Happy Easter everyone.

This Easter posting is less a formal service than a celebration of blessings and music. Along with a video sermon from Rev. Lois and Easter specific prayers, you will hear recordings of some favorite Easter hymns, played on the St. Peter’s-Trinity organ. In each hymn you will hear one or two verses of the hymn from our hymnal, segueing into an organ piece based on the same hymn tune.

Hymn #179: Welcome, Happy Morning

A Prayer for Easter Sunday:

Dear God,
Thank you that you make all things new, for the victory and power that is in your name, and that by your might Jesus was raised from the grave, paving the way for us to have new life with you.

We praise you for your great strength, we praise you for your lavish love. We praise you that you are Conqueror, Victor, Redeemer, and Friend.

We confess our need for you. We ask that you renew our hearts, minds, and lives, for the days ahead. We pray for your refreshing over us.

Keep your words of truth planted firm within us, help us to keep focused on what is pure and right, give us the power to be obedient to your word. And when the enemy reminds us where we have been, hissing his lies and attacks our way, we trust that your voice speaks louder and stronger, reminding us we are safe with you and that your purposes and plans will not fail. We ask that you will be our defense and rear guard, keeping our way clear, removing the obstacles, and covering the pitfalls. Lord, lead us on your level ground.

Shine your light in us, through us, over us. May we make a difference in this world, for your glory and purposes. Set you way before us. May all your plans succeed. We may reflect your peace and hope to a world that so desperately needs your presence and healing. Thanks be to you God, for your indescribable gift! To you be glory and honor, on this Resurrection Day, and forever.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Hymn #193: That Easter Day with Joy was Bright

“As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples…’” Mark 16:5-7

Hymn #208: Alleluia, The Strife is O’er

Easter Sermon: Reverend Lois Keen

Prayers for our faith family
The St. Peter’s-Trinity Prayer Ministry invites you to join them in continued prayers for those folks who’s names appear in the Prayers of the People.

Comfort and heal all those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, praying especially for Deirdre, Becky, Chris, John Douglas, Nicole, Laura, Mary, Joseph, Tammy, Roger, Sue, Guy, Gail, Dan, and David, give them courage and hope in their troubles, and bring them the joy of your salvation.

Hymn #210: The Day of Resurrection

“If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:11

Hymn #207: Jesus Christ is Risen Today

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” 1 Peter 1:3

We end our Easter posting with video of the Hallelujah Chorus… ENJOY
Royal Choral Society: ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ from Handel’s Messiah

Thank you all for sharing Easter with us. If you are able, please drive by the church on Sunday morning to see the wonderful flower arrangement on the front steps. We would like to keep the arrangement for all to see until the afternoon, but if you get there after 4pm, we invite you to take home a flower. Don’t forget to leave a comment below.

You are invited into a time of silence before the leader begins:

Leader: Blessed be our God.
People: For ever and ever. Amen.

Let us pray.

Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. 

Isaiah 52:13-53:12

See, my servant shall prosper; he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. Just as there were many who were astonished at him–so marred was his appearance, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of mortals–so he shall startle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which had not been told them they shall see, and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate. Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account. Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By a perversion of justice he was taken away. Who could have imagined his future? For he was cut off from the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people. They made his grave with the wicked and his tomb with the rich, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him with pain. When you make his life an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days; through him the will of the LORD shall prosper. Out of his anguish he shall see light; he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge. The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Psalm     22:1-11 

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? *and are so far from my cry
and from the words of my distress? 

2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not answer; *by night as well, but I find no rest. 

3 Yet you are the Holy One, *
enthroned upon the praises of Israel. 

4 Our forefathers put their trust in you; *
they trusted, and you delivered them. 

5 They cried out to you and were delivered; *they trusted in you and were not put to shame. 

6 But as for me, I am a worm and no man, *
scorned by all and despised by the people. 

7 All who see me laugh me to scorn; *
they curl their lips and wag their heads, saying, 

8 “He trusted in the LORD; let him deliver him; *

let him rescue him, if he delights in him.” 

