Saint Francis by the Sea Episcopal Church

The Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost — November 8, 2026

The Prelude

“Thou Shalt Bring Them In” George F. Handel

The Processional Hymn 61 “Sleepers, wake” Wachet auf

Hymn 61 — Sleepers, wake (Wachet auf) — please paste a MusicXML score or upload the music image.

1 “Sleepers, wake!” A voice astounds us, the shout of rampart-guards surrounds us: “Awake, Jerusalem, arise!” Midnight’s peace their cry has broken, their urgent summons clearly spoken: “The time has come, O maidens wise! Rise up, and give us light; the Bridegroom is in sight. Alleluia! Your lamps prepare and hasten there, that you the wedding feast may share.”

2 Zion hears the watchmen singing; her heart with joyful hope is springing, she wakes and hurries through the night. Forth he comes, her Bridegroom glorious in strength of grace, in truth victorious: her star is risen, her light grows bright. Now come, most worthy Lord, God’s Son, Incarnate Word, Alleluia! We follow all and heed your call to come into the banquet hall.

3 Lamb of God, the heavens adore you; let saints and angels sing before you, as harps and cymbals swell the sound. Twelve great pearls, the city’s portals: through them we stream to join the immortals, as we with joy your throne surround. No eye has known the sight, no ear heard such delight: Alleluia! Therefore we sing to greet our King; for ever let our praises ring.

The Word of God

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

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

Celebrant and People: Collect for Purity

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.

The Gloria S277 “Gloria in Excelsis” Canticle 20, David Hurd

S277 Gloria in Excelsis (Canticle 20, David Hurd) — please paste a MusicXML score or upload the music image.

1. Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth. 2. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. 3. Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, 4. you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us; 5. you are seated at the right hand of the Father; receive our prayer. 6. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, 7. you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Music: From New Plainsong; David Hurd (b. 1950). Copyright © 1981 GIA Publications, Inc.

The Collect of the Day

Celebrant: The Lord be with you.

People: And also with you.

Celebrant: Let us pray.

O GOD, whose blessed Son came into the world that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves as he is pure; that, when he comes again with power and great glory, we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The First Reading — Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25

¹ Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel, and they presented themselves before God. ² And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors—Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor—lived beyond the Euphrates and served other gods. ³ Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan and made his offspring many.

¹⁴ “Now, therefore, revere the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt and serve the Lord. ¹⁵ Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living, but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

¹⁶ Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods, ¹⁷ for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went and among all the peoples through whom we passed, ¹⁸ and the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”

¹⁹ But Joshua said to the people, “You cannot serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. ²⁰ If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm and consume you, after having done you good.” ²¹ And the people said to Joshua, “No, we will serve the Lord!” ²² Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” ²³ He said, “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” ²⁴ The people said to Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and him we will obey.” ²⁵ So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem.

Reader: The Word of the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.

The Psalm — Psalm 78:1-7

¹ Hear my teaching, O my people; *
    incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
² I will open my mouth in a parable; *
    I will declare the mysteries of ancient times.
³ That which we have heard and known, and what our forefathers have told us, *
    we will not hide from their children.
⁴ We will recount to generations to come the praiseworthy deeds and the power of the Lord, *
    and the wonderful works he has done.
⁵ He gave his decrees to Jacob and established a law for Israel, *
    which he commanded them to teach their children;
⁶ That the generations to come might know, and the children yet unborn; *
    that they in their turn might tell it to their children;
⁷ So that they might put their trust in God, *
    and not forget the deeds of God, but keep his commandments;

The Second Reading — 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

¹³ But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. ¹⁴ For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. ¹⁵ For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Reader: The Word of the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.

The Sequence Hymn 324 “Let all mortal flesh keep silence” Picardy

Hymn 324 — Let all mortal flesh keep silence (Picardy) — please paste a MusicXML score or upload the music image.

1 Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand; ponder nothing earthly minded, for with blessing in his hand Christ our God to earth descendeth, our full homage to demand.

2 King of kings, yet born of Mary, as of old on earth he stood, Lord of lords, in human vesture, in the Body and the Blood he will give to all the faithful his own self for heavenly food.

3 Rank on rank the host of heaven spreads its vanguard on the way, as the Light of Light descendeth from the realms of endless day, that the powers of hell may vanish as the darkness clears away.

4 At his feet the six-winged seraph; cherubim with sleepless eye veil their faces to the Presence, as with ceaseless voice they cry, “Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, Lord Most High!”

Words: Liturgy of St. James; para. Gerard Moultrie (1829-1885). Music: Picardy, French carol, 17th cent.; melody from Chansons populaires des Provinces de France, 1860; harm. after The English Hymnal, 1906.

