Zion Episcopal Church         

SCRIPTURE - TRADITION - REASON

  We promise to share the love of Christ with all of God’s children
in our worship, words and witness.


The First Sunday after the Epiphany                      January 12, 2025                                             Year C                                                                                            9:00 am                                                                 

Holy Eucharist (Rite II)

Prelude

Welcome and Announcements

 

Processional Hymn:  135        "Songs of thankfulness and praise"       Blue Hymnal                                                                                                                                                                  

                                                                                                                                                                                       

Celebrant   Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

People       And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and forever. Amen

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 S-278

Glory to God in the highest,
    and peace to his 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.
 

Celebrant   The Lord be with you

People       And also with you

Celebrant   Let us pray

 

The Collect of the Day                                              

Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen

 

First Reading:  Isaiah 43:1-7

Thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,

he who formed you, O Israel:

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;

when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.

For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

I give Egypt as your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.

Because you are precious in my sight,
and honored, and I love you,

I give people in return for you,
nations in exchange for your life.

Do not fear, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you;

I will say to the north, "Give them up,"
and to the south, "Do not withhold;

bring my sons from far away
and my daughters from the end of the earth--

everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made." 

            The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

 

Psalm 29 

1 Ascribe to the Lord, you gods, *
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his Name; *
worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
the God of glory thunders; *
the Lord is upon the mighty waters.

4 The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice; *
the voice of the Lord is a voice of splendor.

5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees; *
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;

6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, *
and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.

7 The voice of the Lord splits the flames of fire;
the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; *
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

8 The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe *
and strips the forests bare.

9 And in the temple of the Lord *
all are crying, "Glory!"

10 The Lord sits enthroned above the flood; *
the Lord sits enthroned as King for evermore.

11 The Lord shall give strength to his people; *
the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.

 

Second Reading: Acts 8:14-17 

When the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. 

            The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

 

Gradual Hymn:  76       "On Jordan's banks, the baptist's cry"    Blue Hymnal                                                                                                                                                                      

                                                                                                                       

The Gospel: Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

The Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.

Glory to you Lord Christ. 

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." 

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." 

            The Gospel of the Lord.

            Praise to you, Lord Christ.

  

The Sermon  The Rev Alex Herasimtchuk

 

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.

                                                       

The Prayers of the People Form III

Father, we pray for your holy Catholic 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 our Presiding Bishop, Sean; our Bishops, Matthew, Allen, and Mary; our Priest-in-Charge, Alex; for Michael, our Rector emeritus; and for all bishops, priests, and deacons;

That they may be faithful ministers of your Word and Sacraments.

We pray for Steve and Peggy, our wardens, and for the members of our vestry, that the Lord may guide them and bless them with wisdom, patience, and fortitude.

Lord in your mercy,

Hear our prayer.

We pray for our President-elect, Donald; our President, Joseph; our Governor, Kathy; and all who govern and hold authority in the nations of the world;

That there may be justice and peace on the earth. 

We pray for all victims of violence and terrorism.  We pray for all refugees and the countries who shelter them.  We pray for our brothers and sisters in the Armed Forces. Protect them and safely bring them home to their family and friends.  Comfort and sustain families and friends of those serving in the Armed Forces, and deliver them through this time of trial.  We pray for all people who are caught in the midst of war.  We pray for peace among the nations.  We pray for prisoners and their families, and those who minister to them. 

Lord in your mercy.

Hear our prayer.

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

Silence

The People may add their own petitions. 

In the interparish rota of prayer, we pray this week for:

Christ Church, Poughkeepsie

In the communion of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Margaret of Antioch and of all the saints, let us commend ourselves, and one another, and all our life, to Christ our God.

To thee, O Lord our God. 

Silence

The celebrant may add a concluding collect 

 

The Confession of Sin 

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.

 

The Priest stands and says 

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               

Celebrant The peace of the Lord be always with you.

People      And also with you.

