Worship Bulletin for Sunday, August 8 at 9 a.m.

Opening Acclamation
(Officiant 1) – Blessed be God: Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer
And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and forever. Amen.

Opening Collect
(Officiant 1) – The Lord be with you.
And also with you.

(Officiant 1) – Let us pray:
Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A Reading from the Hebrew Testament Mary Gordon
2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a
When the wife of Uriah heard that her husband was dead, she made lamentation for him. When the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord, and the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and herds; but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his meager fare, and drink from his cup, and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him. Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was loath to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb, and prepared that for the guest who had come to him.” Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die; he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.” Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul; I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added as much more. Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, for you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. Thus says the Lord: I will raise up trouble against you from within your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this very sun. For you did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.” David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”

Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people. Thanks be to God.

Psalm 51:1-13 (please read together the bolded lines)

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your loving-kindness;
in your great compassion blot out my offenses.

Wash me through and through from my wickedness
and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.

Against you only have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight.

And so you are justified when you speak
and upright in your judgment.

Indeed, I have been wicked from my birth,
a sinner from my mother's womb.

For behold, you look for truth deep within me,
and will make me understand wisdom secretly.

Purge me from my sin, and I shall be pure;
wash me, and I shall be clean indeed.

Make me hear of joy and gladness,
that the body you have broken may rejoice.

Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from your presence
and take not your holy Spirit from me.

Give me the joy of your saving help again
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.

A Reading from the Greek Testament Sue Dugan
Ephesians 4:1-16
I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it is said, "When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people." (When it says, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people. Thanks be to God.

Sequence Hymn LEVAS 146
Break Thou the Bread of Life (Vs. 1 and 2)

(Deacon) - The Gospel   John 6:24-35
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to John.
Glory to you, Lord Christ.

The next day, when the people who remained after the feeding of the five thousand saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Then Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sequence Hymn LEVAS 146
Break Thou the Bread of Life (Vs. 3)
(See above)

Homily The Rev. Jim Chapman
Prayers of the People    Allen Hill
O God, draw us near to You with holy reverence and confidence, as children of God, as we pray for others, knowing You are able and ready to help us as we pray for the needs of our world.

Spirit of life, your breath of life fills the whole world, and holds all things together. If you withdraw your breath, everything turns to dust.
Breathe on me breath of God.

The sending of your spirit is the revelation of God's indestructible affirmation of life and marvelous joy in life. Today, we offer prayers for our Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry, and for all bishops, priests, seminarians and deacons, including Alan, Gayle, Marya, Brett and Jim. In our Diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for the Parishes of the Mystic Valley Deanery: St. Elizabeth’s Church, Wilmington; Parish of the Epiphany, Winchester; St. John’s Church, Winthrop; Trinity Church, Woburn; and in Congregations, Parish Historians. In our Anglican cycle of prayer, we pray for The Church of the Province of South East Asia.
Fill me with life anew.

Jesus, where you are there is life, where you are sick people are healed, sad people are comforted, marginalized people are accepted and the demons of death are driven out. Give to the sick your healing, and to the suffering your hope, especially Carol and Ken Bouffard, Julie, Tim, Kristin Blake and Lee LeBeau, Joe Maher, Alex, Stacy Williams, Rose, Sandy, Jennifer and Greg Hanson, Hunter, Ginny Johnson, Ann Gentry, Grace, Erica Leigh and Barbara French, Jim and Ann Chapman, Nancy Joyce, Lis Carey, Elizabeth and John Losa, Don and Betsey Saunders, Sally Gamble, Rabbi Shlomo Noginski and Erika. Are there others?
Breathe on me breath of God.

Where your holy spirit is present, there is life; the powers and energies of eternal life are experienced. Spirit of the new creation, break into the here and now, bringing foretastes of the age to come, when all things are made new, and creation is set free from the powers of death. We pray for all who have died. Are there souls whose names you would like to offer in prayer?
Fill me with life anew.

Spirit of God, renew the face of the earth. Today we give thanks for the blessings of this life. We pray for those who celebrate birthdays this week, especially Daniel Lemieux, Jr., Amanda French, Diane Manning, Jean Snow, Pam Lake, Robert Reardon and Barbara Healy. Are there other blessings you would like to offer?
Breathe on me breath of God.

Give us hearts of flesh for hearts of stone, that we may love as you would love, and do what you would do. Amen

Pause to reflect on the prayers

Confession
(Deacon) - Let us confess our sins to God.
God of all mercy, we confess that we have sinned against you, opposing your will in our lives. We have denied your goodness in each other, in ourselves, and in the world you have created. We repent of the evil that enslaves us, the evil we have done, and the evil done on our behalf. Forgive, restore, and strengthen us through our Savior Jesus Christ, that we may abide in your love and serve only your will. Amen.

Absolution
Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins, through the grace of Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen.