9 Yet you are he who took me out of the womb, *
and kept me safe upon my mother’s breast. 

10 I have been entrusted to you ever since I was born; *you were my God when I was still in my mother’s womb. 

11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near, *
and there is none to help. 

Hebrews 10:16-25
“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds,” he also adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Passion Hymn 

The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
Matthew 27:11-54

Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You say so.” But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer. Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?” But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Jesus Barabbas. So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” For he realized that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over. While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.” Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed. The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” All of them said, “Let him be crucified!” Then he asked, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”

So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” Then the people as a whole answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” So he released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots; then they sat down there and kept watch over him. Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

Then two bandits were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said, ‘I am God’s Son.’” The bandits who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way.

From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.” At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many. Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”

The Solemn Collects
Dear People of God: Our heavenly Father sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved; that all who believe in him might be delivered from the power of sin and death, and become heirs with him of everlasting life. We pray, therefore, for people everywhere according to their needs.

Let us pray for the holy Catholic Church of Christ throughout the world; 

For its unity in witness and service
For all bishops and other ministers and the people whom they serve
For N., our Bishop, and all the people of this  diocese
For all Christians in this community
For those about to be baptized 

That God will confirm his Church in faith, increase it in love, and preserve it in peace.

Silence

Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before you for all member of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly server you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Let us pray for all nations and peoples of the earth, and for those in authority among them; 

For N., the President of the United States
For the Congress and the Supreme Court
For the Members and Representatives of the United Nations
For all who serve the common good

That by God’s help they may seek justice and truth, and live in peace and concord.

Silence

Almighty God, kindle, we pray, in every heart the true love of peace, and guide with your wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth; that in tranquility your dominion may increase, until the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Let us pray for all who suffer and are afflicted in body or in mind; 

For the hungry and the homeless, the destitute and the oppressed
For the sick, the wounded, and the crippled
For those in loneliness, fear, and anguish
For those who face temptation, doubt, and despair
For the sorrowful and bereaved
For prisoners and captives, and those in mortal danger

That God in his mercy will comfort and relieve them, and grant them the knowledge of his love, and stir up in us the will and patience to minister to their needs.

Silence

Gracious God, the comfort of all who sorrow, the strength of all who suffer: Let the cry of those in misery and need come to you, that they may find your mercy present with them in all their afflictions; and give us, we pray, the strength to serve them for the sake of him who suffered for us, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Let us pray for all who have not received the Gospel of Christ; 

For those who have never heard the word of salvation
For those who have lost their faith
For those hardened by sin or indifference
For the contemptuous and the scornful
For those who are enemies of the cross of Christ and persecutors of his disciples
For those who in the name of Christ have persecuted others

That God will open their hearts to the truth, and lead them to faith and obedience.

Silence

Merciful God, creator of all the peoples of the earth and lover of souls: Have compassion on all who do not know you as you are revealed in your Son Jesus Christ; let your Gospel be preached with grace and power to those who have not heard it; turn the hearts of those who resist it; and bring home to your fold those who have gone astray; that there may be one flock under one shepherd, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us commit ourselves to God, and pray for the grace of a holy life, that, with all who have departed this world and have died in the peace of Christ, and those whose faith is known to God alone, we may be accounted worthy to enter into the fullness of the joy of our Lord, and receive the crown of life in the day of resurrection.

Silence

O God of unchangeable power and eternal light: Look favorably on your whole Church, that wonderful and sacred  mystery; by the effectual working of your providence, carry out in tranquility the plan of salvation; let the whole world see and know that things which were cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are being made new, and that all things are being brought to their perfection by him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Veneration of the Cross
If, in the place where you are observing this service of prayers there is a cross that can be held in front of the people, please do so at this time as we sing:         

Hymn 172 Were you there

V1. Were you there when they crucified my Lord? (Repeat)

Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there…

V2. Were you there when they nailed him to the tree? (Repeat)

Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there…

V the last. Were you there when they laid him in the tomb? (Repeat)

Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there…

Priest: We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you,
People: because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Priest: If we have died with him, we shall also live with him; if we endure, we shall also reign with him.
People: We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Leader and people:

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

The Priest, stands and says

Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen.

