SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2019: PROPER 18 THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 10:00 A.M. HOLY EUCHARIST FAMILY SERVICE BLESSING OF THE BACKPACKS! We are delighted to have you with us today. You are invited to God’s table to receive communion and to share in our community. If you are visiting, please introduce yourself and fill out a Welcome Card. Place the card in the offering plate or hand it to an usher. If you are looking for a church to call home, you are welcome here! CHILDREN AT ST. JOHN’S Children’s Chapel is offered for ages ten and under during the Gospel and Sermon, with infant and toddler care in the nursery. We enjoy a family worship service and Children’s Sermon on the second Sunday of the month. THE WORD OF GOD OPENING HYMN “Lift High the Cross” vs. 1-3, The Hymnal 473 The People stand as able for the Hymn and opening THE OPENING ACCLAMATION Celebrant Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. People And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and for ever. Amen. THE 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. GATHERING HYMN “They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love” vs. 1, 2, 4 THE COLLECT OF THE DAY Celebrant The Lord be with you. People And also with you. Celebrant Let us pray. Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; for, as you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. THE LESSONS The People Sit A READING FROM THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES DEUTERONOMY 30:15-20 Look at what I’ve done for you today: I’ve placed in front of you life and good, death and evil. And I command you today: Love God, your God. Walk in his ways. Keep his commandments, regulations, and rules so that you will live, really live, live exuberantly, blessed by God, your God, in the land you are about to enter and possess. But I warn you: If you have a change of heart, refuse to listen obediently, and willfully go off to serve and worship other gods, you will most certainly die. You won’t last long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. I call Heaven and Earth to witness against you today: I place before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your children will live. And love God, your God, listening obediently to him, firmly embracing him. Oh yes, he is life itself, a long life settled on the soil that God, your God, promised to give your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Lector The Word of the Lord. People Thanks be to God. PSALM 1 Remaining seated, the Lector and the People say the Psalm responsively 1 Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, * nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seats of the scornful! 2 Their delight is in the law of the Lord, * and they meditate on his law day and night. 3 They are like trees planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; * everything they do shall prosper. 4 It is not so with the wicked; * they are like chaff which the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes, * nor the sinner in the council of the righteous. 6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, * but the way of the wicked is doomed. A READING FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT PHILEMON 1-21 I, Paul, am a prisoner for the sake of Christ, here with my brother Timothy. I write this letter to you, Philemon, my good friend and companion in this work—also to our sister Apphia, to Archippus, a real trooper, and to the church that meets in your house. God’s best to you! Christ’s blessings on you! Every time your name comes up in my prayers, I say, “Oh, thank you, God!” I keep hearing of the love and faith you have for the Master Jesus, which brims over to other believers. And I keep praying that this faith we hold in common keeps showing up in the good things we do, and that people recognize Christ in all of it. Friend, you have no idea how good your love makes me feel, doubly so when I see your hospitality to fellow believers. In line with all this I have a favor to ask of you. As Christ’s ambassador and now a prisoner for him, I wouldn’t hesitate to command this if I thought it necessary, but I’d rather make it a personal request. While here in jail, I’ve fathered a child, so to speak. And here he is, hand- carrying this letter—Onesimus! He was useless to you before; now he’s useful to both of us. I’m sending him back to you, but it feels like I’m cutting off my right arm in doing so. I wanted in the worst way to keep him here as your stand-in to help out while I’m in jail for the message. But I didn’t want to do anything behind your back, make you do a good deed that you hadn’t willingly agreed to. Maybe it’s all for the best that you lost him for a while. You’re getting him back now for good—and no mere slave this time, but a true Christian brother! That’s what he was to me—he’ll be even more than that to you. So if you still consider me a comrade-in-arms, welcome him back as you would me. If he damaged anything or owes you anything, chalk it up to my account. This is my personal signature—Paul—and I stand behind it. (I don’t need to remind you, do I, that you owe your very life to me?) Do me this big favor, friend. You’ll be doing it for Christ, but it will also do my heart good. I know you well enough to know you will. You’ll probably go far beyond what I’ve written. And by the way, get a room ready for me. Because of your prayers, I fully expect to be your guest again. Epaphras, my cellmate in the cause of Christ, says hello. Also my coworkers Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke. All the best to you from the Master, Jesus Christ! Lector The Word of the Lord. People Thanks be to God. A������� C���� �� P����� SEQUENCE HYMN “Celtic Alleluia” Province of the Episcopal Church of Sudan The People stand as able for the hymn and the Gospel P������ P������� Church of St. John the Evangelist, Hasti ngs, England Santa Maria Magdalena, Favorito, Cuba La Gran Familia, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico D������� C���� �� P����� Church of the Good Shepherd, Sundance S������ �� ��� M������� Pvt. First Class August Boldt Pvt. First Class Briton Bommer Charlie Ezzell THE HOLY GOSPEL Pvt. Jacob Farney LUKE 14:25-33 Lt. Wolf Klotz Staff Sgt. Brian Luciano Deacon The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke. I� N��� �� C������ People Glory to you, Lord Christ. Eric Bertelson Rebecca Bollman Stan Burch One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, Jesus turned and Cate and Rob Meghan Davis told them, “Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, Warren Deviney Melissa Eastman children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one’s own self!—can’t be my disciple. Anyone Blair Eklund who won’t shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can’t be my disciple. “Is Everett Family Joanie Farrow there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn’t fi rst sit down and Feagin Family Jeff Gilbert fi gure the cost so you’ll know if you can complete it? If you only get the foundation Silas Hays Frank Johnson laid and then run out of money, you’re going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing Mary Kilgannon Robin Koop by will poke fun at you: ‘He started something he couldn’t fi nish.’ “Or can you Ellen Linn Kip MacMillan imagine a king going into battle against another king without fi rst deciding whether Maggie Julie Mathes it is possible with his ten thousand troops to face the twenty thousand troops of the Lauren Muller other? And if he decides he can’t, won’t he send an emissary and work out a truce? John Oaks Will Obering “Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or Tyler Pack Jon Peterson people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple. Jim Ross Kelly Sales Cora Schwabacher Deacon The Gospel of the Lord. Charlee Shaw & Family Susie Sheffi eld People Praise to you, Lord Christ. LaBounta Simpson Mary Talisman Russell Tanner THE CHILDREN’S SERMON Jimmy Bartz Nikki Thompson Sarah Turner The People may be seated Elizabeth Whitt lesey Ann Willott A moment of silence will be observed for refl ection after the sermon Cindy Windfi eld C���������� B�������� BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER (BCP): P.