The Fourth Sunday of Lent

Silence

(Please stand)

The Word of God

Celebrant: Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins.

People: His mercy endures for ever.

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.

The Summary of the Law

(Please kneel)

Hear what our Lord Jesus Christ says: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 22:37-40

The Confession and Absolution of Sin

The Officiant says to the People

We pray to you also for the forgiveness of our sins.

Silence is kept.

All kneeling as able, the Officiant and People pray

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 Priest alone stands and says

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who in his great mercy has promised forgiveness of sins to all those who sincerely repent and with true faith turn to him, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and bring you to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hear the Word of God to all who truly turn to him.

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. 1 Timothy 1:15

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

The Collect of the Day

(Please remain kneeling)

Celebrant: The Lord be with you.

People: And with your spirit.

Celebrant: Let us pray.

Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Lessons of the Day

(Please be seated)

First Lesson: 1 Samuel 16:1-13 ESV Bible pg. 282

¹The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” ² And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ ³ And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you.” ⁴ Samuel did what the Lord commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling and said, “Do you come peaceably?” ⁵ And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. ⁶ When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord's anointed is before him.” ⁷ But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” ⁸ Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” ⁹ Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” ¹⁰ And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” ¹¹ Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” ¹² And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” ¹³ Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

Reader: The Word of the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.

PSALM 23 BCP pg. 394

¹ The Lord is my shepherd; *

therefore I can lack nothing.

² He shall feed me in green pastures *

and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort.

³ He shall refresh my soul *

and bring me forth in the paths of righteousness for his Name’s sake.

⁴ Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil; *

for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me.

⁵ You shall prepare a table before me, in the presence of those who

trouble me; *

you have anointed my head with oil, and my cup shall be full.

⁶ Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, *

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Second Lesson: Ephesians 5:1-14 ESV Bible pg. 1162

¹Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. ² And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. ³ But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. ⁴ Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. ⁵ For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. ⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. ⁷ Therefore do not become partners with them; ⁸ for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light ⁹ (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), ¹⁰ and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. ¹¹ Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. ¹² For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. ¹³ But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, ¹⁴ for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Reader: The Word of the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.

(Please stand)

THE HOLY GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING TO JOHN

People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.

The Gospel John 9:1-13, 28-38 ESV Bible pg. 1064

¹As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. ² And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” ³ Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. ⁴ We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” ⁶ Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man's eyes with the mud ⁷ and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. ⁸ The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” ⁹ Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” ¹⁰ So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” ¹¹ He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.” ¹² They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.” ¹³ They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. ²⁸ And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. ²⁹ We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” ³⁰ The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. ³¹ We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. ³² Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. ³³ If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” ³⁴ They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out. ³⁵ Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” ³⁶ He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” ³⁷ Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” ³⁸ He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

Reader: The Gospel of the Lord.

People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

The Sermon,

Purpose in Suffering, by the Rev. Ronald J. Baillie, Rector

The Nicene Creed

All stand to recite the Nicene Creed, the Celebrant first saying:

Let us confess our faith in the words of the Nicene Creed:

(Celebrant and People)

We believe in one God,

the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all that is, visible and invisible.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the only-begotten 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:

was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and 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,

who with the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.

who 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

(Please stand or kneel)

Let us pray for the Church and for the world, saying, “hear our prayer.”

For the peace of the whole world, and for the well-being and unity of the people of God.

Reader: Lord, in your mercy:

People: Hear our prayer.

For the Primates of the Worldwide Anglican Communion; the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby and Caroline; Archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America, Foley Beach and Allison; our Bishop, James Hobby and Shari; for all clergy and other ministers, especially our Rector, Father Ron and Sue; our Associate Rector, Father Chris and Katherine; our assisting clergy, Fr. Terry and Mary Anne; all missionaries, especially The Rev. Alison Barfoot, in Uganda; Shepherd’s Heart, Uptown; Shepherd’s Heart Veteran’s Home; for the GAFCON Branch in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, Australia; Advance Community Church; and for all the clergy and people of our Diocese and Congregation.

