Worship3

February 16, 2025 — 3rd Sunday of Black History Month

Anthem Lift Every Voice and Sing. AA-540

Procession Hymn We Have Come Into This House AA-174
Opening Prayer
Opening Meditation From “Black Liturgies” by Cole Arthur Riley
Inhale We honor this breath
Exhale We behold the beauty.
Inhale I deserve more.
Exhale I claim more.
Inhale This flesh is sacred.
Exhale I contain the divine.g
Collect Lectionary Insert
Hebrew Scriptures Numbers. (5:11-28)
Canticle Psalm 7:1-17
New Testament I Corinthians (7:1-17)
Gospel Hymn Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God H-771
Gospel Luke (7:36-50)
Nicene Creed BCP pg. 358
Calvary’s Mission Statement (composed by Yvonne Lee)
We, the members of Calvary Episcopal Church, believe in taking the journey of God’s love and service to those who know Christ, and those who seek Christ.
Prayers of the People Lectionary Insert
Confession From “Black Liturgies” By Cole Arthur Riley
Creator God, We confess every attempt to steal and grant dignity, as if it’s some-thing we have dominion over. We have lost ourselves in a world of anti-Blackness, transphobia, homophobia, ableism, and misogyny. We have amplified the cool and confident and alienated those who feel strange or awkward. In demeaning others, we mistakenly believe that our own self-worth make by magnified, but in doing so we only become less human. We have not become bigger but smaller. Not safer, but more afraid. Every effort to diminish the worth of another has only distanced us from the truth of our own dignity. Forgive us. And remind us of who we are, what we’re made of, that a collective image of God is dwelling in and through you. May we forgive ourselves and become faithful keepers of our cosmic birthright to beauty, justice and belonging. Amen.

Forgiveness From “Black Liturgies” By Cole Arthur Riley
Let your soul receive this rest: The God who became seamstress, the God who knelt in the garden to make clothes for Eve and Adam. covers you now. As the divine meets your shame with tenderness, you are freed to stand before the earth, neighbor, your God, and yourself. Amen.
Peace
The flowers on the altar are given to the glory of God and in loving memory Margaret E. Livingston whose birthday would have been February 22nd by her son Michael Livingston and daughter Averi Gray and their families.
Offertory Hymn Trouble in My Way sung by Men’s Choir
If would like to make your offering electronically, you can do so at: www.calvarydc.net/donate
Doxology Praise God, From Whom All Blessing Flow AA-650
The Eucharist Our eucharist prayer was composed by the Rev. Amanda Barbee and Rev. Dr. Kelle Brown
The Lord be with you
And also with you
Lift up your hearts
We lift them to the Lord
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God
It is right to give God thanks and praise
It is truly right and our greatest joy to give you thanks, God of majesty and mercy. For you have called forth the creation and raising us from dust by your breath . We bless you for the beauty and bounty by which each of us was wonderfully made in your image. We thank you God for the gift of the people of Zimbabwe, Mali, Ghana, Uganda, Congo, Kenya, Libya, Senegal, Nigeria, Togo, Zambia, Haiti, these United States and all the many other places not mentioned but acknowledged for your astounding creation.
It is in our rejoicing that we give thanks for your creation of these, your Black children for their contributions to our being; inventors, physicians, teachers, scholars, laborers, artists, poets, politicians, activists, family and community members, all your children of ebony grace who made the world we know. Above all, we give thanks for the gift of Jesus, your son and our Savior. Because we are thankful we join our voices together with angels and saints in that eternal hymn:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Christ was born fully human and fully divine. He shares in our joys and sorrows. He shared in the joy of our resilience despite the deathly terror of the African enslavement, and shared in the sorrow that his gospel didn’t compel transformation and quick abolition. He shared in the joy of the Emancipation Proclamation but equally shared in the sorrow of a people who have worked so hard to override, overturn, and recreate that which it was designed to eradicate. Yet and still he offered his life in obedience and trust in God.
On the night that he was wrongfully incarcerated, Jesus took bread, and after giving thanks to God, he broke it into pieces without the suggestion of privilege or supremacy. He gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat. This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way, Jesus lifted the cup to those in need of liberation and empowerment, saying,
“This cup is the new covenant, shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this in remembrance of me.”
Therefore, in remembrance of him, we proclaim this mystery of faith

Christ has died
Christ has risen
Christ is come again

We bless you, O God, for the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit. That Holy Spirit leads us into truth, fights for justice and equality, continues to gather us as believers even in the face of adversity, and moves us to be empowered by your love. It is the movement of the Holy Spirit that allows us to trust in the life, death, and resurrection which reconciles us to you. We pray O Lord, that as we take this bread and this wine as a gift from you that we may celebrate with joy and hope of the redemption won for us in Jesus Christ. Now pour out your spirit upon this bread and wine to make them for us, the body and blood of your son Jesus Christ. All this we ask through your Son, Jesus Christ: By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Ho-ly Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and forever. AMEN.

Let us pray those words he taught us 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.

