The Third Sunday of Easter, April 14, 2024

Please join the worship by following the liturgy (program) in this bulletin. We encourage you to use the time before worship to pray and invite the presence of the Holy Spirit to keep you centered and focused on what God may be saying to you. After worship, we invite you to pray for God’s strength to help you face and meet the demands of the world from this moment and in the days to come.

Prelude

The Bidding Prayer                                                  BCP, p.833

Almighty God, who poursout on all who desire it the spirit of grace and of supplication: Deliver us, when we draw near to you, from coldness of heart and wanderings of mind, that with steadfast thoughts and kindled affections we may worship youin spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Processional Hymn                  The Strife is O’er                            H-208

The Opening Acclamation                                      BCP, p. 355

Celebrant         Alleluia. Christ is risen.

People The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia. 

The Celebrant continues

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.

Glory to God [spoken without refrain at 8:30 a.m., sung at 10:30 a.m.]                           L-243

Refrain: Glory, Glory, hallelujah,

            Lord we praise your Holy name,

            Glory, Glory hallelujah,

            Lord we praise your Holy name.

Glory to God in the highest,

     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,   Refrain

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.       Refrain

Celebrant         The Lord be with you.

People And also with you.

Celebrant         Let us pray.

The Collect of the Day

O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

First Reading                                                                     Acts 3:12-19                                                                                                   

Reader            A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

Peter addressed the people, “You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.

“And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out.”

Reader The Word of the Lord.

People Thanks be to God.

Psalm 4                       Cum invocarem                               BCP, p.587

1 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.

2 “You mortals, how long will you dishonor my glory; *
how long will you worship dumb idols
and run after false gods?”

3 Know that the Lord does wonders for the faithful; *
when I call upon the Lord, he will hear me.

4 Tremble, then, and do not sin; *
speak to your heart in silence upon your bed.

5 Offer the appointed sacrifices *
and put your trust in the Lord.

6 Many are saying, “Oh, that we might see better times!” *
Lift up the light of your countenance upon us, O Lord.

7 You have put gladness in my heart, *
more than when grain and wine and oil increase.

8 I lie down in peace; at once I fall asleep; *
for only you, Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Second Reading                                                                  1 John 3:1-7

Reader A reading from the first letter of John.

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.

Reader The Word of the Lord.

People Thanks be to God.

Sequence Hymn       Shepherd of souls, refresh and bless                              H-343      

Then, all standing as able, the Leader reads the Gospel, first saying

Gospeler          The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.

People Glory to you, Lord Christ.

The Gospel                                                                                                         Luke 24:36b-48

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.

Gospeler          The Gospel of the Lord.

People Praise to you, Lord Christ.

The Sermon                                                     The Rev. Valerie J. Mayo                

We will maintain a brief silence to allow for reflection.

The Nicene Creed   [Please stand as you are able]                                              BCP, p. 358

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

You have no equal, God. We come before you humbled, asking for your healing presence. Heal us, raise us, so that we may serve you.

We are amazed at your creative genius—how you have stretched the heavens like curtains, and yet you bend to be with us.

We are amazed, God. We raise our hearts in awe.

Our world and our lives are in need of healing and direction. We ask you to guide your church and heal it where it is worn out and self-centered. Direct those who lead the church: bishops, priests and deacons; all those in positions of leadership.

We ask for direction. Raise our hearts to you, God.

We ask you to heal the relationships between nations, and neighbors. Give the leaders of the nations the courage to pursue justice and speak peace as an example for the world.

We ask for healing. Raise our hearts to you, God.

Many of us suffer from addiction, anxiety, and illness. Break the chains which bind them and heal them, God. Surround them with supportive people, the resources they need, and a tangible sense of your love.

We pray for Lyn, Greg, William, Maria, The St. Augustine’s University Community, Elijah, Marissa, Margo, Charles, Ethel, Brian, Terrence, Bill, Melvin, Carolyn, Tyna, Dennis, Marjorie, Ama, Dorothy, Lawrence, Ann, Murphy, Karen, Derek, Walter, Vivian, Danita, Lionell, Vincent, Howard, Sydney, Carol, Robert, Beverly, Harmon, Cedric, Allen, Damon, and Pam.

