“The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet."
Matthew 22:9
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 a.m. 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 Emmanuel's seminarian, Mr. Kevin Newell, and features hymns: "Table of Plenty", "The 23rd Psalm", "I Shall Not Walk Alone" & "Immanuel's Land."
Emmanuel's Annual Giving Campaign is underway!
Today’s Stewardship message highlights
Adult Spiritual Formation Ministry.
If you missed a Sunday service, check out
Also, on the calendar this Sunday evening is the celebration of
.
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
Nineteenth 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 32:1-14
When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” Aaron said to them, “Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears, and brought them to Aaron. He took the gold from them, formed it in a mold, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a festival to the Lord.” They rose early the next day, and offered burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel.
The Lord said to Moses, “Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” The Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation.”
But Moses implored the Lord his God, and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’” And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.
Canticle: A Song of Praise Benedictus es, Domine
Song of the Three Young Men, 29-34
Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers;
you are worthy of praise; glory to you.
Glory to you for the radiance of your holy Name;
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.
Glory to you in the splendor of your temple;
on the throne of your majesty, glory to you.
Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim;
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.
Glory to you, beholding the depths;
in the high vault of heaven, glory to you.
Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.
Matthew 22:1-14
Once more Jesus spoke to the people in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’ But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.
“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”
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.
With confidence in God's grace and mercy, let us pray for the church, the world and all those in need.
Gracious God, enliven your people with a spirit of loving hospitality that we might welcome all without exception to your table of boundless grace. We pray through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Gracious God, as creation eagerly longs for redemption, instill in us a longing to live lightly upon this earth, conserving and preserving natural resources for generations to come. We pray through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Gracious God, whose glory is in all the world: We commend this nation to your merciful care, being guided by your Providence, that we may dwell in your peace. Grant health and healing to Donald, President of the United States and First Lady Melania; and to Ralph our Governor and First Lady of Virginia Pam; and to all diagnosed with the corona virus. We pray through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Gracious God, 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 your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Gracious God, let your gentleness be known among those who are weary and ill: Seth, Tom, 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, Butch, Katie, Bucky, David, Peter, Erica, Chanelle, Larry, Beth, Doug, Bill, Cathy, Hai and Macey. 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. We pray through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Gracious. God, we pray for the soul of Adrienne Garafola and all who have died in the communion of your Church, and those whose faith is known to you alone, that with all the saints, they may have rest in that place where there is no pain or grief, but life eternal. We pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Gracious God, lover of all humankind, open our hearts to the concerns of the vulnerable: at risk youth and the elderly; the homeless and the isolated; immigrants and refugees; the institutionalized and incarcerated; struggling businesses, the unemployed and the uninsured. We pray through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Gracious God, protect and shelter under your wings all essential workers: medical personnel and healthcare givers; first responders, paramedics and EMT's; utility, sanitation and transportation providers; grocery store and food service workers; postal service employees and delivery drivers; teachers, pharmacists and veterinarians. We give thanks especially for the service of Kate, Chris, and Jacob and any others on your hearts and minds. We pray through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Gracious God, our comfort and our strength, watch over all who live and serve in harm’s way throughout the world; especially Jamie, Devin, Michael and Ben. We pray through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Gracious God, heavenly Lord, we mourn the tragic loss of 212,778+ 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 your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Gracious God, source of all wisdom, 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 your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Based on the Braver Angels' "With "Malice Toward None" pledge.)
Gracious God, source of all truth, in the Anglican Cycle of Prayer we pray for the Church of the Province of Uganda and in the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer we pray for the congregations, staff and clergy of Hanover with Brunswick Parishes in King George. 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 your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Here you may add your own prayers for family, community, church and world.
The Collects
A Collect of the Day
Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and follow us, that we may continually be given to good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
A Collect for Social Justice
Almighty God, who created us in your own image. Grant us grace fearlessly to contend against evil and to make no peace with oppression; and that we may reverently use our freedom, help us to employ it in the pursuit of justice in our communities and among the nations, to the glory of your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.
A Collect for Mission
Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace. So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. 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.