered with his friends on the night of his arrest for a Passover meal. At table with them he took bread, gave thanks, broke the bread, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you.” 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.” He told his friends that whenever they gathered together they should eat of this bread and drink of this cup in remembrance of him.

And so, the Church down through the centuries has been faithful to Christ’s command, celebrating the Eucharist together and sharing in the mystical communion between Christ and his people. In this season, when the community of faith cannot gather at the Lord’s Table, we remember the Last Supper of Jesus with his friends and we give thanks for the gift of the Eucharist that was given to us on that night. As we eagerly await the day when we can share the Bread and Cup together again, we remember that the mystical communion between Christ and his Church, and between us as members of Christ’s Body, remains unbroken. And so, mindful of this deep bond in the Spirit, let us unite ourselves to Christ and to one another as we sing together the prayer that our Savior Christ has taught us:

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THE BLESSING The priest blesses the people.

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CLOSING HYMN 492 Sing, Ye Faithful, Sing With Gladness Finnian

THE DISMISSAL

Priest Let us go forth into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit! Alleluia, alleluia!

People Thanks be to God! Alleluia, alleluia!

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To join our Zoom conversation this morning from 11:15 to 11:45, please click on this link:

https://zoom.us/j/98135858326?pwd=ZnpVWklUMEZhU2xJS1A3OS9oOFNoUT09

Special Thanks To

Bob Cleveland, Livestream Manager Craig Perlov, Livestream Assistant

Trinity Flower Guild

Visit Trinity’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg3tcDZW37doi2NYJDmD56A?

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