A Public Service of Healing with Anointing and the Holy Eucharist 5:30 p.m. Paul Jones, 1941 Wednesday, September 04, 2019
St. John’s Episcopal Church Ocean Springs, Mississippi
Welcome to St. John’s. We are very glad you have joined us for worship this evening.
As you prepare for worship, please be sensitive to the needs of those around you who may wish to pray quietly. Please refrain from unnecessary conversation and silence any audible electronic devices.
A Public Service of Healing with Anointing and the Holy Eucharist begins on page 166 of the Book of Occasional Services. The lessons are taken from the Holy Bible (New Revised Standard Version). The hymns, unless otherwise noted, are from the Hymnal 1982. All are printed here for your convenience.
All are invited to dinner in the parish hall immediately following the service.
Celebrant Grace and peace be with you, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. People And also with you.
Celebrant Let us pray.
Merciful God, you sent your beloved Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Raise up in this and every land witnesses who, after the example of your servant Paul Jones, will stand firm in proclaiming the Gospel of the Prince of Peace, our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. First Reading Malachi 2:17—3:5
All sit.
A Reading from the book of the prophet Malachi.
You have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “All who do evil are good in the sight of the LORD, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, “Where is the God of justice?” See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the LORD in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years. Then I will draw near to you for judgment; I will be swift to bear witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired workers in their wages, the widow and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the alien, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.
Reader The Word of the Lord. People Thanks be to God.
Psalm
Remain seated.
Psalm 133 BCP p. 787
Ecce, quam bonum! 1 Oh, how good and pleasant it is, * when brethren live together in unity!
2 It is like fine oil upon the head * that runs down upon the beard,
3 Upon the beard of Aaron, * and runs down upon the collar of his robe.
4 It is like the dew of Hermon *
2 that falls upon the hills of Zion.
5 For there the LORD has ordained the blessing: * life for evermore.
Second Reading 1 Peter 3:8-18
All of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called—that you might inherit a blessing. For “Those who desire life and desire to see good days, let them keep their tongues from evil and their lips from speaking deceit; let them turn away from evil and do good; let them seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will, than to suffer for doing evil. For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.
Reader The Word of the Lord. People Thanks be to God.
3 How wondrous and great thy works, God of praise! Hymnal 533
Holy Gospel John 8:31-32
All stand.
Deacon The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John. People Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
Deacon The Gospel of the Lord. People Praise to you, Lord Christ.
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All sit.
A period of silent reflection on our readings will follow the gospel reading.
The service continues with the Litany of Healing.
Litany of Healing
The Celebrant introduces the Litany with this bidding
Let us name before God those for whom we offer our prayers.
All stand and the People audibly name those for whom they are interceding. A Person appointed then leads the Litany, the People responding.
God the Father, your will for all people is health and salvation; We praise you and thank you, O Lord.
God the Son, you came that we might have life, and might have it more abundantly; We praise you and thank you, O Lord.
God the Holy Spirit, you make our bodies the temple of your presence; We praise you and thank you, O Lord.
Holy Trinity, one God, in you we live and move and have our being; We praise you and thank you, O Lord.
Lord, grant your healing grace to all who are sick, injured, or disabled, that they may be made whole; Hear us, O Lord of life.
Grant to all who seek your guidance, and to all who are lonely, anxious, or despondent, a knowledge of your will and an awareness of your presence; Hear us, O Lord of life.
Mend broken relationships, and restore those in emotional distress to soundness of mind and serenity of spirit; Hear us, O Lord of life.
Bless physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the suffering, granting them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience; Hear us, O Lord of life.
5 Grant to the dying peace and a holy death, and uphold by the grace and consolation of your Holy Spirit those who are bereaved; Hear us, O Lord of life.
Restore to wholeness whatever is broken by human sin, in our lives, in our nation, and in the world; Hear us, O Lord of life.
You are the Lord who does wonders: You have declared your power among the peoples.
With you, O Lord, is the well of life: And in your light we see light.
Hear us, O Lord of life: Heal us, and make us whole.
Let us pray.
All kneel. A period of silence follows. The Celebrant concludes the Prayers with the following Collect.
Almighty God, giver of life and health: Send your blessing on all who are sick, and upon those who minister to them, that all weakness may be vanquished by the triumph of the risen Christ; who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
The Deacon says
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Silence may be kept.
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,
6 and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.
The Celebrant 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. Amen.
The service continues with the exchange of the Peace.
Peace
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. Holy Communion
The Celebrant says
Let us with gladness present the offerings and oblations of our life and labor to the Lord.
Music during preparation of the table
Organ Voluntary
Great Thanksgiving
The people remain standing.
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.
7 The Celebrant proceeds
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
Because you are greatly glorified in the assembly of your saints. All your creatures praise you, and your faithful servants bless you, confessing before the rulers of this world the great Name of your only Son.
