SAINT MICHAEL
and All Angels Episcopal Church
The Fourth Sunday After Pentecost
July 6, 2025
4 PM A SERVICE OF PRAYER AND COMMENDATION Church
A Service of Prayer and Commendation
Prelude Organ Voluntary
Welcome
The Rev. Dr. Christopher D. Girata
Opening Hynn (standing, sung by all)
“The King of love my shepherd is” St. Columba
The Opening Sentences and Collect (standing)
Hymn 645
Officiant Jesus said, Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; People For it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.
Officiant He will feed his flock like a shepherd, People He will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom.
Officiant The eternal God is our refuge, People We are held within His everlasting arms.
Officiant For these things I weep; my eyes flow with tears, People But you, O Lord, reign forever; your throne endures to all generations.
Officiant For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be our shepherd, People And he will guide us to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from our eyes.
Officiant The Lord be with you. People And also with you.
Officiant Let us pray.
Gracious God, we come before you this day in pain and sorrow. We grieve the loss of each precious human life. Give your grace to those who suffer, that they may find comfort in your presence and be strengthened by your Spirit. Be with all of us as we mourn and pray, and draw us together in your healing love; in the name of the one who suffered, died, and rose for us, Jesus our Savior.
Amen.
The First Lesson (seated) Isaiah 65:17-20a, 23-25
For I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of distress. No more shall there be in it an infant that lives but a few days, or an old person who does not live out a lifetime. ... They shall not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord—and their descendants as well. Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox; but the serpent—its food shall be dust! They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the Lord.
Lector The Word of the Lord. People Thanks be to God.
The First Psalm (seated, spoken in unison) Psalm 23 (King James Version)
The LORD is my shepherd; * I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; * he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul; * he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his Name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; * for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; *thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, * and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
The Second Lesson (seated)
Romans 8:31b-35, 37-39
If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Lector The Word of the Lord. People Thanks be to God.
The Second Psalm (seated, spoken in unison)
Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills; * from where is my help to come? My help comes from the LORD, * the maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved * and he who watches over you will not fall asleep. Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel *
shall neither slumber nor sleep; The LORD himself watches over you; * the LORD is your shade at your right hand, So that the sun shall not strike you by day, * nor the moon by night.
The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; * it is he who shall keep you safe.
The LORD shall watch over your going out and your coming in, * from this time forth for evermore.
The Third Lesson (seated) John 10:11-16
[Jesus said] “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shep herd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”
Lector The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Hymn (standing, sung by all)
“Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart” Slane
The Apostles’ Creed (standing)
Hymn 488
All I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Prayers of the People (standing)
Officiant I ask your prayers for God's people throughout the world; for this gathering; and for all ministers and people. Pray for the Church.
Silence
Officiant I ask your prayers for peace; for goodwill among nations; and for the well-being of all people. Pray for justice and peace.
Silence
Officiant I ask your prayers for the poor, the sick, the hungry, the oppressed, and those in prison. Pray for those in any need or trouble, especially those who now struggle to recover from the flooding in West Texas.
Silence
Officiant I ask your prayers for all who seek God, or a deeper knowledge of him. Pray that they may find and be found by him.
Silence
Officiant I ask your prayers for all those who died in the tragic flooding in West Texas. Pray for those who have died. Silence
The Litany (standing)
Officiant Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit; People For you have redeemed me, O Lord, O God of truth.
Officiant Keep us, O Lord, as the apple of your eye; People Hide us under the shadow of your wings.
Officiant Almighty God, let our prayer in your sight be as incense,
People The lifting up of our hands as the evening sacrifice.
Officiant Give us grace to behold you, present in your Word, People And help us to recognize you in the lives of those around us.
Officiant Stir up in us the flame of that love which burned in the heart of your Son.
People And let it burn in us to eternal life and to the ages of ages.
Officiant Defend us from our enemies, O Christ, People Graciously behold our afflictions.
Officiant With pity, behold the sorrows of our hearts, People Favorably with mercy, hear our prayers.
Officiant Graciously hear us, O Christ. People Graciously hear us, O Lord Christ.
Officiant
Almighty God, by your Holy Spirit you have made us one with your saints in heaven and on earth: Grant that in our
earthly pilgrimage we may always be supported by this fellowship of love and prayer, and know ourselves to be surrounded by their witness to your power and mercy. We ask this for the sake of Jesus Christ, in whom all our intercessions are acceptable through the Spirit, and who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer (standing)
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, bur deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
Ave Maria (seated) Franz Schubert
The General Thanksgiving (standing)
All Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
The foregoing text of the worship service contained in this order of worship is taken from the Book of Common Prayer 1979.
The Book of Common Prayer alone is of authority in the worship of the Episcopal Church. This program is provided for convenience of use on this occasion.
Streamed with permission under ONE LICENSE # M - 402151.
And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.
Closing Hymn (standing, sung by all) Hymn 662
“Abide
with me: fast falls the eventide” Eventide
Postlude Organ Voluntary