St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church
Feast
of Saint Stephen, Deacon and Martyr
Processional
Hymn—293 (stand)
The
Word of God
The
Decalogue (kneel)
Minister.
GOD
spake these words and said; I am the Lord thy God Thou shalt have none other
gods but me.
People.
Lord have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keep this law.
Minister. Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven
image, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth
beneath, or in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down to them nor
worship them: for I the LORD thy God am a
jealous God and visit the
sins of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of
them that hate me; and show mercy unto thousands in them that love me and keep
my commandments.
People.
Lord have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
Minister. Thou shalt not take the Name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD
will not hold him guiltless, that taketh his Name in vain.
People. Lord have mercy
upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
Minister. Remember that thou keep holy the
Sabbath-day. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all that thou hast to do; but
the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy
God. In it thou shalt do no manner of work; thou, and thy son, and thy daughter,
thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, thy cattle, and the stranger that is
within thy gates. For in six days the LORD
made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh
day: wherefore the LORD blessed the
seventh day, and hallowed it.
People.
Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
Minister. Honour thy father and thy mother; that thy
days may be long in the land which the LORD
thy God giveth thee.
People. Lord,
have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts
to keep this law.
Minister. Thou
shalt do no murder.
People. Lord,
have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
Minister. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
People. Lord,
have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
Minister. Thou shalt not steal.
People. Lord,
have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
Minister. Thou shalt not bear false witness against
thy neighbour.
People.
Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
Minister. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s
house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his servant, nor his
maid, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is his.
People. Lord,
have mercy upon us, and write all these thy
laws in our hearts, we beseech thee.
The Kyrie (kneel) BCP 324
Gloria in Excelsis Deo (stand, sung)
S 204
The
Collect of the Day (stand)
We give you thanks, O Lord of glory, for the example of the first martyr Stephen, who looked up to heaven and prayed for his persecutors to your Son Jesus Christ, who stands at your right hand; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
The
Lessons (sit)
A
Psalm 31 (sit) In te, Domine, speravi
A
Second
Reading
from Acts 6:8-7:2a,51c-60
Gospel
Hymn—632
Holy Gospel (stand)
Matthew 23:34-39
The
Sermon
The
Nicene Creed (stand)
BCP 326
The Prayers of the People (kneel) BCP 328
The Confession of Sin (kneel) BCP 330
The Peace (stand)
BCP 332
Offertory
Invitation
Presentation
of Gifts and Alms
Offertory
Anthem (stand)
Doxology
The Holy Communion
The Great
Thanksgiving, Prayer I
BCP 333
The Sanctus (sung)
S 114
Consecration
Prayers (kneel)
BCP 334
Lord’s
Prayer BCP 336
The Breaking of the
Bread
BCP 337
Agnus Dei (sung)
S 157
Distribution of the Sacraments
Communion Hymn—324 (sit)
Prayer
of Thanksgiving (kneel)
BCP 339
Blessing
(kneel) BCP 340
Recessional Hymn—287
From a sermon by Saint Fulgentius of
Ruspe, Bishop
The
armament of love
Yesterday we celebrated the birth in time of our eternal King.
Today we celebrate the triumphant suffering of his soldier.
Yesterday our king, clothes in his robe of flesh, left his place in the
virgin’s womb and graciously visited the world.
Today his soldier leaves the tabernacle of his body and goes triumphantly
to heaven.
Our king, despite his exalted majesty, came in humility for our sake;
yet, he did not come empty-handed. He
brought his soldiers a great gift that not only enriched them but also made them
unconquerable in battle, for it was the gift of love, which was to bring men to
share in his divinity. He gave of
his bounty, yet without any loss to himself.
In a marvelous way he changed into wealth the poverty of his faithful
followers while remaining in full possession of his inexhaustible riches.
And so the love that brought Christ from heaven to earth raised Stephen
from earth to heaven; shown first in the king, it later shone forth in his
soldier. Love was Stephen’s weapon
by which he gained every battle, and so won the crown signified by his name.
His love of God kept him from yielding to the ferocious mob; his love for
his neighbor made him pray for those who were stoning him.
Love inspired him to reprove those who erred, to make them amend; love
led him to pray for those who stoned him, to save them from punishment.
Strengthened by the power of his love, he overcame the raging cruelty of
Saul and won his persecutor on earth as his companion in heaven.
In his holy and tireless love he longed to gain by prayer those whom he
could not convert by admonition.
Now at last, Paul rejoices with Stephen, with Stephen he delights in the
glory of Christ, with Stephen he exults, with Stephen he reigns.
Stephen went first, slain by the stones thrown by Paul, but Paul followed
after, helped by the power of Stephen. This,
surely, is the true life, my brothers, a life I which Paul feels no shame
because of Stephen’s death, and Stephen delights in Paul’s companionship,
for love fills them both with joy. It
was Stephen’s love that prevailed over the cruelty of the mob, and it was
Paul’s love that covered the multitude of his sins; it was love that won for
both of them the kingdom of heaven.
