“If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way—and some of them have come from a great distance.”

Gregory Allen Howard has died, a Hollywood screenwriter of hit movies about Black historical figures, including the hit “Remember the Titans” with Denzel Washington, which earned $100 million at the box office. “Titans” is about a Black coach who takes charge of a White school’s football team in the first year of racial integration. Howard also wrote a biographical picture, “Ali,” about the heavyweight boxing champion starring Will Smith, “Harriet” with Cynthia Erivo, about Harriet Tubman, an escaped slave who led 100 others to freedom, as well as “This Little Light,” the story of Mississippi activist Fannie Lou Hamer. “I got into this business to write about the complexity of the Black man. I wanted to write about Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Marcus Garvey. I think it takes a Black man to write about Black men,” he told the Vallejo, California Times-Herald. Whatever their gender, Gregory Allen Howard wrote about heroes. (Chris Pizzello/Innvision/AP)
I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. Isaiah 49:6b
INVITATORY AND PSALTER
O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.
Hymn: Light of the World
Light of the world in grace and beauty,
Mirror of God’s eternal face,
Transparent flame of love’s free duty,
You bring salvation to our race.
Now, as we see the lights of evening,
We raise our voice in hymns of praise;
Worthy are you of endless blessing,
Sun of our night, lamp of our days.
Psalm 68:1-20, 24-36
1 O God, arise, and let your enemies be scattered; *
let those who hate you flee before you.
2 Let them vanish like smoke when the wind drives it away; *
as the wax melts at the fire,
so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3 But let the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; *
let them also be merry and joyful.
4 Sing to God, sing praises to God’s Name;
exalt the One who rides upon the heavens; *
The Name of our God is the LORD; rejoice before the LORD!
5 Defender of widows, father of orphans, *
God in heaven’s holy habitation!
6 God gives the solitary a home and brings forth prisoners into freedom; *
but the rebels shall live in dry places.
7 O God, when you went forth before your people, *
when you marched through the wilderness,
8 The earth shook, and the skies poured down rain,
at the presence of God, the God of Sinai, *
at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9 You sent a gracious rain, O God, upon your inheritance; *
you refreshed the land when it was weary.
10 Your people found their home in it; *
in your goodness, O God, you have made provision for the poor.
11 The Lord gave the word; *
great was the company of women who bore the tidings:
12 ”Kings with their armies are fleeing away; *
the women at home are dividing the spoils.”
13 Though you lingered among the sheepfolds, *
you shall be like a dove whose wings are covered with silver,
whose feathers are like green gold.
14 When the Almighty scattered kings, *
it was like snow falling in Zalmon.
15 O mighty mountain, O hill of Bashan! *
O rugged mountain, O hill of Bashan!
16 Why do you look with envy, O rugged mountain,
at the hill which God chose to rest? *
truly the LORD will dwell there for ever.
17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand,
even thousands of thousands; *
the Lord comes in holiness from Sinai.
18 You have gone up on high and led captivity captive;
you have received gifts even from your enemies, *
that the LORD God might dwell among them.
19 Blessed be the Lord day by day, *
the God of our salvation, who bears our burdens.
20 You are our God, the God of our salvation; *
God is the LORD, by whom we escape death.
24 They see your procession, O God, *
your procession into the sanctuary, my Sovereign and my God.
25 The singers go before, musicians follow after, *
in the midst of the maidens playing upon the hand-drums.
26 Bless God in the congregation; *
bless the LORD, you that are of the fountain of Israel.
27 There is Benjamin, least of the tribes, at the head;
the princes of Judah in a company; *
and the princes of Zebulon and Naphtali.
28 Send forth your strength, O God; *
establish, O God, what you have wrought for us.
29 Rulers shall bring gifts to you, *
for your temple’s sake at Jerusalem.
30 Rebuke the wild beast of the reeds, *
and the peoples, a herd of wild bulls with its calves.
31 Trample down those who lust after silver; *
scatter the peoples that delight in war.
32 Let tribute be brought out of Egypt; *
let Ethiopia stretch out her hands to God.
33 Sing to God, O realms of the earth; *
sing praises to the Lord.
34 God rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens; *
God’s voice thunders forth, a mighty voice.
35 Ascribe power to God; *
whose majesty is over Israel;
whose strength is in the skies.
36 How wonderful is God in the holy places! *
the God of Israel giving strength and power to the chosen people!
Blessed be God!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
THE LESSON
Mark 8:1-10 (NRSV)
In those days when there was again a great crowd without anything to eat, he called his disciples and said to them, “I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way—and some of them have come from a great distance.” His disciples replied, “How can one feed these people with bread here in the desert?” He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” Then he ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground; and he took the seven loaves, and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute; and they distributed them to the crowd. They had also a few small fish; and after blessing them, he ordered that these too should be distributed. They ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. Now there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.
Canticle: The Song of Mary
Luke 1:46-55
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in you, O God my Savior, *
for you have looked with favor on your lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
you, the Almighty, have done great things for me,
and holy is your Name.
You have mercy on those who fear you *
from generation to generation.
You have shown strength with your arm, *
and scattered the proud in their conceit,
Casting down the mighty from their thrones, *
and lifting up the lowly.
You have filled the hungry with good things, *
and sent the rich away empty.
You have come to the help of your servant Israel, *
for you have remembered your promise of mercy,
The promise made to our forebears, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
THE APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ,
God’s only son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
THE PRAYERS
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen.
V. Show us your mercy, O Lord;
R. And grant us your salvation.
V. Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
R. Let your people sing with joy.
V. Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
R. For only in you can we live in safety.
V. Lord, keep this nation under your care;
R. And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
V. Let your way be known upon earth;
R. Your saving health among all nations.
V. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
R. Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
V. Create in us clean hearts, O God;
R. And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.

Marcella of Rome facilitated Jerome’s translation of the Bible into Latin by giving him lodging in her grand house church and a ready source of feedback and questioning as he sought to perfect his words and phrases. She didn’t dispute with him but, as he wrote in a commemorative letter after her death, she asked questions to help him uncover any miscommunication or potential controversy, which greatly improved his work. (Christopher Klitou)
Collect of the Day: Marcella of Rome, Monastic & Scholar, 410
O God, who satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry with good things: Grant that we, like your servant Marcella, may hunger and thirst after you more than the vain pomp and glory of the world and delight in your word more than all manner of riches; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
A Collect for Aid against Perils
Be our light in the darkness, O Lord, and in your great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of your only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Anglican Cycle of Prayer: Diocese of São Paulo, Brazil
Tuesday Evening Prayer List
For Our Departed
Nathaniel Queen
Honorary Deacon Clint Gilliland
Terry Hunt
The Rev. Debbie Graham
Nancy Kirk
Jane Vickers
Joan Rasch
Ted Paget
Those Who Mourn
Roger’s wife Margie; Constance Abbey, their ministry
Our webcasters
The whole world
Please add your own prayers here.
Prayer for Mission
O God, you manifest in your servants the signs of your presence: Send forth upon us the Spirit of love, that in companionship with one another your abounding grace may increase among us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
May the Sun of Righteousness shine upon us and scatter the darkness from before our path; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among us, and remain with us always. Amen.++
VIDEO: Ye servants of God (see #535, Hanover, attr. William Croft; Charles Wesley, alt.) – Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, California, 2016