The Holy Eucharist: The Liturgy of the Word
7th Sunday of Easter: The Sunday After the Ascension (Year A) May 24, 2020
Watch the Livestream at www.Facebook.com/StMattSav/Live/
Sunday at 9:30 a.m. (or anytime afterward)
Preface
I am posting this worship service online because we at St. Matthew's Church in Savannah are unable to gather together in person this week. Due to the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) outbreak, public health officials recommend avoiding large gatherings of people to avoid spreading the illness to more vulnerable people. Therefore, the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia has ordered all parishes in our diocese to suspend in-person worship until further notice.
At 9:30 a.m. on Sunday morning, I will broadcast the following worship service using Facebook Live at www.Facebook.com/StMattSav. After the service concludes, you can re-watch it at any time.
Today's service is the Liturgy of the Word (or the first part of the Holy Eucharist service we use on normal Sundays). This is for use at home while watching the live stream or reading the prayers when you cannot physically attend worship. Lay people may read the entirety of this service as printed.
May God protect you from this virus and protect the most vulnerable among us. May we be God’s hands and feet of compassion and service to all in need during this time. Amen.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Guillermo A. Arboleda
The Word of God
Hymn #450: All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name
1 All hail the power of Jesus' Name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
bring forth the royal diadem,
and crown him Lord of all!
bring forth the royal diadem,
and crown him Lord of all!
2 Crown him ye martyrs of our God,
who from his altar call:
praise him whose way of pain ye trod,
and crown him Lord of all!
praise him whose way of pain ye trod,
and crown him Lord of all!
3 Hail him, the Heir of David's line,
whom David Lord did call,
the God incarnate, Man divine,
and crown him Lord of all!
the God incarnate, Man divine,
and crown him Lord of all!
4 Ye heirs of Israel's chosen race,
ye ransomed of the fall,
hail him who saves you by his grace,
and crown him Lord of all!
hail him who saves you by his grace,
and crown him Lord of all!
6 Let every kindred, every tribe, on this terrestrial ball, to him all majesty ascribe, and crown him Lord of all! to him all majesty ascribe, and crown him Lord of all!
Words: Edward Perronet, Public Domain
Music: Coronation, Oliver Holden, Public Domain; Descant: Michael E. Young, Copyright © 1979, G.I.A. Publications, Inc.
Opening Sentences
[BCP, p. 355]
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!
The Collect for Purity
[BCP, p. 355]
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.
LEV #41: Christ Has Arisen
Christ has arisen, Alleluia!
Rejoice and praise Him, Alleluia!
For our Redeemer burst from the tomb,
Even from death dispelling its gloom.
Let us sing praise to Him with endless joy.
Death’s fearful sting He has come to destroy,
Our sin forgiving, Alleluia!
Jesus is living, Alleluia!
Words: Swahili Text; tr. Howard Olson, © 1977, Augsburg Fortress
Music: Haya Tune; Tumshandilie Mungu, Makumira, Tanzania; harm. Carl Haywood, from Songs of Praise, Harm. Copyright © 1992.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #84150. All rights reserved.
The Collect of the Day
[BCP, p. 357, 225]
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray:
O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles (1:6-14)
When the apostles had come together, they asked Jesus, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 68:1-10, 33-36
[BCP, p. 676]
Read responsively by half-verse (at the asterisk).
1 Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered; * let those who hate him flee before him.
2 Let them vanish like smoke when the wind drives it away; * as the wax melts at the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3 But let the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; * let them also be merry and joyful.
4 Sing to God, sing praises to his Name; exalt him who rides upon the heavens; * YAHWEH is his Name, rejoice before him!
5 Father of orphans, defender of widows, * God in his holy habitation!
6 God gives the solitary a home and brings forth prisoners into freedom; * but the rebels shall live in dry places.
7 O God, when you went forth before your people, * when you marched through the wilderness,
8 The earth shook, and the skies poured down rain, at the presence of God, the God of Sinai, * at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9 You sent a gracious rain, O God, upon your inheritance; * you refreshed the land when it was weary.
10 Your people found their home in it; * in your goodness, O God, you have made provision for the poor.
33 Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth; * sing praises to the Lord.
34 He rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens; * he sends forth his voice, his mighty voice.
35 Ascribe power to God; * his majesty is over Israel; his strength is in the skies.
36 How wonderful is God in his holy places! * the God of Israel giving strength and power to his people! Blessed be God!
A Reading from the First Letter of St. Peter (4:12-14; 5:6-11)
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ's sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you.
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Hymn #460: Alleluia! Sing to Jesus!
1 Alleluia! Sing to Jesus!
his the scepter, his the throne;
Alleluia! his the triumph,
his the victory alone;
Hark! the songs of peaceful Zion
thunder like a mighty flood;
Jesus out of every nation
hath redeemed us by his blood.