Fraction Anthem These are the gifts of God for you, God’s people. Every time you eat this bread of equity and drink this cup that pours freedom, you proclaim with your life the saving death of the risen God until he comes again.
Communion Hymn Down at the Cross AA-248
Post-Communion Prayer BCP p.365
May the God who made all things and holds together all things remind you of your making. May you rest in the immanence of your own worth, knowing you have nothing to prove and everything to love. Constant as the moon, which is tethered to us by unseen forces, which is suspended above us in the dark and the light, let our dignity remain, be it visible or invisible to those below. And may we remember the same dignity that holds us, so too holds together every person and piece of the cosmos at once and evermore. Go, in honor, to claim all that you are worthy of. May it be so. Amen. From “Black Liturgies” by Cole Arthur Riley
Announcements
Final Hymn Walk Together Children AA-647
We are blessed to have Ms. Susan Walls lead music service today.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Pastor Peter will begin the first month of his sabbatical. January 26th-February 22nd. Pastoral and administrative concerns can be directed to the Wardens, Mr. Michael Livingston (240-274-1486) or Ken Davis (202-390-0315), or by email to info@calvarydc.net

Mark your calendars for Calvary’s mini-retreat, Sat. March 1st, 11:30pm-3pm. The Rev. Robert Phillips will facilitate. Details forthcoming.

We invite you to join us for our observance of Ash Wednesday, on Wednesday, March 3rd at Noon and 6pm, as we begin lent together.

We’re asking Calvary Members to report a section of broken sidewalk at 820 6th St NE to the district government for repair. This section of sidewalk has caused tripping and injuries. You can call (202) 737-4404, or go online to https://311.dc.gov/citizen/request/S0361/location and enter 820 6th St NE to make a repair request.

Thank you.

Calvary’s Vestry

C. Michael Livingston (Senior Warden, Legal ‘26)
Ken Davis (Junior Warden, Building and Grounds ‘25)
Phyllis Bolden (Christian Education, ‘25)
Edward Gatewood (Stewardship, ‘25)
Monai Lowe (Evangelism ‘25)
Michael Sherman (Finance ‘26)
Gwen Turner (Communications ‘26)
DeVonde Wiggins (Pastoral Care ‘27)

LECTIONARY

February 16, 2025

Today’s scriptural translations are by drawn from “A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church” By Dr. Wil Gafney,

Collect
Lord, you welcome us into your presence as sinners, providing forgiveness and peace. Help us to avoid being self-righteous and judging others as inferior or unworthy; for you see our heart. Redirect our focus to our own actions and gratefulness, allowing our love for you to overflow; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

A Reading from Book of Numbers (5:11-28)
Now the JUDGE OF ALL FLESH spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the women and men of Israel and say to them: If the wife of any man goes astray and betrays him with a betrayal, and a man lies with her yielding an emission of seed yet it is hidden from the eyes of her hus- band and she conceals it, and she has rendered herself unacceptable and there is no witness against her and she was not forced . . .. And if a spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he is jealous on account of his wife and she has rendered herself unacceptable, or if a spirit of jealousy comes on him and he is jealous on account of his wife and she has not rendered herself unacceptable. Then the man shall bring his wife to the priest and he shall bring the offering for her: one-tenth of an ephah of barley flour about two quarts and he shall not pour oil on it and he shall not put frankincense on it, for it is an offering of jealousy, an offering of remembrance, for remembering iniquity. Then the priest shall bring her near and set her before the JUDGE OF ALL THE EARTH. The priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel, and from the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle, the priest shall take and put into the water. Then the priest shall make the woman stand before the DREAD GOD, unbind the hair of the woman and place upon her hands the offering of remembrance; it is an offering of jealousy. And in the hand of the priest shall be the curse begetting waters of bitterness. Then the priest shall make her swear, saying, “If no man has lain with you and if you have not turned aside to that which is unacceptable while under subject to your husband, be uninjured from the curse begetting waters of bitterness. But if you have turned aside while under subject to your husband, if you have rendered yourself unacceptable, and a man has lain with you who is not your husband . . ..” Now the priest makes the woman swear the imprecation oath of cursing and says to the woman, “May the ALL-SEEING GOD make you an imprecation and an execration a ritual cursing and the curse itself among your people when the FOUNT OF JUSTICE makes your uterus collapse and your womb swell. Now may these curse-begetting waters of bitterness go into your innards and make your womb swell, your uterus collapse!” And the woman shall say, “Amen. Amen.” Then the priest shall write these curses in a scroll and dissolve them in the waters of bitterness. He shall make the woman drink the curse begetting waters of bitterness and the curse-begetting waters shall enter her, creating bitterness. When he has made her drink the waters, then, if she has rendered herself unacceptable and has betrayed her husband with an act of betrayal, the curse-begetting waters shall enter into her and cause bitterness and her womb shall swell and her uterus collapse, and the woman shall become an imprecation among her people. But if the woman has not rendered herself unacceptable and is pure, then she shall be uninjured and be able to be sown with seed.
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

