June 26, 2022 The 3rd Sunday after Pentecost

This period in the Church year is known as “The Season after Pentecost” or “Ordinary Time.”  The term “ordinary” refers to how the New Testament passages are generally read in order or in sequence, as opposed to being arranged by specific theme as in other seasons.  During this season the Gospel passages focus on the beginning of Jesus’ ministry and how he is revealed to the world as the Christ.  In Year C (the third in a three-year cycle: A, B & C) most of the Gospel passages are from the Gospel according to Luke.  The Old Testament Lesson in the Season after Pentecost, Year C, reads various stories about and writings of the Prophets.  The New Testament Lesson in the Season after Pentecost, Year C, reads Galatians, Colossians, Hebrews, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and 2 Thessalonians in sequence.

The service is from the red Book of Common Prayer 1979.  All hymns are taken from the blue Hymnal 1982.  All hymns are reprinted with permission under OneLicense.net A713125.

Our Celebrant this Sunday is the Reverend Matthew Hoxsie Mead.  Our Preacher is the Reverend Deacon Chisara Alimole.


Today’s In Person Worship


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Today’s Propers (Collect & Lections from Holy Scripture)

The Collect
Almighty God, you have built your Church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone: Grant us so to be joined together in unity of spirit by their teaching, that we may be made a holy temple acceptable to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

The First Lesson
2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14
Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the

When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground. When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” He responded, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.” As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha kept watching and crying out, “Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. He picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. He took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, saying, “Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” When he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.

The Psalm
Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20 Voce mea ad Dominum

1 I will cry aloud to God; *
I will cry aloud, and he will hear me.

2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; *
my hands were stretched out by night and did not tire;
I refused to be comforted.

11 I will remember the works of the Lord, *
and call to mind your wonders of old time.

12 I will meditate on all your acts *
and ponder your mighty deeds.

13 Your way, O God, is holy; *
who is so great a god as our God?

14 You are the God who works wonders *
and have declared your power among the peoples.

15 By your strength you have redeemed your people, *
the children of Jacob and Joseph.

16 The waters saw you, O God;
the waters saw you and trembled; *
the very depths were shaken.

17 The clouds poured out water;
the skies thundered; *
your arrows flashed to and fro;

18 The sound of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
your lightnings lit up the world; *
the earth trembled and shook.

19 Your way was in the sea,
and your paths in the great waters, *
yet your footsteps were not seen.

20 You led your people like a flock *
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

The Epistle
Galatians 5:1,13-25
For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.

The Gospel
Luke 9:51-62
When the days drew near for Jesus to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them. Then they went on to another village. As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”


Parish Prayer List

Please note that names are listed alphabetically by last name of the person being prayed for (if it is known).  We do not list last names for privacy reasons. For pastoral emergencies call or text one of the clergy: While Father Matt is in the Holy Land, please call Deacon Chisara Alimole (914.338.5194), or call the parish office (914.738.5515). We have rebooted the prayer list,  If you have any updates (birthdays, prayers additions, etc., please let us know.) Please submit names you wish to be included by Tuesday morning, to Marie at: marie@christchurchpelham.org.  

Our prayers are asked especially for: Marion, Elaine, Jordon, Zach, Benjamin, Stella, Pegeen, Ralph, Jed, Karen, Carol, Monica, Rebecca, Alison, Hildy, Walter, Alexandre,  Kathy, M&D, Rob, Sara, and Eileen.

We give thanks for those celebrating birthdays this week and in the coming week: Bishop Allan Shin (June 26).

We pray for those in our Armed Services especially: Joseph, Kevin, Jack, Leopold, Philip, Jake, Matthew, Robert, Philip-Jason, Nicholas, Sam, Helen, Mitchel, Alec, Jonah, Tia, Tyrese, and Terrence.

We pray for those who have died, especially Fr. Ralph Peterson (June 7).

May his soul and the souls of the departed, through the mercy of God,

rest in peace.  Amen


Today’s Music

Organ Prelude:  Chant sans paroles (Song without words), Charles Callahan (b. 1951)

Hymn in Procession: 518, Christ is made the sure foundation, Westminster Abbey

Gloria in Excelsis: S-280, Robert J. Powell

Sequence Hymn: 564, He who would valiant be ’gainst all disaster, St. Dunstan’s

Anthem at the Offertory: All who hunger gather gladly*, Holy Manna melody from The Southern Harmony, 1835; arranged by Jeffrey Hoffman

Hymn of Praise at the Offertory: 380, v. 3 Praise God from whom all blessings flow (Doxology), Old 100th

Sanctus et Benedictus: S-130, Franz Peter Schubert

Agnus Dei, S-164, Franz Peter Schubert

Hymn at the Communion: 603, When Christ was lifted from the earth, St. Botolph

Hymn in Procession: 458, My song is love unknown, Love unknown

Organ voluntary: Music for a festival; Calvin Hampton (1938-1984)

Today’s choir is our Summer Choir
Jeffrey Hoffman, organist & director of music

*Today’s offertory anthem is based on a hymn text by the Rev’d Sylvia G. Dunstan (1955-1993) who was an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada, served as a prison chaplain at a maximum security prison in Ontario, and identified as lesbian. Before her life was cut tragically short by cancer, she made many contributions to the hymnody of the Church which appear in numerous contemporary hymnals. She composed today’s text while on vacation at Folly Beach in South Carolina, where in her words “I worked out this text, wandering up and down the beach singing the tune HOLY MANNA.”

Based on his private papers, scholars believe that the English composer, John Ireland (1879-1962), who gave us the well-loved hymn tune “LOVE UNKNOWN” was a closeted gay man. The story of this tune’s origins is remarkable. At lunch one day in 1925, his fellow composer Geoffrey Shaw, who was editing a hymnal for English schoolchildren, asked Ireland to compose a tune for Samuel Crossman’s 17th century hymn text, which he then did over the course of the next fifteen minutes, on the back of a napkin.

The instrumental organ selections (prelude and voluntary) during this morning’s liturgy were composed by notable organist-composers who are gay men.

Live-stream licensed under OneLicense.net A-713125.


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