The Holy Eucharist: Liturgy of the Word
4th Sunday of Easter (Year B) April 25, 2021
Watch the Livestream at www.Facebook.com/StMattSav/Live/
Sunday, April 25, at 9:30 a.m. (or anytime afterward)
Preface
We at St. Matthew's Church in Savannah are unable to gather together in person due to the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic. Under the guidance of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia, the Vestry has decided to keep our church building closed for all in-person gatherings.
At 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, 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.
This worship service is designed for 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.
In 2021, we have made some technological and liturgical changes to our live stream, in accordance with the latest COVID-19 Safety Guidelines from the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia. All these changes are intended to simplify the production process of these worship videos and comply with those guidelines.
This liturgy will be performed live on Sunday morning as you watch from home, rather than pre-filmed and edited together. In other words, you are looking at a live feed of what we are doing in the church. This means there will be fewer flourishes on the video, but it will look like actually attending church again.
Due to the "live" nature of this video, there will be 10 or fewer people in the church on Sunday morning (Ms. Dandy, 1-2 lay readers, and myself). In compliance with the Diocese of Georgia's COVID-19 indoor worship guidelines, we will engage in social distancing, wear masks at all times, and aim to keep the liturgy under 60 minutes.
Therefore, most hymns will be shortened (typically to 3 or fewer verses) and some portions of the liturgy that may be sung will be spoken.
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 Holy Eucharist: Rite II
The Word of God
Hymn #708: Savior, Like A Shepherd Lead Us
[Verses 1-2]
1 Savior, like a shepherd lead us;
much we need thy tender care;
in thy pleasant pastures feed us;
for our use thy folds prepare.
Blessèd Jesus! Blessèd Jesus!
Thou hast bought us, thine we are.
2 Early let us seek thy favor,
early let us learn thy will;
do thou, Lord, our only Savior,
with thy love our bosoms fill.
Blessèd Jesus! Blessèd Jesus!
Thou hast loved us: love us still.
Words: Hymns for the Young, alt., Public Domain.
Music: Sicilian Mariners, Public Domain.
All rights reserved.
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.
Christ Our Passover (Pascha Nostrum)
[BCP, p. 83; 1 Corinthians 5:7-8; Romans 6:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:20-22]
Alleluia. Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us; * therefore let us keep the feast, Not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, * but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Alleluia.
Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; * death no longer has dominion over him. The death that he died, he died to sin, once for all; * but the life he lives, he lives to God. So also consider yourselves dead to sin, * and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Alleluia.
Christ has been raised from the dead, * the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by a man came death, * by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, * so in Christ shall all be made alive. Alleluia.
The Collect of the Day
[BCP, p. 357, 225]
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray:
O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
A Reading from the Book of Acts (4:5-12)
The rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, "By what power or by what name did you do this?" Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders, if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. This Jesus is `the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.'
There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved."
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God
Psalm 23
[BCP, p. 612]
Read responsively by half-verse (at the asterisk).
1 The Lord is my shepherd; * I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures * and leads me beside still waters.
3 He revives my soul * and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake.
4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil; * for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; * you have anointed my head with oil, and my cup is running over.
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.
A Reading from the First Letter of St. John (3:16-24)
We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us-- and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?
Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.
And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ According to St. John (10:11-18)
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Sermon
“Our Good Shepherd” by Fr. Guillermo A. Arboleda
Psalm 23 (King James Version):
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
The Lord God is our shepherd. Jesus is our Good Shepherd. And we are the sheep of God’s pasture (Psalm 100:2). This is a very important metaphor for God, because of all that the shepherd-sheep relationship means, and the story that Psalm 23 tells through its imagery.
I can’t speak much for sheep in the wild, but domesticated sheep are pretty helpless. They are easy bait for any number of predators. They don’t have great survival instincts and are liable to wander away from the relative safety of the flock. That makes shepherds very important. They keep the flock safe. They watch over the flock. They ensure that the flock will be protected from all manner of evil that could befall them. Shepherds use their rods and staff to guide and direct the sheep, to keep them in line so they don’t get lost.
And Psalm 23 paints a picture for us of sheep who are living through an especially dangerous time. The Shepherd has to make these sheep lie down and rest because they are anxious and worried (23:2). The Shepherd makes them drink and restores their souls because they cannot take care of themselves (23:2-3). The Shepherd leads them through righteous paths because they would otherwise lose their way and fall into more danger (23:3). Eventually, the Good Shepherd leads them “through the valley of the shadow of death”, but even there the sheep are encouraged and protected by their leader (Psalm 23:4, KJV). The sheep will be surrounded by enemies, in great peril, but the Good Shepherd will prepare a table, giving them a place to eat, rest, and relax (23:5). In the midst of these trials and tribulations, the sheep who are led by the Good Shepherd do not despair. They live in the warm embrace of God’s goodness and mercy (23:6).
