SAINT MICHAEL
and All Angels Episcopal Church
The Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost September 21, 2025
9 AM TRADITIONAL CHURCH
WELCOME
FROM THE RECTOR
The Rev. Dr. Christopher D. Girata
We’re so glad you’ve joined us at Saint Michael today. We’d love to get to know you better, so please take a moment to fill out the welcome card, either physically or digitally, that can be found on this page or in the pew back in front of you. Our Welcome Team members are in the hallways today to help you with anything you need.
I hope you’re taking advantage of praying along with the clergy of Saint Michael through our Weekday Meditations. They’re a great gift, helping to center us on prayer each day, and they can be streamed anywhere you listen to podcasts. I also encourage you to join one of our wonderful Sunday classes. Attendance has been excellent, including nearly 400 people in classes a week ago. The back of this bulletin has class information, so please look it over and join in. To find out more about our ministry programs, please pick up a copy of the Sunday News or stop one of our wonderful greeters after this service.
As we prepare to worship together, I invite you to take a moment and center yourself on God’s presence. Worshiping, learning, and giving together help us grow closer to who God created us to be, and you’re part of that work. May God bless you today and every day, and I hope to see you again very soon!
CONNECT WITH US
Scan the QR Code to fill out the welcome card, sign up for emails, and register for Saint Michael 101.
saintmichael.org/welcome
The Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost
Holy Eucharist: Rite II
The service begins on page 355 of The Book of Common Prayer. Hymns may be found in the blue hymnal in the pew rack.
The Word of God
Prelude
Adagio in E major Frank Bridge
Welcome
Entering Procession (standing, sung by all) Hymn 408
“Sing praise to God who reigns above” Mit Freuden zart
The Opening Acclamation and Collect for Purity (standing)
Celebrant Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. People And blessed be his 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.
Song of Praise (standing, sung by all)
“Glory to God”
The Collect of the Day (standing)
Celebrant The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Celebrant Let us pray.
Hymn S 280
Frank Bridge’s “Adagio in E major” for organ is a short, lyrical piece showcasing his early Romantic style. Composed in 1905, it reflects influences from Brahms and Mendelssohn, with rich harmonies and a gentle, meditative character. The work emphasizes expressive melodic lines and subtle dynamic shading suited to the organ’s warm timbre. Though not widely known, it reveals Bridge’s sensitivity and skill in writing for solo instruments.
Children ages three through eight are invited to meet a member of our ministry staff by the pulpit to be escorted to children’s chapel; they will return to the congregation following the Peace.
Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Chanted by the
The Lesson (seated)
Hear this, you that trample on the needy, and bring to ruin the poor of the land, saying, “When will the new moon be over so that we may sell grain; and the sabbath, so that we may offer wheat for sale? We will make the ephah small and the shekel g reat, and practice deceit with false balances, buying the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, and selling the sweepings of the wheat.” The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob: Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.
Lector The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
The Psalm (seated) Psalm 113
Hallelujah! Give praise, you servants of the LORD; * praise the Name of the LORD. Let the Name of the LORD be blessed, * from this time forth for evermore. From the rising of the sun to its going down * let the Name of the LORD be praised. The LORD is high above all nations, * and his glory above the heavens.
Who is like the LORD our God, who sits enthroned on high * but stoops to behold the heavens and the earth? He takes up the weak out of the dust * and lifts up the poor from the ashes. He sets them with the princes, * with the princes of his people. He makes the woman of a childless house * to be a joyful mother of children.
Sequence Hymn (standing, sung by all) Hymn 601, v. 1
“O day of God, draw nigh” St. Michael
Choir to a psalm setting by James Turle.
The Gospel (standing) Luke 16:1-13
Deacon The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke. People Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Jesus said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. So he summoned him and said to him, ‘ What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.’ Then the manager said to himself, ‘What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.’ So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He answered, ‘A hundred jugs of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.’ Then he asked another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘A hundred containers of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill and make it eig hty.’ And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes. Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”
Deacon The Gospel of the Lord. People Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Sermon (seated) The Rev. Dr. Christopher D. Girata
The Nicene Creed (standing)
All
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.
The Prayers of the People: Form VI (standing)
Celebrant Let us pray for the Church and for the world.
Lector In peace, we pray to you, Lord God.
For all people in their daily life and work;
People For our families, friends, and neighbors, and for those who are alone.
Lector For Donald, our President; for Greg, our Governor; for Eric, our Mayor; and for this community, the nation, and the world;
People For all who work for justice, freedom, and peace.
Lector For the just and proper use of your creation;
People For the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.
Lector For all who are in danger, sorrow, or any kind of trouble;
People For those who minister to the sick, the friendless, and the needy.
