August 9, 2020 5 p.m.
Christ Church Cathedral Houston, Texas
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost The Holy Eucharist five o’clock in the evening The Very Rev. Barkley S. Thompson, Dean We welcome you to Christ Church Cathedral. Since 1839, this Christian community has gathered for worship.
Opening Music Three Traditional Tunes (English, Scottish, and Irish) Hymn “O Changeless Christ”
Kilmarnock
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith (b. 1926) ~ Tune: KILMARNOCK ~ Music by N. Dougall (1776-1862); Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. CCL #11426131
The Word of God Celebrant Welcome to this holy place. People Friend and stranger, saint and sinner, all who gather here. Celebrant Come all who hunger, all who thirst for life in all its fullness. Come with
hope or hesitation; come with joy or yearning; come. People Generous God and generous Savior, touch us through your Spirit. Celebrant The Lord be with you. People And also with you. Celebrant Let us pray.
Stay with us, Lord, since the day is far spent and the night is coming; kindle our hearts on the Way, that we may recognize you in the scriptures, in the breaking of the bread, and in each other. Amen.
The First Reading Reader
Genesis 37:1–4, 12–28
A Reading from the Book of Genesis.
Jacob settled in the land where his father had lived as an alien, the land of Canaan. This is the story of the family of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his brothers; he was a helper to the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he had made him a long robe with sleeves. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him. Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem. And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” He answered, “Here I am.” So he said to him, “Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the 1
flock; and bring word back to me.” So he sent him from the valley of Hebron. He came to Shechem, and a man found him wandering in the fields; the man asked him, “What are you seeking?” “I am seeking my brothers,” he said; “tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.” The man said, “They have gone away, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers, and found them at Dothan. They saw him from a distance, and before he came near to them, they conspired to kill him. They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; then we shall say that a wild animal has devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams.” But when Reuben heard it, he delivered him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him” — that he might rescue him out of their hand and restore him to his father. So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the long robe with sleeves that he wore; and they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it. Then they sat down to eat; and looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels carrying gum, balm, and resin, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers agreed. When some Midianite traders passed by, they drew Joseph up, lifting him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt. Reader People
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Hymn “Be Thou a Smooth Way”
trad. Scottish
Words: Briege OHare, based on Carmina Gadelica ~ Music by Briege O’Hare, arr. Keith Duke; © 2005 Kevin Mayhew, Ltd. ~ Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. CCL# 11426131
The Holy Gospel Deacon People
Matthew 14:22–33 The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew. Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, 2
and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” Deacon People
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Reflection
The Rev. Gregory Seme, Curate
Prayers of the People (The People may remain seated.) The Leader begins
As evening falls and courage sometimes falters, let us turn our hearts to God in prayer. Silence
We pray for those gathered here and all that lies heavy on our hearts. We pray that you would know our needs even before we recognize them. Grant us those good things for which we dare not, or in our blindness cannot, ask. Silence
We pray for those in positions of leadership in the world, our nation, our state, and our city. Grant them the spirit of wisdom, charity, and justice, that they may promote the well-being of all people. Silence
We pray for the sick, the bereaved, the oppressed, and the homeless, that they may be comforted by your Holy Spirit, who brings light to the darkest places. Silence
We pray for the broken and torn fabric of the earth as it yearns for healing, trusting that you make all things new. Silence
We pray for this and all communities of faith. We pray that you would open the hearts of your faithful to seek your truth and pursue it in love. Silence
We pray that you would disturb us, Lord, when our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little; when with the abundance of things we possess we have lost our thirst for the water of life. Push back, we pray, the horizons of our hopes, and move us into your future in strength, courage, hope, and love.
The Confession and Absolution Celebrant Let us confess our sins. 3
The People stand.
Merciful God, we have sinned in what we have thought and said, in the wrong we have done and in the good we have not done. We have sinned in ignorance; we have sinned in weakness; we have sinned through our own deliberate fault. We are truly sorry. We repent and turn to you. Forgive us, for our Savior Christ’s sake, and renew our lives to the glory of your name. Amen. Celebrant
Through the cross of Christ, God have mercy on you, pardon you, and set you free. Know that you are forgiven and be at peace. God strengthen you in all goodness and keep you in life eternal. Amen.
The Peace Celebrant The peace of the Lord be always with you. People And also with you.
The People greet one another in the name of the Lord.
The Holy Communion Offertory Solo “So the Day Dawn”
Justin Shen, soloist
Wildridge, St. Charles, and Queensborough Terrace
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith ©1993 Hope Publishing Co. ~ Music: WILDRIDGE and ST CHARLES, QUEENSBOROUGH; Music by David Ashley White ~ © 1996 Selah Publishing Co., Inc. ~ Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. CCL # 11426131
The Great Thanksgiving Celebrant Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest. With friend, with stranger, with young People
and old, be among us tonight. Come close to us that we may come close to you. Strengthen us that we may strengthen one another. Renew us that where we have failed, we may begin again.