The Gospel — Matthew 25:1-13

Deacon: The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew

People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.

¹ “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten young women took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³ When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, ⁴ but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. ⁵ As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. ⁶ But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ ⁷ Then all those young women got up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. ¹¹ Later the other young women came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ ¹² But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ ¹³ Keep awake, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Deacon: The Gospel of the Lord.

People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

The Sermon The Reverend Mary Kay Brown

The Nicene Creed Please stand, if able.

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 from “Hear our Prayer” by Jon White and Lisa Graves

The Deacon says: IN PEACE, we pray to you, Lord God.

GOD OF PROMISES, we praise your glory and majesty as we humbly offer, from our hearts, prayers for your presence in our lives as we say Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Uphold and strengthen your church; show us how to be salve to a wounded world and a place of hope and aspiration amidst despair and cynicism. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Grant our nation a spirit of cooperation; grant our elected leaders the wisdom and courage to do what is right and grant us and our fellow citizens a renewed commitment to liberty and community. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Let each of us be agents of healing and reconciliation in the places we call home; that our love for you shines forth in all we do. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Unite the people of the world to address our global challenges and give us the fortitude to make and hold difficult choices. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

In our Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, we pray for our 143^rd Convention of the Diocese of East Carolina. In our Ecumenical Cycle of Prayer, we give thanks for Midway Methodist Church, Stella, and Moores Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, Newport. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Bring healing and wholeness to all who suffer so that they might experience and know the peace which passes all understanding that only you can offer. Especially we ask for your healing presence to all we now name, for [today’s petitions]. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Remember the dead and bring us together with them in your coming kingdom. Today, we remember [today’s petitions]. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We give thanks for all our blessings in life Lord, only made possible by You including [today’s petitions]. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

The Celebrant concludes with this collect:

GOD, you have cared for us since we first drew breath and walked the earth, continue to be with us and to lead us into an ever-greater awareness of you that our lives may reflect your loving glory into the world. Amen.

The Confession of Sin and Absolution

The Deacon says: Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor. 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 minister 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.

Celebrant: WALK IN LOVE, as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God.

The Choral Anthem “All Things New” Elaine Hagenberg

adapted from Revelations 21:5-6

Light after darkness, gain after loss,
Strength after weakness, crown after cross;
Sweet after bitter, hope after fears,
Home after wandering, praise after tears.

Alpha and Omega, beginning and the end,
He is making all things new,
Springs of living water shall wash away each tear.
He is making all things new, He is making all things new.

Sight after mystery, sun after rain,
Joy after sorrow, peace after pain,
Near after distant, oh gleam after gloom,
Love after loneliness, life after tomb.

Alpha and Omega, beginning and the end,
He is making all things new,
Springs of living water shall wash away each tear.
He is making all things new, He is making all things new.

The Doxology Old 100th

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow,
Praise God, all creatures here below.
Praise God above, ye heavenly host.
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

The Eucharistic Prayer from Enriching Our Worship, Prayer One

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 our thanks and praise.

Celebrant: It is truly right, and good and joyful, to give you thanks.

The Celebrant continues…

You have filled us and all creation with your blessing and fed us with your constant love; you have redeemed us in Jesus Christ and knit us into one body. Through your Spirit you replenish us and call us to fullness of life. Therefore, joining with Angels and Archangels and with the faithful of every generation, we lift our voices with all creation as we sing:

The Sanctus MHSO 38 “Holy, Holy, Holy Lord” John Bell

MHSO 38 Holy, Holy, Holy Lord (John Bell) — please paste a MusicXML score or upload the music image.

Holy, holy, holy, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full, are full of your glory. Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest!

Words: from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) of the Episcopal Church USA. Music: John L. Bell (b. 1949) © WGRG The Iona Community (Scotland) (admin. GIA Publications, Inc., 7404 S. Mason Ave., Chicago, IL 60638 [www.giamusic.com].) All rights reserved. Used by permission.

The Celebrant continues…

BLESSED ARE YOU, gracious God, creator of the universe and giver of life. You formed us in your own image and called us to dwell in your infinite love.

You gave the world into our care that we might be your faithful stewards and show forth your bountiful grace.

But we failed to honor your image in one another and in ourselves; we would not see your goodness in the world around us; and so we violated your creation, abused one another, and rejected your love. Yet you never ceased to care for us, and prepared the way of salvation for all people.

Through Abraham and Sarah you called us into covenant with you. You delivered us from slavery, sustained us in the wilderness, and raised up prophets to renew your promise of salvation. Then, in the fullness of time, you sent your eternal Word, made mortal flesh in Jesus. Born into the human family, and dwelling among us, he revealed your glory. Giving himself freely to death on the cross, he triumphed over evil, opening the way of freedom and life.

