THE EPISCOPAL OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST 2018 DEWITT TERRACE, LINDEN, NJ 07036 ALL ARE WELCOME!

PROPER 22 OCTOBER 4, 2020

1. When you come to church, please keep your face mask on throughout the service. You can remove the face mask to receive Holy and then put it on. 2. If you wish to use the Rest Room, after you use the toilet please wash your hands thoroughly, use a disposal sanitizing wipe to clean the handle on the toilet, the handles on the sink and the handles on the door. A garbage can will be placed outside the Rest Room for the used sanitized wipes. 3. Upon entering into the church, the Church Usher will direct you to the first available seat. People will be seated from the front of the church to the rear. We regret that you cannot sit in your accustomed seats. 4. We shall sit two persons in each pew. One person will sit close to the wall and the other person near the aisle. 5. For persons who live together or are in a “bubble,” you can sit next to each other in the same pew. 6. For persons who do not live together you are asked to maintain 6 feet of distance. 7. We shall place an alms basin near the Baptismal font to allow you to drop your pledge into the alms basin before you take your seat. 8. While prerecorded hymns will be sung, please do not sing.

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The Episcopal Church of St. John the Baptist 2018 Dewitt Terrace, Linden, NJ 07036 Phone: 908-925-1535 – www.lindenepiscopal.org www.facebook.com/stjohnslinden - e-mail: [email protected]

Vestry Members Sue Shubeck, Sr. Warden Mike Shubeck, Jr. Warden Carolynne Baykowski Kim Cokelet Barbaranne DiMarco Sunita Gordhan Marcel Handy James Splond Elaine Sugzda Nancy Wall Howard Whitmore

Clergy The Reverend Peter De Franco The Reverend David Lawson-Beck,

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PROPER 22 OCTOBER 4, 2020 THE WORD OF GOD GATHERING HYMN: GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS (Please do not sing.) Words and Music; First Line: Great is thy faithfulness © 1923, ren. 1951, Hope Publishing Company Contributors: William Runyan, Thomas O. Chisholm, Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE A-730117. All rights reserved

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THE OPENING ACCLAMATION : Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. People: And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.

INVITATION TO WORSHIP Priest: Blessed are you, Lord God, King of the universe. Your word illumines the dawn of morning. Priest and People: Your wisdom creates both night and day. You determine the cycles of time. You arrange the succession of seasons and establish the stars in their heavenly courses. The Lord of hosts is your name. Living and eternal God, rule over us always. Blessed be the Lord, whose word makes evening fall.

SONG OF PRAISE: (Please do not sing.) Gloria Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

THE OF THE DAY (Revised Common Prayers) Priest: The Lord be with you. People: And also with you. Priest: Let us pray.

Holy God, you love justice and hate oppression; you call us to righteousness and not to exploitation. Give us generous and loving hearts, and eyes to see the splendor of your reign, that we may live in truth and honor, and praise you for the transformation of our lives, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE LESSONS Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20 God spoke all these words: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they were afraid and trembled and stood at a distance, and said to Moses, "You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we will die."

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Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin." Reader: The Word of the Lord People: Thanks be to God

Psalm 19 Caeli enarrant

1 The heavens declare the glory of God, * and the firmament shows his handiwork. 2 One day tells its tale to another, * and one night imparts knowledge to another. 3 Although they have no words or language, * and their voices are not heard, 4 Their sound has gone out into all lands, * and their message to the ends of the world. 5 In the deep has he set a pavilion for the sun; * it comes forth like a bridegroom out of his chamber; it rejoices like a champion to run its course. 6 It goes forth from the uttermost edge of the heavens and runs about to the end of it again; * nothing is hidden from its burning heat. 7 The law of the LORD is perfect and revives the soul; * the testimony of the LORD is sure and gives wisdom to the innocent. 8 The statutes of the LORD are just and rejoice the heart; * the commandment of the LORD is clear and gives light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is clean and endures for ever; * the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, more than much fine gold, * sweeter far than honey, than honey in the comb. 11 By them also is your servant enlightened, * and in keeping them there is great reward. 12 Who can tell how often he offends? * cleanse me from my faults. 13 Above all, keep your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not get dominion over me; * then shall I be whole and sound, and innocent of a great offense. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, * O LORD, my strength and my redeemer.

