February 5, 2026
VOLUNTARY
The people stand.
HYMN
“La Lucha” Words & Music: Mark Miller
En la lucha hay vida
En la lucha esperanza
En la lucha hay vida
Siempre hay siempre hay esperanza
Cantamos en la lucha
Cantamos por la justicia
Cantamos por nuestras vidas
Siempre hay siempre hay esperanza
THE WORD OF GOD
Celebrant: Blessed be the one, holy, and living God.
People: Glory to God for ever and ever.
SONG OF PRAISE
Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above Words: Johann J. Schütz. #126 UMH
- Sing praise to God who reigns above,
the God of all creation,
the God of power, the God of love,
the God of our salvation.
With healing balm my soul is filled
and every faithless murmur stilled:
To God all praise and glory. - Our God is never far away,
but through all grief distressing,
an ever present help and stay,
our peace and joy and blessing.
As with a mother’s tender hand,
God gently leads the chosen band:
To God all praise and glory. - Thus, all my toilsome way along,
I sing aloud thy praises,
that earth may hear the grateful song
my voice unwearied raises.
Be joyful in our God, my heart,
both soul and body bear your part:
To God all praise and glory. - Let all who name Christ’s holy name
give God all praise and glory;
let all who own his power proclaim
aloud the wondrous story!
Cast each false idol from its throne,
for Christ is Lord, and Christ alone:
To God all praise and glory.
THE COLLECT OF THE DAY
The Rt. Rev. Jeremiah D. Williamson
Celebrant: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Celebrant: Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things both in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of your people, and in our time grant us your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The people sit.
THE FIRST READING
Brigid Dwyer
Reader A Reading from the book of the prophet Micah. [6:1-8]
Hear what the Lord says:
Rise, plead your case before the mountains,
and let the hills hear your voice.
Hear, you mountains, the controversy of the Lord,
and you enduring foundations of the earth;
for the Lord has a controversy with his people,
and he will contend with Israel.
“O my people, what have I done to you?
In what have I wearied you? Answer me!
For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
and redeemed you from the house of slavery;
and I sent before you Moses,
Aaron, and Miriam.
O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised,
what Balaam son of Beor answered him,
and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal,
that you may know the saving acts of the Lord.”
“With what shall I come before the Lord,
and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with tens of thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
Reader: The Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
HYMN
“Hold On” by Heidi Wilson
Hold on
Hold on
My dear ones, here comes the dawn
INTRODUCTION OF OUR GUESTS
Beth Quick
THE GOSPEL
Rev. Jennifer Williamson
Gospeller The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew. [5:1-12]
People Glory to you, Lord Christ.
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Gospeller: The Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.
(The people sit.)
SERMON
The Rt. Rev. Jeremiah D. Williamson, D.D., Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Albany (M.Div. ’05)
THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
(The people stand or kneel.)
The Rt. Rev. Jeremiah D. Williamson
God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. So let us pray to the Lord, saying, “For your blessing and guidance, we give you thanks.”
God, bless your Church. May our souls hunger and thirst for righteousness. Give us the grace to do those things you require of us: to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with you.
Silence
For your blessing and guidance,
We give you thanks.
God, bless the people of this and every nation. You make foolish the wisdom of this world; we pray that our leaders will open our hearts to you and find their wisdom in your mercy and goodness. Teach us all to be merciful and to open our hearts wide enough to receive mercy from others.
Silence
For your blessing and guidance,
We give you thanks.
God, bless your creation. Your mighty, creative voice fills the air and rustles the forests. We offer back to you all the many gifts that spring forth from this earth.
Silence
For your blessing and guidance,
We give you thanks.
God, bless those who work for peace. We pray for those who live in fear and danger. We pray for the day when peace and justice shall reign and violence is no more.
Silence
For your blessing and guidance,
We give you thanks.
God, bless this holy community. We thank you for Drew Theological School. We thank you for instilling in this place a deep commitment to the formation of rooted, innovative, and courageous spiritual leaders. Through those shaped here, continue to transform this world with the Gospel message.
Silence
For your blessing and guidance,
We give you thanks.
God, bless the poor in spirit with the inheritance of your kingdom. You choose what is weak in this world to shame the strong. Be the source of life for all those suffering and sick.
Silence
For your blessing and guidance,
We give you thanks.
God, bless the dying and the dead. May their reward be great in heaven. Give to those who now mourn the blessing of your comfort.
