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Meeting ID: 828 6442 0929
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Services continue exclusively by zoom,
and our church building will be closed to the public.
The Deacon’s Cupboard (food bank) remains open during the lockdown.
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Processional Hymn: Christ Is Risen #223
Christ is risen! Shout Hosanna!
Celebrate this day of days!
Christ is risen! Hush in wonder:
all creation is amazed.
In the desert all surrounding,
see, a spreading tree has grown.
Healing leaves of grace abounding
bring a taste of love unknown.
Christ is risen! Raise your spirits
from the caverns of despair.
Walk with gladness in the morning.
See what love can do and dare.
Drink the wine of resurrection,
not a servant, but a friend.
Jesus is our strong companion.
Joy and peace shall never end.
Christ is risen! Earth and heaven
nevermore shall be the same.
Break the bread of new creation
where the world is still in pain.
Tell its grim, demonic chorus:
“Christ is risen! Get you gone!”
God the First and Last is with us.
Sing Hosanna everyone!
Greeting
Celebrant: Alleluia! Christ is risen.
People: The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!
Celebrant: May his grace and peace be with you.
People: May he fill our hearts with joy.
Welcome
Glory to God
(Cantor only) Glory to God in the highest,
All: and peace to his people on earth.
Lord God, heavenly king,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.
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.
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.
Collect of the Day
Celebrant: O God, your Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread. Open the eyes of our faith, that we may see him in his redeeming work, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
A Reading from the First Letter of John (Chapter 2:18-29)
Children, it is the last hour! As you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. From this we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But by going out they made it plain that none of them belongs to us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and all of you have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and you know that no lie comes from the truth. Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; everyone who confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he has promised us, eternal life.
I write these things to you concerning those who would deceive you. As for you, the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and so you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, abide in him.
And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he is revealed we may have confidence and not be put to shame before him at his coming.
If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who does right has been born of him.
Reader: The Word of the Lord
People: Thanks be to God.
Psalm 4
Answer me when I call, O God, defender of my cause; you set me free when I am hard-pressed; have mercy on me and hear my prayer. “You mortals, how long will you dishonour my glory; how long will you worship dumb idols and run after false gods?” Know that the Lord does wonders for the faithful; when I call upon the Lord, he will hear me. Tremble, then, and do not sin; speak to your heart in silence upon your bed. Offer the appointed sacrifices and put your trust in the Lord. Many are saying, “Oh, that we might see better times!” Lift up the light of your countenance upon us, O Lord. You have put gladness in my heart, more than when grain and wine and oil increase. I lie down in peace; at once I fall asleep; for only you, Lord, make me dwell in safety.
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.
Gradual: Alleluia (vs. 2) #715
Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia!
(cantor only)
God brings the world to himself,
Now through his Christ, reconciling;
he has trusted us with the news
of redeeming love.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
Reader: The Lord be with you
People: And also with you.
Reader: The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke
People: Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ
Jesus himself stood among the disciples and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence. Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you – that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.”(Luke 24:36b-48)
Reader: The Gospel of Christ
People: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Gradual: Alleluia (vs. 2) #715
Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia!
(cantor only)
God brings the world to himself,
Now through his Christ, reconciling;
he has trusted us with the news
of redeeming love.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, alleluia!
The Sermon
The Nicene Creed
Celebrant: Let us confess our faith, as we say,
All: 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.
With the Father and the Son
he is worshipped 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
Leader: Let us pray to the Lord;
Response: Lord, have mercy.
The Peace
Celebrant: Alleluia. Christ has been raised from the dead. The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People: And also with you.
Announcements (click on individual items for details)
- Roll Up Your Sleeves: Vaccine eligibility has been expanded to include more residents. We encourage all those who are eligible to book their vaccination appointments. Information can be found on the Region of Durham Health Unit Covid-19 Update page. If you could use some assistance in signing up for a vaccine appointment, please contact the parish office.
- Stirred, Not Shaken Psalm Reflections
- White Fragility Book Club
- Zoom Tutorials with Mark
- Community Garden Project
- AWARE 2021
- Altar Flowers and Memorial Donations
Offertory
The church relies on donations for its ministry work. Please continue to support this community by making an online donation (for a one-off or recurring gift), requesting to become a preauthorized giver (for a regularly scheduled offertory), or texting the word “give” to 1-844-416-1270 to make up an immediate donation in an amount of your choice. Guests today particularly might find the text to give option convenient. Regular envelope holders are encouraged to continue mailing in their offering.
Hymn: Come, O Thou Traveller Unknown (vs. 1, 2 & 4) # 539
Come, O Thou Traveler unknown,
Whom still I hold but cannot see;
My company before is gone,
And I am left alone with Thee;
With Thee all night I mean to stay,
And wrestle till the break of day.
