08/30/2026
The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
A service for use at home
Light a single candle representing the Light of Christ present among us.
Blessed be God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Response: And Blessed be His kingdom now and forever. Amen
Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us join together in the prayer our savior taught us:
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.
Collect
O Lord, we pray thee that thy grace may always prevent and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
The First Reading
Old Testament Reading
Jeremiah 15:15-21
O LORD, you know; remember me and visit me, and take vengeance for me on my persecutors. In your forbearance take me not away; know that for your sake I bear reproach. Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts. I did not sit in the company of revelers, nor did I rejoice; I sat alone, because your hand was upon me, for you had filled me with indignation. Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will you be to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail? Therefore thus says the LORD: “If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall be as my mouth. They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them. And I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you to save you and deliver you, declares the LORD. I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.”
Psalm 26
1 Be my judge, O LORD, for I have walked innocently; *
my trust has been in the LORD; therefore I shall not fall.
2 Test me, O LORD, and prove me; *
examine my heart and my mind.
3 For your loving-kindness is ever before my eyes, *
and I will walk in your truth.
4 I have not dwelt with evildoers, *
neither will I have fellowship with the deceitful.
5 I have hated the company of the wicked, *
and will not sit among the ungodly.
6 I will wash my hands in innocence, O LORD, *
and so will I go to your altar,
7 That I may lift up the voice of thanksgiving *
and tell of all your wondrous works.
8 LORD, I have loved the habitation of your house *
and the place where your honor dwells.
9 O take not away my soul with the sinners, *
nor my life with the bloodthirsty,
10 Whose hands are full of wickedness, *
and their right hand full of bribes.
11 But as for me, I will walk innocently; *
O deliver me, and be merciful unto me.
12 My foot stands firm; *
I will praise the LORD in the congregations.
The Epistle:
Romans 12:1-8
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
The Holy Gospel
Matthew 16: 21-27
From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from 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, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.
The Sermon
For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it Matthew
Many of you know that I am kind of a movie buff. One of my favorite movies is Saving Private Ryan. Our Gospel today made me think of one particular character in that movie. This character seems to be out of step with the rest of the men in his platoon. In short, He is a coward. The scene is the big battle for the bridge there in town and this private is supposed to be supplying ammunition to the other men who are fighting to hold the bridge. And they are fighting for their lives. And this private is a miserable failure. Just when he is needed the most, when the machine gunner is out of ammunition and the enemy is storming the building he freezes up. The ammunition man is paralyzed with fear. In order to save his own miserable life, he cowers and hides and as a result the life of several of his fellow soldiers are lost. Think about it. So, Imagine for a moment, what the rest of his life was like. Imagine a man from that generation, the generation that Tom Brokaw called the Greatest generation, being a coward. Imagine what his life from then on must have been like. Yes, it is true, that private saved his own life by being cowardly in battle, but imagine, just imagine how it must be true for that man; that in saving his life, He lost his life. He lost his dignity, his honor, his integrity. Imagine how filled with shame and regret his life must have been from that moment on. In the movie, the enemy soldier that discovered him didn’t even see him as worth killing. Not worth killin’. Imagine how that man cringes inside every time his grandchildren ask him what he did during the war. Can’t you imagine that in many ways, the life of that man, a life bought at the price of betraying every thing of value, was a life lived in deep shame. That poor man gave up everything worth living for in order to simply exist. In his cowardice, that soldier forfeited the right to call himself a soldier - or even to call himself a man. He saved his life yes, but it was only by giving up the things that make life worth living. The life of that Army private, from that moment on, could not possibly have been a real life. Or a good life. Or an honorable life. The man saved his life, but it cost him everything that makes life worth living.