There is a reason why this is the most famous of all the biblical Psalms. There is a reason why we come back to this poem so often during funerals and other times of mourning. And there is a reason that we read it at least one Sunday per year during the season of Easter.
This is a psalm to help us through life’s hardest times. When things go wrong, when our world feels like it’s falling apart, when we feel trapped in the valley of the shadow of death, Jesus reminds us that he is our Good Shepherd. When we are paralyzed by fear or grief and cannot take one more step, our Shepherd leads us beside quiet waters and restores our souls.
Our Good Shepherd has walked all the way through the valley of the shadow of death. He faced death and all sin and cruelty when he was crucified on Good Friday. Jesus experienced death, but he did not lose. He overcame the worst of human evil and the worst of natural evil. Jesus rose from the grave on the third day, and he shares his resurrection power with us even now. As we pray in some forms of the Eucharistic Prayer, “Dying you destroyed our death, rising you restored our life” (Enriching Our Worship 1, 64). That’s the power that allows us to trust him to guide us through the storms and trials of this life. We trust Jesus to be our Good Shepherd because we know that he has already achieved the ultimate victory. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever” (Psalm 23:6).
With Jesus as our Good Shepherd, we have the power to “love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action” (1 John 3:18). We have the power to overcome evil with good, just as Jesus himself did on Easter morning. We have the ability to live in a cruel, unfair world, and not get lost in bitterness, anger, and revenge. Instead, the Good Shepherd guides us back to the paths of righteousness. In the words of Bishop Michael Curry (whose book we are discussing on Wednesday evenings), we can take “what is old, what is given, what is, and [make] something new. [We can take] an old reality and [create] a new possibility. … [We can] overcome evil with good. [We can] take their garbage and serve it back gourmet. That is the way of love that Jesus was getting at over and over. That’s making do” (Curry, Love is the Way, 56).
So no matter what we are faced with, no matter what evils and cruelties come our way, God is with us at our side. When brothers, sisters, parents, and children are killed in the streets, when we hold our breath waiting for a patently obvious outcome in a jury trial, when we are still burdened by a deadly pandemic, when politicians fail to act for the public good and real people suffer -- when all these things befall us, our Good Shepherd Jesus remains. His resurrecting power carries us through. Goodness and mercy will follow us and, with God’s help, we will make do. Amen.
Bibliography
Curry, Michael B., and Sara Grace. Love is the Way: Holding on to Hope in Troubling Times. New York; Avery / Penguin Random House, 2020.
LEV #144: Where He Leads Me
[Verses 1-2, 4]
1 I can hear my Savior calling,
I can hear my Savior calling,
I can hear my Savior calling,
“Take thy cross and follow, follow me.”
REFRAIN:
Where He leads me I will follow,
Where He leads me I will follow,
Where He leads me I will follow,
I’ll go with Him, with Him all the way.
2 I’ll go with Him through the garden,
I’ll go with Him through the garden,
I’ll go with Him through the garden,
I’ll go with Him, with Him all the way. [Refrain]
4 He will give me grace and glory,
He will give me grace and glory,
He will give me grace and glory,
And go with me, with me all the way. [Refrain]
Words: E. W. Blandy, Public Domain.
Music: John S. Norris, Public Domain.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #95088. All rights reserved.
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 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; For Ja'wana Baker-Pennamon (4/25) and Taylor Blue (4/30) on their birthdays; 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: For Guillermo our priest, Frank our Bishop, Michael our Presiding Bishop, and all clergy and bishops; For the many lay people who serve the church and serve the world through the church; For those gathered here in worship and prayer.
Risen Lord,
Hear our Prayer.
Let us pray for the newly baptized, that the joy of Easter may ever grow within them, and that the Spirit may guide them in lives of active faith.
Risen Lord,
Hear our Prayer.
Let us pray for the nations and peoples of the world and for the leaders of our country, state, county, and city, that the powers that oppress and destroy may decline, and that justice, peace, and prosperity be lifted up. We pray especially for Joseph our President, Brian our Governor, Van our Mayor, Chester the Chair of our County Commission, and Ann the Superintendent of our Public Schools.
Risen Lord,
Hear our Prayer.