Reader: Lord, in your mercy:

People: Hear our prayer.

For all those who proclaim the Gospel at home and abroad; for all who teach and disciple others; and for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are persecuted for their faith.

Reader: Lord, in your mercy:

People: Hear our prayer.

For all the men and women in our Armed Forces at home and abroad. Defend them day by day with your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; and give them courage to face the perils that beset them; and help them to know that nothing can separate them from your love.

Reader: Lord, in your mercy:

People: Hear our prayer.

For our nation, for those in authority, and for all in public service especially, our Congress, Supreme Court and our President, Donald Trump.

Reader: Lord, in your mercy:

People: Hear our prayer.

For all those who are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity especially…

Reader: Lord, in your mercy:

People: Hear our prayer.

For all those who have departed this life in the certain hope of the resurrection, especially...

Reader: Lord, in your mercy:

People: Hear our prayer.

We thank you, Lord, for the Altar Flowers given to the Glory of God by Mark and Mary Garrison thanksgiving for Mark’s birthday. We thank you, Lord, for the Sanctuary Lamp given to the Glory of God by Mark and Mary Garrison in memory of Lois Garrison and we thank you for all the blessings of this life…

(The people are invited to share their thanksgivings aloud)

Reader: Lord, in your mercy:

People: Hear our prayer.

That the negotiations with the Episcopal Diocese regarding this property be fruitful and that your will be done.

Reader: Lord, in your mercy:

People: Hear our prayer.

For our vestry, especially our wardens, Dave and Jeremy, that as your appointed leaders they may faithfully serve you and this church.

Reader: Lord, in your mercy:

People: Hear our prayer.

For the special needs and concerns of this congregation, especially…

(The people may share their petitions silently or aloud)

Reader: Lord, in your mercy:

People: Hear our prayer.

The Celebrant concludes with this or some other appropriate Collect.

Heavenly Father, grant these our prayers for the sake of Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

The Peace

(Please stand)

Celebrant: The peace of the Lord be always with you.

People: And with your spirit.

Preface to Spiritual Communion

The Celebrant continues

Hear what St. Paul says: For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we can ask or imagine, according to his power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21

The Lord's Prayer

The Celebrant then says:

And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to pray:

Celebrant and People together pray

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 Agnus Dei

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;

have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;

have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world;

grant us your peace.

The Act of Spiritual Communion

The Celebrant may say the following invitation

The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart, because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:8-9

Prayer for Spiritual Communion

Let us pray.

The family prays together, or, if possible, each individual prays silently in their heart.

Dear Jesus,

I believe that you are truly present in the Holy Sacrament.

I love you above all things, and I desire to possess you within my soul,

and since I cannot now receive you sacramentally,

I beseech you to come spiritually into my heart.

I unite myself to you, together with all your faithful people,

gathered around every altar of your Church,

and I embrace you with all the affections of my soul.

Never permit me to be separated from you. Amen.

Silence is kept. Each member of the family may silently read and reflect on this prayer or otherwise meditate on Christ’s spiritual presence.

The Anima Christi

Let us pray.

Celebrant and People together say or sing the following, (the Anima Christi may be sung to the tune of “To You Before the End of Day,” with “now and forever” sung monotone or spoken.)

Soul of Christ, be my salvation,

Body of Christ, my consecration;

Blood of Christ, fill all my veins;

Water from Christ’s side, wash my stains;

Passion of Christ, my comfort be;

O good Jesus, listen to me;

Within your wounds I long to hide,

Ne’er to be parted from your side.

O guard me when the foe assails me,

Guide me when my feet shall fail me;

Bid me come to you above,

With all your saints to sing your love,

Now and forever. Amen.

The Dismissal

Celebrant: Let us bless the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.

The Concluding Sentences

Therefore put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:14-17

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