(organ music) (choir singing) - Jesus said, "Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and eat with him, and he with me." "'What no eye has seen, nor ear heard," the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "Nor the heart of man conceived what God has prepared for those who love him,' God has revealed to us through the spirit. For the spirit searches everything, even the depths of God." The Lord be with you. Let us pray, joining heart and voice together. Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid, cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee and worthily magnify thy holy name through Christ our Lord. Amen. 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 forever. Amen. (organ music) (choir singing) - Beloved, hear the invitation which we extend to you on behalf of Jesus on this worldwide communion Sunday. Ye that do truly and earnestly repent of your sins, and are in love and charity with your neighbors, and intend to lead a new life following the commandments of God and walking from henceforth in his holy ways, draw near with faith and take this holy sacrament to your comfort, and make your humble confession to Almighty God. Now, may we pray together the prayer of general confession. Almighty God, father of our Lord Jesus Christ, maker of all things, judge of all men, we acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness, which we from time to time most grievously have committed by thought, word, and deed, against thy divine majesty. We do earnestly repent and are heartily sorry for these, our misdoings. The remembrance of them is grievous unto us. Have mercy upon us. Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father. For thy son, our Lord Jesus Christ's sake, forgive us all that is passed and grant that we may ever here after serve and please thee in newness of life to the honor and glory of thy name through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen. Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, who, of thy great mercy, has promised forgiveness of sins to all them that with hearty repentance and true faith turn to thee, have mercy upon us. Pardon and deliver us from all our sins, confirm and strengthen us in all goodness, and bring us to everlasting life through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen. Hear what comfortable words of scripture say to all that truly turn to the Lord. "God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life." Now let us pray for the whole state of Christ Church using the Litany Prayer on page 13. Most merciful Father, we humbly beseech thee to receive these our prayers for the Universal Church, that thou will confirm it in the truth of thy holy faith, inspire it with unity and concord, and extend and prosper it throughout the world. We beseech thee also so to guide and strengthen the witness of the church to those in authority in all nations, that they may maintain the justice and welfare of all mankind. Give grace, oh Heavenly Father, to all ministers of the thy church, that both by their life and doctrine they may set forth thy true and lively word, and faithfully administer thy holy sacraments. And to all thy people, give thy heavenly grace that, with willing heart and due reverence, they may hear and receive thy holy word, truly serving thee in holiness and righteousness all the days of their lives. And we most humbly beseech thee of thy goodness, oh Lord, to support and strengthen all of those who, in this transitory life, are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity. We remember with Thanksgiving those who have loved and served thee in thy church on earth who now rest from their labors, especially those most dear to us, whom we name in our hearts before thee. We remember, especially, our former Trinity College student, Steve Price, killed in an automobile accident. We pray especially thy blessings and comfort and of guidance to those who loved him. Keep us in fellowship with all thy saints, and bring us at length to the joy of thy heavenly kingdom. Amen. - Let us pray, in the name of The Father, and of The Son, and of The Holy Spirit, amen. October 3, 1971. October, autumn, 1971. Fall. That fresh death time when coolness pushes aside heat, and stark lines replace the soft fullness of growth. Fall, when much is lost. The humid torpor of summer, bare backed sensuality, and running to water, and laughter, and long evenings and trips. Trips away, and trips back home, then fall. Fall too is incarnation. Not only does spring embody flesh and life, death involves bone and skin of mortal body, and hope is act in the midst of dying. There are signs of embodied fall, molecular wind pushing against resistant substance, the intrusive force of hurricane, brown fields and the sight of Goldenrod. The chill of dawn seems even cooler when one remembers the hot days of weeks ago. The world, soon to belong to jays and crows, now harbors for a last moment, summer birds. And one can see black red sumac, autumn's first scarlet, gum leaves turning new hues, and the dull green red of dogwood. Fall is incarnation. Deep blue sky, grass rising fresh grown, and wheat, and daylilies beginning again. Tender green appears next to brown, and looks the greener for it. Alongside death, there is offer of hope for life. For fall is a time of crossing, a movement from heat to cool, from slack to busy, from free to engaged, from ripe fruiting to exposed seed. All summer's are past, even that of 42, and newness forces its way into our world. A time of crossing from death to life, then to death with the promise of life, but only promise and cautious hope. A time of transposing, a setting aside and a gathering. New places, new anxieties, new wonder, and the anguish of loss and passing by, and leaving behind a time of hurt. The falling of leaves reveals the crossings, a reciting of the intersection at the corner, and wooden crosses of bare