HOLY EUCHARIST FOR the FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT

The Fifth Sunday in Lent
Holy Eucharist, Rite II
March 26, 2023 at 10:30 a.m.

Prelude

Welcome

Processional Hymn If thou but trust in God to guide thee The Hymnal 1982 #635

A Penitential Order

Celebrant Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins.
People His mercy endures for ever.

The people may stand or kneel

The Celebrant says
Jesus said, “The first commandment is this: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all you soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.”

The Celebrant then says
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

Minister 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.

Absolution

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

Kyrie LEVAS II #239

Kyrie Eleison (2x)
Christie Eleison (2x)
Kyrie Eleison (2x)

The Celebrant says to the people
The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Celebrant Let us pray.

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.

First Reading 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.

Reader The Word of the Lord
People Thanks be to God

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.


Second Reading Romans 8:6-11

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.

Reader The Word of the Lord
People Thanks be to God

Gradual Hymn Out of the depths, I call Hymnal 1982 #666

Gospel 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.

After the Gospel the deacon says
The Gospel of the Lord
People Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon The Rev. Dr. Harmon Smith

The Nicene Creed

[Please stand as you are able.]

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.

Prayers of the People

The intercessor and people pray responsively.
Brothers and sisters, the Spirit of God dwells in you. Let us appeal to our God, saying,
“We call to you, O Lord;
Lord, hear our voice.”

Breathe new life into your Church, O Lord. Where our bones are dried up, where our hope is lost, cause your life-giving breath to enter. Give us confidence in the truth that the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us.

The congregation is invited to offer their thanksgivings.

Silence

“We call to you, O Lord;
Lord, hear our voice.”

Many are they who wait for you, O Lord. Speak into the souls of those suffering throughout the world, a word of hope.

Silence

“We call to you, O Lord;
Lord, hear our voice.”

Creating God, it is the wind of your Spirit that sweeps across this planet. Renew and refresh your creation; bring forth newness in dead places.

Silence

“We call to you, O Lord;
Lord, hear our voice.”

With you, O Lord, there is plenteous redemption. Restore the hope of this city. Renew our trust that you have a life-giving future in mind for us.

Silence

“We call to you, O Lord;
Lord, hear our voice.”

With you, O Lord, there is mercy. Consider well the voice of those who call out from their depths. As they wait for you in their pain and sorrow, give life to their mortal bodies by your healing Spirit.

We pray for:
Toby, Ama, Dorothy, Lawrence, Ann, Murphy, Karen, Derek, Walter, Vivian, Danita, Lionell, Vincent, Howard, Sydney, Carol, Robert, Barton, Beverly, Cedric, Allen, Damon, and Chuck

Silence

“We call to you, O Lord;
Lord, hear our voice.”

God, we trust your Son Jesus to be for us resurrection and life. Give to the dead your life. Assure the living with the promise of resurrection.

Silence

“We call to you, O Lord;
Lord, hear our voice.”

A Prayer for a Rector Search

Almighty God, giver of every good gift: Look graciously on your Church, and so guide the minds of those who shall choose a rector for this parish, that we may receive a faithful pastor, who will care for your people and equip us for our ministries; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The celebrant adds a concluding collect.
Almighty God, to whom our needs are known before we ask: Help us to ask only what accords with your will; and those good things which we dare not, or in our blindness cannot ask, grant us for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Peace
Celebrant The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People And also with you.

The Ministers and People may greet one another in the name of the Lord.

Welcome and Announcements

The Holy Communion

Offertory Sentence
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present yourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Romans 12:1

Offertory Hymn Breathe on me, breath of God The Hymnal 1982 #508

The Great Thanksgiving
The people remain standing.
Celebrant The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Celebrant Lift up your hearts.
People We lift them to the Lord.
Celebrant Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People It is right to give him thanks and praise.

Celebrant
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord; who was tempted in every way as we are, yet did not sin. By his grace we are able to triumph over every evil, and to live no longer for ourselves alone, but for him who died for us and rose again.

Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:

Sanctus LEVAS II #255

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord,
God of power and 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.

Holy, holy, holy, holy,
holy Lord God of hosts,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in
the name of the Lord, of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Hosanna in the highest.

The people stand or kneel.

Then the celebrant continues
Holy and gracious Father: In your infinite love you made us for yourself, and, when we had fallen into sin and become subject to evil and death, you, in your mercy, sent Jesus Christ, your only and eternal Son, to share our human nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to you, the God and Father of all.

He stretched out his arms upon the cross, and offered himself, in obedience to your will, a perfect sacrifice for the whole world.

On the night he was handed over to suffering and death, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”

After supper he 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 shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”

Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith:

Celebrant and People
Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.

The Celebrant continues
We celebrate the memorial of our redemption, O Father, in this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Recalling his death, resurrection, and ascension, we offer you these gifts.

Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of your Son, the holy food and drink of new and unending life in him. Sanctify us also that we may faithfully receive this holy Sacrament, and serve you in unity, constancy, and peace; and at the last day bring us with all your saints into the joy of your eternal kingdom.