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.

The Meditation          The Reverend Lois Keen

And God held in his hand a small globe.
Look, he said.
The Son looked.
Far off,
As through water,
he saw a scorched land of fierce colour.
The light burned
There, crusted buildings
cast their shadows;
a bright serpent,
A river uncoiled itself,
radiant with slime
On a bare
Hill a bare tree saddened
The sky. many
People Held out their thin arms
To it, as though waiting
For a vanished April
To return to its crossed
Boughs. The son watched
Them. Let me go there,
he said. (R.S. Thomas)

Good Friday 2020 Sermon Saint Peter’s-Trinity, Thomaston

Long before Jesus was born, the cross was a symbol of piety for the Jews. For years they had been crucified just for being Jews. If you asked one why he was being crucified, he might answer, “Because I read the Torah”. Ask another and you might hear, “Because I circumcised my son”. Another, “Because I celebrated the Passover, the Festival of Unleavened Bread”. 

Our first reading tonight, from the prophet Isaiah is one of the songs of the Suffering Servant, one of many Jewish expectations of what the Messiah would be. It would not have been hard for a Jew to see the suffering servant in Jesus dying on the cross. The first followers of Jesus were Jews.

In Elie Wiesel’s book Night, he remembers an execution in Buna concentration camp. The prisoners were forced to watch as two young men and a boy were hanged. As the prisoners passed by the dead and dying, Wiesel heard a man behind him asking: ‘Where is God now?’ And Weisel heard a voice within himself answer: ‘Where is He? Here He is – He is hanging here on this gallows…”

Kaddish is the Jewish prayer said by those who are in mourning. No one knows how old it is, but its words come from the Torah, and its use may go back at least 2000 years. The word kaddish means holy. Mourners may pray for relief from their grief at another time, but Kaddish is the prayer said by mourners in public. Kaddish is a prayer of praise to God; in the midst of grief God is praised.

Imagine the Jews in Buna concentration camp saying Kaddish after witnessing that execution.

Imagine the followers of Jesus saying Kaddish over the body of their Lord Jesus. Imagine they, who ran away in fear, turning to God with words of praise and blessing. 

Imagine us saying Kaddish for all those who have died violently and senselessly during this season of Lent. 

“Glorified and sanctified be God’s great name throughout the world which He has created according to His will…
“May His great name be blessed forever and to all eternity.”

In our own burial rite we say, “All we go down to the dust; yet even at the grave we make our song, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.”

Yet, though we praise God in death, and though we say we believe Christ has set us free from death and the fear of death, we are still waiting to be set free. We don’t understand why life has to be like this.

This day our Lord hung upon the cross. God has suffered, died, sorrowed and mourns there. But our hope does not die there. The Eastern Orthodox Christians believe that on this night – “There is a great silence on earth because the King of heaven and earth is dead. “Christ rests in the tomb. It is the Sabbath of Our Lord,” but his work is not finished. For just as God will not abandon on the Sabbath any person whose life is at risk, neither can Christ abandon us. “This night he descends to the dead and hell is afraid.” (Saint Euthemius the Great: Holy Saturday sermon)

“He goes to seek the lost sheep. His cross is the weapon with which he strikes down the gates of Hell and death, and becomes the bridge over which the lost cross into life. The first are Adam and Eve. And after them, the most lost sheep of all, Judas. A thief has been granted Paradise.” Theodore the Studied (759-826)

As Christ takes them by the hand, and raises them up, he cries out to all who dwell in Hell, and not only those who have died but those who live but feel they are dead or in Hell. Christ says to them and us:

 “ ‘Awake, sleepers, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Out of love for you, I, your God, became a human being, and came to earth. For your sake, I died today upon earth. You once reached out to take fruit from a tree, and to save you, I have been nailed to a tree. You were driven out of Paradise, and I have come to lead you to heaven. I did not create you to be held prisoner for ever.’ ”