2 Alleluia! Not as orphans
are we left in sorrow now;
Alleluia! he is near us,
faith believes, nor questions how:
though the cloud from sight received him,
when the forty days were o'er,
shall our hearts forget his promise,
"I am with you evermore"?
3 Alleluia! Bread of Heaven,
thou on earth our food, our stay!
Alleluia! here the sinful
flee to thee from day to day:
Intercessor, friend of sinners,
earth's Redeemer, plead for me,
where the songs of all the sinless
sweep across the crystal sea.
4 Alleluia! King eternal,
thee the Lord of lords we own:
Alleluia! born of Mary,
earth thy footstool, heaven thy throne:
thou within the veil hast entered,
robed in flesh, our great High Priest:
thou on earth both Priest and Victim
in the eucharistic feast.
5 Alleluia! Sing to Jesus! his the scepter his the throne; Alleluia! his the triumph, his the victory alone; Hark! the songs of holy Zion thunder like a mighty flood; Jesus out of every nation hath redeemed us by his blood.
Words: William Chatterton Dix, Public Domain.
Music: Hyfrydol, Rowland Hugh Prichard, Public Domain.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #83965. All rights reserved.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ According to St. John (17:1-11)
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.
”I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Sermon
“1 Peter: Get Grit!” by Fr. Guillermo A. Arboleda
“Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the power forever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 5:8-11)
On Wednesday, my youngest brother, Marc, graduated from Pace University with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration degree. Months ago, Rev. Kelly and I planned to fly to New York to attend the commencement and celebrate with our family, but obviously none of our plans worked out. The coronavirus pandemic led to sheltering at home and online-only classes for the second half of his spring semester; and it has done about the same for us in Savannah.
His graduation ceremony migrated online to YouTube and I spent an hour watching it on Wednesday afternoon while commenting back and forth in our family group text. (If you know anyone who graduated from any level of school in 2020, you probably had a similar experience. On that note, congratulations to all graduates!)
Usually, those ceremonies are boring to family and friends of the students, like me. I was really only there to support my brother and didn’t know any of his classmates. But I listened patiently to the Dean’s address, the University President and provosts and local politicians, and finally to the student speakers. Of all the speakers, the three graduating students were easily the best and most compelling. One of them shared that the motto at Pace during her freshman year orientation meetings was, “Get grit!”
The phrase comes from the work of Dr. Angela Lee Duckworth, Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. She researches “grit” and calls it a personality trait that can determine and predict success in school, career, and the rest of life. In a TED Talk on the subject, she explains: "Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years, and working really hard to make that future a reality. Grit is living life like it's a marathon, not a sprint" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H14bBuluwB8).
St. Peter wants Christians to have grit. Remember that Peter is writing to Christians living in the Roman Empire under some level of persecution or at least social exclusion because they are Christians. They are doing the right thing, trying to honor God with their lips and their lives, and things are getting harder for them. They are suffering even though they are trying their best.
Similarly, we are living through extraordinary times. The COVID-19 Pandemic is afflicting people all over the world to greater and lesser degrees. Some are inconvenienced by school and business closures; some are lonely because they have lost community in church or elsewhere; some have lost their jobs; some are getting terribly sick; and some are even dying or losing loved ones. And while we all wish that our political leaders and health officials had been better prepared with a coordinated response, humanity didn’t cause this pandemic. Nobody intentionally created this strain of coronavirus. Everyone I’m talking with at St. Matthew’s is trying their hardest to socially distance, shelter in place and otherwise prevent the spread of this deadly disease. We are trying to do the right thing, the moral thing, protecting ourselves and our most vulnerable neighbors.
And yet, we suffer. Peter writes to people like us, who want to know how to go on in life when things seem unfair. How do we keep moving forward when bad things happen to good people? Peter affirms that the pain is real, but insists that it’s only temporary. “Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you”(1 Peter 5:8-10).
Do your best to persevere, to discipline yourselves and keep alert. Sufferings are going to come. The Enemy will tempt us to do wrong, to be selfish, to ignore the needs of our sisters and brothers around us. We’ll be tempted to blame God and give up on loving our neighbors as ourselves. But if we stay gritty, if we keep resisting through the suffering, then we’ll find that it only lasts “for a little while” (5:10). In the grand scheme of things, in God’s own time, “the God of all grace … will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you” (5:10).
Whether we are talking about suffering from the coronavirus or suffering from racism or economic inequality or any other kind of injustice we might face, Christians need grit. We need to keep a long view, remembering the words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” We need to treat the Christian life like a marathon, not a sprint. We need to support and encourage one another so that when one of us gets tired or discouraged, a sister or brother will come and lift her up.