All this we ask through your Son Jesus Christ: By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

The Celebrant says
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,
or ever and ever. Amen.

The Breaking of the Bread

Celebrant Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
People Therefore let us keep the feast.

Agnus Dei LEVAS II #270

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world:
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world:
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world:
grant us peace.

The celebrant invites the people to Communion
The Gifts of God for the People of God. Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.

Communion Hymn Let thy blood in mercy poured The Hymnal 1982 #313

For those of you who are participating in this celebration of Holy Eucharist from a different location, we invite you to pray with these words during the distribution of the holy sacrament:

A Prayer for Spiritual Communion

In union, O Lord, with your faithful people at every altar of your Church, where the Holy Eucharist is now being celebrated, I desire to offer to you praise and thanksgiving. I remember your death, Lord Christ; I proclaim your resurrection; I await your coming in glory. Since I cannot receive you today in the Sacrament of your Body and Blood, I beseech you to come spiritually into my heart. Cleanse and strengthen me with your grace, Lord Jesus, and let me never be separated from you. May I live in you, and you in me, in this life and in the life to come. Amen.

Post-communion Prayer [The people stand as they are able.]

The Celebrant says
Let us pray.

The Celebrant and People say together
Eternal God, heavenly Father, you have graciously accepted us as living members of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, and you have fed us with spiritual food in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood. Send us now into the world in peace, and grant us strength and courage to love an serve you with gladness and singleness of heart; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Blessing
The Celebrant says
May the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you for ever. Amen.

Closing Hymn O Master, let me walk with thee The Hymnal 1982 #660

Choral Benediction The Lord Bless you/Sevenfold Amen AAHH #636

Deacon Let us go forth in the name of Christ.
People Thanks be to God.

Postlude

SCHEDULE OF HOLY WEEK SERVICES 2023

The Sunday of the Passion, Palm Sunday: April 2, 9:30am (one service)
Process outside from the lower parking lot.

Maundy Thursday: April 6, Agape Meal at 6:00pm (soup, salad, and bread)
Holy Eucharist with Foot Washing at 6:30

Good Friday: April 7, 12:00 noon
Stations of the Cross liturgy

Holy Saturday Service: April 8, 10:00am

Easter Sunday: April 9, 8:30am & 10:30am
Holy Eucharist Rite II

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Support St. Titus’: If you would like to support our ministries you can make an online donation here by visiting our homepage: sttitusdurham.org. You can also mail or hand-deliver a check to St. Titus’ at 400 Moline St., Durham, NC, 27707. Thank you

Stay in Touch: To receive weekly email announcements from St. Titus’, email the Parish Secretary email or sign up by following this link: http://eepurl.com/htIWIr .

Sign up for The Titusian, St. Titus’ monthly newsletter, on the St. Titus’ homepage: sttitusdurham.org, or by emailing the Parish Secretary email address.

Subscribe to Please Note, a weekly update from the Diocese of North Carolina by following this link: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/QCPKOTo

Clergy & Staff

Interim Rector: The Rev. Dr. Alicia Alexis (336) 541-3161 st.titusrevalexis@gmail.com
Deacon: The Rev. Deacon Sarah Woodard (919) 599-5227 sarah.woodard@duke.edu
Parish Administrator: Kaye Saunders (919) 682-5504 st.titussecretary@gmail.com
Choir Director: Ramon Holloway (919) 886-5325 sainttitusmusic@yahoo.com

Vestry Roster

Senior Warden Cheryl Myers 2025 cheryl.myers@netzero.com
Junior Warden Lionell Parker 2025 lparker3141@gmail.com
Clerk of Vestry Chuck Hennessee 2023 wllmhennessee@aol.com
Assisting Clerk Robyn Furges 2025 robynfurges@gmail.com
Keith Bishop 2023 KeithBishop@keithbishoplaw.com
Vickie Miller 2025 leontyne1968@gmail.com
Kenneth Valentine 2025 patvalentine@nc.rr.com
Paula Drew-Estes 2025 pjdestes@gmail.com
Gloria Drew 2023 gdrew1216@yahoo.com
Treasurer Mary Hawkins st.titustreasurer@gmail.com

Church Organizational Leaders

Altar Guild Hazel Brown hazelyb24@gmail.com
Acolyte Warden Vincent Quiett quiettv@msn.com
Benevolent Team Coordinator Willette Crews willettec@legalaidnc.org
Card Ministry Alexine Miller alexinemiller@yahoo.com
Communications Ministry Mary Hawkins pisces0835@gmail.com
Episcopal Church Women Valerie Quiett quiettv@msn.com
Episcopal Church Women Vickie Miller vickiemiller746@yahoo.com
Memorial Garden Warden James Barnes jbarnl3719@aol.com
Parish Outreach Coordinator Willette Crews willettec@legalaidnc.org
Parish Outreach Coordinator William Hennessee wllmhennessee@aol.com
St. David’s Usher Guild Dwight Peebles dapeebles@bellsouth.net
Invite.Welcome.Connect Committee Sarah Woodard sarah.woodard@duke.edu
Youth Coordinator (open)

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