 “Rise up! let us leave this place – for I have died with you, and you shall rise with me. The Kingdom of Heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity.” (Saint Euthemius the Great: Holy Saturday sermon)

“Of old we were poisoned by a tree;
now we have found immortality through a tree.
Of old we were led astray by a tree;
now we have repelled the treacherous snake by means of a tree.
Indeed what an unheard-of exchange!
We are given life instead of death.”
Theodore the Studied (759-826)

If Christ did this for those who had died before him, how much more so did he already set you and me free, 2000 years before we were born?

You have already been raised up. So when we leave this place tonight, do so as a people set free, a people given new life, free from anxiety, free from fear, free from all that imprisons you. Christ has died with you, and you already have risen with him. This is the covenant sealed with the blood of Christ.

“The Kingdom of Heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity”.

The service concludes with the following prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, we pray you to set your passion, cross, and death between your judgment and our souls, now and in the hour of our death. Give mercy and grace to the living; pardon and rest to the dead; to your holy Church peace and concord; and to us sinners everlasting life and glory; for with the Father and Holy Spirit you live and reign, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Meditative Music – “By the Cross” – Roger C. Wilson

God Bless us all. Please leave a comment below. Your fellow parishioners would benefit with a sense of togetherness.

A Table Liturgy at Home for Maundy Thursday

Prelude: “In Remembrance of Me” – Buryl Red

Leader: Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins.
People: God’s mercy endures for ever.
Leader: Jesus said, “The first commandment is this: Hear, O Israel: The Lord your God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these. ~Mark 12:29-31

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

All: Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

Leader: Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all your sins through our lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen.

The Leader invites the people to share their prayer petitions.

The Collect
Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Hymn: “O Lord hear my pray’r” (Taize)

Grace before the meal
Leader: Let us bless our meal.

L: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.

L: Blessed are you, Lord our God, Creator of the universe. We give you thanks for your holy name, which you planted in our hearts and for the knowledge, faith and immortality you sent us through Jesus your child.
C: Glory to you forever and ever.

L: You created everything might Lord, for the glory of your name. You gave us food and drink for our pleasure and that we might give you thanks; You have blessed us with spiritual food and drink and eternal life through your child. Above all we thank you because you are mighty.
C: Glory to you forever and ever.

L: Father, we give you thanks for the holy vine of your servant David, which you made known to us through Jesus your servant. C: Glory to you forever and ever.

L: Mother, we give you thanks for the life and knowledge you sent us through Jesus your child. As grain was scattered across the hills then gathered and made one in this bread, so may your church, scattered to the ends of the earth, be gathered and made one in your commonwealth.
C: Amen!

L: Let’s eat!

Hymn #825: Bless the Lord my soul (Taize)

After the Meal: The Lord’s Prayer

Hymn #831: Ubi caritas (Taize)

Conclusion – The Peace:
Jesus said, “Peace is my last gift to you, my own peace I now leave with you; peace which the world cannot give, I give to you.” The Peace of Christ be with you.
I give you a new commandment: Love one another as I have loved you. By this shall the world know that you are my disciples: That you have love for one another.

READINGS TO DISCUSS DURING SUPPER

Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14
The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household. If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one; the lamb shall be divided in proportion to the number of people who eat of it. [Your lamb shall be without blemish, a year-old male; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembled congregation of Israel shall slaughter it at twilight. They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. They shall eat the lamb that same night; they shall eat it roasted over the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted over the fire, with its head, legs, and inner organs. You shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn.] This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the passover of the Lord. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance.

