The Gathering of the Community
Hymn: Blue #354 Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
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 His Name I'm fixed upon it
Name of God's redeeming love.
Hither to thy love has blessed me
Thou has brought me to this place
And I know Thy hand will bring me
Safely home by Thy good grace
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Bought me with His precious blood
O 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, O take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above.
Leader: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
All: And also with you.
Collect for Purity
All: Almighty God to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hidden. 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
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, your Son Jesus Christ has taught us that what we do for the least of your children we do also for him. Give us the will to serve others as he was the servant of all, who gave up his life and died for us, but lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Children’s Song
Allelu, allelu, allelu, alleluia! Praise ye the Lord!
Praise ye the Lord! Alleluia! Praise ye the Lord! Alleluia!
Praise ye the Lord! Alleluia! Praise ye the Lord!
The Proclamation of the Word
First Reading: Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67
Rise Up, My Love, My Fair One – Healy Willan
Second Reading: Romans 7:15-25a
Hymn: Blue # 336 Masithi: Amen
Masithi: Amen, siyakudumisa
Masithi: Amen, siyakudumisa
Masithi: Amen, Bawo, amen, Bawo
Amen, siyakudumisa
Sing amen: Amen, we praise your name, O Lord
Sing amen: Amen, we praise your name, O Lord
Sing amen: Amen, amen, amen, amen,
Amen, we praise your name, O Lord.
The Gospel
Listen here
Anthem: Te Deum – Herbert Howells
The Nicene Creed
All: 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 worshipped 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.
The Prayers of the People
In peace, let us pray to Jesus our Lord, who ever lives to make intercession for us.
Saviour of the world, be present in all places of suffering, violence and pain, and bring hope even in the darkest night. Inspire us to continue your work of reconciliation today. God of love, hear our prayer.
Lord of the Church, empower by your Spirit all Christian people, especially those who are suffering for their faith [especially NN], and the work of your Church in every land. Give us grace even in this time when we cannot meet together to proclaim the gospel joyfully in word and deed. God of love, hear our prayer.
Shepherd and Guardian of our souls, guide and enable all who lead and serve this community and those on whom we depend for our daily needs. We give thanks especially for our health care workers; grant them strength and keep them well. Grant that we may seek the peace and welfare of this place. God of love, hear our prayer.
Great Physician, stretch out your hand to bring comfort, wholeness and peace to [N and] all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit. Fill us with compassion, that we may be channels of your healing love. God of love, hear our prayer.
Conqueror of death, remember for good those whom we love but see no longer. Help us to live this day in the sure and certain hope of your eternal victory. God of love, hear our prayer.
Beloved Redeemer, we pray to you also for the forgiveness of our sins.
Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father. In your compassion forgive us our sins, known and unknown, things done and left undone, and so uphold us by your Spirit that we may live and serve you in newness of life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us commend ourselves, and all for whom we pray, to the mercy and protection of God. Amen.
The Peace
Leader: In Christ you have stripped off the old self with its practices and put on the new, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of your creator, where there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, slave and free, but Christ is all and in all! (Col 3:10-11)
Leader: The peace of the Lord be always with you.
All: And also with you.
Hymn: #508 I Heard The Voice Of Jesus Say
A Prayer for Spiritual Communion
Leader: The Lord be with you.
All: And also with you.
Leader: Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry; whoever believes in me will never thirst…54 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; 55 for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. 56 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. (John 6)
All: 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, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
All: Dear Jesus, I believe that you are truly present in the Holy Sacrament. I love you above all things. And since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, I beseech you to come spiritually into my heart. Unite me to yourself, together with all your faithful people gathered around every altar of your Church. I embrace you with all the affections of my soul. Never permit me to be separated from you. Amen.
Concluding Prayer
Leader: O God, may we who have shared in holy things
never fail to serve you in your world, and so come to the fullness of joy, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Hymn: Blue #533 Jesus, Lover of My Soul
Leader: Let us go forth into the world in peace, to love and serve the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
We pray for: Rev. Dr. Ephraim Radner and Rev. Annette Brownlee, Hannah and Isaac; Clement Rodrigo
Thank you to our musicians today: Dave King on piano, Sarah, Nicholas and Rob Hamilton.
Prayer: Tuesday Afternoons and Friday Mornings
Join Susie and Aubrey on Tuesday afternoons from 5-5:30pm for an online Zoom prayer meeting. You will find a link in today’s Call to Worship email that you can click on Tuesday afternoon to join.
On Fridays follow along with Susie as she leads a short service of Morning Prayer starting at 8:30am on Facebook Live at the St. Matthew’s page.
Mid-Week Meditation with Mtr Catherine
A weekly encouragement to help us stay strong in our faith. Check your inbox for it each Wednesday and read the latest instalment here.
Don’t fear, Pre-Authorized Giving is here!
Your generosity allows St. Matthew’s to maintain the church building as well as minister to our parishioners, refugees and the Riverdale neighbourhood. We have a monthly pre-authorised remittance system, through the United Church of Canada which allows for ease of giving. Please contact Audrey Chan for more information. Her email is: ahtchan@gmail.com
St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, Riverdale,
135 First Avenue, Toronto ON, M4M 1W9
416-463-9720
The Rev Dr Catherine Sider-Hamilton – Priest-in-charge: 416-463-9720
The Rev Dr Ephraim Radner – Honorary Assistant
Please direct all enquiries to Peter Oakes, Peoples’ Warden or Audrey Chan, Rector’s Warden
