Sunday at CEC

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Sunday,February 9, 2025
The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
9:00 & 11:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist Rite Two

Service from the Book of Common Prayer (BCP)  Congregational participation in bold

Opening Prayer, all seated

Gathering Music, remain seated

“Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)” arr. Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio1, and Josh Benninger2

Amazing grace how sweet the sound
 that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now I’m found; 
was blind but now I see.

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear; 
and grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear 
the hour I first believed.

My chains are gone, I’ve been set free.
My God, my Savior has ransomed me.
And like a flood His mercy reigns,
unending love, amazing grace.

The Lord has promised good to me; 
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be 
as long as life endures. (refrain)

Through many dangers, toils, and snares, 
I have already come;
‘tis grace that brought me safe thus far,
 and grace will lead me home.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years, 
bright shining as the sun, 
we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise 
than when we’d first begun.

Welcome & Announcements, all seated

Please take a moment of silence to prepare your heart and mind for worship after the announcements are concluded.

The Procession, all standing

“The God of Abraham praise” Hymn 401: 1-4

The God of Abraham praise, who reigns enthroned above;
Ancient of everlasting days, and God of love;
the Lord, the great I AM, by earth and heaven confessed;
we vow and bless the sacred Name for ever blest.

He by himself hath sworn; we on his oath depend;
we shall, on eagle wings up borne, to heaven ascend:
we shall behold his face, we shall his power adore
and sing the wonders of his grace for ever more.

There dwells the Lord, our King, the Lord, our Righteousness,
triumphantly o’er the world and sin, the Prince of Peace;
on Zion’s sacred height his kingdom he maintains,
and, glorious with his saints in light, for ever reigns.

The God who reigns on high the great archangels sing,
and “Holy, holy, holy,” cry, “Almighty King!
Who was, and is, the same, and evermore shall be:
eternal Father, great I AM, we worship thee.”

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

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.

“The God of Abraham praise” Hymn 401: 5

The whole triumphant host give thanks to God on high;
“Hail, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost” they ever cry;
hail, Abraham’s Lord divine!  With heaven our songs we raise;
all might and majesty are thine, and endless praise.

Collect of the Day BCP 213

The Lord be with you.  And also with you.  Let us pray. 

Set us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins, and give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Lessons BCP 357

Isaiah 6:1-8

The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Psalm 138 BCP 606

1 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with my whole heart; *
before the gods I will sing your praise.
2 I will bow down toward your holy temple
and praise your Name, *
because of your love and faithfulness;
3 For you have glorified your Name *
and your word above all things.
4 When I called, you answered me; *
you increased my strength within me.
5 All the kings of the earth will praise you, O Lord, *
when they have heard the words of your mouth.
6 They will sing of the ways of the Lord, *
that great is the glory of the Lord.
7 Though the Lord be high, he cares for the lowly; *
he perceives the haughty from afar.
8 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you keep me safe; *
you stretch forth your hand against the fury of my enemies;
your right hand shall save me.
9 The Lord will make good his purpose for me; *
O Lord, your love endures for ever;
do not abandon the works of your hands.

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Gradual Hymn, all standing

“Come, thou fount of every blessing” Hymn 686:1-2

Come, thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace!
Streams of mercy never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! Oh, fix me on it, mount of God’s unchanging love.

Here I find my greatest treasure: hither, by thy help, I’ve come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger wandering from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood.

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Luke. Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Luke 2:22-40

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

“Come, thou fount of every blessing” Hymn 686:3

Oh, to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee:
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart, oh, take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.

Sermon The Rev. Scott Kitayama
After the sermon, brief silence is kept for meditation on God’s Holy Word.

The Nicene Creed, all standing

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.

Prayers of the People, all kneeling or seated

Beloved in God, during this Epiphany season, may we, like the Magi,  expectantly follow the Light of Christ.

We pray that the Church will be unyielding in our devotion to God and the people to whom we are sent.  
For we know the Light of Christ shines in the darkness…
…and the darkness has not overcome it.

We pray that our nation and all the nations of the earth will be unremitting in our pursuit of justice and peace, as we protect the weak and the voiceless.
For we know the Light of Christ shines in the darkness…
…and the darkness has not overcome it.