Psalm 116:1, 10-17
1 I love the Lord, because he has heard the voice of my supplication, *
because he has inclined his ear to me whenever I called upon him.
10 How shall I repay the Lord *
for all the good things he has done for me?
11 I will lift up the cup of salvation *
and call upon the Name of the Lord.
12 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord * 
in the presence of all his people.
13 Precious in the sight of the Lord * 
is the death of his servants.
14 O Lord, I am your servant; *
I am your servant and the child of your handmaid; 
you have freed me from my bonds.
15 I will offer you the sacrifice of thanksgiving * 
and call upon the Name of the Lord.
16 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord * 
in the presence of all his people,
17 In the courts of the Lord’s house, * 
in the midst of you, O Jerusalem. 
Hallelujah!

1 Corinthians 11:23-26
I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

John 13:1-17, 31b-35
Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord–and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.
Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, `Where I am going, you cannot come.’ I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Questions to discuss over supper:
In what way has God saved you by “passing over” your sins?
How shall you repay God for all the good things God has done for you?
How is this meal different from all the other Maundy Thursdays?
How has God fed you this Lent? With what has God fed you? How would you like to feed Jesus tonight?

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EACH MEMBER OF A HOUSEHOLD PROCURES A BUDDING OR LEAFING BRANCH, BY CUTTING OR BY PICKING UP PALMS FROM CHURCH, TO SYMBOLIZE THE BRANCHES STREWN IN THE ROAD OUR SAVIOR TOOK INTO JERUSALEM. WE WILL BLESS THESE BRANCHES AT THE END OF THE SERVICE OF PRAYERS.

Prelude: “The Lord of Love Draws Nigh” – Lois Myers Emig

Opening hymn – #154, All glory, laud, and honor

Chorus: All glory, laud, and honor to thee, Redeemer, King to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring.
Verse 1:
Thou art the King of Israel, thou David’s royal Son,
who in the lord’s Name comest, the King and Blessed One. Chorus
Verse 3:
The people of the Hebrews with palms before thee went;
our praise and prayers and anthems before thee we present. Chorus
Verse 4:
To thee before thy passion they sang their hymns of praise;
to thee, now high exalted, our melody we raise. Chorus
Verse 5:
Thou didst accept their praises; accept the prayers we bring,
who in all good delightest, thou good and gracious King. no chorus

Leader: Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.

People: Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.
Celebrant: Let us pray.
Assist us mercifully with your help, O Lord God of our salvation, that we may enter with joy upon the contemplation of those mighty acts, whereby you have given us life and immortality; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Silence may be kept.
The People together
Most merciful God, 
we confess that we have sinned against you 
in thought, word, and deed, 
by what we have done, 
and by what we have left undone. 
We have not loved you with our whole heart; 
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. 
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. 
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, 
have mercy on us and forgive us; 
that we may delight in your will, 
and walk in your ways, 
to the glory of your Name. Amen.

Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins 
through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all 
goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in 
eternal life. Amen.
Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Glory to the holy and undivided Trinity, one God; as it was in the beginning is not and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Jubilate Psalm 100 (The Saint Helena’s Psalter)
May all lands be joyful before you, O God *
serve you with gladness
and come before your presence with a song.

For we know that you are God; *
you yourself have made us, and we are yours;
we are your people and the sheep of your pasture.

We shall enter your gates with thanksgiving;
go into your courts with praise; *
give thanks to you and call upon your Name.

For you are good; 
your mercy is everlasting; *
and your faithfulness endures from age to age.

Glory to God, Source of all being, Incarnate Word, and Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.

The Liturgy of the Word
Isaiah 50:4-9a
The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens–wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught.
The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious,  I did not turn backward. I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face
from insult and spitting. The Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame; he who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who are my adversaries? Let them confront me. It is the Lord God who helps me; who will declare me guilty? The Word of the Lord.

Psalm 31:9-16
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; *
my eye is consumed with sorrow,
and also my throat and my belly.

For my life is wasted with grief,
and my years with sighing; *
my strength fails me because of affliction,
and my bones are consumed.

I have become a reproach to all my enemies and even to my neighbors,
a dismay to those of my acquaintance; *
when they see me in the street they avoid me.

I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind; *
I am as useless as a broken pot.

