Ringing of the bell
Hymn All that hunger gather gladly
Opening Sentences
God meets us in our greatest need and satisfies us with divine presence and provision. In gratitude, let us worship the Lord our God.
The Lord be with you. And also with you. Let us pray.
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.
Glorious God, your generosity floods the world with goodness and you shower creation with abundance. Awaken in us a hunger for food to satisfy both body and heart, that in the miracle of being fed, we may be empowered by you to feed the hungry, in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who sets a table for us. Amen.
A Reading from the Prophet Isaiah, Chapter 55, verses 1-5
Thus says the Lord:
“Ho, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and you that have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to me;
listen, so that you may live.
I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
See, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
See, you shall call nations that you do not know,
and nations that do not know you shall run to you,
because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.”
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Psalm 145: 8-9, 15-22 Exaltabo te, Deus
8 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, *
slow to anger and of great kindness.
9 The Lord is loving to everyone *
and his compassion is over all his works.
15 The Lord upholds all those who fall; *
he lifts up those who are bowed down.
16 The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord, *
and you give them their food in due season.
17 You open wide your hand *
and satisfy the needs of every living creature.
18 The Lord is righteous in all his ways *
and loving in all his works.
19 The Lord is near to those who call upon him, *
to all who call upon him faithfully.
20 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; *
he hears their cry and helps them.
21 The Lord preserves all those who love him, *
but he destroys all the wicked.
22 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord; *
let all flesh bless his holy Name for ever and ever.
A Reading from Paul’s Letter to the Romans, Chapter 9:1-5
I am speaking the truth in Christ– I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit– I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Hymn: Break thou the bread of life
A Reading from the Gospel according to Matthew, Chapter 14, verses 13-21
Jesus withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus said to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Sermon and Discussion
Affirmation
We are not alone; we live in God’s world.
We believe in God:
who has created and is creating,
who has come in Jesus,
the Word made flesh,
to reconcile and make new,
who works in us and others by the Spirit.
We trust in God.
We are called to be the Church:
to celebrate God’s presence,
to love with respect in creation,
to love and serve others,
to seek justice and resist evil,
to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
our judge and our hope.
In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us.
We are not alone. Thanks be to God.
The Confession
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
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.
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 of the Lord be always with you. And also with you.
Announcements
Mike Newman has a birthday on August 7. Milly and Howard Muhly are celebrating their anniversary today.
Gathering again in person—will be a topic on this month’s Vestry agenda. Work on the pavilion will begin soon.
Village Dinner and Shred-It.
Hymn Surely it is God who saves me
The Prayers
Let us pray.
The Lord’s Prayer
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.
God who hears us, holds us, and helps us, you are our eternal source of blessing. You are our endless source of provision. In your compassion, you see our need; you heal our sickness and satisfy our hunger. Hear us now as we pray for the church, the world, and all in need:
We pray for your church universal, that our relations with other religions, especially our Jewish brothers and sisters, may be respectful and abounding in steadfast love. Enable us to join with people of all faiths to work for the well-being of all your children.
We pray for our church, St Peter’s. We pray that as we miss singing together, you will fill our hearts with song. We pray that as we miss gathering in person around your table, we may feed one another through our mutual love and care for one another. We pray that as the concerns of this world and the ongoing stress of our separation threaten to tear us apart, that your love would bind us together with cords that cannot be broken, the cords of your love.
We pray for all the people of the world, for all ethnic groups, nations and leaders, that wars will cease, that the hungry will be fed, and that refugees will be blessed with homes of safety and peace.
We thank you for looking with compassion on the whole human family. Take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that in your good time all may serve you in harmony.
We pray for the earth and for all the creatures who look to you for their food in due season. May we do our part in restoring the balance of your creation and deepen our commitment to follow Jesus in ministries that feed and serve others and promote justice for all.
We pray for those serving in the armed forces of our land, especially those on our prayer list, Cheyenne, Cliff, Alexis, Scott, Steven, Michael, George and Greg. We commend them to your gracious care and keeping. Defend them, strengthen them, give them courage, grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be. We ask that you bring them home safe in mind, body and spirit when their duties are done.
We pray for those who travel on land, on sea and through outer space. Surround them with your loving care; protect them from every danger; and bring them in safety to their journey’s end, especially Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, returning to earth from the International Space Station this afternoon.
We pray for all who work in the health care professions and who care for those in need, especially for Chris Fisher and for Carolyn Duke. We pray for all on our prayer list who are sick, or any kind of trouble or anxiety. May their weakness be banished and their strength restored, and their health being renewed, may they bless your holy Name.
We pray for those we love, but see no longer: Grant them your peace; let light perpetual shine upon them; and, in your loving wisdom and almighty power, work in them the good purpose of your perfect will.
We give you thanks for the gift of rain and for all the blessings of this life. We give you thanks for feeding us, for satisfying the needs of every living creature, for hearing our cries, and for helping us. Support us all the day long, until the shadows lengthen, and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done. Then in your mercy, grant us a safe lodging, and a holy rest, and peace at the last. Amen.
The Blessing The Lord Bless you and keep you
Dismissal