On the night before he died for us, Our Savior Jesus Christ took bread, and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his friends, and said: “Take, eat: This is my Body which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”

As supper was ending, Jesus 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 poured out for you and for all for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”

Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith: Celebrant and People:

Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

The Celebrant continues…

Remembering his death and resurrection, we now present to you from your creation this bread and this wine. By your Holy Spirit may they be for us the Body and Blood of our Savior Jesus Christ. Grant that we who share these gifts may be filled with the Holy Spirit and live as Christ’s Body in the world. Bring us into the everlasting heritage of your daughters and sons, that with St. Francis, St. Clare, and all your saints, past, present, and yet to come, we may praise your Name for ever. Through Christ and with Christ and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, to you be honor, glory, and praise, for ever and ever. Amen.

And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to pray,

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, and ever. Amen.

The Breaking of the Bread a period of silence is kept

The Fraction Anthem WLP 867 “The bread which we break” Carl Haywood

WLP 867 The bread which we break (Carl Haywood) — please paste a MusicXML score or upload the music image.

The bread which we break is a sharing in the Body of Christ. We being many are one bread, one body, for we all share in the one bread.

Music: Carl Haywood (b. 1949), from Fraction Anthems, Canticles, and Chants. Copyright © 1997 Carl Haywood.

Celebrant continues: 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.

WE INVITE ALL to join us and receive the Body and Blood of Christ at his table. If you desire to receive a blessing, please come to the altar with hands crossed over your chest. Gluten-free communion wafers and chalice are available upon request.

HEALING PRAYER with Mother Chris is available in the chapel, after you receive communion.

The Communion Response “Prayer of St. Francis” Sebastian Temple

Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there is hatred; let me bring your love,
where there is injury, your pardon, Lord,
and where there’s doubt, true faith in you.

Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there’s despair in life, let me bring hope,
where there is darkness only light,
and where there’s sadness ever joy.

Oh, Master, grant that I may never seek
so much to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved, as to love, with all my soul.

Make me a channel of your peace.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
in giving of ourselves that we receive,
and in dying that we are born to eternal life.

After Communion, the Celebrant says: All stand. Let us pray together: Celebrant and People:

The Post-Communion Prayer

GOD OF ABUNDANCE, You have fed us with the bread of life and cup of salvation; You have united us with Christ and one another; and you have made us one with all your people in heaven and on earth. Now send us forth in the power of your Spirit, that we may proclaim your redeeming love to the world and continue for ever in the risen life of Christ our Savior. Amen.

The Blessing

The Recessional Hymn 58 “Lo! he comes, with clouds descending” St. Thomas

Hymn 58 — Lo! he comes, with clouds descending (St. Thomas) — please paste a MusicXML score or upload the music image.

1 Lo! he comes, with clouds descending, once for our salvation slain; thousand thousand saints attending, swell the triumph of his train: Alleluia! Alleluia! Christ the Lord returns to reign.

2 Every eye shall now behold him, robed in dreadful majesty; those who set at nought and sold him, pierced, and nailed him to the tree, deeply wailing, deeply wailing, deeply wailing, shall the true Messiah see.

3 Those dear tokens of his passion still his dazzling body bears, cause of endless exultation to his ransomed worshipers; with what rapture, with what rapture, with what rapture, gaze we on those glorious scars!

4 Yea, amen! let all adore thee, high on thine eternal throne; Savior, take the power and glory, claim the kingdom for thine own: Alleluia! Alleluia! Thou shalt reign, and thou alone.

Words: Charles Wesley (1707-1788). Music: St. Thomas, melody att. John Francis Wade (1711-1786); harm. att. Vincent Francis Novello (1781-1861).

The Dismissal

Deacon: GO IN PEACE to love and serve the Lord.
         Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

People: Thanks be to God.
         Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

The Postlude

“Holy Is the Lord” Franz Schubert

Reprint/podcast/streamed with permission under One License #A-730274 and RitePlanning. All rights reserved.

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St. Francis by the Sea Episcopal Church Welcomes You

Happy Birthday: Romaine Riddle (10^th), Sarah Beck Pruitt (11^th), Phyllis Makuck (12^th), Robin Smith (12^th), Ainsley Horton (14^th).

Welcome! If you are new to St. Francis or visiting for the first time, we especially welcome you to our community of faith. We ask that you sign our guest register located at the back of the church.

We prayerfully ask that you keep your offerings and pledges to Saint Francis by the Sea up-to-date. Thank you for your faithfulness to our church and to our Lord, Jesus Christ. You can support our ministries by donations via scanning the QR code below which will take you to our PayPal. We thank you for your attendance today and look forward to seeing you again!

[Image: QR code linking to the church’s PayPal giving page]