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Second Lesson: Philippians 3:3b-14

If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

Reader: The Word of the Lord People: Thanks be to God

Gospel Matthew 21:33-46

Deacon: The Holy of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew People: Glory to you, Lord Christ

Jesus said, "Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance." So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?" They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time." Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is amazing in our eyes'? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls." When the chief and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet. Deacon: The Gospel of the Lord. People: Praise to you, Lord Christ

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THE The people stand as able.

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, 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 In the power of the Son, let us pray to God who governs all in heaven and earth, saying, “Lord, hear our prayer.” Inspire your Church always to press forward to the goal to which she is called. Make all her members faithful servants of your will. People: Lord, hear our prayer. Look with mercy on a world when the greed of gain deprives many of their rights. Guide those in authority to govern by the true values of your Kingdom. People: Lord, hear our prayer. In all our dealings with others, teach us not to trust our own desires but to follow where Christ has led. Make us honest in our work, seeking the good of others. People: Lord, hear our prayer. Have mercy on those who have been made poor by the dishonesty of others. Relieve their needs and give them the hope of renewal in your purpose for them. People: Lord, hear our prayer.

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(Deacon offers prayers for churches in the Diocese of New Jersey.) Sustain your church and keep us faithful to you and to one another. Bless Michael, our Presiding , Chip, our Bishop, all who work for your kingdom, both lay and ordained. People: Lord, hear our prayer. We give thanks for those who have come by the power of Christ to the resurrection of the dead. People: Lord, hear our prayer.

Holy One, hear our prayers and make us faithful stewards of the fragile bounty of this earth so that we may be entrusted with the riches of heaven. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION() Deacon: We confess our sin, and the sins of our society, in the misuse of God’s creation.

The People Kneel as Able. Silence is kept. Deacon and People: God our Father, we are sorry for the times when we have used your gifts carelessly, and acted ungratefully. We enjoy the fruits of the harvest, but sometimes forget that you have given them to us. We belong to a people who are full and satisfied, but ignore the cry of the hungry. We are thoughtless, and do not care enough for the world you have made. We store up goods for ourselves alone, as if there were no God and no heaven. Father, in your mercy: forgive us and help us. Amen.

The Priest, stands and says 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. People: Amen.

THE PEACE Celebrant: The peace of the Lord be always with you. People: And also with you.

For the Peace, you are invited to bow or wave to the people near you. Please do not leave your pew to greet people. You can only touch, shake hands or hug persons who live with you.

BIRTHDAY AND ANNIVERSARY PRAYERS For a Birthday O God, our times are in your hand: Look with favor, we pray, on your servant N. as he begins another year. Grant that he may grow in wisdom and grace, and strengthen his trust in your goodness all the days of his life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCP p. 830 #50

For an Anniversary O Lord, our God, you have given us all good things for our salvation. You commanded us to love one another and to bear with one another’s weakness. You yourself are the lover of humankind. To these your servants who love each other in the love of the Spirit grant eternal devotion and true love. We ask this in the Name of Jesus, our Lord. Amen. (Based on Eastern Rite prayer of 9th or 10th Century)

For Travelers O God, our heavenly Father, whose glory fills the whole creation, and whose presence we find wherever we go: Preserve those who travel; surround them with your loving care; protect them from every danger; and bring them in safety to their journey’s end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCP p. 831 #53

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OFFERTORY ANTHEM “THANKFUL” - (Please do not sing.)

THE HOLY EUCHARIST THE GREAT THANKSGIVING (Common Worship Eucharistic Prayer 5) Priest: The Lord be with you. People: And also with you. Priest: Lift up your hearts. People: We lift them to the Lord. Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. People: It is right to give God thanks and praise.

Priest: Blessed are you, strong and faithful God. All your works, the height and the depth, echo the silent music of your praise. In the beginning your Word summoned light, night withdrew, and creation dawned. As ages passed unseen, waters gathered on the face of the earth and life appeared.

People: When the times at last had ripened and the earth grown full in abundance, you created in your image man and woman, the stewards of all creation. You gave us breath and speech, that all the living might find a voice to sing your praise, and to celebrate the creation you call good.

So now, with all the powers of heaven and earth, we sing the ageless hymn of your glory:

Celebrant and People (Please do not sing.) Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

The people kneel as able. All holy God, how wonderful is the work of your hands! When sin had scarred the world, you entered into covenant to renew the whole creation. As a mother tenderly gathers her children, as a father joyfully welcomes his own, you embraced a people as your own and filled them with longing for a peace that would last and for a justice that would never fail.

