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Welcome to St. Alban’s Episcopal ChurchSunday, October 25, 2020

21st Sunday after Pentecost

Before we begin, let us acknowledge that we stand on traditional Snohomish, Coastal Salish land. They cared for this land for millennia. We honor them and pray for the wisdom to care for it as well as they.

Prelude

Opening Acclamation BCP 355Blessed be God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.And blessed be his kingdom now and for ever. Amen.

Almighty and everlasting God, in Christ you have revealed your glory among the nations: Preserve the works of your mercy, that your Church throughout the world may persevere with steadfast faith in the confession of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

GloriaGlory 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 CollectAlmighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The First ReadingA Reading from Deuteronomy, Chapter 34 beginning with the 1st verse

Deuteronomy 34:1-12

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Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho, and the Lord showed him the whole land: Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, the Negeb, and the Plain—that is, the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees—as far as Zoar. The Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants’; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.” Then Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, at the Lord’s command. He was buried in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor, but no one knows his burial place to this day. Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died; his sight was unimpaired and his vigor had not abated. The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the period of mourning for Moses was ended.

Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him; and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. He was unequaled for all the signs and wonders that the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land, and for all the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.

Here ends the Reading.Thanks be to God.

The Psalm: Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17 Domine, refugium

1 Lord, you have been our refuge *from one generation to another.2 Before the mountains were brought forth,or the land and the earth were born, *from age to age you are God.

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3 You turn us back to the dust and say, *"Go back, O child of earth."4 For a thousand years in your sight are like

yesterday when it is past *and like a watch in the night.

5 You sweep us away like a dream; *we fade away suddenly like the grass.

6 In the morning it is green and flourishes; *in the evening it is dried up and withered.

13 Return, O LORD; how long will you tarry? *be gracious to your servants.

14 Satisfy us by your loving-kindness in the morning; *so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.

15 Make us glad by the measure of the days that you afflicted us *and the years in which we suffered adversity.

16 Show your servants your works *and your splendor to their children.

17 May the graciousness of the LORD our God be upon us; *prosper the work of our hands;prosper our handiwork.

The Second ReadingA Reading from Paul’s Epistle to the Thessalonians, Chapter 2 beginning with the 1st verse 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8

You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain, but though we had already suffered and been shamefully mistreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of

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flattery or with a pretext for greed; nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.

Sequence Hymn #450 All Hail the Power (music on page 16 of bulletin)

The Gospel ReadingThe Holy Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ according to Matthew.Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Matthew 22:34-46When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: “What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” He said to them, “How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying,

‘The Lord said to my Lord,“Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”’?

If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?” No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

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The Gospel of the Lord.Praise to you, Lord Christ.

The Sermon

The Nicene Creed BCP 358

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.

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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.

Prayers of the People

A Litany Based on a Prayer Attributed to St. Francis

Leader: With all our heart and all our mind, we pray to you O Lord:

People: Make us instruments of your peace.Leader: For the peace of the world, that a spirit of respect and

forbearance may grow among nations and peoples, [especially in ___________] we pray to you, O Lord:

People: Where there is hatred, let us sow love.Leader: For our enemies and those who wish us harm, and for all

whom we have injured or offended, we pray to you O Lord:

People: Where there is injury, let us sow pardon.Leader: For all who fear God and believe in you, Lord Christ, that

our divisions may cease and all may be one as you and the Father are one, we pray to you, O Lord:

People: Where there is discord, let us sow union.Leader: For those who do not yet believe, for those who have

lost their faith, and those in despair and darkness that they may receive the light of the Gospel, we pray to you, O Lord:

People: Where there is doubt, let us sow faith.Leader: For the poor, the persecuted, the sick and all who suffer;

for refugees, prisoners, and all who are in danger, [especially ______]; that they may be relieved and protected, we pray to you, O Lord:

People: Where there is despair, let us sow hope.Leader: For the mission of the Church, that in faithful witness it

may preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth: for Greg, our bishop, the churches and ministries of this

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diocese, especially ________; Greg, our priest, Jim, our deacon, the members of this congregation, and _________, for whom we give special thanks this week; we pray to you, O Lord:

People: Where there is darkness, let us sow light.Leader: For those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, especially

_________, and those we name now, either silently or aloud (pause); that they may be comforted and healed; give them courage and hope in their troubles; for those who have died, especially ________ and those we now name either silently or aloud (pause); bring them the joy of your salvation, we pray to you, O Lord.

People: Where there is sadness, let us sow joy.

Grant that we may not so much seekto be consoled, as to console;to be understood, as to understandto be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

Confession and Absolution BCP 360Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.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.

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 PeaceThe Peace of the Lord be always with you.

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And also with you.

Anniversaries & Birthdays

Announcements

The Offertory

Offertory Hymn #718 God of Our Fathers (music on page 17 of bulletin)

Eucharistic Prayer 3

Presider The Lord be with you.PeopleAnd also with you.Presider Lift up your hearts.PeopleWe lift them up to the Lord.Presider Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.PeopleIt is right to give our thanks and praise.

