Messiah - St.

Bartholomew Episcopal Church

The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
August 23, 2020
11:00 a.m.
(an online service)

The Rev.THE
IsaacLITURGY OF THEPriest
K.N.O. Bonney, WORD –In-Charge
Clifford Michael Gale and Donna M. Strickland, Wardens
Opening Acclamation
Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
And blessed be his kingdom, now and forever. 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 the Holy Spirit, that
we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your Holy name. Amen.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Collect
Grant, O merciful God, that your Church, being gathered together in unity by your Holy
Spirit, may show forth your power among all peoples, to the glory 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.

First Reading
Exodus 1:8-2:10
Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. He said to his people,
“Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we. Come, let
us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase and, in the event of war, join our
enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” Therefore they set taskmasters
over them to oppress them with forced labor. They built supply cities, Pithom and
Rameses, for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and
spread, so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. The Egyptians became
ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites, and made their lives bitter with hard service
in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labor. They were ruthless in all the tasks
that they imposed on them.
The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah
and the other Puah, “When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women, and see them
on the birthstool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she shall live.” But the
midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they
let the boys live. So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why
have you done this, and allowed the boys to live?” The midwives said to Pharaoh,
“Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous
and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” So God dealt well with the
midwives; and the people multiplied and became very strong. And because the
midwives feared God, he gave them families. Then Pharaoh commanded all his people,
“Every boy that is born to the Hebrews you shall throw into the Nile, but you shall let
every girl live.”

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Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. The woman
conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three
months. When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and
plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds
on the bank of the river. His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him.
The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked
beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it.
When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him, “This
must be one of the Hebrews’ children,” she said. Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s
daughter, “Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for
you?” Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Yes.” So the girl went and called the child’s
mother. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will
give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed it. When the child grew
up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and she took him as her son. She named
him Moses, “because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”
Psalm 124
Refrain: Our help is in the Name of the Lord.
1 If the LORD had not been on our side, *
let Israel now say;
2 If the LORD had not been on our side, *
when enemies rose up against us;
3 Then would they have swallowed us up alive *
in their fierce anger toward us;
4 Then would the waters have overwhelmed us *
and the torrent gone over us;
5 Then would the raging waters *
have gone right over us.
6 Blessed be the LORD! *
he has not given us over to be a prey for their teeth.
7 We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowler; *
the snare is broken, and we have escaped.
8 Our help is in the Name of the LORD, *
the maker of heaven and earth.

Second Reading
Romans 12:1-8
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, 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 renewing of your minds,
so that you may discern what is the will of God-- what is good and acceptable and
perfect.
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For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more
highly than you 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 not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in
Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ
according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in
ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in
generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

The Holy Gospel

Matthew 16:13-20
When Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do
people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but
others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But
who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of
the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For
flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you,
you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not
prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you
bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed
in heaven.” Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the
Messiah.
Homily Fr. Isaac K.N.O. Bonney

Nicene Creed

Prayers of the People

Celebrant
Blessed God, you have revealed yourself through your Son Jesus Christ to be a God of
compassion and love: Inspire your church to live in your Spirit as witnesses to your
goodness, as we pray: Our help is in the Name of God, the maker of heaven and earth.
Holy God, you have founded your church upon a rock and given to us the keys to the
kingdom of heaven: Inspire the gifts of your prophets, ministers, teachers, exhorters, givers,
leaders, and servers that we may be a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to you, which is
our spiritual worship.
Our help is in the Name of God, the maker of heaven and earth.
Merciful God, you hear the cries of the oppressed and seek the protection of all your
children: Confront our leaders and those in authority throughout the world with the power of
your compassion, that their service may not be conformed to this world, but transformed by
the renewing of their minds in your love.
Our help is in the Name of God, the maker of heaven and earth.
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 Ever-present God, you see all injustice and hear the cries of those who suffer: Bind the
hands of the oppressors and loose the victims of harsh taskmasters, that all who are misused
in their labor and their lives may be free to experience everything that is good and acceptable
and perfect.
Our help is in the Name of God, the maker of heaven and earth.
Gracious God, be present in this community to inspire us to serve one another with the gifts
you have given us and to live together with generous humility.
Our help is in the Name of God, the maker of heaven and earth.
Gentle God, you unite us as many members into one body in Christ: Empower our gifts and
reconcile our differences that we may witness to Jesus the Messiah, the Son of the living
God.

Receive our prayers for those for whom we intercede, especially ___.
Hear our thanksgiving for all the blessings we enjoy, especially ___.
Embrace in heaven those who have died, especially ___.
May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Our help is in the Name of God, the maker of heaven and earth.
Triune God, your love fills the whole creation and prevails against the gates of death: Fill
us with the gifts of your Spirit, that we may be faithful ministers of your truth and generous
servants of your compassion, through Jesus the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Amen.

