Morning Prayer | 1
Morning Prayer
March 29, 2020
Grace Episcopal Church
Prayer for Online Gathering
Officiant
Almighty God of the cross and loving God of community, we are not in a church building today but Church is never cancelled. We are not wise, and not very often kind, but we are the Body of Christ in your suffering world. We know that our vocation is to be the light of Christ whose Body we are. Give us courage to be the Church and to keep our minds on loving the world which you have called good. Buildings crumble; the seasons pass; but your Church endures from generation to generation. Make this for us a feast day of your protection, your plenty, your purpose, and your peace. All this we ask, as we pray in silence, with all the saints and with one other.
Amen.
Opening Sentences
The Officiant begins the service with one or more of these sentences of Scripture,
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
Confession of Sin BCP 79
The Officiant says to the people
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Silence may be kept.
Officiant and 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.
The Officiant 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 Peace
Officiant The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People And also with you.
The Invitatory and Psalter BCP 80
All stand
Officiant Lord, open our lips.
People And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Officiant and People
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.
Officiant The Lord is full of compassion and mercy:
People Come let us adore him.
Jubilate Psalm 100 BCP 82
Officiant and People
Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; * serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with a song. Know this: The Lord himself is God; * he himself has made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise; * give thanks to him and call upon his Name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; * and his faithfulness endures from age to age.
Officiant The Lord is full of compassion and mercy:
People Come let us adore him.
Psalm 130 (Spoken in Unison)
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.
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 Lessons
The First Lesson: Ezekiel 37:1-14
Lector A reading from the book of Ezekiel.
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.
Lector The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Canticle 12, A Song of Creation, Benedicite, omnia opera Domini BCP 88
Officiant and People
Glorify the Lord, all you works of the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
In the firmament of his power, glorify the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
II The Earth and its Creatures
Let the earth glorify the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O mountains and hills,
and all that grows upon the earth, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O springs of water, seas, and streams, *
O whales and all that move in the waters.
All birds of the air, glorify the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O beasts of the wild, *
and all you flocks and herds.
O men and women everywhere, glorify the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
III The People of God
Let the people of God glorify the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O priests and servants of the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O spirits and souls of the righteous, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
You that are holy and humble of heart, glorify the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Doxology
Let us glorify the Lord: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; *
raise him and highly exalt him for ever.
In the firmament of his power, glorify the Lord, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
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 Second Lesson: Romans 8:6-11
Lector A reading from Paul’s Letter to the Romans.
To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law-- indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Lector The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Canticle 10, The Second Song of Isaiah, Quaerite Dominum BCP 86
Officiant and People
Seek the Lord while he wills to be found; *
call upon him when he draws near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways *
and the evil ones their thoughts:
And let them turn to the Lord, and he will have compassion, *
and to our God, for he will richly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, *
nor your ways my ways, says the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, *
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
For as the rain and snow fall from the heavens *
and return not again, but water the earth,
Bringing forth life and giving growth, *
seed for sowing and bread for eating,
So is my word that goes forth from my mouth; *
it will not return to me empty;
But it will accomplish that which I have purposed, *
and prosper in that for which I sent it.
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.
Solo When Jesus Wept William Billings
Lenten Prose
The Gospel Lesson: John 11:1-45
Lector A reading from the Gospel of John.
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.
Sermon The Rev. April Berends
The Apostles’ Creed BCP 96
Officiant and People
together, all standing
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.
Hymn O love of God, how strong and true Hymnal 455
O love of God, how strong and true, eternal and yet ever new;
uncomprehended and unbought, beyond all knowledge and all thought.
O wide-embracing, wondrous Love, we read thee in the sky above;
we read thee in the earth below, in seas that swell and streams that flow.
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.
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.
The Prayers
BCP 97
The People stand or kneel
Officiant The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Officiant Let us pray.
Officiant and People
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.
Then follows one of these sets of Suffrages
BCP 98
Officiant Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance;
People Govern and uphold them, now and always.
Officiant Day by day we bless you;
People We praise your Name for ever.
Officiant Lord, keep us from all sin today;
People Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
Officiant Lord, show us your love and mercy;
People For we put our trust in you.
Officiant In you, Lord, is our hope;
The Collect of the Day BCP 219
Officiant
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 Collect for Renewal of Life BCP 199
Officiant
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 you 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.
Prayers of the People
Intercessor Beloved friends, in this season of repentance and healing, we accept God's invitation to be mindful of our neighbors' needs, offering our prayers on behalf of God's community in the church and the world, saying: Lord, in your mercy,
People Hear our prayer.