I need not tell Thee who I am,
My misery and sin declare;
Thyself hast called me by my name,
Look on Thy hands, and read it there;
But who, I ask Thee, who art Thou?
Tell me Thy name, and tell me now.
’Tis Love! ’tis Love! Thou diedst for me,
I hear Thy whisper in my heart;
The morning breaks, the shadows flee:
Pure, universal Love Thou art;
To me, to all Thy mercies move;
Thy nature and Thy name is Love.
Prayer
Celebrant: Creator of all, you wash away our sins in water, you give us new birth by the Spirit, and redeem us in the blood of Christ. As we celebrate the resurrection, renew your gift of life within us. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the risen Lord. Amen
The Lord’s Prayer
Celebrant: And now, as our Saviour Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
All: 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,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Almighty God, Grant that we who have celebrated the Lord’s resurrection may by Your grace confess in our life and conversation that Jesus is Lord and God, through the same Jesus Christ Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
Doxology
Celebrant: Glory to God,
All: whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to God from generation to generation, in the Church and in Christ Jesus, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Blessing
May the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in you that which is pleasing in his sight, and the blessing of God the Father, the son and the Holy Spirit be with you. Amen
Hymn: Lord, the Light of Your Love Is Shining # 460
Lord, the light of Your love is shining
In the midst of darkness shining
Jesus, light of the world shine upon us
Set us free by the truth You now bring us
Shine on me, shine on me
Refrain:
Shine, Jesus, shine
Fill this land with the Fathers glory
Blaze, Spirit, blaze
Set our hearts on fire
Flow, river, flow
Flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth Your word
Lord, and let there be light
Lord, I come to Your awesome presence
From the shadows into Your radiance
By the blood I may enter Your brightness
Search me, try me, consume all my darkness
Shine on me, shine on me
Refrain:
Shine, Jesus, shine
Fill this land with the Fathers glory
Blaze, Spirit, blaze
Set our hearts on fire
Flow, river, flow
Flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth Your word
Lord, and let there be light
As we gaze on Your kingly brightness
So our faces display Your likeness
Ever changing from glory to glory
Mirrored here may our lives tell Your story
Shine on me, shine on me
Refrain:
Shine, Jesus, shine
Fill this land with the Fathers glory
Blaze, Spirit, blaze
Set our hearts on fire
Flow, river, flow
Flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth Your word
Lord, and let there be light
The Dismissal
Celebrant: Alleluia! Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God. Alleluia!
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Those Assisting with Today’s Service
Celebrant: The Rev. Jennifer Schick
Preacher: Joanne Warman
Voice of the Congregation: Joyce Ibbott-Belvin
Gospeller: Joanne Warman
Organist: Adriaan Bakker
Cantor: Jody Bristow
Prayers of the People: Gary Gannon
Reader: Dianne Lloyd
Psalmist: Joyce Ibbott-Belvin
Digital Vergers: Darren Clift, Tim Ralph
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People are rarely enticed to join something inscrutable. “Why would I join,” they say, “when I don’t even know what it is?”
The “Prayer Chain” is one such anachronistic name that might mislead you. Historically it was a chain with one member calling a few others, who then contacted a few others, and so on down the line, like an old-fashioned phone tree. It was a perfect communication solution for its day, but it created a lot of work and ran the risk of people being left out or information delayed. Consider what happens in a prayer chain/phone tree when you can’t reach the person next to you on the tree or chain. You have to try calling them again and again, and until you reach them everybody down the line is in the dark as well. And just try passing information up a chain or tree.
I mention this because the prayer chain (or should I say “prayer network”) might be something you would contemplate joining … especially now that you understand that it’s not a chain. And it’s not a lot of work. All you need to do is receive an email and pray as instructed. No phone calls. No meetings. No homework. Just prayer.
Hopefully, that makes things less mysterious. At the heart of all this is one of the least complicated aspects of a life of faith … talking with God in prayer. Prayer is like a conversation with someone we love, and someone who loves us.
Have you ever reached a point in your life when you feel like you really know a lot about one or more things? Then circumstances change, either due to a decision you made or as a result of circumstances beyond your control, rendering and perhaps humbling you to realize that there is so much more to learn and experience? Over the last number of months, I have found myself in that position, particularly as I seek to know more about the beauty in, and challenges of, reading the Old Testament.
I have some good news to share! The province has opened up vaccines for faith leaders – so Fr. Geoff, the deacons elect and I all were able to get our vaccines last week!
Holy week, I find, when done right, is like the vaccine. It is a little bit frightening, and a little bit painful – as it causes us to reflect existentially on how quickly the disciples ran in fear and were willing to deny their Lord. It forces us to face our own sin and fear and also the sad but timeless reality of the violent disposition of human nature. But ultimately it is a whole lot exciting and joy filled.
O God of unchangeable power and eternal light, look favourably 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. Amen