For I have heard the whispering of the crowd;
fear is all around; *
they put their heads together against me;
they plot to take my life.

But as for me, I have trusted in you, O Lord. *
I have said, “You are my God.

My times are in your hand; *
rescue me from the hand of my enemies,
and from those who persecute me.

Make your face to shine upon your servant, *
and in your loving-kindness save me.”

Gospel Hymn, #458, My song is love unknown

Verse 1:
My song is love unknown, my Savior’s love to me,
love to the loveless shown that they might lovely be.
O who am I that for my sake my lord should take frail flesh, and die?
Verse 2:
He came from his blest throne salvation to bestow,
but men made strange, and none the longed-for Christ would know.
But O my friend, my friend indeed, who at my need his life did spend.
Verse 3:
Sometimes they strew his way, and his strong praises sing,
resounding all the day hosannas to their King.
Then “Crucify” is all their breath, and for his death they thirst and cry.
Verse 7:
Here might I stay and sing, no story so divine:
never was love, dear King, never was grief like thine.
This is my friend, in whose sweet praise I all my days could gladly spend.

Matthew 21:1-11
When Jesus and his disciples had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, `The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, “Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.” The word of the Lord

Musical Meditation: “Adagio in C” – W. A. Mozart

 

The Prayers
The Lord’s Prayer, in your preferred form or language

The Suffrages
V.    Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance;
R.    Govern them and uphold them, now and always.
V.    Day by day we bless you;
R.    We praise your name for ever.
V.    Lord, keep us from all sin today;
R.    Have mercy upon us, Lord, have mercy.
V.    Lord, show us your love and mercy;
R.    For we put our trust in you.
V.    In you, Lord, is our hope;
R.    And we shall never hope in vain.

The Collect of the Day

Celebrant and People
Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share
in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Let us pray:
O God in heaven, almighty and everlasting, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

We offer our intercessions, aloud or silently.
O God, our shield and armor of light, whom we adore with all the angelic host: Defend us from evil; watch over any who are in danger this day and give your angels charge over them; and grant that we may always rejoice in your heavenly protection and serve you bravely in the world; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

Blessing of the branches
Leader: The Lord be with you. 

People: And also with you. 

Leader: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. 

People: It is right to give him thanks and praise.
It is right to praise you, Almighty God, for the acts of love by which you have redeemed us through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. On this day he entered the holy city of Jerusalem in triumph, and was proclaimed as King of kings by those who spread their garments and branches of palm along his way. Let these branches be for us signs of his victory, and grant that we who bear them in his name may ever hail him as our King, and follow him in the way that leads to eternal life; who lives and reigns in glory with you and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

Bow down before the Lord
Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.

People: Hosanna in the highest.
Leader: Let us go forth in peace. 

People: In the name of Christ. Amen.

Closing Hymn 168 (Verses 1,3,5)

Verse 1:
O sacred head sore wounded, defiled and put to scorn;
O kingly head surrounded with mocking crown of thorn:
what sorrow mars thy grandeur? Can death thy bloom deflower?
O countenance whose splendor the hosts of heaven adore!
Verse 3:
In thy most bitter passion my heart to share doth cry,
with thee for my salvation upon the cross to die.
Ah, keep my heart thus moved to stand thy cross beneath,
to mourn thee, well-beloved, yet thank thee for thy death.
Verse 5:
My days are few, O fail not, with thine immortal power,
to hold me that I quail not in death’s most fearful hour;
that I may fight befriended, and see in my last strife
to me thine arms extended upon the cross of life.

 

Saint Peter’s-Trinity Episcopal Church
160 Main Street, Thomaston, Connecticut 06787

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Prelude – “Largo” – Anton Dvorak, arr. Robert J. Hughes

Hymn – 1

1. Father. we praise thee, now the night is over,
active and watchful, stand we all before thee;
singing we offer prayer and meditation: thus we adore thee.

2.Monarch of all things, fit us for thy mansions;
banish our weakness, health and wholeness sending;
bring us to heaven, where thy saints united joy without ending.