“For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Jesus is talking about values, about the kinds of things that make life worth living in the first place. At first, it sounds completely academic. At first it sounds as though Jesus is just giving us some meaningless platitude. But what he is talking about is about us getting our priorities straight. There is a difference between just existing, just walking around on this earth, there is a difference between that and really living. We are created to be bold, not to be timid. We were designed with hearts that tell us that there are things in this life that are more important than life itself. We were made to matter. Indeed, We were made for greatness. We were made to LIVE, to really LIVE not just to exist. The Church teaches us about things that matter; about Truth, and Justice, and Right, and Wrong, and Honor and Integrity, about Love and Sacrifice. There are for each of us, things that matter, things that are worth taking a risk for. Things that are worth dying for. And these are the kinds of things that cause a person to take risks. These are the values that make a person lay their own life on the line because they know their life is worth something, worth something more than life itself. We were made for God and God himself is what makes this life worth living. God himself and following where God leads us. This whole thing with Covid 19 is dangerous, not because some virus could take our lives, but rather it is dangerous because FEAR of some virus could rob us of the very things that make life worth living. Fear of this virus contains within itself the chance that we might lose God himself because we lack the courage to live the life that God made us for.
Jesus reminds us of that fact today. That there are things more important than life itself. All three of our readings today remind us of that fact. For Jeremiah, he is reminded that whether the people heed his word or not. Whether or not he is a successful prophet, in terms of his popularity, Jeremiah is called to follow God and to speak His holy Word and to put His trust in Him. Jeremiah is to speak the word of God and to follow where God leads him even though others will accuse him and fight against him and he is to rely on God and on God alone. In the Epistle to the Romans, Paul tells us to Not be conformed to this world. Instead we are to exercise the gifts that God has given us. Each of us being the person God created us to be. We are to present ourselves to God “as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.” Did you get that? We are acceptable to God. We are already acceptable to God, being just who we are and following His design for us.
Jesus reminds us today that there are important things in this life, eternally important things. Things that are worth living life for, things that are worth dying for. Things that make life itself of secondary value. Finding and loving God. Finding and following Jesus Christ are the most important things in this life because it is God who made us and it is God who made all of those other things important.
“If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” That is the eternally Great thing in life. And that is where we find our cross. That is where we find meaning in this life. The Christian life is a life lived to a higher purpose. We are reminded today that the Christian life is a life lived, not for the sake of comfort, or for the sake of reward, not even for the sake of our fellow man. Jesus reminds us today that the Christian life is a life lived for high purpose indeed; the purpose of following the path that God has laid out for each of us to follow. To use our God given gifts, to follow where he leads. And to do that with courage and conviction letting go of everything else but Him because it is only in Him that our lives have any meaning at all. He calls us to the cross so that we too may be lifted up along with him, and so that we may help Him to lift the whole world up on High; with him and through him and in him. Lifted up to that throne in heaven from where all true meaning comes. The Heavenly Home from whence our higher purpose, our higher meaning comes.
That’s where we are headed folks, to that throne in heaven and Jesus Christ paved a road into heaven for us to get there. That road, dear friends, can only be traveled by someone bearing a cross. It can only be traveled by someone whose eyes are fixed on God. That road cannot be traveled by the cowardly, or by those looking for comfort or an easy life. Jesus did not promise us that the road that we travel with him would be easy. No in fact he promised us, the opposite. He said it on many occasions, that this road would be hard. As hard as the hard wood of the cross. He went there before us and now he bids us to follow him. Whatever it costs. He calls to us that we must take up our cross and follow him. That is a life that is worth living.
I am reminded of a plague of Yellow fever that stuck the city of Memphis Tennessee back in 1878. Some 20 thousand people died of the disease that year and in our church, every year we remember a group of people that we call the Martyrs of Memphis. St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral became the center of the relief effort in Memphis. A number of the clergy and of the nuns attached to the Cathedral, several physicians and nurses and even a woman by the name of Annie Cook, a bo****lo owner, stayed in town and ministered to the sick and the dying. They are remembered every year on September 9th with this Collect: “We give thee thanks and praise, O God of compassion, for the Heroic witness of Constance and her companions, who, in a time of plague and pestilence, were steadfast in their care for the sick and the dying, and loved not their own lives, even unto death. Inspire in us a like love and commitment to those in need, following the example of our Savior Jesus Christ who with thee and the Holy Ghost lives and reigns now and forever. Amen.