limbs in angular relation, which stand against a graying sky. And one is reminded of other crosses. October, autumn, 1971. Fall. That fresh death time when coolness pushes heat aside and stark lines replace the soft fullness of summer. Fall, when much is lost and man is reminded of his incarnate mortality, the way of all flesh. And man is reminded of human lossness and crosses. Crosses of trees, which bore flesh and blood and paraded despair. Crosses, bleak against a graying sky, standing on grassless ridge worn by human walking. A transposition. A setting aside and a gathering. New anguish and new hope. New foreboding and new expectation. Fall is incarnation. Grass rising fresh grown, and wheat, and daylilies beginning again. Tender green appears next to brown and looks the greener for it. And even in death, there is offer of hope for life. And so they reached a place called Golgotha, that is a place named after a skull, and crucified him. Another fall. This is my body, this is my blood, fall, 1971. A falling down and lifting up, a fall of crosses, and crossings, and hope. Amen. (organ music) (choir singing) (soft organ music) (choir singing) (organ music) (choir singing) - Almighty God, we pause now to dedicate these symbols under thy service and unto our good. The money, which symbolizes our toil, our effort, and our planning, we dedicate to the good of Christ and his people around the world. This bread and this wine, the symbol of the broken body and the shed blood of Christ, we dedicate to our own fellowship and communion with the Lord himself. In his name, amen. Lift up your hearts. Let us give thanks unto the Lord. Be seated, please. It is very meek, right, and our bounded duty, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks unto thee, oh Lord, Holy Father, Almighty Everlasting God. Therefore, with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious name, evermore praising thee and say. (choir singing) Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, who of thy tender mercy did'st give thine only son, Jesus Christ, to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption, who made there, by the one offering of himself, a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the whole world and did institute, and in his holy gospel, command us to continue a perpetual memory of his precious death until his coming again. Hear us oh merciful Father, we most humbly beseech thee, and granted, we receiving these thy creatures of bread and wine, according to thy son, our savior, Jesus Christ's fully institution, in remembrance of his passion, death, and resurrection, may be partakers of the divine nature through him who, in the same night that he was betrayed, took bread. When he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to his disciples saying, "Take, eat. This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." Likewise, after supper, he took the cup. And when he had given thanks, he gave it to them saying, "Drink ye all of this, for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many, for the forgiveness of sins. Do this as oft as you shall drink it in remembrance of me." Amen. Now let us all join together in our prayer of humble access. We do not presume to come to this, thy table oh merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy table, but thou art the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy. Grant us, therefore gracious Lord, so to partake of this sacrament of thy son, Jesus Christ, that we may walk in newness of life, may grow into his likeness, and may evermore dwell in him, and he and us. Amen. (organ music) - Jesus said, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall not hunger." Arise, and going peace, and may the bread of heaven nourish you. Amen. Jesus said, "I'm the way, the truth, and the life. Without that way, there is no going. Without that truth, there is knowing. Without that life, there is no living." Go and may Christ go with you. Amen. (choir singing) Arise, and go in peace, and in Christ's service may you find perfect freedom. Amen. (choir singing) Where there is love, there is peace, where there is peace, there is God, and where there is God, there is no need. Arise, and go with him. Amen. (choir singing) Jesus said, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life, must lose it. And whoever loses his life for my sake, will find it." Go with Christ. Amen. (choir singing) We taste thee, oh thou living bread, and long to feast upon the still. We drink of thee, the fountain head, and thirst our souls from the to fill. Arise, and go in peace. Amen. (choir singing) Arise, and go in peace, and may the true light shine into your mind with the knowledge and love of God, and of his son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. (choir singing) One with the living bread divine, which now by faith, we eat. Our hearts and minds and spirits join and as all in Christ do meet. Arise, and may the peace of God go with you. Amen. (choir singing) Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me." Arise, and go in peace, and may the voice of the good shepherd be your guide. Amen. (choir singing) (piano music) The bread is always consecrate, which men divide with men, and every act of brotherhood repeats this feast again. Arise, and go in love for one another. Amen. (choir singing) (organ music) Oh master, through these symbols share thine own dear self in part, that in our daily life may flame the passion of thy heart. Arise, and may this passion fill your life with grace, with love, and with peace. Amen. (choir singing) (organ music) The Lord's table is large enough for all the world to eat, and our heart should be large enough to include all men in our love. Arise, and go in peace, and may Christ go with you. Amen. (soft organ music) Jesus said, "I come that they may have life, and have it abundantly." Arise, and go in peace, and may your abundant life in Christ.