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1. All creatures of our God and King, lift up your voices, let us sing: Alleluia, alleluia! Bright burning sun with golden beams, pale silver moon that gently gleams,
Refrain: O praise him, O praise him, Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

*2. Great rushing winds and breezes soft, you clouds that ride the heavens aloft, O praise him, Alleluia! Fair rising morn, with praise rejoice, stars nightly shining, find a voice,
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*3. Swift flowing water, pure and clear, make music for your Lord to hear, Alleluia, Alleluia! Fire, so intense and fiercely bright, you give to us both warmth and light,
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4. Dear mother earth, you day by day unfold your blessings on our way, O praise him, Alleluia! All flowers and fruits that in you grow, let them his glory also show:
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5. All you with mercy in your heart, forgiving others, take your part, O sing now: Alleluia! All you that pain and sorrow bear, praise God, and cast on him your care:
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*6. And even you, most gentle death, waiting to hush our final breath, O praise him, Alleluia! You lead back home the child of God, for Christ our Lord that way has trod:
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7. Let all things their Creator bless, and worship him in humbleness, O praise him, Alleluia! Praise God the Father, praise the Son, and praise the Spirit, Three in One:
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The Gloria S278 — please paste a MusicXML score or upload the music image.

¹⁹These are the descendants of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham was the father of Isaac, ²⁰and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, sister of Laban the Aramean. ²¹Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived. ²²The children struggled together within her; and she said, “If it is to be this way, why do I live?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. ²³And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples born of you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the elder shall serve the younger.” ²⁴When her time to give birth was at hand, there were twins in her womb. ²⁵The first came out red, all his body like a hairy mantle; so they named him Esau. ²⁶Afterward his brother came out, with his hand gripping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. ²⁷When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. ²⁸Isaac loved Esau, because he was fond of game; but Rebekah loved Jacob.

²⁹Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was famished. ³⁰Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stuff, for I am famished!” (Therefore he was called Edom.) ³¹Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” ³²Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” ³³Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. ³⁴Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank, and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lantern to my feet *

and a light upon my path.

¹⁰⁶ I have sworn and am determined *

to keep your righteous judgments.

¹⁰⁷ I am deeply troubled; *

preserve my life, O Lord, according to your word.

¹⁰⁸ Accept, O Lord, the willing tribute of my lips, *

and teach me your judgments.

¹⁰⁹ My life is always in my hand, *

yet I do not forget your law.

¹¹⁰ O The wicked have set a trap for me, *

but I have not strayed from your commandments.

¹¹¹ Your decrees are my inheritance for ever; *

truly, they are the joy of my heart.

¹¹² I have applied my heart to fulfill your statutes *

for ever and to the end.

¹There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. ²For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. ³For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. ⁵For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. ⁶To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed it cannot, ⁸and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. ⁹But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

¹⁰But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. ¹¹If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.

1. Al - might - y God, your word is cast like seed up - on the ground, now let the dew of heav-en de - scend and right - eous fruits a - bound.

2. Let not our self - ish - ness and hate this ho - ly seed re - move, but give it root in ev - ery heart to bring forth fruits of love.

3. Let not the world's de - ceit - ful cares the ris - ing plant des - troy, but let it yield a hun - dred - fold the fruits of peace and joy.

¹That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. ²Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. ³And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. ⁴And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. ⁵Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. ⁶But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. ⁷Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. ⁸Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. ⁹Let anyone with ears listen!”

¹⁸“Hear then the parable of the sower. ¹⁹When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. ²⁰As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; ²¹yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. ²²As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. ²³But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

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

HEAVENLY SOWER, we offer you grateful hearts for the seeds of faith, mercy, compassion and justice that have been planted in us each season. Give us lives that nurture the good news so that we can share the harvest of your love with others and hear us as we pray Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Give to the church universal the ability to thrive in times of change, help those who are seeking a deeper knowledge of You find a church community that will inspire, support and delight them. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Bless this nation and all who govern. Bless all nations and all people with health, peace and safety. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Give us the will to bring peace, justice, and security for all people. Guide us forward that we might end the systems of discrimination and racism so that all your beloved are provided equitable opportunities. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Comfort those who suffer from abuse, discrimination, disease, anxiety, loneliness, unemployment, homelessness, or hopelessness with your sustaining presence. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

In our Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, today we pray for Christ Church, New Bern. In our Ecumenical Cycle of Prayer, we give thanks for First Christian Church, Morehead City, and First Free Will Baptist Church, Beaufort. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Grant healing to those who are ill from any illness, lead us forward toward a cure and vaccine for all viruses and protect all those who tirelessly work to heal and care for the sick and suffering. Especially we lift up today [today’s petitions]. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Deliver the departed into the joy of your kingdom and blanket the grieving with your comfort and peace. Keep us ever mindful that whether we live or whether we die, we are yours and are loved. Today, we remember [today’s petitions]. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

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

To everything, there is a season;
a time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant, and a time for harvest;
a time to meet and a time to part.

