St. Francis Church Biblically minded. Mission Driven.

The Right Reverend John C. Bauerschmidt--Bishop of Tennessee

The Reverend Joseph B. Howard--Vicar

Order of Worship:

St. Francis Church is a community dedicated to the

transformation of lives through the Gospel of Jesus Christ for
the Kingdom of God.

The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

The Eleventh Sunday after Trinity
Proper 13, Year A
A congregation of the Diocese of Tennessee and the world-wide Anglican Communion
A note for visitors: We’re thankful that you could join us for worship today, and we
pray God blesses you in your time here. The service is printed in your bulletin. If you
have any questions don’t hesitate to ask someone around you!

St. Francis Church wants to encourage families to worship together. In order to be

a community where all ages feel welcome, we provide coloring materials for children to
use during worship and seek to be a community that understands the specific gifts and
challenges that children bring. We encourage you, should you feel comfortable doing so,
to sit toward the front with your children, as little-ones are often more attentive if they
can see what is happening.

That being said, we understand that there may be times when it is best to take
advantage of child care, which we have available in the room immediately through the
Kitchen off of the entryway.

In Preparation for worship: We invite you to take a few moments before the service
begins to be still, and rest from the business of your lives. Take time to breathe deeply,
and reflect upon the past week. When you’re ready, you might say the following prayer
or one like it in preparation for worship.

O Almighty God, who pours out on all who desire it the spirit of grace and
of supplication: Deliver us, when we draw near to you, from coldness of
heart and wanderings of mind, that with steadfast thoughts and kindled
affections we may worship you in spirit and in truth; though Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.

2
 The Word of God
Processional: I come with joy to meet my Lord Hymnal 304

Opening Acclamation:
All Standing

Celebrant: Blessed be God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

People: And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.

Collect for Purity:

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.

3
Canticle 20, Glory to God: Gloria in excelsis S 280

Celebrant: The Lord be with you.

People: And also with you.
Celebrant: Let us pray.
4
Collect of the Day:

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.

First Reading: Nehemiah 9:16-20

All sit.

In a prayer, the priest Ezra tells of God’s love and faithfulness for his people, even when
they are faithless and turn away from him.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Nehemiah:

Ezra blessed the Lord and said, “But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and
stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments. They refused to obey and
were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their
neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready
to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did
not forsake them. Even when they had made for themselves a golden calf and said, ‘This is
your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and had committed great blasphemies, you in
your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud to lead them
in the way did not depart from them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night to light for them
the way by which they should go. You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not
withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst.”

Reader: The Word of the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.

The Psalm of the day:

Remain seated

Psalm 78:14-20, 23-25

14 He led them with a cloud by day, *

and all the night through with a glow of fire.

15 He split the hard rocks in the wilderness *
and gave them drink as from the great deep.

16 He brought streams out of the cliff, *
and the waters gushed out like rivers.

17 But they went on sinning against him, *
rebelling in the desert against the Most High.

18 They tested God in their hearts, *
demanding food for their craving.

19 They railed against God and said, *
“Can God set a table in the wilderness?

5
 20 True, he struck the rock, the waters gushed out, and the
gullies overflowed; *
but is he able to give bread
or to provide meat for his people?”

23 So he commanded the clouds above *
and opened the doors of heaven.

24 He rained down manna upon them to eat *
and gave them grain from heaven.

25 So mortals ate the bread of angels; *
he provided for them food enough.

Second Reading: Romans 8:35-39

Paul declares with confidence that nothing can separate us from God’s love if we trust in
God as revealed in Jesus Christ.

A Reading from Paul’s letter to the Church in Rome.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution,
or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am
sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to
come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to
separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Reader: The Word of the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.

6
Sequence Hymn: O Christ the Word incarnate Hymnal 632

7
Holy Gospel: Matthew 14:13-21
All stand.

Jesus challenges his disciples to feed a crowd with only five loaves and two fish. To the
amazement of everyone, all those who have gathered are miraculously satisfied.