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:
Celebrant and People
The people stand or kneel. The Celebrant continues
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.”
8 Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith:
Celebrant and People
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
The Celebrant continues
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.
The Celebrant then continues
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
9 People and Celebrant
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
The Celebrant breaks the consecrated Bread.
A period of silence is kept.
Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us; Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.
Facing the people, the Celebrant says the following Invitation
The Gifts of God for the People of God. and may add Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.
Communion and Anointing with Oil
The ministers receive the Sacrament in both kinds, and then immediately deliver it to the people. The Bread and the Cup are given to the communicants with these words
The Body of Christ, the bread of heaven. [Amen.] The Blood of Christ, the cup of salvation. [Amen.]
Those who wish to receive the laying on of hands and anointing with oil come forward and kneel at the altar rail.
The Celebrant lays hands on each person (and, having dipped a thumb in the oil of the sick, makes the sign of the cross on their foreheads), and says the following
10 [N.,] I lay my hands upon you and anoint you with oil in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Music at Communion
Seek ye first the kingdom of God Hymnal 711
After Communion, the Celebrant says
Let us pray.
Celebrant and People
Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to you, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly yours, utterly dedicated to you; and then use us, we pray, as you will, and always to your glory and the welfare of your people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
11 The Celebrant pronounces this blessing
May God the Father bless you, God the Son heal you, God the Holy Spirit give you strength. May God the holy and undivided Trinity guard your body, save your soul, and bring you safely to his heavenly country; where he lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
A Deacon, or the Celebrant, dismisses the people.
Deacon Let us go forth into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit. People Thanks be to God.
Prayers for the Week We remember Dorothy Cater, Freda Mead, Deedy Munro, Charles C. Ashby and Louise Morgan
We celebrate the birthdays of Gene Newman, Jacqueline Walli, Margaret Gonzalez, Mercer Shepard and Kenneth Cole
We celebrate the wedding anniversaries of Judith & Edward Krecker and Janice & Harold Roberts
In our Diocesan Prayer Cycle we pray for St. Francis in Philadelphia and St. Matthew’s in Kosciusko
In the Panama Cycle of Prayer we pray for the Postulants & Candidates and the Retirement Center
In the Anglican Prayer Cycle we pray for the Diocese of Sialkot in Pakistan
We pray for those in the Armed Forces: Corey David Ingraham, Joey Ranson, Lance Simon, Judd Calhoun Thomas, Brent Poss, Rainey Johnson, Conner Armstrong, Chris Buck
Parish Prayer List
Parish Family: Robert Baker, Toni Norman, Gail Bishop, Morgan Landes, Virginia Montgomery, Bill & Karen Lucas, Wilse Manning, Rhonda Yegerlehner, Joyce DeLier, Marlene McLean, Robert A Davis, Beth LeBlanc Extended Family: Patricia Connor, Steve Sampson Greater Community: Willow, Hoskins family, Bob Gilchrist, Michelle Harris, Laura Seastone Prayers are offered daily by the Daughters of the King.
Announcements A Budding Volunteer Tree. Please help us to envision our "branching out" in the world. St John's excels at mission and outreach to the community on many fronts. The Mission and
12 Outreach liaison team on the vestry, Linda Schroeder and Melissa Johnson, have made a tree that needs to be decked with leaves. We ask St John’s parishioners to write on these leaves the many things that they do in our community. Be it volunteering at the animal shelter, driving people to the hospital, volunteering at the library, engaging in environmental education, feeding the poor, tutoring...or whatever you do...we want to create a symbol that exemplifies faith in action. Visit the bulletin board in the North hallway, write on a leaf, and add the leaf to the volunteer tree. Centering Prayer has begun meeting again on Thursdays at 4:00 p.m. in the nave. Everyone is welcome to practice this contemplative form of worship any Thursday you can come. If you're new to Centering Prayer, we'll be happy to explain this practice and we invite you to try it. Nursery Changes. It is with sadness that we say "Goodbye" to Jacob Jones and Rebecca Baker, our nursery workers. Both are going off to school to this fall. With Jacob and Rebecca leaving us, St. John's is looking for volunteers willing to staff the nursery during a service or event. You can limit your obligation as works best for you. (e.g., "only 9:00 a.m. service on Sundays and only once a month", etc.). There is some training that is required (Red Cross & "Safe Church") and the parish office will work with you to "get you trained." Please let the rector know if you are willing to help in the nursery. P.S. We will temporarily close the nursery until new volunteers are in place. Choir programs this Fall: Cherub Choir – Preschool 5 years through 2nd Grade. Rehearsals are Tuesday afternoons, 3:30-4:00. The Cherubs sing several times a year, usually at 10:15 worship.together and on