Lector For the peace and unity of the Church of God;
People For all who proclaim the Gospel, and all who seek the Truth.
Lector For Sean, our Presiding Bishop; for George, our Bishop; and for all bishops and other ministers;
People For all who serve God in his Church.
Lector For those on the Saint Michael prayer list, and ___, and for the special needs and concerns of this congreg ation. Hear us, Lord;
People For your mercy is great.
Parish Prayers of the People As of September 11, 2025
John Aldridge
Rami Angir
Kathryn Anschutz
Huntley Bateman
Don Baty
Larry Been
Barbara Hart Bell
Becky Bell
John Bergner
Shirley Blackman
Robert Bliss
Len Bourland
Dianna Bowen
Cosette “Coco” Cathey
Carolyn Cochran
Jean Coleman
Patti Cooper
Carlos Cuellar
Joel Forrest
Ray Franks
Jean Fuller
Forest Germany
Curtis Green
Jody Guenther
Josh Hight
Earle Hill
William Hinkley
Barbara Hornback
Wade Hyde
Ada Lynn Jones
Lynne Kent
John Khoury
Danny Landeros
Velma Landry
Frank Lauinger
Kenneth Lindh
Maggie Little
Jenna Long
Tom Luce
Celia Smith McGrath
Sarah Margaret Mannes
Dimitri Margetis
Maisie Evans Marsau
David Martin
Michael Matamoros
Janie Meyer
Irene Moir
Mark Monfrey
Jim Morris
Jack Myers
Heather Nemec
Bob Paccone
Bob Paddock
Jerry Lee Price
Gerry Roberts
Arden Showalter
Brad Smith
Chandler Wade Smith
Dianne Smith
Fadi Suleiman
Byrd Teague
John Wieden
Jack Winlow
Mary Wolf
Hannah Wood
Give online by selecting General 2025 from the dropdown menu.
Lector We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life. We will exalt you, O God our King; People And praise your Name for ever and ever.
Lector We pray for all who have died, that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom. Lord, let your loving-kindness be upon them; People Who put their trust in you.
Celebrant Almighty God, to whom our needs are known before we ask: Help us to ask only what accords with your will; and those good things which we dare not, or in our blindness cannot ask, grant us for the sake of your
Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Confession
of Sin and Absolution (kneeling)
Celebrant Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
All 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 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 (standing)
Celebrant The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People And also with you.
Announcements (please be seated)
The Holy Communion
Offertory Anthem (sung by the Saint Michael Choir)
There is a Balm in Gilead
There is a balm in Gilead,
To make the wounded whole, There is a balm in Gilead, To heal the sin sick soul.
Sometimes I feel discouraged, And think my work’s in vain, But then the Holy Spirit Revives my soul again.
There is a balm in Gilead, To make the wounded whole, There is a balm in Gilead, To heal the sin sick soul.
If you cannot sing like angels, If you cannot preach like Paul, You can tell the love of Jesus, And say “He died for all.”
There is a balm in Gilead, To make the wounded whole, There is a balm in Gilead, To heal the sin sick soul.
- African-American Spiritual
Carl W. Haywood
Dr. Carl W. Haywood earned master’s degrees in Sacred Music (Organ) and Music (Choral Conducting) from Southern Methodist University. He is a sought-after clinician, adjudicator, guest conductor, and lecturer who works with schools, colleges, and churches nationwide. As National Conductor for the 105 Voices of History— the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Choir—he continues to promote musical excellence. His arrangement of “There Is a Balm” exemplifies this commitment, drawing on the biblical balm of Gilead as a metaphor for spiritual healing. Haywood enhances this traditional African American spiritual with lush harmonies and flowing melodic lines, deepening its message of comfort and renewal.
Presentation Hymn (standing, sung by all) Hymn 380, v. 3
“Praise God, from whom all blessings flow”
Old 100th
All baptized persons of any age regardless of their denomination and tradition are welcome to share in the banquet of the Lord’s Supper.
The Great Thanksgiving: Eucharistic Prayer B (standing)
Celebrant The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Celebrant L ift 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.
Here a Proper Preface is sung or said on all Sundays, and on other occasions as appointed.
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to g ive 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 and Benedictus (standing, sung by all) Hymn S 129 “Holy, holy, holy”
Please kneel as you are able.
We give thanks to you, O God, for the goodness and love which you have made known to us in creation; in the calling of Israel to be your people; in your Word spoken through the prophets; and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus, your Son. For in these last days you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the Savior and Redeemer of the world. In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you. In him, you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life.
At the following words concerning the bread, the Celebrant is to hold it, or lay a hand upon it; and at the words concerning the cup, to hold or place a hand upon the cup and any other vessel containing wine to be consecrated.