Love, indeed, is the source of all good things; it is an impregnable
defense, and the way that leads to heaven. He
who walks in love can neither go astray nor be afraid:
love guides him, protects him, and brings him to his journey’s end.
My brothers, Christ made love the stairway that would enable all
Christians to climb to heaven. Hold
fast to it, therefore, in all sincerity, give one another practical proof of it,
and by your progress in it, make your ascent together.
The flowers on the altar are given to the Glory of God and in Thanksgiving for the tenth birthday of Jordan Keeney by her grandparents, Lloyd and Nina Maynard.
The
bulletin was printed and provided by Vann Stephens, Twyford Printing Company,
Dunn, NC
St.
Stephen’s Episcopal Church
Feast
of Saint Stephen, Martyr
Processional Hymn— (stand)
225
Opening Sentence
p 319
The Decalogue (kneel) p 317
.jpg)
Minister.
GOD
spake these words and said; I am the Lord thy God Thou shalt have none other
gods but me.
People.
Lord have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keep this law.
Minister. Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven
image, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth
beneath, or in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down to them nor
worship them: for I the LORD thy God am a
jealous God and visit the
sins of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of
them that hate me; and show mercy unto thousands in them that love me and keep
my commandments.
People.
Lord have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
Minister. Thou shalt not take the Name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD
will not hold him guiltless, that taketh his Name in vain.
People. Lord have mercy
upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
Minister. Remember that thou keep holy the
Sabbath-day. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all that thou hast to do; but
the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy
God. In it thou shalt do no manner of work; thou, and thy son, and thy daughter,
thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, thy cattle, and the stranger that is
within thy gates. For in six days the LORD
made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh
day: wherefore the LORD blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it.
People.
Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
Minister. Honour thy father and thy mother; that thy
days may be long in the land which the LORD
thy God giveth thee.
People. Lord,
have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts
to keep this law.
Minister. Thou shalt do no murder.
People. Lord,
have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
Minister. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
People. Lord,
have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
Minister. Thou shalt not steal.
People. Lord,
have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
Minister. Thou shalt not bear false witness against
thy neighbour.
People. Lord,
have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law.
Minister. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s
house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his servant, nor his
maid, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is his.
People. Lord,
have mercy upon us, and write all these thy
laws in our hearts, we beseech thee.
The
Word of God
The Kyrie (kneel)
.jpg)
Gloria in Excelsis Deo (stand,
sung)
S 204
The
Collect of the Day (stand)
We
give you thanks, O Lord of glory, for the example of the first martyr Stephen,
who looked up to heaven and prayed for his persecutors to your Son Jesus Christ,
who stands at your right hand; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
The
Lessons (sit)
A
At the beginning of the reign of King Jehoiakim son of Josiah of Judah, this word came from the LORD: Thus says the LORD: Stand in the court of the LORD's house, and speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship in the house of the LORD; speak to them all the words that I command you; do not hold back a word. It may be that they will listen, all of them, and will turn from their evil way, that I may change my mind about the disaster that I intend to bring on them because of their evil doings. You shall say to them: Thus says the LORD: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you, and to heed the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently-- though you have not heeded-- then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth.
The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah
speaking these words in the house of the LORD. And when Jeremiah had finished
speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, then
the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying,
"You shall die! Why have you prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying,
`This house shall be like
Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people,
saying, "It is the LORD who sent me to prophesy against this house and this
city all the words you have heard. Now therefore amend your ways and your
doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God, and the LORD will change his
mind about the disaster that he has pronounced against you. But as for me, here
I am in your hands. Do with me as seems good and right to you. Only know for
certain that if you put me to death, you will be bringing innocent blood upon
yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for in truth the LORD sent me
to you to speak all these words in your ears."
Psalm 49 (sung)(sit) Audite haec, omnes
1
Hear
this, all you peoples;
hearken, all you who dwell in the world, *
you of high degree and low, rich and poor together.
2
My mouth shall speak of wisdom, *
and my heart shall meditate on understanding.
3
I will incline my ear to a proverb
*
and set forth my riddle upon the harp.
4
Why should I be afraid in evil
days, *
when the wickedness of those at my heels surrounds me,
5
The wickedness of those who put
their trust in their goods, *
and boast of their great riches?
6
We can never ransom ourselves, *
or deliver to God the price of our life;
7
For the ransom of our life is so
great, *
that we should never have enough to pay it,
8
In order to live for ever and
ever, *
and never see the grave.
9
For we see that the wise die also;
like the dull and stupid they perish *
and leave their wealth to those who come after them.
10
Their graves shall be their homes
for ever,
their dwelling places from generation to generation, *
though they call the lands after their own names.