A sower went out to sow the seed.
Some of it fell upon the path,
some fell on shallow rocky soil,
and some among choking thorns.

To everything, there is a season;
a time to be born and a time to die.
A time to speak, and a time for silence;
a time to wound and a time to heal.

Nothing can grow in barren soil;
briars and ravens take their toll;
still there is grain a hundred fold,
from seed that took root and grew.

To everything, there is a season;
a time to be born and a time to die.
A time for joy and a time for grieving;
a time to seek and a time to lose.

God’s word is like the farmer’s seed,
rooted in joyful, loving hearts,
growing like grain in fertile ground,
a harvest that over flows.

To everything, there is a season;
a time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant, and a time for harvest;
a time to meet and a time to part.

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 God thanks and praise.

Then, facing the Holy Table, the Celebrant proceeds:

GOD OF ALL POWER, Source and Sustainer of the Universe, you are worthy of glory and praise.

People: Glory to you for ever and ever.

At your command all things came to be: shining light and enfolding dark; the vast expanse of interstellar space, galaxies, suns, and this fragile earth, our island home.

People: By your will they were created and have their being.

From the primal elements you brought forth the human race, and blessed us with the capacity for memory, reason, and skill. You made us the stewards of your creation. But we turned against you, and betrayed your trust; and we turned against one another.

People: Have mercy, Lord, for we are sinners in your sight.

Again and again, you called us to return. Through prophets and sages you revealed your righteous Law. And in the fullness of time you sent your eternal Word, born of your servant Mary, to fulfill your Law, opening for us the way of freedom and peace.

People: By his blood, he reconciled us. By his wounds, we are healed.

And therefore we praise you, joining with the heavenly chorus, with prophets, apostles, and martyrs, and with all those in every generation who have looked to you in hope, to proclaim with them your glory, in their unending hymn:

The Sanctus S125 — please paste a MusicXML score or upload the music image.

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.

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.

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:

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.

1. Father, we thank thee who hast planted thy holy Name within our hearts. Knowledge and faith and life immortal Jesus thy Son to us imparts. Thou, Lord, didst make all for thy pleasure, didst give us food for all our days, giving in Christ the Bread eternal; thine is the power, be thine the praise.

2. Watch o'er thy Church, O Lord, in mercy, save it from evil, guard it still, perfect it in thy love, unite it, cleansed and conformed unto thy will. As grain, once scattered on the hillsides, was in this broken bread made one, so from all lands thy Church be gathered into thy kingdom by thy Son.

Happy Birthday: Mary Ann Tormey (12^th), Vicki Blanchard (13^th), Jim Delsordo (17^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.

Meals on Wheels: The Meals Ministry Team continues to serve our community. Our July dates are July 14 (baked pasta) and July 28 (chicken broccoli casserole). Thank you for your wonderful support of this ministry. We are able to serve 180 needy folks each month, as well as parishioners who are in need of meals. Remember that Love Meals are always available to anyone at any time; share the love with someone who would enjoy a meal!

Summer Book Discussion: Join us on July 14 at 6:00 p.m. for a discussion of Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. This engaging novel offers plenty to reflect on and discuss together. Please sign up in the Parish Hall so we can plan for the number attending.

Men’s Fellowship Breakfast: generally meets on the third Saturday of the month. Our next scheduled meeting begins at 8 a.m. on Saturday, July 18. All men of the church are welcome to attend. We look forward to opportunities for service, prayer, study, and fellowship.

Coffee Hour: We encourage everyone to gather downstairs following our Sunday service for refreshments and to enjoy Christian fellowship. Please also wear your name tag to coffee hour. You may place your name tag on the Parish Administrator's desk at the end of coffee hour and the tags will be returned to the file in the sanctuary. Visitors are especially welcome, and a special note of thanks to our members who host coffee hour every Sunday!

Lobsterfest 2026: will be held Saturday October 10 from 11:00am-4:00pm. Tickets will go on sale in early August. The Lobsterfest organizing team is actively planning for this, our largest fundraising event of the year. Once again we will also sponsor a food and cash donation drive in partnership with Martha’s Mission Cupboard the day of our event. Our pricing structure is still pending and we will announce as soon as possible. We plan to continue offering 1.5 lb. Maine lobster as live, cooked, dine-in, or takeout meals. Our Lobsterfest phone line is open for calls or text at 252-515-0040. Our email address is sfbtslobsterfest@gmail.com. This is an all-parish volunteer effort, and we need your help. Our job signup is active at this link:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090C4DADA72DABF49-50365161-lobsterfest

Communion is available: to our local homebound parishioners. If interested, please email layministrysfbts@gmail.com and include your preferred contact number. A lay minister will call to schedule a time that is convenient for a visit.

Prayers of the People: For those watching our services on-line, we invite you to send in your prayer requests, praises, and death notices, to be included in the weekly E-bulletins and also during the service. Please email or call the church office with names of people you want to include by 10 a.m. each Thursday. For those attending in person, you may add names to our Prayers of the People list before the service begins. The list is located at the back of the sanctuary, near the visitor registry.

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.