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Join us each Sunday for worship in the University Chapel, led by the dean and the associate dean of religious life and of the chapel, that draws students, faculty, staff, and townspeople together to hear God’s word, to sing God’s praise, to lift up the University in prayer. Each season, marvelous guest preachers are invited to preach in the chapel as well. We hope you can join us! The bulletin for the service is below.
Fall 2023 Worship Schedule:
Sep 3
Worship Service
Service of Holy Communion
Rev. Alison L. Boden, Ph.D.
Dean of Religious Life and the Chapel
Princeton University
Sep 10
Worship Service
Theresa S. Thames
Associate Dean of Religious Life and the Chapel
Princeton University
Sep 17
Worship Service
Guest Preacher
Maurice Charles, Ph.D
Dean of Rockefeller Chapel
University of Chicago
Sep 24
Worship Service
Guest Preacher
Rev. Alison L. Boden, Ph.D.
Dean of Religious Life and the Chapel
Princeton University
Oct 1
Worship Service
Service of Holy Communion
Theresa S. Thames
Associate Dean of Religious Life and the Chapel
Princeton University
Oct 8
Worship Service
Guest Preacher
Patrick Cheng
Associate Pastor, Church of the Transfiguration
New York, NY
Oct 15
Worship Service
Guest Preacher
H. Fitzgerald Robertson II
Intern, Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton, NJ
Oct 22
Worship Service
Guest Preacher
Deja Wilson
Intern, Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton, NJ
Oct 29
Worship Service
Guest Preacher
Rev. Alison L. Boden, Ph.D.
Dean of Religious Life and the Chapel
Princeton University
Nov 5
All Saints Sunday Worship Service
Service of Holy Communion
Theresa S. Thames
Associate Dean of Religious Life and the Chapel
Nov 12
Worship Service
Guest Preacher
John C. Wester
Archbishop, Archdiocese of Santa Fe
Santa Fe, NM
Nov 19
Worship Service
Rev. Alison L. Boden, Ph.D.
Dean of Religious Life and the Chapel
Princeton University
Nov 26
Worship Service
Rev. Alison L. Boden, Ph.D.
Dean of Religious Life and the Chapel
Princeton University
_____________________________________________________
Prelude
Princeton University Chapel
THE TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
~ NOVEMBER 19, 2023 ~
You are invited to rise, in body or spirit, for those parts of the service marked with an asterisk (*)
Two Settings of “Simple Gifts”
Great is Thy Faithfulness Welcome and Announcements
Dale Wood (1934-2003) Wilbur Held (1914-2015)
arr. Dan Miller (b. 1954)
Dean Boden
Lyons
H. Fitzgerald Robertson II
*Hymn No. 26 *Call to Worship *Invocation Reading
One
Many
One
Many
One
Many
One
Many
We Worship You, God
Psalm 123
To you I lift up my eyes,
O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
As the eyes of servants
look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maid
to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to our God, until God has mercy upon us.
Have mercy upon us, O God, have mercy upon us,
for we have had more than enough of contempt.
Our soul has had more than its fill
of the scorn of those who are at ease,
of the contempt of the proud.
The 23rd Psalm (Dedicated to My Mother)
McFerrin adapted the text to include feminine language for God. You can read more about his choice in today’s music announcement.
Anthem
Bobby McFerrin (b. 1950)
Reading Matthew 25:14-30
‘For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, “Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, “Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” But his master replied, “You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Sermon
Hymn No. 212 Prayers of the People
One
All
Lord’s Prayer
“Entrusted with Treasure”
O Jesus Christ, May Grateful Hymns
Dean Boden
Charterhouse
Dean Thames
If there are prayer requests that you would like to share, please raise your hand. After each petition:
God of love and mercy,
Hear our prayer.
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.
Choral Response
*Exchange of the Peace One
All
Offertory Sentence Music at the Offering
I Will Do a New Thing
“I will do a new thing in you;
Whatever you ask for, whatever you pray for, nothing shall be denied,” saith the Lord.
Audrey Byrd
The peace of God be always with you.
And also with you.
The people may exchange the peace with one another.
