08/25/2026
August 30th, 2026: Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost:
The Holy Eucharist: Rite II
The Liturgy of the Word
Processional Hymn The God of Abraham praise Hymnal #401
All standing, the Celebrant says
Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
People And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever.
Amen.
The Celebrant says
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.
The Celebrant and People together
Canticle 20, Glory to God: Gloria in excelsis S 280
Collect of the Day
Celebrant The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Celebrant Let us pray.
Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.
All sit.
Old Testament Exodus 3:1-15
A Reading from the Book of Exodus.
Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.” When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” He said further, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”
But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” He said, “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain.” But Moses said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” He said further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I am has sent me to you.’“ God also said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’:
This is my name forever,
and this my title for all generations.
Reader The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Remain seated.
The Psalm Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45c - BCP p.738
Confitemini Domino
1 Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name; *
make known his deeds among the peoples.
2 Sing to him, sing praises to him, *
and speak of all his marvelous works.
3 Glory in his holy Name; *
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
4 Search for the Lord and his strength; *
continually seek his face.
5 Remember the marvels he has done, *
his wonders and the judgments of his mouth,
6 O offspring of Abraham his servant, *
O children of Jacob his chosen.
23 Israel came into Egypt, *
and Jacob became a sojourner in the land of Ham.
24 The Lord made his people exceedingly fruitful; *
he made them stronger than their enemies;
25 Whose heart he turned, so that they hated his people, *
and dealt unjustly with his servants.
26 He sent Moses his servant, *
and Aaron whom he had chosen.
45 Hallelujah!
The Epistle Romans 12:9-21
A Reading from Paul’s letter to the Church in Rome.
Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Reader The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Gradual Hymn Take up your cross Hymnal #675
All stand.
The Holy Gospel Matthew 16:21-28
Priest The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
People Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?
“For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Priest The Gospel of the Lord.
People Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Sarum Prayer
God be in my head---and in my understanding
God be in my eyes---and in my looking
God be in my mouth---and in my speaking
God be in my heart---and in my thinking
God be at my end---and at my departing
Sermon The Rev. Philip F. Kunder
All stand.
The Nicene Creed
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: Hear Our Prayer - p.78
All remain standing
The Leader and People pray responsively
Almighty God, you looked upon your people and heard their cries, hear us again and answer us as we pray.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Silence
Awaken your church that it might boldly proclaim Christ’s good news and continue Christ’s mission and ministry throughout the world.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Guide our nation and those in authority that ours might be a land, not just of promise, but of fulfillment, dignity, and peace.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Open our eyes to all the opportunities to be your voice and your hands in our local communities so that no needs go unmet.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Grant us strength, commitment, and perseverance to meet the challenges of our day and to build a sustainable society rooted in our vision of the kingdom.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, watch over and protect those who serve on our behalf to defend and protect us. Grant them resilience and wisdom in the pursuit of their duties and return them to us safe, especially, Bill, Brandon, Charles, Caitlin, David, Dean, Drew, Dylan, Grace, Jordan, Kiev, Mark, Mikaela, Sam, Tane, Tom, and Zachary.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bring healing to all who suffer and mend what is broken or wounded in our lives and the lives of those we love and care for. Especially we pray for______________________.
The People may add their own petitions
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We lift in prayer those in our community that suffer from illness, or incapacity, especially Bill, Billy, Bob, Brian, Chuck, Diane, Greg, Jean, Jim, Joan, Kelly, Larry, Lila, Linda, Lois, Marty, Nancy, Pat, Paulette, Rick, Ryan, Susan, Timothy, and, Tom.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Embrace the dead in your loving arms, grant peace to all who mourn or grieve, and fulfill your promise to us that we might rise again in your new age.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Silence
In our parish cycle of prayer, we remember today, Larry Kaufman.
The flowers on the altar are given to the glory of God; and in loving memory of the families of Howard Shippy; Richard & Alberta Evick; Patricia Teggart; and Lucy Mae Shippy McCarthy.
The Leader and People say
For the Poor and the Neglected
Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick, and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Remembrance Collect
Loving God, you called Charles Chapman Grafton to be a bishop in your Church and endowed him with a burning zeal for souls: Grant that, following his example, we may ever live for the extension of your kingdom, that your glory may be the chief end of our lives, your will the law of our conduct, your love the motive of our actions, and Christ’s life the model and mold of our own; through the same Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, throughout all ages. Amen.
The Celebrant says
We cannot know your full glory, and yet you have shown us again and again, inviting us into ever-deepening relationship as your people. Continue to lead us and to answer our prayer as may be best for us and always to your glory. Through Christ our Lord who with you and the Holy Spirit stand supreme throughout creation and beyond, now and always. Amen.
Confession of Sin
The Celebrant says
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Silence.
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,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. 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. Amen.
The Peace
All stand.
