"And Moses Struck the Rock" by Naphtali Bezem
The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.”
Exodus 17: 5
A Message from Chuck & Joani
Last March, The Rt. Reverend Susan Goff, Bishop of Virginia, in response to the spread of Covid-19, called the Diocese to a "fast from public worship." As a way of loving our neighbor and protecting the most vulnerable, Emmanuel continues to pray and sing digitally at home. With the Bishop's permission, outdoor Morning Prayer also has begun at the VTS Chapel Garden (Registration is required.) Online and outdoor worship will continue in tandem, with Zoom Coffee Hour at 11:30 am providing fellowship for all.
Emmanuel at Home Morning Prayer, along with scripture, music and an offertory, includes two homilies, one for adults and one for children (text, audio & video.)
The homilist for today's service is The Rev. Charles C. McCoart, Jr. and features hymns: "Will You Come And Follow Me? (The Summons), "Just As I Am", "Surely, It is God Who Saves Me" & "Waymaker"
Emmanuel's Annual Giving Campaign launches today!
Today’s Stewardship message highlights Worship Ministry.
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Though we worship apart, we are still One Body, in communion with Christ and one another. Feel free to share with family and friends!
Morning Prayer: Rite II
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
Ordinary Time
The service continues with these sentences of Scripture.
Send out your light and your truth, that they may lead me, and bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling.
Psalm 43:3
The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.
Habakkuk 2:20
Confession of Sin
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Silence may be kept.
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.
Prayer of acceptance for God's forgiveness of our sins.
Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep in eternal life. Amen.
The Invitatory
Lord, open our lips. And our mouths shall proclaim your praise. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Come let us adore him.
Venite Psalm 95:1-7
Come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving
and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the caverns of the earth,
and the heights of the hills are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands have molded the dry land.
Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee,
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!
The Lessons
Exodus 17:1-7
From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
Canticle: The First Song of Isaiah Ecce, Deus
Isaiah 12:2-6
Surely, it is God who saves me;
I will trust in him and not be afraid.
For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense,
and he will be my Savior.
Therefore you shall draw water with rejoicing
from the springs of salvation.
And on that day you shall say,
Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name;
Make his deeds known among the peoples;
see that they remember that his Name is exalted.
Sing the praises of the Lord, for he has done great things,
and this is known in all the world.
Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy,
for the great one in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Matthew 21:23-32
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.
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.
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,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Prayers of Intercession
Show us your mercy, O Lord;
And grant us your salvation.
Clothe your minsters with righteousness;
Let your people sing with joy.
Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
For only in you can we live in safety.
Lord, keep this nation under your care;
And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
Let your way be known upon earth;
Your saving health among all nations.
Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
Create in us clean hearts, O God;
And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.
Confident in God's love, we pray for the church, the world and all who are in need.
Water of Life, thank you for the witness of those who have gone ahead of us proclaiming the kingdom of heaven: tax collectors and prostitutes, the likely and unlikely, the obedient and the slow to follow. Walking in their footsteps, may we confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Let us say, Amen.