Presider All thanks and praise are yours at all times and in all places, our true and loving God; through Jesus Christ, your eternal Word, the Wisdom from on high by whom you created all things. You laid the foundation of the world and enclosed the sea when it burst out from the womb; You brought forth all creatures of the earth and gave breath to humankind.Wondrous are you, Holy One of Blessing, all you create is a sign of hope for our journey; and so as the morning stars sing your praises we join with the heavenly beings and all creation as we shout for joy:Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

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Glory and honor are yours, Creator of all, your Word has never been silent; You called a people to yourself, as a light to the nations, You delivered them from bondage, and led them to the land of promise. Of your grace, You gave Jesus to be human, to share our life, to proclaim the coming our your reign, and give himself for us, a fragrant offering. Through Jesus Christ our Redeemer, You have freed us from sin, brought us into your life, reconciled us to You, and restored us to the glory you intend for us.We thank You that on the night before he died for us Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, gave it to his friends, and said: “Take, eat, this is my Body, broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” After supper Jesus took the cup of wine, said the blessing, gave it to his friends, and said: “Drink this, all of you: This cup is the new Covenant in my Blood, poured out for you and for all for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.”And so, remembering all that was done for us: the cross, the tomb, the resurrection and ascension, longing for Christ’s coming in glory, and presenting to You these gifts your earth has formed and human hands have made, we acclaim you, O Christ:Presider and People

Dying, you destroyed our death.Rising, you restored our life.Christ Jesus, come in glory!

PresiderSend your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts of bread and wine that they may be to us the Body and Blood of your Christ. Grant that we, burning with your Spirit’s power, may be a people of hope, justice, and love.Giver of Life, draw us together in the Body of Christ, and in the fullness of time gather us with blessed Mary, Joseph, Alban, and all your people into the joy of our true eternal home.Through Christ and with Christ and in Christ, by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, we worship You our God and Creator in voices of unending praise.

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Presider and PeopleBlessed are you now and forever. Amen.

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

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.

Fraction AnthemWe break this bread to share in the Body of Christ.We who are many are one body, for we all share in the one bread.

The Breaking of the BreadChrist 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.

Communion Hymn

Post Communion PrayerGod of abundance, You have fed us with the bread of life and cup of salvation; You have united us with Christ and one another; and You have made us one with all your

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St. Alban’s Episcopal Church21405 82nd Place West, Edmonds, WA 98026 Office (425) 778-0371

Sunday Worship 10:30am Facebook LiveAdult Education Sundays 9:30am Zoom

Wednesday Evening Prayer 6pm Facebook Live Email: stalbansedmonds@gmail.com

Fr. Greg Email: gwpeters.stalbansedmonds@gmail.comWebsite www.stalbansedmonds.org

people in heaven and earth. Now send us forth in the power of your Spirit, that we may proclaim your redeeming love to the world and continue for ever in the risen life of Christ our Savior. Amen.

Blessing

DismissalLet us go forth in the name of Christ. Thanks be to God.

Postlude

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St. Alban’s Episcopal Church21405 82nd Place West, Edmonds, WA 98026 Office (425) 778-0371

Sunday Worship 10:30am Facebook LiveAdult Education Sundays 9:30am Zoom

Wednesday Evening Prayer 6pm Facebook Live Email: stalbansedmonds@gmail.com

Fr. Greg Email: gwpeters.stalbansedmonds@gmail.comWebsite www.stalbansedmonds.org

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St. Alban’s seeks to be a welcoming, Christ-centered community committed to sharing Christ’s love, empowering people to grow spiritually, deepening our relationship with Christ,

and living out our faith in our community and the world.

Weekly Sunday Outreach Basket Offerings1st week—Food Bank

2nd week—Discretionary Fund3rd week—Outreach: Cocoon House

4th week—Capital Campaign

Serving in Today’s WorshipCelebrant & Preacher Father Greg PetersDeacon Jim GilmanLector Susan HansonMusic Director & Organist John Lehrack

AnnouncementsEvening Prayer & Vigil Before the Election October 28 th at 6pm: With the upcoming Election Day on November 3rd, this year especially, praying together seems an appropriate response for us as a church community. A special evening prayer is scheduled for Wednesday, October 28th at 6 pm on Facebook with the focus on praying for our nation. We invite you to join together for this special evening of prayer. If you are not able to participate, the Book of Common Prayers has several appropriate prayers for National Life and Social Order on pages 820-822.Zoom Coffee Hour 12:00pm on Sundays: Join us for Zoom Coffee Hour, https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85174822634?

October 25, 2020

Freely giving our all to God“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind’….And … ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” – MATTHEW 22:36-39

BY ROB TOWNES

There’s a saying that the chicken who lays an egg makes a contribution, but the chicken who makes a sandwich offers a sacrifice. One could say that Jesus was alluding to the latter when he responded to the question as to which was the greatest commandment, “You shall love the Lord

your God with all of who you are.” He was asking for more than a contribution; he was asking for the sacrifice of our all.

