May 10, 2020: The Fifth Sunday of Easter

Prelude: “Fortress of Faith” – John M. Rasley (based on fragments from “Ein Feste Burg” by Martin Luther)

Opening hymn:
Hymn 366 – Holy God We Praise Thy Name


Lyrics:
1. Holy God, we praise thy name; Lord of all, we bow before thee! All on earth thy scepter claim, All in heav’n above adore thee; Infinite, thy vast domain, Everlasting is thy reign.

2. Hark! the loud celestial hymn Angel choirs above are raising; Cherubim and Seraphim, In unceasing chorus praising; Fill the heav’ns with sweet accord: “Holy, holy, holy Lord!”

3. Lo, the apostolic train Join, thy sacred name to hallow; Prophets swell the loud refrain, And the white robed martyrs follow; And, from morn till set of sun, Through the Church the song goes on.

Leader: Alleluia! Christ is risen.
People: The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Leader:   Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 15:57)

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 now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Christ our Passover     1 Cor. 5:7-8; Romans 6:9-11; 1 Cor. 15:20-22)
Alleuia.
Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us;
therefore let us keep the feast,
Not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil,
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Alleluia.
Christ being raised from the dead will never die again;
death no longer has dominion over him.
The death that he died, he died to sin, once for all;
but the life he lives, he lives to God
So also consider yourselves dead to sin,
and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Alleluia.
Christ has been raised from the dead,
the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since by a man came death,
by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die,
so also in Christ shall all me made alive. Alleluia.

Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16

1 In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame; *
deliver me in your righteousness.

2 Incline your ear to me; *
make haste to deliver me.

3 Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe,
for you are my crag and my stronghold; *
for the sake of your Name, lead me and guide me.

4 Take me out of the net that they have secretly set for me, *
for you are my tower of strength.

5 Into your hands I commend my spirit, *
for you have redeemed me,
O Lord, O God of truth.

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

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

Acts 7:55-60
Filled with the Holy Spirit, Stephen gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died.

Hymn 213: Come Away to the Skies

The Gospel according to John 14:1-14
Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.”

Interlude: “Andante in B Flat” – Antonio Diabelli

Sermon

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:

The Lord’s Prayer

The Suffrages
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 al 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.

The Collect of the Day
Celebrant and People
Let us pray:
Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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. (Page 98 BCP)

A Collect for Renewal of Life
O God, the King eternal, whose light divides the day from the night and turns the shadow of death into the morning: Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to keep your law, and guide our feet into the way of peace; that, having done your will with cheerfulness during the day, we may, when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.(P. 99, BCP)

Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love or you; for the honor of your Name. Amen. (P. 101 BCP)

We offer our intercessions, aloud or silently. After which, we pray:
Heavenly Father, giver of life and health: Comfort and relieve your servants who are sick or in distress praying for Deirdre, Becky, Chris, John Douglas, Nicole, Laura, Mary, Joseph, Tammy,Roger, Sue, Cheryl, Eileen, Gail, Doris, David, Cindi, and Dean, and give your power of healing to those who minister to their needs, that they may be strengthened in their weakness and have confidence in your loving care; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP page 459)

A prayer for Mother’s Day:
On this Mother’s Day, we give thanks to God for the divine gift of motherhood in all its diverse forms. Let us pray for all the mothers among us today; for our own mothers, those living and those who have passed away; for the mothers who loved us and for those who fell short of loving us fully; for all who hope to be mothers some day and for those whose hope to have children has been frustrated; for all mothers who have lost children; for all women and men who have mothered others in any way—those who have been our substitute mothers and we who have done so for those in need; for the earth that bore us and provides our sustenance. We pray this all in the name of God, our great and loving Mother. Amen.

(The Reverend Leslie Nipps in Women’s Uncommon Prayers, Page 364, © 2000 by Council of Women’s Ministries/Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church U.S.A.; Morehouse Publishing, Harrisburg, PA)

Leader: Let us bless the Lord.
Reply: Thanks be to God.

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. (Romans 15:13)

Hymn 484: Praise the Lord Through Every Nation

1. Praise the Lord through every nation; His holy arm hath wrought salvation; Exalt him on his Father’s throne. Praise your King, ye Christian legions, Who now prepares in heavenly regions Unfailing mansions for his own. With voice and minstrelsy Extol his majesty: Alleluia! His praise shall sound all nature round, And hymns on every tongue abound.

2. Jesus, Lord, our Captain glorious, O’er sin, and death, and hell victorious, Wisdom and might to thee belong. We confess, proclaim, adore thee; We bow the knee, we fall before thee. Thy love henceforth shall be our song. The cross meanwhile we bear, The crown erelong to wear: Alleluia! Thy reign extend world without end; Let praise from all to thee ascend

Postlude: “Chorus of Praise” – Roger C. Wilson

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3 Comments

  1. Happy Mothers Day everyone. Hopefully we will ALL be back together soon. Enjoyed the service AND the sermon.

  2. We appreciate this service and God bless all mothers for the work that they do and the love that they give us.

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