Psalm 7:1-17

SHELTERING ONE my God, in you I take refuge;
save me from all who pursue me and deliver me.
Else like a lion they will rip me, body and soul,
apart; they will tear and no one will deliver.
RIGHTEOUS ONE my God,
if I have done this, if there is iniquity in my hands,
if I have repaid my ally with harm or plundered my foe without cause,
then let the enemy pursue me and overtake me,
and trample my life to the ground and lay my glory in the dust. Selah
Rise up, THUNDERING GOD, in your anger;
raise up in opposition to the wrath of my enemies;
wake on my behalf the justice you have appointed.
Let the congregation of the peoples be gathered around you,
and above it return to your place on high.
The RIGHTEOUS GOD judges the peoples;
judge me, RIGHTEOUS ONE,
according to my righteousness
and according to my integrity.
Look! He is pregnant with iniquity,
having conceived troublemaking, and births lies.
A pit he dug and enlarged it,
then fell into the hole he made.
His troublemaking returns upon his own head,
and on his head does their violence descend.
I will give thanks to the JUDGE OF ALL FLESH according to her righteousness,
and I shall sing praise to the Name of the HOLY GOD, the Most High.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.

A Reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians (7:1-17)
Now, about what you have written: It is good for a man not to take hold of a woman. But because of sexual immorality, each man should have his own woman and each woman her own man. For the wife, the husband should do his duty and likewise the wife for her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, rather the husband does; likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, yet the wife does. Do not ever defraud each other except by agreement for a time to devote yourselves to prayer, and then come together again so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. This I say as a concession, not a command. I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has their own gift from God, indeed one to one and another to another. To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain so. But if they are not showing self-control, they should marry; for it is better to marry than to burn. To the married I give this command—not I but the Most High—a woman should not separate from her man, though if she does separate, let her remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her man; also a man should not divorce his woman. To the rest I say—I and not the Most High—that if a believer has a woman who is an unbeliever and she agrees to live with him, he should not divorce her. And if a woman has a man who is an unbeliever and he agrees to live with her, she should not divorce him. For the unbelieving man is made holy through his woman, and the unbelieving woman is made holy through her man. Otherwise, your children would be unclean, yet now they are holy. Now if the unbeliever leaves, let them leave; a sister or brother is not bound in such circumstances. It is to peace that God has called you. For woman, how do you know whether you will save your man, and how do you know, man, whether you will save your wom- an? However let each walk through life as the Holy One has designated and as God has called them. This is what I instruct all the churches.
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

The Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ According to Luke (7:36-50)
Now one of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him and he went into the Pharisee’s house and was seated. And suddenly, a woman who was in the city known as a sinner, having learned Jesus was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of perfumed ointment. She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began with her tears to bathe his feet and with the hairs of her head dried them. And she kissed his feet and anointed them with ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw it, he said to himself, “If this man was ever a prophet, he would know who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.” Then Jesus replied to his thoughts and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Teacher,” he replied, “Speak.” “Two debtors had a certain moneylender had: one owed five hundred denarii, more than a year’s earning, and the other fifty, almost two month’s earning. When they could not pay the moneylender canceled both debts. Now which of them will love their creditor more?” Simon replied and said, “I suppose the one for whom the moneylender forgave the greater debt.” And Jesus said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then turning toward the woman Jesus said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; water for my feet you gave not, but she with her tears has bathed my feet and with her hair, dried them. No kiss of peace did you give me, but from when I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. Oil for my head you did not prepare, but with perfumed ointment she has anointed my feet. That is why I say to you, forgiven are her sins, which were many, thus she loves deeply. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” And Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were reclining at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you Lord Christ

Prayers of the People
Our prayers today are litany number 57. Black History Observance. In the front section of the African American Heritage Hymnal.

Stony the road we trod.
Oh God, you have seen the millions of dark bodies buried beneath the tumultuous waves of the deep. Bodies of African men and women who held the seeds of greatness. You have seen women’s dreams for a united family vanish as they were sold at auction blocks. You have seen the legacy of the African American family decimated and demeaned by those who have attempted to control our destiny.
Bitter the chastening rod, felt in the days when hope unborn had died.
Oh God, you have ignited the sparks within us into a blazing demand for freedom, equality and justice. This quest cost Harriet Tubman sleepless nights, as she led her people to freedom; it was an equality that Rosa Parks and civil rights activists fought for and gave their lives for; it was a justice that Martin Luther King, Jr. stood for, as thousands stood with him at the Lincoln Memorial.
Yet with a steady beat, have not our weary feet come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
Oh God, you have seen our tears. You have been pained by the evil of human hearts. Yet, you loved humanity enough that you sent your only Son to identify with the outcast, marginalized and rejected. As the cries of Jesus pierced your heart, so have the cries of your people—cries from different cultures and in different languages.
God of our weary years, God of our silent tears.
O God, you answered us during our exodus from Africa. You wiped every teardrop during our exile in captivity. Our foreparents dared to dream that one day, on these shores, we would become politicians, preachers, educators, doctors, writers, scientists, artists, and so much more.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee.
Our ancestors’ hard work, their courage, their convictions, and their belief in you paved the way for our emancipation and education. But it is clear, you have liberated us. You have set us free. “Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, I’m free at last!”
Lest our hearts drunk with the wine of the world we forget Thee. Shadowed beneath Thy hand, may we forever stand. True to our God and true to our native land. Amen.