On the night before he died for us, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and g ave 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, according to his command, O Father,
All We remember his death, We proclaim his resurrection, We await his coming in glory;
And we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, O Lord of all; presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and this wine.
We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these g ifts that they may be the Sacrament of the Body of Christ and his Blood of the new Covenant. Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable through him, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In the fullness of time, put all things in subjection under your Christ, and bring us to that heavenly country where, with Saint Michael and all your saints, we may enter the everlasting heritage of your sons and daughters; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all creation, the head of the Church, and the author of our salvation.
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.
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
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,
All are invited to come forward to the Communion rail at the direction of our ushers. Stand or kneel at the rail as you are able, and receive the wafer in the palm of your outstretched hands. If you desire a gluten-free wafer, clasp your hands in front of you with your palms down. Receive the wine by drinking from the chalice as it is offered to you, or by retaining the wafer, to dip lightly into the chalice for yourself. If you are not receiving, you may cross your arms over your chest and receive a blessing. If you are unable to physically come to the rail, please indicate to an usher that you would like to receive Communion at your seat.
Please note, our Communion rail kneelers are out for repair; you are encouraged to stand at the Communion rails to receive Communion.
Composed in 1856 and published in 1864, this motet represents the contemplative, melancholic, and contrapuntal sides of Johannes Brahms. It is contrapuntal in that each of the four vocal lines shares melodic material rather than providing mere accompaniment. The mood beautifully reflects the text, communicating both the author’s need for comfort amidst unrest and steadfast trust in God’s abiding presence.
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.
The Breaking of the Bread (kneeling, sung by all) Hymn S 154
“Alleluia, alleluia, 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.
Communion Hymn (sung by all)
“Jesus, all my gladness” Jesu, meine Freude
Communion Anthem (sung by the Saint Michael Choir)
Hymn 701
Geistliches Lied Johannes Brahms
Laß dich nur nichts nicht dauren mit Trauren, sei stille, wie Gott es fügt, so sei vergnügt mein Wille!
Was willst du heute sorgen auf morgen?
Der Eine steht allem für, der gibt auch dir das Deine.
Sei nur in allem Handel ohn Wandel, steh feste, was Gott beschleußt, Amen.
Do not be sorrowful or regretful; Be calm, as God has ordained, and thus my will shall be content.
What do you want to worry about from day to day?
There is One who stands above all who gives you, too, what is yours.
Only be steadfast in all you do, stand firm; what God has decided, that is and must be the best. Amen.
- Paul Flemming
The Post-Communion Prayer (kneeling, spoken by all)
Eternal God, heavenly Father, you have graciously accepted us as living members of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, and you have fed us with spiritual food in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood. Send us now into the world in peace, and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Blessing (kneeling)
The Dismissal (standing)
Deacon Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. People Thanks be to God.
Departing Procession (standing, sung by all)
“God of grace and God of glory” Cwm Rhondda
Postlude
Sortie from Suite Breve, Op. 894
Hymn 594
Carson Cooman (b. 1982) is an American composer with a catalog of hundreds of works in many forms. Since 2006, he has served as Composer in Residence at Memorial Church, Harvard University. Today’s festive postlude was composed in 2010 and is dedicated to organist Max Tenney.
Carson Cooman
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.
SEPT 21
7:30 AM
Traditional
Saint Michael Chapel
9 AM
Traditional Church
Joy! A Children’s Service
Saint Michael Chapel
10 AM Education for All Ages
11 AM
Contemporary Church
Traditional
Saint Michael Chapel
5:30 PM
Traditional
Saint Michael Chapel
sunday at Saint Michael
EDUCATION CLASSES
Sundays | 10 a.m. | 2nd floor of the Education Wing
Adults
Four Portraits of Jesus: John Room 201 | Led by the Rev. Dr. Christopher D. Girata
Faith And Practice | Hymnody: Hymns for Today Room 203 | Led by Tom Hammond-Davies
Class For Parents | Faith Begins at Home Room 212 | Led by Erin Osbourne
Saint Michael 101 | Introduction: The Episcopal Church Room 200 | Led by the Rev. Ken Brannon
Youth
Middle School: 6th and 7th Grade | Youth Room A Confirmation: 8th Grade | Youth Center
High School: 9th – 12th Grade | Youth Room B
Children
Godly Play: PreK – 1st Grade (Ages 3 – 7)
PreK (Room 213) | Kindergarten (Room 211) | 1st Grade (Room 208)
One Family of Faith: 2nd – 3rd Grade | Room 209
Launch 45: 4th – 5th Grade | Room 207
Nursery available in rooms 19 & 20 in school hallway. Enter through Chapel or Sunday Education Wing entrance. See map for details.