 

The Blessing of Birthdays and Anniversaries

 

Offertory Sentence 

Ascribe to the Lord the honor due His name. Bring offerings and come into his courts.

 

Offering  You may continue to bring your gift to the altar through the online payment application VANCO.                                                              

                          

 Offertory Hymn: 448     "O love, how deep, how broad, how high"     Blue Hymnal                                     

                                                                                                                                        

The Liturgy of the Holy Communion 

Eucharistic Prayer B

The people remain standing.

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.

 

It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and every-
where to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of
heaven and earth.  

Because in the mystery of the Word made flesh, you have
caused a new light to shine in our hearts, to give the
knowledge of your glory in the face of your Son Jesus Christ
our Lord.  

Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and
Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who forever
sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name: 

 

Sanctus – S-130                                                

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might,

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full, full of your glory.
    Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
    Hosanna in the highest,

    Hosanna in the highest.

 

The people stand or kneel. 

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. 

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
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, according to his command, O Father,

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 wine. 

We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon
these gifts 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 the Blessed Virgin Mary,  

St. Margaret of Antioch, 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, 

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. 

 

The Fraction

Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia

 

Fraction Anthem S-161 

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,

Have mercy on us,

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,

Have mercy on us,

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,

Grant us peace.

 

The 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.

 

The Distribution 

All baptized Christians are welcome at the Lord’s table.  Worshippers are welcome to receive the Eucharist in both kinds (bread and wine) or in one kind (bread only), as partaking in one kind is considered sufficient under certain circumstances, according to the Book of Common Prayer. If anyone receiving in one kind desires to reverence the holy chalice, please make the sign of St. Andrew’s cross. If anyone desires to receive a blessing instead of the Eucharist, please also make the sign of St. Andrew’s cross. For those who are joining us in worship and prayer, but do not yet feel called to receive the Eucharist, you are welcome to sing our communion hymns, or to spend time in prayer and reflection. Gluten-Free host, as always, is available upon request. May God’s peace and blessings be with you all.        

           

Communion Hymn:  339 "Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness"   Blue Hymnal    

                                    121 "Christ, when for us you were baptized" Blue Hymnal                                                                                                            

 

Post Communion Prayer                                                                              

 Let us pray. 

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 Benediction

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you for ever. Amen

                                                                                                     

Recessional Hymn: 616    "Hail to the Lord's Anointed"   Blue Hymnal

 

The Dismissal  

 

Celebrant   Go in peace to love and serve the Lord

People       Thanks be to God.   


  Ministers of the Liturgy

Celebrant                                The Rev. Alexander Herasimtschuk

Organist                                  Sanjeev Oommen

Reader                                    Peggy Kelland

Lay Eucharistic Minister         Nancy Rubsam

Altar Guild                              John Singler

Usher                                       Gary McGovern and Jody Fredeman

 

Wardens  

Steve Carlough

Peggy Kelland

 

Treasurer

Maya Hennebery

 

Vestry

Nancy Durr

Greg Fredeman

Alison Friedland

Maya Hennebery

Mike Matts

Wendy McNeil

Betty Oommen

 

 

Rector Emeritus                                                                                The Rev. Michael B. Webber        

Bishop                                                                          The Rt. Rev. Matthew Heyd, Bishop of NY

Suffragan Bishop                                                                                   The Rt. Rev. Allen K. Shin

Assistant Bishop                                                        The Rt. Rev. Mary D. Glasspool

 

 

Please remember Zion Episcopal Church of Wappingers Falls in your will so this magnificent church may be upkept and mission in the name of the Lord Jesus may continue after you have joined the Church Triumphant.

 

Limited Podcast / Streaming License, Category B average weekly attendance 1 to 100.

M-400628 for Jul 07, 2024 - Jul 06, 2025


 Zion Episcopal Church

12 Satterlee Place, Wappingers Falls, New York

(845) 297-9797        

https://zionwappingersfalls.org