Offertory Sentences
(Deacon) – Let us pray. On my own, what I have to give doesn't amount to much, in the light of all you have given to me, and in the face of so much need. Put together as one congregation in three locations, what we offer you here in love becomes more, not simply added together, but somehow multiplied in its usefulness. We ask you to bless our gifts, and with the addition of your blessing, just as it was with the loaves and fishes, there is enough for all. Amen. ~ adapted from the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand

Offertory Anthem
Improvisation on GROSSER GOTT

Please use this time for reflection about how to give gifts of love to your neighbors and your community.

(Deacon) - The Sanctuary Lamp burns in honor of the Blessed Sacrament, and in celebration of the birthday of Amanda French, given by Barbara French; and in loving memory of James Donald Smith, given by Olive Smith Glaser. The altar flowers are given to the glory of God, and in loving memory of Doris and Eben Griffin, given by Janice Griffin.

Shared Agape Meal (bread and wine or juice before each person, in person at the altar)

(Deacon) – Let us pray. Be with us, Spirit of God;
   nothing can separate us from your love.
Breathe on us, breath of God;
   fill us with your saving power.
Speak in us, wisdom of God;
   bring strength, healing, and peace.
Let us bless God, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
   may His mercy endure forever.

(Officiant 2) - We have gathered together to celebrate new life in Christ. We are ready to be fed. We take the food and drink of our love feast, the constant presence of the Spirit of Life, mindful of a relationship of love and trust between ourselves and God. Open our graves, unbind our eyes, and name us here; touch and heal all that has been buried in us; that we need not cling to our pain, but may go forth with power to release resurrection in the world. May it nourish our bodies and give us strength to carry out Your plan for peace in our lives. Compassionate God, You have compassion enough for all. You invite us to come away with you to a place of rest and quiet. Teach us to follow you, to trust you, to love you and to love as you love. Teach us to have compassion for others as you do. Help us to show compassion in action the way you did.

(Officiant 2) - And now, let us imagine sitting on the hillside with Jesus, filled with love, as He teaches us 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.

(Officiant 2) - Let us share the feast with each other! Experience the grace of God!
(Now, each person is invited to take a portion of food and drink of the love feast, as others join around the altar rail for Agape Meal)

Agape Meal Voluntary
Bread of the World, In Mercy Broken

Prayer of Thanksgiving
(Officiant 2) - Let us pray: God of all blessings, source of all life, giver of all grace: We thank you for the gift of life, for the breath that sustains life, for the food of this earth that nurtures life, for the love of family and friends without which there would be no life.

We thank you for the mystery of creation: for the beauty that the eye can see, for the joy that the ear may hear, for the unknown that we cannot behold filling the universe with wonder, for the expanse of space that draws us beyond the definitions of our selves.

We thank you for setting us in communities: for families who nurture our becoming, for friends who love us by choice, for companions at work, who share our burdens and daily tasks, for strangers who welcome us into their midst, for people from other lands who call us to grow in understanding, for children who lighten our moments with delight, for the unborn, who offer us hope for the future.

We thank you for this day: for life and one more day to love, for opportunity and one more day to work for justice and peace, for neighbors and one more person to love and by whom be loved, for your grace and one more experience of your presence, for your promise: to be with us, to be our God, and to give salvation. For these, and all blessings, we give you thanks, eternal, loving God, through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

The Passing of the Peace
(Officiant 2) - Christ is here right now making peace among us!
The peace of the Lord be always with you,
And also with you.

Announcements

Final Blessing
Go forth into the world in faithfulness. Join all those who have danced with the Lord throughout the generations. Take the song and rhythm of God’s Word into the world, and invite others to celebrate the joy with you. And may the Blessing of God: Eternal Majesty, Living Word and Abiding Spirit, be with you now and forever more! AMEN

(Officiant 2) - Closing Hymn LEVAS 143
Wade in the Water

Benediction
(Mute your microphones and listen to the musical offering)

God be with you till we meet again;
By his counsels guide uphold you;
With his sheep securely fold you;
God be with you till we meet again.

(Deacon) – Dismissal
Our meal is ended, but God’s banquet continues. Let us take the banquet into the world, and never give up until all people are fed. Thanks be to God.

(Small pause)

(Officiant 2) - As we leave one another today with joyful voices of goodbye, let us remember the words of St. Augustine in his confessions: “O God, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” Stay in love with God as God’s light shines in your lives until we meet again! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Postlude
ITALIAN HYMN                Albert L. Travis

Special thanks to our worship assistants this morning:
Greeter/Usher/Candle Lighter     Ginna Coulson
Zoom Prayer Host                       Carolyne Ndai
1^st Lesson and Psalm:               Mary Gordon
2^nd Lesson:                                Sue Dugan
Prayers of the People:               Allen Hill
Voice of the People:                   Bill Hooper
Counters:                                    Gail Arnold
                                                    Erika Bianchi