The Peace

The Blessing
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so
that you may discern what is the will of God.
Be the one body in Christ Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of the Living God -- members of one
another, for we who are many are one.
Exercise your gifts in the power of the Spirit, to bind and to loose with justice and
compassion, presenting yourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.
And the blessing of our transforming God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be with you and
abide with you now and always. Amen.

The Dismissal
_____________________________________________________________________________

SPECIAL INTENTIONS
Please pray for those in distress of body, mind or spirit: Marzelle, Laura, Dianne,
Renee, Sarah, Florence, Ted, Van, Cannute, Mary Hope, Shirley W., Helen D,
Violet Taylor, Kanye, Rev. Richard F., Everyone suffering from Covid-19,
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 Ruth Bader Ginsburg, The City of Chicago, Ola Linder, Jean Anthony,

August Birthdays: C. Anthony Jones Jr. (5) Chloe Reindorf (10), Zelonia Jordan (11)
Amia Childress (18) Karis Bonney (18) Steve Strickland (20) C. Michael Gale (26)
Nancy Wysinger (27) Silas “Chip” Woods (28) Christian Reindorf (28)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

183rd Annual Convention. The 183rd Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese
of Chicago will be held on Saturday, November 21, 2020 as a virtual gathering between
9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Voting participants at convention include the clergy of the
diocese and lay delegates elected from each congregation. All voting will be conducted
electronically. General attendees and visitors are invited to observe the proceedings
online or to listen by phone.
Vote by Mail Application. Chicago residents may apply to vote by mail by going to
https://www.chicagoelections.gov/en/vote-by-mail-application.html.

Sunday Service at 11 AM
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81276874031?pwd=S2xSVTJ4T0t1RWdFUjV5NSt1MFZ5UT09
Phone: 312-626-6799
Meeting ID: 812 7687 4031
Passcode: 902663
Coffee Hour: August 30th 12:30PM
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81080977779?pwd=Lzl3WHo1cFhyS3A1ZWtrVVBFWUV2Zz09
Phone: 312-626-6799
Meeting ID: 810 8097 7779
Passcode: 657790

Brent House Job Opening. Brent House, the Episcopal Center at the University of
Chicago, is looking for a part-time office manager/bookkeeper. Hours are flexible and
some work can be done on-line. COVID-19-appropriate practices will be in place for the
office. For a more complete job description, contact the Rev. Stacy Alan at (773) 947-8744
or stacyalan@brenthouse.org.

MSB EXPRESS

I am sure you have probably read how the Post Office has been under attack of late. This
has or will be impacting you in one way or another. If you receive your medicine via
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mail, this would have an impact on you. These delays may pose a danger to your health
even. It may also have an impact on payment of bills and other essentials you may
depend.
Contact your insurance and prescription providers and have a conversation with them.
Check whether they can mail your meds ahead of time, so that by the time they run out
you would have the refills already be mailed to you.
In these uncertain times, we must learn to pivot and mute the distractions.

Vote
The impact of this of this on our elections would be great as well. Please consider vote
by mail or early voting.

Log onto https://www.chicagoelections.gov/en/voting.html to register to vote and also

register to vote by mail. The website also contains information on dropping your votes
by the secured ballot dropbox.
Change in Leadership
The Food Pantry has new leadership. The Leadership Team comprises of Lynette
Watkins and Deborah Gentle. Dr. Doreen Barrett has done a wonderful job leading the
Ministry. We are grateful for her service and dedication. We welcome the new
leadership and are looking forward to great things.
Learning Contentment
“I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I
know how to abound...”
(Philippians 4:11–12, NKJV)
It is good to have dreams and goals. We should be stretching our faith. But while we are
waiting for promises to come to pass, we should not be discontent where we are. When
we are unhappy, frustrated, and wondering if something is ever going to change, the
unintended consequence is these emotions is a way dishonoring God. The reason is we
are so focused on what we want that we take for granted the good things God has given
us.
The apostle Paul said he had to learn to be content. This does not happen automatically.
It is a choice we have to make. Being content does not mean that we do not want
change, that we give up on our dreams, or that we settle where we are. It means we do
not live our life always wanting something else. We see the gift in what we have right
now, and thus trust God’s timing.

We know He is working behind the scenes, and at the right time, He will get us to
where we are supposed to be.

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A Prayer for Today “Father, thank You that no matter what my circumstances are, I don’t
have to live stressed and frustrated and discontent. Thank You that You are teaching me to
be content with where I am and with what I have. I am trusting Your timing with my
wants. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.*

MESSIAH-ST. BARTHOLOMEW EPISCOPAL CHURCH

8255 South Dante Avenue ♦ Chicago, Illinois 60619
Phone (773) 721-3232 * Fax(773) 221-4959
Email: messiahstbarth@comcast.net * Website : messiahstb.org
The Reverend Isaac K.N.O. Bonney, Priest-in-Charge