Spiritual Communion

Sunday March 29, 2020 Lent 5A

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.

If anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:1-2

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.

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 this 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.

The Lessons of the Day

(Please be seated)

First Lesson: Ezekiel 37:1-14 ESV Bible pg. 860

¹The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. ² And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. ³ And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” ⁴ Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. ⁵ Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath^[b] to enter you, and you shall live. ⁶ And I will lay sinews upon 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.” ⁷ So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. ⁸ And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. ⁹ Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” ¹⁰ So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. ¹¹ Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ ¹² Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. ¹³ And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. ¹⁴ And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”

Reader: The Word of the Lord.

People: Thanks be to God.

PSALM 130 BCP pg. 446

¹ Out of the deep have I called unto you, O Lord; *

Lord, hear my voice.

² O let your ears consider well *

the voice of my supplications.

³ If you, Lord, were to mark what is done amiss, *

O Lord, who could abide it?

⁴ For there is mercy with you; *

therefore you shall be feared.

⁵ I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; *

in his word is my trust.

⁶ My soul waits for the Lord, *

more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.

⁷ O Israel, trust in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy, *

and with him is plenteous redemption;

⁸ And he shall redeem Israel *

from all their sins.

Second Lesson: Romans 6:15-23 ESV Bible pg. 1121

¹⁵ What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! ¹⁶ Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? ¹⁷ But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, ¹⁸ and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. ¹⁹ I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. ²⁰ For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. ²¹ But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. ²² But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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 11:18-44 ESV Bible pg. 1066

¹⁸ Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, ¹⁹ and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. ²⁰ So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. ²¹ Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²² But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” ²³ Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” ²⁴ Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” ²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, ²⁶ and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” ²⁷ She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” ²⁸ When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” ²⁹ And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. ³⁰ Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. ³¹ When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. ³² Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” ³³ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. ³⁴ And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” ³⁵ Jesus wept. ³⁶ So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” ³⁷ But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”³⁸ Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. ³⁹ Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” ⁴⁰ Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” ⁴¹ So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” ⁴³ When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” ⁴⁴ The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Reader: The Gospel of the Lord.

People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

The Children's Message

Fr. Ron Baillie, Rector

The Sermon

The Expectation of Easter, by the Rev. Terry Johnson, Assisting Clergy

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.

Jesus, during Your ministry on Earth You showed Your power and caring by healing people of all ages and stations of life from physical, mental, and spiritual ailments. Be present now to people who need Your loving touch because of COVID-19. May they feel Your power of healing through the care of doctors and nurses.

Take away the fear, anxiety, and feelings of isolation from people receiving treatment or under quarantine. Give them a sense of purpose in pursuing health and protecting others from exposure to the disease. Protect their families and friends and bring peace to all who love them.

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…

Rob; the Starr Family; Bobby Johns; Rod; Jeri Ruby;

The Fisher and Kenny Families

(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