Contents:

• The Propers and Hymns for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity
• YouTube link for the live-stream of our 10:30 service
• Announcements for the week of July 9th, 2023

The Propers for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity.

The Book of Common Prayer, 1928.

The Collect.

GRANT, O Lord, we beseech thee, that the course of this world may be so peaceably ordered by thy governance, that thy Church may joyfully serve thee in all godly quietness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Old Testament Lesson. Ecclesiastes 2:1-11, 18-23. 

I SAID in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life. I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees: I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me: I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts. So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun. Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity. Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun. For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil. For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, where­in he hath laboured under the sun? For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.

Psalms 62 and 63 

MY soul truly waiteth still upon God; * for of him cometh my salvation.
    2 He verily is my strength and my salvation; * he is my defence, so that I shall not greatly fall.
    3 How long will ye imagine mischief against every man? * Ye shall be slain all the sort of you; yea, as a tottering wall shall ye be, and like a broken hedge.
    4 Their device is only how to put him out whom God will exalt; * their delight is in lies; they give good words with their mouth, but curse with their heart.
    5 Nevertheless, my soul, wait thou still upon God; * for my hope is in him.
    6 He truly is my strength and my salvation; * he is my defence, so that I shall not fall.
    7 In God is my health and my glory; * the rock of my might; and in God is my trust.
    8 O put your trust in him alway, ye people; * pour out your hearts before him, for God is our hope.
    9 As for the children of men, they are but vanity; the children of men are deceitful; * upon the weights they are altogether lighter than vanity itself.
    10 O trust not in wrong and robbery; give not yourselves unto vanity: * if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.
    11 God spake once, and twice I have also heard the same, * that power belongeth unto God;
    12 And that thou, Lord, art merciful; * for thou rewardest every man according to his work.

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; *
    As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

O GOD, thou art my God; * early will I seek thee.
    2 My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh also longeth after thee, * in a barren and dry land where no water is.
    3 Thus have I looked for thee in the sanctuary, * that I might behold thy power and glory.
    4 For thy loving-kindness is better than the life itself: * my lips shall praise thee.
    5 As long as I live will I magnify thee in1 this manner, * and lift up my hands in thy Name.
    6 My soul shall be satisfied, even as it were with marrow and fatness, * when my mouth praiseth thee with joyful lips.
    7 Have I not remembered thee in my bed, * and thought upon thee when I was waking?
    8 Because thou hast been my helper; * therefore under the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
    9 My soul hangeth upon thee; * thy right hand hath upholden me.
    10 These also that seek the hurt of my soul, * they shall go under the earth.
    11 Let them fall upon the edge of the sword, * that they may be a portion for foxes.
    12 But the King shall rejoice in God; all they also that swear by him shall be commended; * for the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; *
    As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

The Epistle. 1 St. Pet. iii. 8.

BE ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. 

The Gospel. St. Luke v. 1.

IT came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, and saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: and so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

Hymns:

Processional          My faith looks up to thee       449

Sermon                    Jesus calls us                                566

Recessional            How firm a foundation            564

Link to the YouTube Live-stream of our Sunday service – 10:30 a.m.:

https://youtube.com/live/fnxHV_EcJJo

Click here to access our YouTube channel where you can always view past live-streams or check for any scheduled upcoming live-streams.

For information and tips on getting the best sound and picture from the live-stream, click here.

If you have any questions or issues, please contact our media team at video.christchurchanglican@gmail.com. 

Announcements for Sunday, July 9th, 2023

If you are visiting us – Welcome to Christ Church Anglican, Southern Pines! Thank you for being with us. We are very pleased to have you, and we hope that your worship here is a blessing to you. Please sign the guest book on the table in the narthex, and provide appropriate contact information. Include your email address in order to be placed on our parish email list: you won’t be bombarded with mail, but it’s a good way to keep in touch. And may God bless you!

Vestry Summer “Sabbatical” – It has long been the custom at Christ Church for the Vestry to take a month off from meeting, during the summer; and July, at the height of the “vacation season,” seems the most logical month to do that! Accordingly, there will not be a regularly scheduled Saturday meeting of the Vestry next month. If there is anything that needs urgently to be acted upon, it will be discussed via email and voted upon during a brief special meeting, held following the Sunday service (assuming a quorum is present), as we have done in the past. Many thanks to all our Vestry members for your faithful and dedicated service! Enjoy your break, and we will resume our regularly scheduled monthly meetings in August, to prepare for the resumption of our program year in September.

Traveling mercies for all those vacationing – May God bless and keep all of our number who may be traveling, whether within our state, to other parts of the country, or abroad, and with your loved ones, that your travels may be safe and your stresses (from traffic, highway construction, or whatever other cause) be minimal! And may He bring you safely back home again, once more.

Holy Days and Commemorations this Week:

Only one commemoration this week, but it’s an important one for us as Anglicans:

Tuesday, July 11th – St. Benedict of Nursia, Abbot, and Father of Western Monasticism (540)

England during the Middle Ages was known as the “Isle of the Benedictines,” so important was that monastic order in that “green and pleasant land,” and Thomas Cranmer drew heavily upon Benedictine sources in the compilation of The Book of Common Prayer, both in worship, and as a rule of life.

Indeed, three of the most influential wellsprings of Christian tradition for Anglicans, aside from the English Reformation itself, are the Celtic, the Anglo-Saxon, and the Benedictine. And St. Benedict’s “Rule,” with its careful balance of ora et labora (work and prayer), and its commitment to stability, obedience, and conversion of life, has much to teach even those who may never see the inside of a monastery.

For those who may be interested in digging deeper, two excellent resources are Spirituality for Everyday Living: An Adaptation of the Rule of St. Benedict, by Brian C. Taylor, and Seeking God: The Way of St. Benedict, by Esther de Waal.

Wishing you a safe, healthy, and rewarding week. May God bless both your labor and your leisure, and may both bring you closer to Him!

Faithfully,

Fr. Tom Harbold