GRACE CHURCH OF MARTHA'S VINEYARD

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  • WELCOME
  • Contact Us
  • Leadership
  • Parish Calendar
  • Online Sunday Services at Grace
    • 10.11.26 Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
    • 10.4.26 Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
  • Church and Faith
    • Annual Report 2025
    • African American Heritage Trail
    • Our Three-Year Plan
    • Weddings
    • History of Grace Church
  • Climate Change
  • Donate
  • Liturgies to Say at Home
    • Spiritual Communion
    • Morning Prayer
    • Daily Devotions
    • Noonday Prayer
    • Evening Prayer
    • Compline for nightly use
    • The Angelus
    • BCP Services
  • Lobster Rolls and More
    • Summer Lobster Rolls
    • Community Suppers
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The Holy Eucharist Rite II:  Eucharistic Prayer A
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All music printed by permission in accordance with ONE LICENSE, License #A-734784.   Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with License #A-734784.
All rights reserved.

Prelude – “Fairest Lord Jesus” … Wilbur Held
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 Welcome

Hymn LEVAS 111 Come thou font of every blessing
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The Word of God

Celebrant
     Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
People         And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and for ever.  Amen.

Celebrant         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.

Gloria in Excelsis

Glory to God in the highest,
   and peace to God's people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
   we worship you, we give you thanks,
   we praise you for your glory.

Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
   have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
   receive our prayer.

For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
   Jesus Christ,
   with the Holy Spirit,
   in the glory of God the Father.  Amen.

Collect of the Day
 
Celebrant               The Lord be with you.
People                   And also with you.
Celebrant               Let us pray.
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Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, you know our necessities before we ask and our ignorance in asking: Have compassion on our weakness, and mercifully give us those things which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask; through the worthiness of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

The Lessons 

The First Reading: Genesis 28:10-19a  read by Grace Douglas
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Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the Lord stood beside him and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
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So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called that place Bethel.
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​The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Psalm 139:1-11, 22-23  read by Betsy Holcomb

          1 Lord, you have searched me out and known me; *
               you know my sitting down and my rising up;
               you discern my thoughts from afar.
          2 You trace my journeys and my resting-places *
               and are acquainted with all my ways.
          3 Indeed, there is not a word on my lips, *
               but you, O Lord, know it altogether.
          4 You press upon me behind and before *
               and lay your hand upon me.
          5 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; *
               it is so high that I cannot attain to it.
          6 Where can I go then from your Spirit? *
               where can I flee from your presence?
          7 If I climb up to heaven, you are there; *
               if I make the grave my bed, you are there also.
          8 If I take the wings of the morning *
               and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
          9 Even there your hand will lead me *
               and your right hand hold me fast.
          10 If I say, "Surely the darkness will cover me, *
               and the light around me turn to night,"
          11 Darkness is not dark to you;
               the night is as bright as the day; *
               darkness and light to you are both alike.
          22 Search me out, O God, and know my heart; *
               try me and know my restless thoughts.
          23 Look well whether there be any wickedness in me *
               and lead me in the way that is everlasting.

Romans 8:12-25  read by Kim Garrison
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Brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh-- for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ-- if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

The Word of the Lord.
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Thanks be to God.

Sequence Anthem - The Lord Be Near Us ... T. Smith/ H. Hopson

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

People             Glory to you, Lord Christ.
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Jesus put before the crowd another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”
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Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!”

The Gospel of the Lord
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People               Praise to You, Lord Christ.
Homily                 The Rev'd Stephen Harding

The Nicene Creed
 
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 worshiped 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.
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The Prayers of the People Form III, read by Karen Huff
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The Leader and People pray responsively

God, we pray for your holy Church;
That we all may be one.

Grant that every member of the Church may truly and humbly serve you;
That your Name may be glorified by all people.

We pray for all bishops, priests, and deacons;
That they may be faithful ministers of your Word and Sacraments.

We pray for all who govern and hold authority in the nations of the world;
That there may be justice and peace on the earth.

Give us grace to do your will in all that we undertake;
That our works may find favor in your sight.

Have compassion on those who suffer from any grief or trouble;
That they may be delivered from their distress.

Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.

We praise you for your saints who have entered into joy;
May we also come to share in your heavenly kingdom.

Let us pray for our own needs and those of others, particularly Sarah & Richard, Chelsea, Debbie and Alan, Bill, Deborah, Jen B., Judy B., Kathy, Lorraine & Richard, Molly, Margaret, Mark & Donna, Mary & Gregg, Maureen M., Nancy, Pat, Paul, Suzanne, Janet, Ralph, Corby, Jon, Lorraine S. and her family, James and his family, Rhonda, John, Newton and his family, Carey, Luiza, Tony, Carolyn & Tom

We pray for those who have died and for their families, especially Ken Medders and Jack Danckert

Silence

The People may add their own petitions.
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The Celebrant adds a concluding Collect.
The General Confession
 
Minister      Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor. 

Minister and People
 
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.
 
Celebrant              The Almighty and merciful Lord grant you absolution and remission of all your sins, true repentance, amendment of life, and the grace and consolation of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

The Peace
 
Celebrant    The Peace of the Lord be always with you.
People        And also with you.

Announcements

Hymn 458, vv. 1,2,7  My song is love unknown
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The Great Thanksgiving​

Eucharistic Prayer A

Celebrant    The Lord be with you.
People        And also with you.
Celebrant    Lift up your hearts.
People        We lift them to the Lord.
Celebrant    Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People        It is right to give him thanks and praise.
Celebrant      It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. 
...

Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:
 
 
Sanctus 130
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Then the Celebrant continues

Holy and gracious God: In your infinite love you made us for yourself, and, when we had fallen into sin and become subject to evil and death, you, in your mercy, sent Jesus Christ, your only and eternal Son, to share our human nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to you, the God and Father of all.

He stretched out his arms upon the cross, and offered himself, in obedience to your will, a perfect sacrifice for the whole world.

On the night he was handed over to suffering and death, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, "Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me."

After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, "Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me."

Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith:

Celebrant and People

Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.

The Celebrant continues
We celebrate the memorial of our redemption, O Father, in this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Recalling his death, resurrection, and ascension, we offer you these gifts.

Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of your Son, the holy food and drink of new and unending life in him. Sanctify us also that we may faithfully receive this holy Sacrament, and serve you in unity, constancy, and peace; and at the last day bring us with all your saints into the joy of your eternal kingdom.

All this we ask through your Son Jesus Christ: By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. Amen.
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And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
 
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.

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Breaking of the Bread

The Celebrant breaks the consecrated Bread.

 
A period of silence is kept.
 
Celebrant      Alleluia.  Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
People          Therefore let us keep the feast.  Alleluia.
 
Celebrant   The Gifts of God for the People of God.  Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.

Prayer for Spiritual Communion
 
Leader and People

​In union, O Lord with the faithful at every altar of Your Church, where the Holy Eucharist is now being celebrated, we desire to offer You praise and thanksgiving. We present to you our souls and bodies with the earnest wish that we may always be united to you. [And since we can not now receive you sacramentally,] we beseech you to come spiritually into our hearts. We unite ourselves to you, and embrace you with all the affections of our souls. Let nothing ever separate you from us. May we live and die in your love. Amen.
 
The Leader continues
 
Let us spend a few moments reflecting on the fact that God so loves each one of us that God sent God’s Only-Begotten Son into the world for all of us.

Hymn 325 Let us break bread together
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The Post Communion Prayer
 
After Communion, the Celebrant says
 
Let us pray.
 
Celebrant and People

Almighty and everliving God,
we thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food
of the most precious Body and Blood
of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ;
and for assuring us in these holy mysteries
that we are living members of the Body of your Son,
and heirs of your eternal kingdom.
And now, Father, send us out
to do the work you have given us to do,
to love and serve you
as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord.
To him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit,
be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
Blessing

​Hymn 188 It is well with my soul
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Dismissal
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Leader         Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
People         Thanks be to God.
Postlude

Sunday Prayers
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Sarah, the Archbishop of Canterbury  • Sean, our Presiding Bishop; Julia, Ian and Mary our Bishops
Stephen, Storm, and Sharon, our Priests.
The Very Reverend Amy McCreath & the Cathedral Congregation of St. Paul
The Manna Community • The Diocese of Rio Grande Borderland Ministries • The Cape & Islands Deanery
 
Donald, our President  •. The Members of Congress; Maura our Governor, and all our elected officials
Pray for Our Country
 
Sarah & Richard, Chelsea, Debbie and Alan, Bill, Deborah, Jen B., Judy B., Kathy, Lorraine & Richard, Molly, Margaret, Mark & Donna, Mary & Gregg, Maureen M., Nancy, Pat, Paul, Suzanne, Janet, Ralph, Corby, Jon, Lorraine S. and her family, James and his family, Rhonda, John, Newton and his family, Carey, Luiza, Tony, Carolyn & Tom

Those who have died and their families, especially Ken Medders and Jack Danckert



Rector:                                      The Reverend Dr. Stephen Harding
Priest Associates:                    The Rev’d Sharon Eckhardt
                                                  The Rev’d Dr. Storm Swain
Parish Administrator:              Heather Raveling
Cellist:                                       Jan Hyer
Bookkeeper:                            David Smith


Senior Warden:                       Jennifer Haynes
Junior Warden:                        Liz DaSilva
Treasurer:                                Andrea Wong-Monteiro
Clerk:                                        Kim Garrison
 
Vestry:  Gary Eckhardt, Donna Griffen, Betsy Holcomb, Karen Huff,
Faith Laskaris, Rori Peters, Deborah Koines -Alternate
 
ASSISTING IN OUR WORSHIP
Organist:  Debby Lewis
A/V Wizards: Gary Eckhardt, Betsy Holcomb & The Rev’d Dr. Storm Swain
Videographer & Curator: Karen Huff
Zoom Hosts:  The Rev’d Ribbons Harris & Karen Huff
Hospitality: Lorraine Clark, Bebee Green & members of the parish
Readers and Intercessors: Judy Carter, Carolyn Eddy, Kim Garrison, David Grey, Ribbons Harris, Jennifer Haynes, John Hickey, Betsy Holcomb, Karen Huff, Jan Hyer, Faith Laskaris, Michelle Lynch, Gus Harris, Daniela Lynch, Mateo Lynch, Grace Douglas, Maranda Post & DiAnn Ray
Eucharistic Ministers: Abby Bates, Judy Carter, Carolyn Eddy, Jennifer Haynes & DiAnn Ray
Singers:  Abby Bates, Judy Carter, Rev. Sharon Eckhardt, David Grey, Donna Griffen,
Rev. Stephen Harding, John Hickey, Betsy Holcomb, Jan Hyer
Ushers:  Lorraine Clark and BeBee Green

We invite you to join us! Please email [email protected] for particulars.

PO Box 1197 • 34 Woodlawn Avenue • Vineyard Haven MA 02568
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www.graceepiscopalmv.org • 508 693-0332