We ask for healing. Raise our hearts to you, God.

We pray for those who have died, that they may know the fullness of your love in the life you have prepared for them. Comfort those who grieve their loss and give them the confidence of your love which knows no limits of time or space.

We ask for assurance of your love. Raise our hearts to you, God.

A Prayer to End Gun Violence

God of Justice, help us, your church, find our voice. Turn us from the worship of power. Give us courage to confront our false gods and to protest the needless deaths caused by gun violence. Help us rise above our dread that nothing can be done and grant us the conviction to advocate for change. For your dream of a world where children are safe and all of us live together without fear, Loving God, make us instruments of your peace. Amen.

The Concluding Collect                                                       BCP, p.395

Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles, “Peace I give to you; my own peace I leave with you:” Regard not our sins, but the faith of your Church, and give to us the peace and unity of that heavenly City, where with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, now and for ever. Amen.

The Confession                                                         BCP, p.360  

Celebrant

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

Silence may be kept.

Celebrant 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.

Celebrant

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.

The Peace                                                                             BCP, p.360

Celebrant         The peace of the Lord be always with you;

People And also with you.

Celebrant         Let us share the peace with one another and especially with our guests.

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

The Words of Welcome                                                            Vestry Member

Welcome to Members of Christ Church

The Holy Communion  (Eucharistic Prayer A)                                      BCP, pp.361-366

The Offertory Sentence                                                               Ephesians 5:2

Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God.

The Offertory

[On the second Sunday of each month, the loose plate collection supports the Rector’s Discretionary Fund, which is used to provide our neighbors with assistance with their rent or utility bills.]

The Offertory Hymn            Make Me a Blessing                       L-158    

The Great Thanksgiving (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.

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 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:

The Sanctus [spoken at 8:30 am]   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.

LEVAS II #255 [sung at 10:30 am]   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.

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.”

The Memorial Acclamation 

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   (spoken at 8:30 a.m., sung at 10:30 a.m.)                            BCP, p.364

                                                                                           A-663

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,

    for ever and ever.  Amen.

The Breaking of the Bread                                                  EOW, p.69

Celebrant         Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;

People Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.

The Fraction Anthem           Lamb of God                                             L-270

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.

The Administration of Communion

At the time of communion, you are invited to come forward and receive the bread and wine. The priest will place a wafer in your hand. You may then receive wine either by direct consumption from a chalice (Common Cup), or you may give the wafer to the Eucharistic minister who will dip the wafer in the wine and place the wafer on your tongue. You may also still come forward to receive a blessing. Simply cross your arms over your chest before the priest for the blessing. After receiving communion or a blessing, you may return to your seat.

Celebrant         All are welcome to the Lord’s table. Won’t you come?

The Communion Hymn              Jesus, Jesu                                              L-74

The Post-Communion Prayer                                                                                 BCP, p.365

Celebrant               Let us pray.

Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image and nourishing us with spiritual food in the Sacrament of Christ’s Body and Blood. Now send us forth a people, forgiven, healed, renewed; that we may proclaim your love to the world and continue in the risen life of Christ our Savior. Amen.

Community Announcements                                             

If you have an announcement “from the floor,” please also email that announcement to st.titussecretary@gmail.com so that we can follow up and promote the information elsewhere.

The Corporate Blessing                                                                     BOS, p.14

The Celebrant says

May Almighty God, who has redeemed us and made us his children through the resurrection of his Son our Lord, bestow upon you the riches of his blessing. Amen.

May God, who through the water of baptism has raised us from sin into newness of life, make you holy and worthy to be united with Christ for ever. Amen.

May God, who has brought us out of bondage to sin into true and lasting freedom in the Redeemer, bring you to your eternal inheritance. Amen.

And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon you and remain with you for ever. Amen.

The Recessional Hymn        Lead Me, Guide Me                        L-194

The Choral Benediction                   The Lord Bless You/Sevenfold Amen                 A-636                                      

The Dismissal                      

Celebrant         Let us go forth in the Name of Christ.

People Thanks be to God.