Blessed Be the Lord, My Rock
Blessed be the Lord, my rock and my fortress, my stronghold, my deliverer,
My shield and he in whom I take refuge.
We are like breath,
our days are like a passing shadow. Bow thy heav’ns, O Lord, come down! Stretch forth thy hand from on high, rescue me, deliver me.
I will sing a new song to thee, O God.
Psalm 144, select verses Sung to the tune of Hymn No. 27
Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise God all creatures here below, alleluia, alleluia. Praise God above ye heavenly hosts,
Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost,
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
To be said by all.
*Doxology
*Prayer for Princeton
*Hymn No. 538 *Benediction Postlude
Lasst uns erfreuen
O Eternal God, the source of life and light for all peoples,
we pray you would endow this University with your grace and wisdom:
Give inspiration and understanding to those who teach and to those who learn; Grant vision to its trustees and administrators;
To all who work here and to all who bear her name
give your guiding Spirit of sacrificial courage and loving service. Amen.
Standing at the Future’s Threshold Lux Eoi
Nun danket alle Gott (March Triomphale), Op. 65, No. 59 Sigfrid Karg-Elert (1877-1933)
Audrey Byrd arr. Nolan Williams, Jr. (b. 1969)
Abbie Betinis (b. 1980)
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY CHAPEL STAFF
The Rev. Alison L. Boden, Ph.D.
Dean of Religious Life and of the Chapel
The Rev. Dr. Theresa S. Thames
Associate Dean of Religious Life and of the Chapel
Nicole Aldrich, DMA
Director of Chapel Music
H. Fitzgerald Robertson II
Eric Plutz
University Organist
Deja Wilson
Seminary Intern Patricia Florek, Chapel Administrator
The University Chapel is a welcoming community of faith. We gather to sing God's praises, to hear God's living Word, to seek justice, and to proclaim God's love for all people.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The offering this morning will go to Bread for the World. Bread for the World is a nationwide Christian movement that seeks justice for the world's hungry people by lobbying our nation's decision makers.
Every Sunday of every month the congregation is invited to bring non-perishable food items to be donated to Arm in Arm.
If you are interested in making a contribution toward Sunday flowers in the Chapel as a memorial, please contact Patricia Florek - [email protected].
TODAY’S MUSIC
About today’s anthem, Bobby McFerrin told The Huffington Post, “’The 23rd Psalm’ is dedicated to my mother. She was the driving force in my religious and spiritual education, and I have so many memories of her singing in church. But I wrote it because I’d been reading the Bible one morning, and I was thinking about God’s unconditional love, about how we crave it but have so much trouble believing we can trust it, and how we can’t fully understand it. And then I left my reading and spent time with my wife and our children. Watching her with them, the way she loved them, I realized one of the ways we’re shown a glimpse of how God loves us is through our mothers. They cherish our spirits, they demand that we become our best selves, and they take care of us.”
Seminary Intern
Edgar Gomez & Lisa McGurr, Sextons
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
TODAY, November 19, 1:30 p.m., Murray Dodge 104—Hallelujah Church @ Princeton—A service of exciting worship, inspiring music, and a place of grace where love, hope and faith come alive
TODAY, November 19, 2:30 pm—Chapel Choir Concert: For St. Cecilia—A program celebrating the patron saint of musicians, with works by Henry Purcell, Gerald Finzi, Abbie Betinis, and Joan Szymko. Nicole Aldrich, director, with Eric Plutz, University Organist. Free admission.
THURSDAY, November 23, 11 a.m.—Community Thanksgiving Service— All are welcome to the Thanksgiving Worship Service in the University Chapel. This service is sponsored by the Office of Religious Life and Princeton Clergy Association.
THURSDAY, November 23, 12:30 p.m.—After Noon Concert Series—No concert on November 23 as it is Thanksgiving Recess at Princeton University. Performing next Thursday, November 30, is Mary Dolch, Galilee Episcopal Church, Virginia Beach, VA.
SUNDAY, November 26, 11:00 a.m.—University Chapel Service—The preacher will be Dean Boden. For additional information, please visit chapel.princeton.edu or call 609-258-3047.
All copyrighted music and texts are reprinted and streamed/recorded by permission under OneLicense.net #L-541135. All rights reserved.