Gospeller: The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to _______.
People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Now when Jesus heard that John the Baptist was dead, he withdrew from there in a boat
to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot
from the towns. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion
on them and healed their sick. Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and
said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into
the villages and buy food for themselves.” But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you
give them something to eat.” They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two
fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on
the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a
blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave
them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets
full of the broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men,
besides women and children.

Gospeller: The Gospel of the Lord

People: Praise to you, Lord Christ

Sermon: The Rev. Joseph B. Howard

The Nicene Creed

We

believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
8
 and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The Prayers of the People

Leader: Let us pray

In our Diocese we pray for the Church of St. Joseph of Arimathea,

Hendersonville.

In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer we pray Pray for the Lambeth Conference -
Canterbury Cathedral and The Scottish Episcopal Church The Most Rev’d Idris
Jones Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church & Bishop of Glasgow & Galloway

Father, we pray for your holy Catholic Church;

People: That we all may be one.

Leader: Grant that every member of the Church may truly and humbly serve you;
People: That your Name may be glorified by all people.

Leader: We pray for all bishops, priests, and deacons;

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

Leader: We pray for all who govern and hold authority in the nations of the
world;
People: That there may be justice and peace on the earth.

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

People: That our works may find favor in your sight.

Leader: Have compassion on those who suffer from any grief or trouble;
People: That they may be delivered from their distress.

Leader: Give to the departed eternal rest;

People: Let light perpetual shine upon them.

Leader: We praise you for your saints who have entered into joy;
People: May we also come to share in your heavenly kingdom.

Leader:

Let us pray for our own needs and those of others.

Silence
9
Celebrant: O Lord our God, accept the fervent prayers of your people; in the multitude
of your mercies, look with compassion upon us and all who turn to you for
help; for you are gracious, O lover of souls, and to you we give glory,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

The Confession

Celebrant: Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

Silence.

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.

Celebrant: 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.

All stand

Celebrant: The peace of the Lord be always with you.

People: And also with you.

Then the Ministers and the People may greet one another in the name of the Lord.

10
 The Holy Communion
Offertory music selected by the musician
All stand for the Doxology: Hymnal 380 (last verse)

Celebrant: All things come of thee O Lord.

People: And of thine own have we given thee.

Celebrant: The Lord be with you.

People: And also with you.

Celebrant: Lift up your hearts.

People: We lift them to the Lord.

Celebrant: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

People: It is right to give him thanks and praise.

It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you,
Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.

For you are the source of light and life; you made us in your image, and called us to new
life in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the
company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:

The Sanctus: S-130

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
11
 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

Please kneel or stand at this time, as best helps you to pray.

Holy and gracious Father: In your infinite love you made us for yourself; and, when we
had fallen into sin and become subject to evil and death, you, in your mercy, sent Jesus
Christ, your only and eternal Son, to share our human nature, to live and die as one of
us, to reconcile us to you, the God and Father of all.

He stretched out his arms upon the cross, and offered himself, in obedience to your will, a
perfect sacrifice for the whole world.

On the night he was handed over to suffering and death, our Lord Jesus Christ took
bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and
said, “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of
me.”

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. Whenever you drink it, do this for the
remembrance of me.”

Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith:

Christ has died.

Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.

We celebrate the memorial of our redemption, O Father, in this sacrifice of praise and
thanksgiving. Recalling his death, resurrection, and ascension, we offer you these gifts.

Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of your Son,
the holy food and drink of new and unending life in him. Sanctify us also that we may
faithfully receive this holy Sacrament, and serve you in unity, constancy, and peace; and
at the last day bring us with all your saints into the joy of your eternal kingdom.

All this we ask through your Son Jesus Christ. By him, and with him, and in him, in the
unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever.
AMEN.

And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed by 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,
12
for ever and ever. Amen.

