May 15, 2022 | 10:00 a.m. | Sixth Sunday of Easter
The Word of God
Opening Hymn Love divine, all loves excelling Hymnal 657
Opening Acclamation Alleluia. Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.
The Collect for Purity
Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
1 Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. Refrain
2 Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer. Refrain
3 For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God, the Father. Amen! Amen! Refrain
The Collect of the Day
The Lord be with you. And also with you. 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.
The First Reading Acts 11:1-18
Now the apostles and the believers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also accepted the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, saying, “Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?” Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying, “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners; and it came close to me. As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. I also heard a voice saying to me, `Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’ But I replied, `By no means, Lord; for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ But a second time the voice answered from heaven, `What God has made clean, you must not call profane.’ This happened three times; then everything was pulled up again to heaven. At that very moment three men, sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were. The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, `Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter; he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be saved.’ And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, `John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?” When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God, saying, “Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.” The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Psalm 148 (antiphonally by half verse, beginning on the pulpit side)
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord from the heavens; * praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you angels of his; * praise him, all his host.
Praise him, sun and moon; * praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, heaven of heavens, * and you waters above the heavens.
Let them praise the Name of the Lord; * for he commanded, and they were created.
He made them stand fast for ever and ever; * he gave them a law which shall not pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth, * you sea-monsters and all deeps;
Fire and hail, snow and fog, * tempestuous wind, doing his will;
Mountains and all hills, * fruit trees and all cedars;
Wild beasts and all cattle, * creeping things and winged birds;
Kings of the earth and all peoples, * princes and all rulers of the world;
Young men and maidens, * old and young together.
Let them praise the Name of the Lord, * for his Name only is exalted, his splendor is over earth and heaven.
He has raised up strength for his people and praise for all his loyal servants, * the children of Israel, a people who are near him. Hallelujah!
The Second Reading Revelation 21:1-6
I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.” And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.” The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation Celtic Alleluia (The people will sing the refrain before and after the verse.)
The Gospel John 13:31-35
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John. Glory to you, Lord Christ.
At the last supper, when Judas had gone out, 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.”
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Sermon The Rev. Lisa Green
A period of silence follows the sermon.
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
The Prayers of the People
Prayer Leader: Baptized with the Holy Spirit, let us offer prayers for all those God loves.
For the whole world and all the churches of God. Glory and praise to you, O living God.
For this holy gathering and our sacrifice of praise. Glory and praise to you, O living God.
For all who minister and for all the holy people of God. Glory and praise to you, O living God.
For all nations, peoples, tribes, clans, and families. Glory and praise to you, O living God.
For all those in danger and need: the sick and the suffering, prisoners, captives, and their families, the hungry, homeless, and oppressed, and those who care for them. Glory and praise to you, O living God.
For ourselves, our families, and those we love. Glory and praise to you, O living God.
Bless all whose lives are closely linked with ours, and grant that we may serve Christ in them, and love one another as Christ loves us. We pray for Bruce, Catherine, Mary, Kay, Ricardi, Clare, Byron, Warren for St. Vincent’s School, Haiti, and for an end to the pandemic. We pray for the dying, all those who have died, and we pray that we may share with all your saints in your eternal kingdom. Glory and praise to you, O living God.
Please add your own intentions, silently or aloud.
Remembering our most glorious and blessed Virgin Mary, blessed Martin, and all the saints, let us offer ourselves and one another to the living God through Christ. To you, O Lord.
Celebrant: Blessed are you, God of glory, who gave us your Son. Hear the prayers we offer this day, come among your people, and wipe away every tear from their eyes; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Peace & Announcements
The peace of the Lord be always with you. And also with you.
The Holy Communion
The Offertory Anthem The Gift of Love Adult Choir Alyssa Wright, violin and Sam Orr, cello
The Offering of Gifts Take, O take
Take, O take me as I am; summon out what I shall be, set your seal upon my heart and live in me.
The Great Thanksgiving Eucharistic Prayer 1, Enriching Our Worship
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give God thanks and praise.
It is truly right, and good and joyful, to give you thanks, all-holy God, source of life and fountain of mercy, but chiefly are we bound to praise you for the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; for he is the true Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed for us, and has taken away the sin of the world. By his death he has destroyed death, and by his rising to life again he has won for us everlasting life. Therefore, joining with Angels and Archangels and with the faithful of every generation, we lift our voices with all creation as we sing:
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power, God of might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed are you, gracious God, creator of the universe and giver of life. You formed us in your own image and called us to dwell in your infinite love. You gave the world into our care that we might be your faithful stewards and show forth your bountiful grace. But we failed to honor your image in one another and in ourselves; we would not see your goodness in the world around us; and so we violated your creation, abused one another, and rejected your love. Yet you never ceased to care for us, and prepared the way of salvation for all people. Through Abraham and Sarah you called us into covenant with you. You delivered us from slavery, sustained us in the wilderness, and raised up prophets to renew your promise of salvation. Then, in the fullness of time, you sent your eternal Word, made mortal flesh in Jesus. Born into the human family, and dwelling among us, he revealed your glory. Giving himself freely to death on the cross, he triumphed over evil, opening the way of freedom and life. On the night before he died for us, Our Savior Jesus Christ took bread, and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his friends, and said: “Take, eat: This is my Body which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”
As supper was ending, Jesus took the cup of wine, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said: “Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is poured out for you and for all for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”
Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
Remembering his death and resurrection, we now present to you from your creation this bread and this wine. By your Holy Spirit may they be for us the Body and Blood of our Savior Jesus Christ. Grant that we who share these gifts may be filled with the Holy Spirit and live as Christ’s Body in the world. Bring us into the everlasting heritage of your daughters and sons, that with Martin and all your saints, past, present, and yet to come, we may praise your Name for ever. Through Christ and with Christ and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, to you be honor, glory, and praise, for ever and ever. AMEN.
The Lord’s Prayer (contemporary words)
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.
The Breaking of the Bread
Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.
All are invited to the Lord’s table. Wafers and wine are to the left (for sipping only, not intinction) and Communion kits containing both bread and wine are to the right.
Communion Hymn Gift of Finest Wheat
Refrain: You satisfy the hungry heart with gift of finest wheat.
Come give to us, O Saving Lord, the Bread of Life to eat.
1 As when the shepherd calls his sheep, they know and heed his voice.
So when you call your family, Lord, they follow and rejoice. Refrain
2 With joyful lips, we sing to you, our praise and gratitude
that you should count us worthy, Lord, to share this Heavenly food. Refrain
3 Is not the cup we bless and share the blood of Christ outpoured?
Does not one cup, one loaf declare, our Oneness in the Lord? Refrain
The Post-Communion Prayer
God of abundance, you have fed us with the bread of life and cup of salvation; you have united us with Christ and one another; and you have made us one with all your people in heaven and on earth. Now send us forth in the power of your Spirit, that we may proclaim your redeeming love to the world and continue for ever in the risen life of Christ our Savior. Amen.
The Blessing
Closing Hymn Jesus shall reign Hymnal 544
The Dismissal