Celebrant The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People And also with you.
The Ministers and the People may greet one another in the name of the Lord.
Announcements; Birthday & Anniversary Blessings
*Announcements may be made at this point in the service.*
The Holy Communion
The Celebrant says
Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and make good your vows to the Most High.
Psalm 50:14
Offertory Music
Representatives of the congregation bring the people’s offerings of bread and w**e, and money or other gifts, to the deacon or celebrant. The people stand while the offerings are presented and placed on the Altar.
Doxology “Praise to God” Hymnal 380, verse 3
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.
Great Thanksgiving
All 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.
Then, facing the Holy Table, the Celebrant proceeds
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth.
For by water and the Holy Spirit you have made us a new people in Jesus Christ our Lord, to show forth your glory in all the world.
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
Holy, holy, holy Lord: Sanctus S 130
The Hymnal 1982, Service Music, #130
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.
At the following words concerning the bread, the Celebrant is to hold it, or to lay a hand upon it; and at the words concerning the cup, to hold or place a hand upon the cup and any other vessel containing w**e to be
consecrated.
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 w**e; 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."
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.
And now, as our Savior
Christ has taught us,
we are bold to say,
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.
Breaking of the Bread
The Celebrant breaks the consecrated Bread.
A period of silence is kept.
Priest Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
People Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.
The Celebrant says
These are 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.
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.]
{All baptized persons are welcome to receive Holy Communion. Those not baptized or not wishing to receive Holy Communion, please cross your arms with your hands on your shoulders
to receive a blessing.}
Communion Hymn Take my life, and let it be consecrated Hymnal #707
After Communion, the Celebrant says
Let us pray.
Celebrant and People
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
Final Blessing
The priest blesses the people, saying
Rejoice always,
pray without ceasing,
and give thanks in all circumstances:
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
And may the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,
be among you and remain with you always. Amen.
Recessional Hymn Lord, dismiss us with thy blessing Hymnal #344
Dismissal
Priest Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
WORSHIP 411
What is the prayer that Fr. Phil prays before each sermon?
It is called “the Sarum Prayer.” “Sarum” comes from a liturgical rite dated as early as 1527 (so it likely appeared much earlier) associated with a region in England called Sarum or Old Sarum (modern day Salisbury).
The Sarum Payer has a simpler name, “God be in my head.”
Five simple but elegant lines:
God be in my head---and in my understanding
God be in my eyes---and in my looking
God be in my mouth---and in my speaking
God be in my heart---and in my thinking
God be at my end---and at my departing
This prayer is:
Short—expresses a lot with a little.
Old—composed in a time when use of words were less than today.
Physical—focused on the 4 faculties associated with the 4 parts of a human body.
Memorable: Head=understanding
Eye=looking
Mouth=speaking
Heart=thinking
End=departing
Genderless—no he/she/it, just God
Mystical—prayer focuses on our bodies (temples of the spirit).
Prayer focused on God who dwells in us.
This prayer can enrich our spiritual formation and life journey
About the Remembrance Collect
Charles Grafton was born April 12, 1830 in Boston, and attended Harvard Law School. He was confirmed at Church of the Advent— then a leading parish implementing the principles of the Oxford Movement—where he began seriously to explore his vocation. After graduation he moved to Maryland to study with the Tractarian Bishop William Whittington who eventually ordained him deacon on December 23, 1855, and priest on May 30, 1858.
Grafton served a number of parishes in Maryland but experienced a growing attraction to the religious life. In 1865, he left for England specifically to meet Edward Bouverie Pusey. In the following year, after a series of meetings held at All Saints, Margaret Street, Grafton and two others took religious vows and the Society of St. John the Evangelist had its beginning. In 1872, Grafton returned and was elected fourth Rector of the Church of the Advent, Boston.
In 1888, Grafton was elected second bishop of Fond du Lac. His consent process was difficult as many thought him too ritualistic, but he soon became known not only as an Anglo-Catholic but also as an ecumenist, deeply committed to improve relations with the Orthodox and Old Catholics. He founded the Sisters of the Holy Nativity.
Perhaps the most famous event during Grafton’s long episcopate was the ordination of his successor in 1900. He invited the Russian Orthodox Bishop Tikhon and the Old Catholic Bishop Anthony Kozlowski to participate. The service stirred up furor across the country with the publication of a photograph (called derisively “The Fond du Lac Circus”) that showed all eight Episcopal bishops and the two visiting bishops in cope and miter. It caused a church-wide
furor over ritual and vestments that lasted for over six months, with accusations and threats of ecclesiastical trial flying from all corners, and with scurrilous attacks and virulent justifications. When the dust finally settled, the legitimacy of traditional catholic ritual and vestments had thereafter gained a permanent place in the liturgy in the Episcopal Church.
Bishop Grafton died August 30, 1912.