People: Through countless generations your people hungered for the bread of freedom. From them you raised up Jesus, your Son, the living bread, in whom ancient hungers are satisfied. He healed the sick, though he himself would suffer; he offered life to sinners, though death would hunt him down. But with a love stronger than death, he opened wide his arms and surrendered his spirit.

On the night before he met with death, Jesus came to the table with those he loved. He took bread and praised you, God of all creation. He broke the bread among his disciples and said: “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”

When the supper was ended, he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to you, God of all creation. He passed the cup among his disciples 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.”

Gracious God, as we offer you our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, we commemorate Jesus, your Son. Death could not bind him, for you raised him up in the Spirit of holiness and exalted him as Lord of creation.

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Great is : People: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

Eternal God, let your Holy Spirit move in power over us and over these earthly gifts of bread and wine, that they may be the communion of the body and , and that we may become one in him.

People: May his coming in glory find us ever watchful in prayer, strong in truth and love, and faithful in the breaking of the bread. Then, at last, all peoples will be free, all divisions healed, and with your whole creation, we will sing your praise, through your Son, Jesus Christ.

Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor are yours, almighty Father, forever and ever. People: Amen.

Priest: Let us pray with Christ Jesus that the Father sustain us in our stewardship of the creation we have received. People: 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.

THE BREAKING OF THE BREAD (Enriching our Worship 1) The Celebrant breaks the consecrated Bread. A period of silence is kept.

Celebrant: God of promise, you have prepared a banquet for us. People: Happy are those who are called to the Supper of the Lamb.

FRACTION ANTHEM (Please do not sing.) HYMN #S161 Lamb of God You take away the sins of the world. Have mercy on us. Lamb of God. You take away the sins of the world. Have mercy on us. Lamb of God. You take away the sins of the world. Grant us peace.

Celebrant The Gifts of God for the People of God People: May we who share these gifts be found in Christ and Christ in us.

PRAYER OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION For those who prefer not to receive Holy Communion and for those participating through Facebook Live and Zoom, we shall pray the prayer of Spiritual Communion.

In union, O Lord, with your faithful people at every of your Church, where the Holy Eucharist is now being celebrated, I desire to offer to you praise and thanksgiving. I remember your death, Lord Christ; I proclaim your resurrection; I await your coming in glory. Since I cannot receive you today in the Sacrament of your Body and Blood, I beseech you to come spiritually into my heart. Cleanse and strengthen me with your grace, Lord Jesus, and let me never be separated from you. May I live in you, and you in me, in this life and in the life to come. Amen.

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To receive Holy Communion, you are asked to sanitize your hands when the priest receives Holy Communion. The priest will bring a Consecrated Host to the pews. The priest will take the host from the with tongs and place it on your extended hand.

COMMUNION HYMN - WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS - (Please do not sing.) Words and Music; First Line: What a Friend We Have in Jesus, Contributors: Public Domain, Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE A- 730117. All rights reserved

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HYMN AFTER SPIRITUAL COMMUNION: IN MY LIFE, LORD, BE GLORIFIED (Please do not sing.) Words and Music; First Line: In my life, Lord, be glorified, Contributors: Bob Kilpatrick, Tune: Bob Kilpatrick © 1978, assigned 1998 to Lorenz Corporation Text: Bob Kilpatrick, Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE A-730117. All rights reserved

In my life, Lord, be glorified, be glorified. In my life, Lord, be glorified today.

In my song, Lord, be glorified, be glorified. In my song, Lord, be glorified today.

In your Church, Lord, be glorified, be glorified. In your Church, Lord, be glorified today.

THE PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION (Common Worship) After Communion, the Priest says: Let us pray. Priest and People: Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the universe, creator of light and giver of life, to you be glory and praise for ever. In Jesus your light has shone out; and you have given your Holy Spirit as a mighty stream of life-giving water to refresh and renew the face of the earth. Let your light shine in us that we may be beacons of justice and bearers of hope. Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Blessed be God for ever.

THE BLESSING (Common Worship) May God who clothes the lilies and feeds the birds of the sky, who leads the lambs to pasture and the deer to water, who multiplied loaves and fishes and changed water into wine, lead us, feed us, multiply us, and change us to reflect the glory of our Creator now and through all eternity; And the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. People: Amen.

THE Deacon: Go in the light and peace of Christ. People: Thanks be to God!

Since the Holy Eucharist is finished, the priest will leave the church by the center aisle and greet people in the Narthex. Please remain in your pew until the Church Usher invites you to leave the church. You can take your bulletin with you or you can place it in a bin in the Narthex.

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