3.All holy Father, Son, and equal Spirit,
Trinity blessed, send us thy salvation;
thine is the glory, gleaming and resounding through all creation.

Rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and repents of evil. Joel 2:13

The Confession

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Silence may be kept.
Officiant and People together, all kneeling
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.
The people say together, in the absence of a Priest who alone stands and says
Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen.The Invitatory and Psalter
Officiant Lord, open our lips.
People And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

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.
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him.

Venite Psalm 95:1-7
Come, let us sing to the Holy One; *
let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before God’s presence with thanksgiving *
and raise a loud shout with psalms.
For you, O God are a great God, *
you are great King above all gods.
In your hand are the caverns of the earth, *
and the heights of the hills are yours also.
The sea is yours, for you made it, *
and your hands have molded the dry land.
Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, *
and kneel before God, our Maker.
For you are our God, and we are the people of your pasture and the sheep of your hand. *
Oh, that today we would hearken to his voice!
Glory to the holy and undivided Trinity, one God,*as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.

PSALM 130
1 Out of the depths have I called to you, O Lord;
Lord, hear my voice; *
let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.
2 If you, Lord, were to note what is done amiss, *
O Lord, who could stand?
3 For there is forgiveness with you; *
therefore you shall be feared.
4 I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; *
in his word is my hope.
5 My soul waits for the Lord,
more than watchmen for the morning, *
more than watchmen for the morning.
6 O Israel, wait for the Lord, *
for with the Lord there is mercy;
7 With him there is plenteous redemption, *
and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins.

Ezekiel 37:1-14
The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.” So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act,” says the Lord.

Hymn – 455

1. O Love of God, how strong and true, eternal and yet ever new;
uncomprehended and unbougut, beyond all knowledge and all thought.
2. O widembracing, wondrous Love, we read thee in the sky above;
we read thee in the earth below, in seas that swell and streams that flow.
3. We read thee best in him who came to bear for us the cross of shame,
sent by the Father from on high, our life to live, our death to die.
4. We read thy power to bless and save e’en in the darkness of the grave;
still more in resurrection light we read the fullness of thy might.

Dwelling in the Word
What word or phrase is God speaking to your heart?
Is God nudging you to share a message with someone who is different than you?
What might that message be?

The Lesson- John 11:1-45
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.” After saying this, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.” Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”
When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.
Lector: The Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.

Reflection
What word or phrase is God speaking to your heart?
Is God nudging you to share a message with someone who is different than you?
What might that message be?

A period of silence may follow.

Canticle – The Song of Zechariah Luke 1:68-79

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old,
that he would save us from our enemies, *
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear, *
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his
way, to give his people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

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, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He 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, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. 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

Officiant The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Officiant Let us pray.

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.

Suffrage  B
V.    Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance;
R.    Govern and uphold them, now and always.

V.    Day by day we bless you;
R.    We praise your name for ever.

V.    Lord, keep us from all sin today;
R.    Have mercy upon us, Lord, have mercy.

V.    Lord, show us your love and mercy;
R.    For we put our trust in you.

V.    In you, Lord, is our hope;
R.    And we shall never hope in vain.

A Collect for Sundays
O God, you make us glad with the weekly remembrance of the glorious resurrection of your Son our Lord: Give us this day such blessing through our worship of you, that the week to come may be spent in your favor; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Collect of the Day
Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

A Prayer of St. Chrysostom
Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions
as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

HYMN – 511

1. Holy Spirit, ever living as the Church’s very life;
Holy Spirit, ever striving through her in a ceaseless strife;
Holy Spirit, ever forming in the Church the mind of Christ;
thee we praise with endless worship for thy fruits and gifts unpriced.

2. Holy Spirit, ever working through the Church’s ministry;
quick-ening, strength-ening and absolving; setting captive sinners free;
Holy Spirit, ever binding age to age, and soul to soul,
in a fellowship unending thee we worship and extol.

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Romans 15

Postlude: “Morning Praise” – Elizabeth T. van Woert