And thankfully, we don’t need to get this grit by ourselves. “The God of all grace” can give us the strength to be gritty, to persevere with passion (5:10). We don’t need to go it alone. We don’t need to be isolated from other people, even if we are physically separated. We don’t need to go without God.
That’s the message of 1 Peter and the message of the Easter Season. Jesus Christ was crucified and died to save us. But more importantly, he rose from the dead to save us. And he ascended into heaven so that he can be with us even now by the power of his Holy Spirit. When we suffer, we share in Christ’s sufferings. When we hope for better, we hope because of Christ’s Resurrection. When we fight for justice and righteousness, we are guided by the Spirit of our Risen and Ascended Lord.
St. Matthew’s and the Diocese of Georgia are entering a new era together. This week we are joyfully ordaining a new Bishop. But the road ahead won’t be easy. Churches in our Diocese will still be closed for the foreseeable future as we do our best to save lives and protect the vulnerable. We won’t make it through without some collective grit. And thankfully, we don’t have to get that grit alone. Jesus had grit and he has it still. And he is with us now and forever. Amen.
Bibliography
Duckworth, Angela Lee. "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance." TED. Published 9 May 2013. Accessed 20 May 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H14bBuluwB8.
Perkins, Pheme. First and Second Peter, James, and Jude. A Volume in Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. Edited by James L. Mays, et al. Louisville: John Knox Press, 1995.
The Nicene Creed (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.
The Prayers of the People
[Adapted from Prayers provided by the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia and those written by St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Ewing, NJ: http://www.stlukesewing.org/prayers-of-the-people-easter]
Rejoicing in the mighty acts of God who has delivered the people of God from sin and death through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, let us lift our voices and pray,
Risen Lord,
Hear our Prayer.
Let us give thanks to God for the multitude of blessings that God showers upon us: For our lives and for those whom we love, For the beauty of this home God has created for us, For our families and our friendships. Remember especially Taylor Danni Grant (5/27) and McKenzie Jones (5/28) on their birthdays; and Edward and Janice Vaughn (5/28) on their wedding anniversary. Let us give thanks to the God of Life.
Risen Lord,
Hear our Prayer.
Let us pray for the Church, that it may carry forward the redemptive works of God: Gather all the baptized around your presence in the Word. Strengthen the body of your people even when we cannot assemble for worship. Grant Bishop Scott, Bishop-elect Frank, and all our deacons and priests faithfulness and creativity for their ministry at this time.
Risen Lord,
Hear our Prayer.
Let us pray for the whole creation, for this good earth and for the flowering of springtime. Save dry lands from destructive droughts. Protect the waters from pollution. Allow in this time the planting of fields for food. Make us into care-givers of your plants and animals.
Risen Lord,
Hear our Prayer.
Let us pray for the nations, leaders, and peoples of the world. Inspire all people to live in peace and concord. Grant wisdom and courage to heads of state and to legislators as they face the coronavirus. Lead our elected officials to champion the cause of the needy.
Risen Lord,
Hear our Prayer.
Let us pray for those who are sick, those who suffer, and those who struggle, for you accompany suffering humanity with love. Abide wherever the coronavirus has struck. Visit all who mourn their dead; all who have contracted the virus; those who are quarantined or stranded away from home; those who have lost their employment; those who fear the present and the future. Support physicians, nurses, and home health aides; medical researchers; and the World Health Organization.
Risen Lord,
Hear our Prayer.
Let us pray for all the needy, especially those who have asked this parish for prayers: Martha Avery, Zavier Bradley, Raleigh Bryant, Christine Brown, Mark Case, Genella Chamberlain, Annie Colbert, Lazola Cope, Alice Dailey, Brittany Dawson, Imani Ferguson, Ruby Fernandez, Harry Frazier, Earl Golden, Gary Gordon, Loretta Harmond, Marva Harris, Enoch Henderson, Charles E. Hines, Kenneth Howard, Terri Howard, Dale Hundley, Jared Hundley, Tracy Hundley, Milinda James, Alvin Jenkins, Dana Jenkins, Frances T. Jones, Lori Jones, Robert L. Jones, Sr., Ronald Jones, Tonya Jones, Whitney Kennedy, Leonard Law, Jr., Ryan Lovett, Tammie Lovett, Craig Maxwell, Sada Maxwell, Carmelita Maynard, Viola Maynard, Bette Milledge, Hollie Moultrie, Patricia Murry, Russell Nails, Dorothy Neal, Glenzy Payne, Robert Payne, Dison Washington Slaughter, James Small, Gwendolyn Smith, Willie Stephens, Gisele Walton, Lori Ward, Gertrude Washington, Noel Wheeler, and Dean Williams. We beg you to feed the hungry, protect the refugee, embrace the distressed, house the homeless, nurse the sick, and comfort the dying.