11
Even though honored, they cannot
live for ever; *
they are like the beasts that perish.
12
Such is the way of those who
foolishly trust in themselves, *
and the end of those who delight in their own words.
13
Like a flock of sheep they are
destined to die;
Death is their shepherd; *
they go down straightway to the grave.
14
Their form shall waste away, *
and the land of the dead shall be their home.
15
But God will ransom my life; *
he will snatch me from the grasp of death.
16
Do not be envious when some become
rich, *
or when the grandeur of their house increases;
17
For they will carry nothing away
at their death, *
nor will their grandeur follow them.
18
Though they thought highly of
themselves while they lived, *
and were praised for their success,
19
They shall join the company of
their forebears, *
who will never see the light again.
20
Those who are honored, but have no
understanding, *
are like the beasts that perish.
A
Second
Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs
among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the
Freedmen (as it was called), Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and others of those from
Then the high priest asked him, "Are these things so?"
And Stephen replied: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me. You are forever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have become his betrayers and murderers. You are the ones that received the law as ordained by angels, and yet you have not kept it."
When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground
their teeth at Stephen. But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven
and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
"Look," he said, "I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man
standing at the right hand of God!" But they covered their ears, and with a
loud shout all rushed together against him. Then they dragged him out of the
city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a
young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord
Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud
voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said
this, he died.
Gospel
Hymn—(stand)
243
Holy Gospel (stand) Matthew 23:34-39
Jesus said, "Therefore I send you prophets, sages, and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town, so that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly I tell you, all this will come upon this generation.
"
The
Sermon
The
Nicene Creed (stand)
BCP 326
The Prayers of the People (kneel)
BCP 328
The Confession of Sin (kneel)
BCP 330
The Peace (stand)
BCP 332
Offertory
Invitation
Presentation
of Gifts and Alms
Offertory
Anthem (stand)
Doxology
The Holy Communion
The Great Thanksgiving, Prayer I
BCP
333
The Sanctus (sung)
S 114
Consecration
Prayers (kneel)
BCP
334
Lord’s
Prayer
BCP
336
The Breaking of the Bread
BCP 337
Agnus Dei (sung) S 157
.jpg)
Distribution of the Sacraments
Communion Hymn— (sit)
Prayer
of Thanksgiving (kneel)
BCP 339
Blessing
(kneel)
BCP 340
Recessional
Hymn—
450
From
a sermon by Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe, bishop
The
armament of love
Yesterday
we celebrated the birth in time of our eternal King.
Today we celebrate the triumphant suffering of his soldier.
Yesterday our king, clothes in his robe of flesh, left his place in the
virgin’s womb and graciously visited the world.
Today his soldier leaves the tabernacle of his body and goes triumphantly
to heaven.
Our
king, despite his exalted majesty, came in humility for our sake; yet, he did
not come empty-handed. He brought
his soldiers a great gift that not only enriched them but also made them
unconquerable in battle, for it was the gift of love, which was to bring men to
share in his divinity. He gave of
his bounty, yet without any loss to himself.
In a marvelous way he changed into wealth the poverty of his faithful
followers while remaining in full possession of his inexhaustible riches.
And
so the love that brought Christ from heaven to earth raised Stephen from earth
to heaven; shown first in the king, it later shone forth in his soldier.
Love was Stephen’s weapon by which he gained every battle, and so won
the crown signified by his name. His
love of God kept him from yielding to the ferocious mob; his love for his
neighbor made him pray for those who were stoning him.
Love inspired him to reprove those who erred, to make them amend; love
led him to pray for those who stoned him, to save them from punishment.
Strengthened by the power of his love, he overcame the raging cruelty of
Saul and won his persecutor on earth as his companion in heaven.
In his holy and tireless love he longed to gain by prayer those whom he
could not convert by admonition.
Now at last, Paul rejoices with Stephen, with
Stephen he delights in the glory of Christ, with Stephen he exults, with Stephen
he reigns. Stephen went first, slain
by the stones thrown by Paul, but Paul followed after, helped by the power of
Stephen. This, surely, is the true
life, my brothers, a life I which Paul feels no shame because of Stephen’s
death, and Stephen delights in Paul’s companionship, for love fills them both
with joy. It was Stephen’s love
that prevailed over the cruelty of the mob, and it was Paul’s love that
covered the multitude of his sins; it was love that won for both of them the
kingdom of heaven.
Love,
indeed, is the source of all good things; it is an impregnable defense, and the
way that leads to heaven. He who
walks in love can neither go astray nor be afraid:
love guides him, protects him, and brings him to his journey’s end.
My
brothers, Christ made love the stairway that would enable all Christians to
climb to heaven. Hold fast to it,
therefore, in all sincerity, give one another practical proof of it, and by your
progress in it, make your ascent together.
The flowers on the altar are given to the Glory of God and in loving memory of her son, Stephen Powers, by Virginia Powers.