Intercessor We pray for the holy catholic church and all who journey through this season of Lent, that we may not avoid struggle, but open ourselves to blessing. Lord, in your mercy,
People Hear our prayer.
Intercessor We pray for all the peoples of the earth who share God’s covenant of peace; may we fast from evil and grow hungry for justice. Lord, in your mercy,
People Hear our prayer.
Intercessor We pray for your creation, that we may be good stewards of all you have made and all living creatures may find goodness on earth, our home. Lord, in your mercy,
People Hear our prayer.
Intercessor We pray for all who are oppressed, afflicted, or in need, that you may deliver them from their suffering. We pray especially for Bren, Helen, Nancy, David, Charlotte, Tyler, Jeff, Rebecca, J.R., Marcia, Major, Peggy, Jean, William, Timothy, Donald, Robert, Chris, Cooper, Sally, Charles, Jonathan, Steven, John, Libby, Rebecca, Elaine, Jean, Barbara, Elizabeth, John, Joyce, Jim, Mary Ruth, and Ann;
We pray for Wil, Jake, Jordan, Kevin, Tripp, Mike, Alexander, Russel, Logan, Jim, Sean, Evan, and all of our Armed Forces, here and abroad;
We pray for Erin, Kerry and Lizzy, who are with child.
We pray for all who are treating the sick, stocking shelves, transporting supplies, suffering from illness, and coping with new life-patterns in the midst of the current pandemic. Lord, in your mercy,
People Hear our prayer.
Intercessor We pray for those who are dying and for those who have died; bring them to the joy of your eternal kingdom. Lord, in your mercy,
People Hear our prayer.
Presider God of all consolation and compassion, your son comforted the grieving sisters, Martha and Mary; your breath alone brings life to dry bones and weary souls. Pour out your spirit upon us, that we may face despair and death with the hope of resurrection and faith in the one who called Lazarus forth from the grace.. Amen.
Silence may be kept
A Prayer of St. Chrysostom BCP 102
Officiant and People
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.
Officiant Let us bless the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Officiant
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore.
Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:14
Announcements
Join Us for Online Worship at 9am Sundays
For the next few weeks, we’ll be posting videos for Morning Prayer worship on our Facebook page and website at 9am. Bulletins for each week’s service will be sent along with the GraceNotes Friday issue, and will be posted on the website alongside the video for the service. If you miss the 9am video stream, you can always go back and watch later.
Community Care in Anxious Times
Grace check-in teams have begun checking on households. Team leaders for each check-in group will be contacting you via phone, text and/ or email. Please take a moment to pick up or write back to let them know if you’re okay and/or if you need help, pastorally or physically. The leaders of these groups will be in close communication with our priests and our network of volunteers. If you are a new member of Grace and we do not have your information in the directory, please fill out the New Member form here and let us know if you would like to be added to a check-in group.
If you have an urgent pastoral need, please call the parish office at (423)243-3250 and leave a message on the main line. We will be checking these messages regularly even if we aren’t in the office.
Office Hours
In order to effectively practice social distancing, the Grace clergy and staff will be mostly working from home during these next several weeks. Staff members will be present when we have volunteers working on the premises, which for the time being, will be on Wednesdays to support the food ministry. This does not mean that you should stop by to say hello! Stay home! We will continue to check messages from home.
Food Ministry
We have transitioned our food voucher program to the United Way/211 for the time being. This means that clients can be approved for vouchers by using the County 211 system and proceed directly to the Food Bank to collect their food. This eliminates a stop for our clients, and, importantly for all of us at this time, reduces face-to-face contact. Grace has increased the number of food vouchers that we are providing for our neighbors as a response to the COVID-19 crisis. We are finding it a challenge to keep the food pantry stocked because many stores only allow the purchase a few of each kind of nonperishable item at a time. At the same time, other food programs with greater capacity than we have at Grace have stepped up to fill the needs in our community, and children are still getting school lunches. For the time being, Grace will be offering food pantry services on Wednesdays only from 10am to 1pm. We will continue to receive donations to meet needs as they arise within our community.
Inquirers’ Class
If you’ve been participating in Inquirers’ class, or would like to participate in future Inquirers’ classes, and would like to be invited to future online-meetings of this class, please contact Sean McEwen at seanjmcewen@gmail.com. This week’s class will meet via Zoom (an easy-to-use video conferencing app) at 10:00 am on Sunday.