Water of Life, nothing of the earth, the sky, and the sea, is outside of your concern. In your mercy, shield and protect first responders, residents, business owners, and all who are impacted by the devastating wildfires in the Northwest and the multiple storms brewing in the Gulf and the Atlantic. Uphold and comfort all who grieve the loss of land, lives, and livelihoods. We pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Water of Life, help us to break down barriers in our community, enable us to see the reality of racism and bigotry, and hatred in all its forms. Free us to challenge and uproot this hatred from ourselves, our society and our world. We pray especially for the just resolution of senseless shootings; for those killed and injured in the protests; for the safety of law enforcement; and for the restoration of calm and the cessation of violence across the nation. We pray through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Water of Life, we uplift in prayer little Elijah Evan, born early to Tom and Katie Sibley. Enfold this family with your grace. Be ever present in the hearts and hands of all who continue to care for him, that daily Elijah grow in health and wholeness, knit together in your love. We pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Water of Life, wash clean of sorrow and pain: Seth, Christian, the Berry family, Eric, Wilfred, Doug, Carol, Tom, Loretta, Elizabeth, Bonnie, Ralph, Barrett, Jennifer, April, Cindy, Timothy, Tom, Joe, Christa, Liam, Tony, June, Nancy, Jeff, Leslie, Peggy, Sally, Katie, Bucky, David, Peter, Erica, Chanelle, Larry, Beth, Doug, Bill, Cathy, Enco, Macey, and the Rector-Jones family. Uphold those living with mental illness, struggling with addiction, victims of violence and survivors of abuse, and all impacted by Covid-19. Watch over all who provide comfort, care, hope and support in the fields of medicine, research, public health, and pastoral care. We pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Water of Life, cleanse our hearts and open our ears to the concerns of the elderly, homeless and the hungry; children and youth at-risk returning to school; the isolated and the undocumented; minority communities, immigrants and refugees; the institutionalized and incarcerated; those with no sick leave and the uninsured; struggling businesses, service workers, and the unemployed. We pray through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Water of Life, refresh and renew the spirits of all essential workers: medical personnel and healthcare providers; hospital workers and home caregivers; first responders, paramedics and EMT's; utility, sanitation and custodial workers; teachers and counselors; metro, cab and ride-share drivers; airline and railroad personnel; grocery store staff and food service workers; postal service employees, delivery people and truck drivers; nursing home staff, pharmacists and veterinarians. We give thanks especially for the bravery of Kate, Chris, and Jacob and lifting up to God any others on your hearts and minds. We pray, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Water of Life, shield from danger all who live and serve in harm’s way throughout the world; uplifting Byron, Devin, Michael and Ben; and for service members called to duty across the country aiding efforts to combat Covid-19. We pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Water of Life, we mourn the tragic loss of 202,000+ souls in our country who have perished from Covid-19. Gather them into your kingdom, Lord, and comfort all who grieve for them. We pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Water of Life, inspired by your unconditional love, we seek your guidance. Regardless of how the coming election turns out, help us to not hold hate, disdain, or ridicule for those who voted differently than ourselves. Whether we are pleased or upset about the outcome, we will seek to understand the concerns and aspirations of those who voted differently and will look for opportunities to work with people with whom we disagree. We pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Based on the Braver Angels' "With "Malice Toward None" pledge.)
Water of Life, in the Anglican Cycle of Prayer we pray for the Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan and in the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer we pray for The Episcopal House of Bishops. We pray especially for our partner parish Ste. Croix in Léogâne, Haiti and for Emmanuel’s refugee ministry with the Latifi family. We pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Here you may add your own prayers for family, community, church and world.
The Collects
A Collect for Grace
Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day. Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Collect for Schools
Eternal God, bless all preschools, schools, colleges and universities, as they wrestle with how best to serve their students, parents, and families and protect their faculty and staff, reopen their campuses and teach online. May they remain lively places for sound learning, new discovery, and the pursuit of wisdom; and grant those who teach and learn may find you to be the source of all truth; through Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. Amen.
A Prayer of Julian of Norwich
In you, Father almighty, we have our preservation and our bliss. In you Christ, we have our restoring and our saving. You are our mother, brother, and savior. In you, our Lord, the Holy Spirit, is marvelous and plenteous grace. You are our clothing; for love you wrap us and embrace us. You are our maker, our lover, our keeper. Teach us to believe that by your grace all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well. Amen.
The Offertory
Let us with gladness present the offerings and oblations of our life and labor to the Lord. Amen.
The General Thanksgiving
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.
Concluding Prayer
Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine; Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church and in Christ Jesus forever and even. Amen.
Ephesians 3: 20, 21
Go in peace. Remember the poor.
We Are Here for You
Emmanuel Church is a community of faith which seeks to nurture and support individuals and families in every stage of life and circumstances. If you or a member of your family needs pastoral care please reach out to Chuck or Joani via email.