Silence
For your blessing and guidance,
We give you thanks.
Celebrant: God of blessing, your mercy endures forever. Hear the prayers of your people. And grant us the strength and the courage to walk in your ways, all the days of our lives. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
THE PEACE
(The people stand.)
The Rt. Rev. Jeremiah D. Williamson
Celebrant: The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People: And also with you.
The Ministers and People may greet one another in the name of the Lord.
THE HOLY COMMUNION
OFFERTORY HYMN
“What Does the Lord Require of You?”
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING: EUCHARISTIC PRAYER D
The Rt. Rev. Jeremiah D. Williamson
Rev. Jennifer Williamson
It is truly right to glorify you, Father, and to give you thanks; for you alone are God, living and true, dwelling in light inaccessible from before time and for ever.
Fountain of life and source of all goodness, you made all things and fill them with your blessing; you created them to rejoice in the splendor of your radiance.
Countless throngs of angels stand before you to serve you night and day; and, beholding the glory of your presence, they offer you unceasing praise. Joining with them, and giving voice to every creature under heaven, we acclaim you, and glorify your Name, as we sing,
SANCTUS Mark Miller
The people stand or kneel. The Celebrant continues
We acclaim you, holy Lord, glorious in power. Your mighty works reveal your wisdom and love. You formed us in your own image, giving the whole world into our care, so that, in obedience to you, our Creator, we might rule and serve all your creatures. When our disobedience took us far from you, you did not abandon us to the power of death. In your mercy you came to our help, so that in seeking you we might find you. Again and again you called us into covenant with you, and through the prophets you taught us to hope for salvation.
Father, you loved the world so much that in the fullness of time you sent your only Son to be our Savior. Incarnate by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, he lived as one of us, yet without sin. To the poor he proclaimed the good news of salvation; to prisoners, freedom; to the sorrowful, joy. To fulfill your purpose he gave himself up to death; and, rising from the grave, destroyed death, and made the whole creation new.
And, that we might live no longer for ourselves, but for him who died and rose for us, he sent the Holy Spirit, his own first gift for those who believe, to complete his work in the world, and to bring to fulfillment the sanctification of all.
When the hour had come for him to be glorified by you, his heavenly Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end; at supper with them he 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.”
Father, we now celebrate this memorial of our redemption. Recalling Christ’s death and his descent among the dead, proclaiming his resurrection and ascension to your right hand, awaiting his coming in glory; and offering to you, from the gifts you have given us, this bread and this cup, we praise you and bless you.
Celebrant and People
We praise you, we bless you,
we give thanks to you,
and we pray to you, Lord our God.
Father, we pray that in your goodness and mercy your Holy Spirit may descend upon us, and upon these gifts, sanctifying them and showing them to be holy gifts for your holy people, the bread of life and the cup of salvation, the Body and Blood of your Son Jesus Christ.
Grant that all who share this bread and cup may become one body and one spirit, a living sacrifice in Christ, to the praise of your Name.
Remember, Lord, your one holy catholic and apostolic Church, redeemed by the blood of your Christ. Reveal its unity, guard its faith, and preserve it in peace.
Remember Kym, our Bishop, and all who minister in your Church.
And grant that we may find our inheritance with the Blessed Virgin Mary, with patriarchs, matriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs, with all the saints who have found favor with you in ages past. We praise you in union with them and give you glory through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
Through Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, all honor and glory are yours, Almighty God and Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. AMEN.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
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.
FRACTION ANTHEM
INVITATION (The Celebrant invites the people to Holy Communion.)
THE ADMINISTRATION OF HOLY COMMUNION
Servers: Francis Osuji, Katherine Rollo
COMMUNION MUSIC
Let Us Break Bread
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER
Celebrant: Let us pray.
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 Rt. Rev. Jeremiah D. Williamson
The Celebrant offers a blessing, and the people respond: Amen.
HYMN
“Hakuna wakaita Sa Jesu” Traditional Shona
Hakuna wakaita sa Jesu
Hakuna wakaita sa ye
Hakuna wakaita sa Jesu
Haku, haku china
I’m running, running
Searching, searching
I’m turning, turning
Searching, searching
I’m searching, searching, everywhere
Haku, haku china
THE DISMISSAL
The Rt. Rev. Jeremiah D. Williamson
The Minister dismisses the people, who respond: Thanks be to God.
Drew Theo Chapel 