As the Latin root of the word suggests, a sacrifice — a sacrum facere — makes one holy. Giving generously of that of which you are a steward — your heart, soul, mind and all your possessions — is life giving. And it is countercultural. As the bumper sticker declares, “S/He who dies with the most toys wins.” That’s a powerfully seductive statement. Only with God’s help can we avoid being allured into thinking that it is in acquiring possessions that our life gains meaning. May we grow in the wisdom that a rich life results in trusting that it is in God we live and move and have our being.

This reflection is written while visiting Green Bough House of Prayer in Scott, Georgia. Here the three residents, with the company of 77 associates, have dedicated their lives, their all, to God and have taken on a Rule of Life to embrace silence, prayer, simplicity and living in the present moment, and accept all as coming from God. Do all for God. Offer all to God. This to me is a beautiful example of Faith-Filled Generosity.

Very few members of the Church dedicate themselves to full-time contemplative living, but all of us are invited to learn to live Jesus’ greatest commandment, trusting that in so doing, Faith-Filled Generosity will flourish in our lives.

As we move back into our church buildings, remembering only too well the COVID-19-caused absence of normalcy, may we re-enter with a renewed commitment to freely giving our all to God and faithfully loving our neighbors as ourselves.

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AnnouncementsEvening Prayer & Vigil Before the Election October 28 th at 6pm: With the upcoming Election Day on November 3rd, this year especially, praying together seems an appropriate response for us as a church community. A special evening prayer is scheduled for Wednesday, October 28th at 6 pm on Facebook with the focus on praying for our nation. We invite you to join together for this special evening of prayer. If you are not able to participate, the Book of Common Prayers has several appropriate prayers for National Life and Social Order on pages 820-822.Zoom Coffee Hour 12:00pm on Sundays: Join us for Zoom Coffee Hour, https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85174822634?

For reflection• When you have a sense of

living within Faith-Filled Generosity, what actionsdo you see emerging in your life?

• What helps you to live, and interferes with your living,a more fruitful life?

Rob Townes received his Master of Divinity degree from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology and has spent his professional career as a nonprofit and church fundraising consultant.

October 25, 2020 – Pentecost 21 (A)Our Family – A Reflection

As the U.S. approaches Election Day, November 3rd, Sermons That Work is teaming up with The Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations and four writers from across the Church to reflect on the Christian call to participate in our common life together through voting.

There aren’t many days left before people in our nation head to the polls. Very soon we will be casting ballots in one of the most important elections in our lifetimes. What principles and loyalties will we carry into the voting booth? Over the past few months of this lengthy election season, I’ve heard fellow Americans speak about how they are going to vote for what is best for their family. I suspect that our family’s wellbeing will always be one of the most pressing concerns for us all. And yet as people of faith, it is also worth considering who Jesus asked us to consider “family.”

In Matthew 22, Jesus is asked by a scholar of the Torah which law was the greatest. I imagine this lawyer had wrestled with this question for a long time, perhaps while making many challenging decisions. “What is most essential?” he asks. Jesus’ response is as well-known as it is unpracticed. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Although Jesus’ words are likely very familiar to us, what do they really mean? In response to the lawyer, Jesus is saying that love of God requires us to be as loyal to the wellbeing of our neighbors as we are to that of our own family. First and foremost, this requires us to go and vote. Beyond this, however, it means we have to consider not just what will be beneficial to ourselves but what is going to help to build a better world for those well beyond our immediate circle.

In my own case, this teaching requires me to consider not only the health and healthcare of those who live in my home; it also means being concerned about the health of the people I pass on the street, especially during this COVID-19 pandemic. Jesus’ words insist I consider not only what will strengthen my own family’s wealth portfolio, but to also consider the economic wellbeing of families struggling to make ends meet, particularly as millions have now become unemployed. “Love of neighbor” requires me to not only think of the smiling children in my picture frames, but also of kids doing their homework in homeless shelters, of refugee children fleeing from violence, and of the millions of Black and Latino kids who simply want room to run, play, live and breathe more freely.

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Published by the Office of Communication of The Episcopal Church, 815 Second Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10017© 2020 The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

Finally, Jesus’ words require us to not only consider this generation but to develop a profound sense of loyalty to the generations yet to come, asking ourselves what sort of Earth we want to leave behind after we have breathed our last breath.

Come November, I expect that many of us will be voting with the wellbeing of our families in mind, and as Christians, Jesus calls us into the difficult but ultimately joyful work of expanding the circle - wider and wider - of just who we consider to be our family.

This reflection was written by Miguel Escobar, who is the executive director of Episcopal Divinity School at Union and serves on the boards of Forward Movement (chair) and Episcopal Relief & Development . Find more resources for election engagement at iam.ec/ogrcivicengagement.

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