Risen Lord,
Hear our Prayer.
Let us pray for those who have died in the peace of Christ, and those whose faith is known to you alone, especially Cheryl Bennett (cousin of Patrece Grant); bring them by your resurrecting power into the place of eternal joy and light
Risen Lord,
Hear our Prayer.
The Celebrant adds a concluding collect:
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 Peace
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
Announcements
A. We continue under shelter-at-home orders and do not yet know when we can safely return to in-person worship at church. The Right Rev. Scott Benhase, the Bishop of Georgia, has provided guidelines for a return to in-person worship in our diocese, specifically: (1) a steady reduction in new cases of COVID-19 for at least fourteen consecutive days and (2) the widespread availability of COVID-19 tests throughout the Diocese of Georgia.
B. This Saturday, May 30, 2020, is the Ordination and Consecration of the Rev. Canon Frank Sullivan Logue as the 11th Bishop of Georgia. The service will be live-streamed from Christ Church Episcopal, Savannah, at 11:00 AM on Facebook and YouTube. (Please do not try to attend in person as attendance will be limited to 10 people.
C. Next Sunday, May 31, is Pentecost. We originally planned for a large gathering in Forsyth Park with Presiding Bishop Curry. That is not possible, but we still have something special planned! We will live-stream Sunday worship from St. Matthew's and Bishop Logue will offer the sermon virtually to parishes across the Diocese!
D. Our updated weekly worship schedule during this time of social distancing and quarantine is as follows. Unless otherwise noted, all services may be read on the blog and/or viewed as a video on Facebook Live.
Sundays - 9:30 Worship (You can find all of the upcoming Sunday and Holiday readings at http://www.lectionarypage.net.)
Tuesdays - 5:00 Evening Prayer
Thursdays - 5:00 Evening Prayer
E. We will hold a virtual "Coffee Hour" over Zoom today at 10:30 AM (for no more than 40 minutes), and again on every other Sunday. The link for today's meeting is as follows:
Meeting ID: 968 3996 6102
Password: coffee
F. St. Matthew's is planning to pre-record Sunday services to ensure higher quality video and audio for our worshippers at home. This provides a new opportunity for church members to be a part of the service! Mrs. Pearson and I will reach out to some experienced readers about recording themselves reading Scripture lessons and/or the Prayers of the People for use in these Sunday videos. I'll publish and share an instructional document on how to record these soon. Even if you don't hear from us, if you want to get involved, please email me about your interest at FrGAA@StMattSav.org.
G. Many people are already feeling the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis, including the church. We still need your support to pay our staff, pay our bills, and provide for these online live streams. If you pledged a donation in 2020 and are able, please continue making those contributions. If you have not pledged, please consider donating to St. Matthew’s now and in the future. There are several ways to give, but the simplest are these:
Mail us a check or money order at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 1401 Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd, Savannah, GA 31415; OR
Make a secure online gift to St. Matthew’s and/or automate future gifts at: https://onrealm.org/StMattSav/-/give/now; OR (3) Text “stmattsav” to 73256 to make a secure online donation through your phone.
The Offertory
“O Lord our God, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power; because you have created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” (Revelation 4:11)
Give online at: https://onrealm.org/StMattSav/-/give/now
LEV #161: Go Preach My Gospel
1 “Go preach my gospel,” saith the Lord,
“Bid the whole earth my grace receive,
Explain to them my sacred word,
Bid them believe, obey, and live.”
2 “I’ll make my great commission known,
And ye shall prove my gospel true
By all the works that I have done,
And all the wonders ye shall do.”
3 “Go heal the sick, go raise the dead,
Go cast out devils in my name.
Nor let my prophets be afraid,
Though man reproach, and will blaspheme.”
4 “While thus ye follow my commands,
I’m with you till the world shall end.
All pow’r in trusted in my hands;
I can destroy, and can defend.”
5 He spake and light shone round His head, On a bright cloud to heav’n He rode. They to the farthest nation spread The grace of their ascended God.
Words: Isaac Watts, Public Domain.
Music: Thomas Hastings, Public Domain.
The Lord’s Prayer
And now, 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 Blessing & Dismissal
The God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make [us] perfect in every good work to do his will, working in [us] that which is well-pleasing in his sight; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among [us], and remain with [us] always. Amen.
Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thanks be to God. Alleluia! Alleluia!
Note: This service is reproduced from The Book of Common Prayer 1979 (BCP), The Hymnal 1982 (Hymn), Lift Every Voice and Sing II: An African American Hymnal (LEV), and other sources cited. The Scripture readings are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible unless otherwise noted