These are men and women who loved God and their fellow man more than their own lives. These are men and women whom we call heroes but who in reality were just good ordinary Christian people who had their priorities straight. These are people who loved Jesus, and who lived and died doing what Jesus called them to do.
We as Christian people have a vision of Glory. And that vision places God as our most cherished goal, our greatest good, our precious treasure. We have a vision that gives us Jesus as our hope and our example. As Paul says in his Epistle to the Colossians; “He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation”. He is our life and our hope, our goal and our eternal resting place. It is in Jesus that we find all that really matters in life. And we must pursue Him with courage and diligence.
We have a vision that makes the sacrifice of all of the things of this world, all of our worldly comforts, all of our precious ideologies, all of our prideful longings; We have a vision that calls us into battle, the battle for men’s hearts, to win them to the one true and lasting Great Thing in this life. The knowledge and love of the Lord. And that is the bottom line. In order to have REAL life, we must lose our lives in the here and now. We must not look to our current existence, but we must set our eyes on the prize. We must put our faces to the battle.
We must take courage and join that battle, the battle that is being waged among us. The battle that would take men’s souls, if not their lives. The battle that is ours to win, if we can but have the courage to be whom God has called us to be. The courage to do what God has equipped us to do. The courage to take up our cross and follow Him; forsaking all else in this world as being worth nothing in comparison. If we lose heart, we will lose the greatest gift ever given to us by God. If we lose heart, we will lose the gift of a life worth living. A life that comes only through our total devotion to His only begotten Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. It is not existence that we seek. It is LIFE. A life that matters. A life of purpose in our Lord, Jesus Christ.
The Apostles' Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Leader and People pray responsively
Father, we pray for your holy Catholic Church;
That we all may be one.
Grant that every member of the Church may truly and humbly serve you;
That your Name may be glorified by all people.
We pray for all bishops, priests, and deacons;
That they may be faithful ministers of your Word and Sacraments.
We pray for all who govern and hold authority in the nations of the world;
That there may be justice and peace on the earth.
Give us grace to do your will in all that we undertake;
That our works may find favor in your sight.
Have compassion on those who suffer from any grief or trouble;
That they may be delivered from their distress.
Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
We praise you for your saints who have entered into joy;
May we also come to share in your heavenly kingdom.
Let us pray for our own needs and those of others.
Silence
The People may add their own petitions.
In union, Dear Lord, with all your faithful people, gathered together in your Holy Name, accept the offering of our lives and our labors; Grant that our lives here on this earth may be wholly dedicated to you and that we may in due time be gathered into your kingdom where we will dwell forever in Light and Peace. Amen.
We give you thanks, Eternal God, for all of the good things of this life; for our creation, preservation, and for all of your blessings; but above all we give you thanks for the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of Grace and for the hope of Glory. Grant that we may always see your hand at work in the world and that we may always be mindful of your mercy. Help us to praise you with our lips and with our works, and grant that we may serve you joyfully in this life and in the next: through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Love of God, and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us always. Amen.
The candles may be extinguished.
I have been asked to include a note for those of you who have no church home or are looking for a connection.
If you are looking for a place to call your spiritual home, Ascension and St. Mark’s would like to welcome you. We are a traditional Anglican Church, which means that we are a part of the world wide Anglican Communion, a branch of the tree from the ancient Church of England. Everywhere the British Empire went, she took her ancient church with her. As a result our little congregation is alive with the faith of our Fathers and is steeped in the worship of traditional Christianity from before the break-up of the Protestant Reformation. As a result we are both catholic and reformed - deeply embedded in the scriptures and enlivened by the sacraments as understood by the ancient church.
If you would like more information, would like to discuss the faith as we understand it, or would like to become a part of our little community, please send a message. You will be connected directly to Fr. Keith who will be glad to help you in any way that he can.
If you wish to financially support the ministries of Ascension and St. Mark Church, we can be reached by mail at:
Ascension and St. Mark’s Church
5094 US Hwy 380
Bridgeport, TX 76426
OR
You may contribute through Venmo:
Ascension and St Mark’s Church