The People kneel or stand.
In the beginning God made the world. The world flowed from God and God shaped it, filling it with light and life. God knew the world, but we chose not to know God. We turned from God, and though God sought us through patriarchs, matriarchs, and prophets, still we strayed. Our rebellion imperiled the fullness God intends for us, and when the world could bear no more, God sent Jesus, his Son. Among friends, gathered round a table, Jesus took bread, and, having blessed it, he broke the bread and gave it to his disciples saying, “This is my body which is given for you.” In the same way he took 4
wine, and, having given thanks for it, he poured it and gave the cup to his disciples saying, “This cup is the new covenant with God, sealed with my blood. Take this and share it.” Lord Jesus Christ, present with us now, as we do in this place what you did in an upstairs room, breathe your Spirit upon us and upon this bread and wine, that they may be heaven’s food and drink for us, renewing, sustaining, and making us whole, and that we may be your body on earth, loving and caring for the world. Through, with, and for the love of Christ, we share this bread and cup in the unity of your Spirit, Father Almighty. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer 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 forever. Amen.
The Breaking of the Bread Celebrant Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us; People Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia. Celebrant and People
Eternal Light, shine in our hearts. Eternal Power, be our strength. Eternal Wisdom, guide us as we serve you. Eternal Goodness, you have drawn us to your heart and united us in the Sacrament of Christ’s Body and Blood. Now grant that with all our heart, mind, and strength, we may evermore seek your face in all those we meet in the world. Amen.
The Blessing The Dismissal Celebrant Deep peace of the running wave to you. Deep peace of the flowing air to
People 5
you. Deep peace of the quiet earth to you. Deep peace of the shining stars to you. Deep peace of the Son of God to you. Deep peace, deep peace. Thanks be to God.
Closing Music An Irish Tune by Turlough O’Carolan (1670–1738) Becky Baxter, Music Coordinator and Harpist for The Well Kimberly Clark, flautist Sally Keller, cellist The Book of Remembrance This week we remember John Edward Lavalle. The Beauty of Flowers The flowers on the Cathedral altar are given to the glory of God in loving memory of John’s father, Charles Thomas Unger.
Welcome
Sunday, August 9, 2020 Announcements Mark your calendar for a second Virtual Summer Place next Sunday • On August 16 at 10 a.m., come for a second helping of our virtual coffee hour, where once again we will gather on Zoom for informal fellowship. Visit the “Registrations & Downloads” page on our website to register. Registration is open for Education for Ministry (EfM) • Six to twelve participants and a trained mentor will meet weekly over the course of the academic year to study the Old Testament, New Testament, church history, and theology. EfM will meet on Tuesdays from 6:30-9:00 p.m. beginning September 8. For more information on tuition, registration, or about EfM in general, contact one of the mentors: Lucy Wagner, lmwagner1219@gmail. com, or Marilyn Dyess, marilyndyess@gmail.com. Community of Hope International training to become a Lay Chaplain • Lay Chaplains support parishioners by “being ‘present’ in a listening, compassionate, non-controlling manner to an individual or group for the purpose of consciously or unconsciously representing God to them and seeing to respond to their spiritual needs” as the COHI brochure describes. Please contact Minister for Pastoral Care Jody Gillit, jgillit@christchurchcathedral.org, to indicate your interest in serving our community in this meaningful role. Cathedral Reads is in full swing, with many ways to participate • This year, adults are reading A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving while youth and children read R.J. Palacio’s Wonder. Round out a summer of Cathedral Reads with three upcoming Cathedral-wide events, beginning with an all-Cathedral discussion on Sunday, August 23, at 2 p.m. To learn more, click the “Cathedral Reads” button on the homepage of our website. The Cathedral’s online offerings continue • In addition to live streaming our 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 5 p.m. worship services, the Cathedral has a variety of recurring virtual offerings, including Morning, Noonday, and Evening Prayer each weekday. To learn all the ways you can connect with the Cathedral virtually, look for the “Connect to the Cathedral Online” banner on the homepage of our website. How to make a donation online • It is simple to make a donation on the Cathedral website. Look for the tab at the top of the site that says, “Give.” Click on the tab for a variety of ways to make a gift to the Cathedral. We are now offering options to pay via PayPal as well as a new “text-to-give” option. Simply text “Give” to 888-998-1634, and follow the instructions. If you have questions, contact Chief Administrative Officer and Minister for Stewardship Karen Kraycirik at kkraycirik@christchurchcathedral.org or 713-590-3338. For more information about these and other events at the Cathedral, visit christchurchcathedral.org, or cccathedraltx
After-Hours Emergency Pastoral Care Line • 713-826-5332