special celebrations. RSCM Choir – 3rd grade through high school. Rehearsals are Tuesday afternoons, 4:30-5:30 and Choir-active Sundays 10:45am. The RSCM Choir sings twice a month at 11:15 Eucharist and for special celebrations. Chancel Choir – High School and up. Rehearsals are on Wednesday nights, 7:00-8:30pm and Sundays at 8:30 am. The Chancel Choir sings weekly at the 9:00 service. All who love to sing are welcome! If you haven’t sung in our choir before, please contact Cynthia Ramseur and/or come to the first rehearsal this week: 228-282- 5000 [email protected] The Wednesday Bible Study has resumed in the Kindness Room from 10:00-11:00 a.m. The subject will be "How we got our Bible". Each week there will be a 30 minutes video presentation, followed by class discussion. The video presenter is Luke Timothy Johnson, Ph.D. Dr. Johnson is the Robert W. Woodruff Professor of New Testament and Ch1ristian Origins at Emory University's Candler School of Theology in Atlanta, Georgia. A former Benedictine monk, Professor Johnson has taught previously at Yale Divinity School and Indiana University. He is the author of more than 20 books, including The Real Jesus: The Misguided Quest for the Historical Jesus and the Truth of the Traditional Gospels and The Writings of the New Testament: An Interpretation, which is used widely as a textbook. He has also published several hundred articles and reviews. You are invited to come check it out! Name tags. The Rector is on a mission. He wants everyone to know everyone else’s name. To that end, he is asking everyone to begin wearing name tags. If you ordered a name tag, it is available for pickup on the ministry table. (You can deposit $6.50 in the honor box to to cover the expense.)
13 Parish Directories. As a part of the Rector’s mission for everyone to know everyone else’s name: we need photographs. A "head & shoulders" shot of all adults AND a group photo of your clan (if applicable). Email pics to the parish office at [email protected] Or, drop off photographs and the office can scan them and return them.
A Note on Tonight’s Liturgy According to the rubrics of the Book of Occasional Services (from which our liturgy comes this evening), “A sermon or meditation, or a period of silence, or both, may follow the Gospel.” Tonight we observe a period of silence.
After the period of silence, the rubrics call for the service to continue “with the Creed, or with the Prayers of the People. For the Prayers of the People a Litany of Healing...may be used.” Therefore, we continue tonight with Prayers of the People and for the Prayers of the People we use the Litany of Healing from the Book of Occasional Services. St. John’s, Ocean Springs has long used the Litany of Healing in this service, the litany having been introduced by a former parish priest, a number of years ago.
The Book of Occasional Services calls for the anointing with oil immediately prior to the peace. Tonight, however, we will approach the altar for both Holy Communion and anointing with oil after the breaking of the bread and the invitation to receive Holy Communion (as is the common custom of St. John’s, Ocean Springs).
The prayers and lessons used in tonight’s service are those appointed for September 4 in A Great Cloud of Witnesses, a liturgical resource approved for “devotional or catechetical use, or use in public worship” in the Episcopal Church.
Paul Jones, Bishop and Peace Advocate, 1941
Paul Jones was born in 1880 in the rectory of St. Stephen’s Church, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. After graduating from Yale University and the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, he accepted a call to serve a mission in Logan, Utah. In 1914 Paul Jones was appointed Archdeacon of the Missionary District of Utah and, later that year, was elected its Bishop. Meanwhile, World War I had begun.
As Bishop of Utah, Paul Jones did much to expand the Church’s mission stations and to strengthen diocesan institutions. At the same time he spoke openly about his opposition to war.
With the United States entry into the war, the Bishop of Utah’s views became increasingly controversial. At a meeting of the Fellowship of Reconciliation in Los Angeles in 1917, Bishop Jones expressed his belief that “war is unchristian,” for which he was attacked with banner headlines in the Utah press.
As a result of the speech and the reaction it caused in Utah, a commission of the House of Bishops was appointed to investigate the situation. In their report, the commission concluded that “The underlying contention of the Bishop of Utah seems to be that war is unchristian. With this general statement the Commission cannot agree. . . .” The report went on to recommend that
14 “The Bishop of Utah ought to resign his office,” thus rejecting Paul Jones’ right to object to war on grounds of faith and conscience.
In the spring of 1918, Bishop Jones, yielding to pressure, resigned as Bishop of Utah. For the next 23 years, until his death on September 4, 1941, he continued a ministry within the Church dedicated to peace and conscience, speaking always with a conviction and gentleness rooted in the Gospel.
In his farewell to the Missionary District of Utah in 1918, Bishop Jones said: “Where I serve the Church is of small importance, so long as I can make my life count in the cause of Christ. . . . Expediency may make necessary the resignation of a Bishop at this time, but no expedience can ever justify the degradation of the ideals of the episcopate which these conclusions seem to involve.”
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