We pray that our community and all the towns, cities, and villages where our people dwell will be untiring in our promotion of the common good, fervent stewardship of the earth, formative education of the young, meaningful participation of the old, and the safety and well-being of all.
For we know the Light of Christ shines in the darkness…
…and the darkness has not overcome it.

We pray for all those suffering due to illness, injury, or loss, and we also pray for our military, missionaries, refugees, prisoners, and all those in harm’s way that they will continuously receive the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
For we know the Light of Christ shines in the darkness…
…and the darkness has not overcome it.

We pray for all those who have died that they, and the people who mourn their death, will advance more and more into the wonder of God’s love.
For we know the Light of Christ shines in the darkness…
…and the darkness has not overcome it.

We pray that we may never ignore the procession of blessings surrounding us at every moment, so, regardless of the distractions and reversals in our lives, we may be constantly mindful of God’s enduring grace.
For we know the Light of Christ shines in the darkness…
…and the darkness has not overcome it.

The Celebrant continues with the Invitation to Confession:

Let us also pray for the forgiveness of sins:  

Silence is kept before offering the Confession.

Almighty God, our heavenly Father: We have sinned against you, through our own fault, in thought, and word, and deed, and in what we have left undone.  For the sake of your Son our Lord Jesus Christ, forgive us all our offenses; and grant that we may serve you in newness of life, to the glory of your name.  Amen.

God’s Absolution is pronounced

Passing of the Peace, all standing
The peace of the Lord be always with you. And also with you.

Offertory Sentence

Ascribe to the Lord the honor due his Name; bring offerings and come into his courts.  Psalm 96:8

Offertory Anthem, all seated

“Tell All the World” John D. Horman, Youth Choir

Presentation of gifts, all standing Old 100th

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heavenly host:
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. 

The Great Thanksgiving BCP 367

The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. 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.

Here a proper preface is said.

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:

“Holy, holy, holy” S-125

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

The Celebrant continues 

We give thanks to you, O God, for the goodness and love which you have made known to us in creation; in the calling of Israel to be your people; in your Word spoken through the prophets; and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus, your Son. For in these last days you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the Savior and Redeemer of the world. In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you. In him, you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life.

On the night before he died for us, 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 nd for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”

Therefore, according to his command, O Father,
We remember his death, We proclaim his resurrection, We await his coming in glory;

The Celebrant continues

And we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, O Lord of all; presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and this wine.

We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts that they may be the Sacrament of the Body of Christ and his Blood of the new Covenant. Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable through him, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In the fullness of time, put all things in subjection under your Christ, and bring us to that heavenly country where, with all your saints, we may enter the everlasting heritage of your sons and daughters; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation, the head of the Church, and the author of our salvation.

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 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.

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

Communion Music

“In remembrance of me” LEVAS 149

In remembrance of me, eat this bread.
In remembrance of me, drink this wine.
In remembrance of me, pray for the time 
when God’s own will is done.

In remembrance of me, heal the sick.
In remembrance of me, feed the poor.
In remembrance of me, open the door 
and let your brother in, let him in.

Take, eat, and be comforted;
drink and remember too.
That this is my body and precious blood 
shed for you, shed for you.

In remembrance of me, search for truth.
In remembrance of me, always love.
In remembrance of me, don’t look above, 
but in your heart look for God.

Do this is remembrance of me.

After Communion, the Celebrant says
Let us pray.

Closing prayers BCP 366

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 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 priest offers God’s blessing

Closing Hymn

“Christ for the world we sing!” Hymn 537: 1, 3-4

Christ for the world we sing! The world to Christ we bring
with loving zeal;
the poor, and them that mourn, the faint and overborne,
sin-sick and sorrow-worn, whom Christ doth heal.

Christ for the world we sing! The world to Christ we bring
with one accord;
with us the work to share, with us reproach to dare,
with us the cross to bear, for Christ our Lord.

Christ for the world we sing! The world to Christ we bring
with joyful song;
the new-born souls, whose days, reclaimed from error’s ways,
inspired with hope and praise, to Christ belong.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. 
Thanks be to God.

Hymns from Hymnal 1982, Lift Every Voice and Sing (LEVAS) II and Wonder, Love and Praise (WLP) are reprinted under OneLicense.net. A-709130. 1 © 2006 worshiptogether.com songs (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) 2 © 2018 Josh Benninger (BMI)