The Breaking of the Bread

Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
Therefore let us keep the feast.

The Gifts of God for the People of God. Take them in remembrance that Christ died for
you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.

ON RECEIVING COMMUNION: All baptized Christians who are in love and charity
with their neighbors are welcome to receive communion. If you do not wish to receive,
you are invited to come for a prayer of blessing—simply cross your arms over your chest
to let the servers know that you will not be receiving. Prayers before receiving can
be found on pages 337 (the Prayer of Humble Access) and 834 in the Book of Common
Prayer (the red books available under your chairs).

Communion music:

Post-Communion Prayer

After Communion, the Celebrant says:

Let us Pray

The minister and people together, pray:

Almighty and everliving God,
we thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food
of the most precious Body and Blood
of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ;
and for assuring us in these holy mysteries
that we are living members of the Body of your Son,
and heirs of your eternal kingdom.
And now, Father, send us out
13
to do the work you have given us to do,
to love and serve you
as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord.
To him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit,
be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

The Blessing

The Recessional: O day of radiant gladness Hymnal 48

14
Celebrant says the dismissal
People: Thanks be to God.

A Note on Today’s Readings

Proper 13, Year A

Welcome to St. Francis Church. Church. Throughout the Bible God uses food as a primary
means of calling the people together and of revealing the divine presence to them. Today
we have Matthew’s account of the feeding of the 5,000. For early Christians this account’s
importance lay not so much in the miraculous multiplying of the loaves and fishes as in
its resemblance to the Eucharist, their own way—and ours—of experiencing Jesus’
continuing presence in their midst.

In the first reading, the Jewish leader Ezra remembers God’s unswerving love for
Israel. Even though the people in the exodus rebelled against God, God continued to
care for them, to lead them, and to feed them.

The second reading today brings us to a point in Paul’s letter to Rome in which his
extended discourse on grace and faith leads him into an outburst of praise which is one
of the most stirring expressions of faith in the scriptures.

Religious meals are one of the universal expressions of human religion. All the insights
of God’s long love affair with humanity are summed up in these meals. Given deeper
and fuller meaning by the Passover of Israel and finally used by Jesus to interpret the
meaning of his death and resurrection, the Eucharist becomes for us the fullest and
most complete revelation of God’s love and of his salvation.

From The Rite Light: Reflections on the Sunday Readings and Seasons of the Church Year. Copyright © 2007 by Michael W. Merriman.

Church Publishing Incorporated, New York.

15
 Bishop of Tennessee
The Rt. Rev. John C. Bauerschmidt

Vicar
The Rev. Joseph B. Howard

Mission Council
Ralph Eddy
Linda Palmer
Thom Chittom
Shelley Sircy
clerk: Nanci Frey

Accompanist
Thomas Duffy

Schedule of Ministry:
Celebrant & Preacher: The Rev. Joseph B. Howard Reader: Anna Howard
Acolyte/Crucifer: Adam Waltenbaugh Prayer Station: Linda Palmer
Oblationers: The Chittom Family Chalicist: Shelley Sircy
To check the schedule online, visit:
http://stfrancis-tn.net and go to congregational resources-->schedule

To get in touch with Fr. Jody for any reason, you can reach him at the Church, 851-0790, his cell, 440-6492 or via
email at frjody@stfrancis-tn.net.
_______________________________________________________________________________

St. Francis Church

Biblically minded. Mission driven.
812 Meadowlark Ln
PO Box 697
Goodlettsville, TN 37072
Phone: 851-0790
http://stfrancis-tn.net

Cover Image: Salome with the head of John the Baptist. by Bernardino Luini, 1512
Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN, https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-search.pl

CCLI License No. 2334637

Oneliscence.net No. A-714717

Have a topic you’d like to know more about, something for the inquirers class? Is there
something in particular you’d like Fr. Jody to address at some point in a sermon? Write it
down in this area, tear it off and put it in the collection plate as it comes by.

16