Let us pray for those who are sick, those who suffer, those who struggle, especially Martha Avery, Donald Bayness, Ronald Bayness, Zavier Bradley, Myrtle Brow-Hollis, Jacquelyn Bryant, Christine Brown, Genella Chamberlain, Taylor Blue Clemons, Annie Colbert, Ana Columna, Lazola Cope, Alice Dailey, Beryl Dandy, Mark Dashiell, Brittany Dawson, Roland Dixon, Eduardo Espinosa, Imani Ferguson, Ruby Fernandez, Harry Frazier, Colin Gentle, Yvonne Gentle, Charles Gordon, Amanda Green, Jocelyn Bryant Harden, Loretta Harmond, Marva Harris, MJ Harris, Enoch Henderson, Charles E. Hines, Kenneth Howard, Terri Howard, Dale Hundley, Jared Hundley, Tracy Hundley, Janice C. Jackson, Milinda James, Alvin Jenkins, Dana Jenkins, David Jones, Frances T. Jones, Lori Jones, Robert L. Jones, Sr., Whitney Kennedy, Leonard Law, Jr., Ralph Lovett, Ryan Lovett, Tammie Lovett, Marcus Marzen, Joan Maty, Craig Maxwell, Sada Maxwell, Altheria Maynard, Carmelita Maynard, Barbara McCary, Bette Milledge, Hollie Moultrie, Patricia Murry, Russell Nails, Dorothy Neal, Jabbaar Newton, Jameel Newton, Glenzy Payne, Robert Payne, Willie Mae Robinson, Paul Rockwell, Helen Scroggins, Dison Washington Slaughter, James Small, Gwendolyn Smith, Courtney Watts Vista, Ed Vista, Willie Stephens, Lori Ward, Gertrude Washington, and Noel Wheeler: That the hope born of Easter may give them peace, acceptance and renewal, and that through their struggles they may come into closer communion with the God who redeems and restores.
Special intentions are offered silently or aloud.
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 Mary Carolyn Singleton Curly (sister to Dr. Janice Vaughn); bring them by your resurrecting power into the place of eternal joy and light
Special intentions are offered silently or aloud.
Risen Lord, Hear our Prayer.
The Celebrant adds a concluding collect:
O God, who for our redemption gave your only-begotten Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious resurrection delivered us from the power of our enemy: Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live with him in the joy of his resurrection; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Peace
[BCP, p. 360]
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
Parish Announcements
A. Bishop Curry Book Study on Wednesdays 4/14 - 5/19: In Easter Season, St. Matthew's will join with churches across the Diocese of Georgia to read Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's Love Is the Way: Holding on to Hope in Troubling Times (co-authored by Sara Grace). While you may enjoy reading the book yourself, the audio book version read by Bishop Curry is an enjoyable way to hear experiences from his life to challenging us to make the ethic of love a guiding principle for our lives.
Buy the book now at Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Love-Way-Holding-Troubling-Times/dp/0525543031) or Penguin Random House (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/605848/love-is-the-way-by-bishop-michael-curry-with-sara-grace/). The book discussion guide for the Diocese of Georgia's 1Book1Diocese read of Love is the Way is now online here: Discussion Guide PDF.
The discussion group will meet over Zoom on Wednesdays after Evening Prayer, from about 5:30 - 6:30 PM from April 14 to May 19, 2021. Check the e-Newsletter for Zoom information. Please read the Introduction - Chapter 5 by April 28.
B. Memory Garden Cleanup Day 5/1: Saturday, May 1, 2021, we are scheduling a Memory Garden Cleanup Day to beautify the garden for the summer season. We will be starting around 7:00 a.m. to avoid the hottest part of the day. If you have a couple of hours or just one hour, your help will be greatly appreciated! Please bring your own rake and garden gloves. Trash bags will be provided. We hope to see you there! (Rain Date: May 8, 2021)
C. JUST Nehemiah Action 5/3 at 7 PM: Justice Unites Savannah Together (JUST) has been hard at work since December doing research into the organization's first two problem areas: Affordable Housing and Poverty. On May 3, we hold a community-wide "Nehemiah Action." Just as Nehemiah called the whole city together in front of Jerusalem's public officials to solve an economic crisis (Nehemiah 5:1-13), we will gather to demand action from public officials.
We will ask the City Council to invest $10 million from its American Rescue Plan Act grants into the Affordable Housing Fund over the next 2 years. We will also propose a solution to the criminalization of poverty in our city.
St. Matthew's has committed to bring at least 25 church members and/or guests to the Nehemiah Action meeting over Zoom. Please invite your friends and let Fr. Arboleda and Joenelle Gordon know how many people RSVP yes. Register for the Nehemiah Action at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSccrRpS3qnFt71loPci5S5MKS6MSDG5uru4zKhjP9K1GP55VQ/viewform.
D. Virtual Coffee Hour 4/25: We will hold a virtual "Coffee Hour" over Zoom on Sunday, April 25 at 10:30 AM.
For security purposes, below is the Meeting ID only; please check your St. Matthew's e-Newsletter for the password (or email FrGAA@StMattSav.org to request it).
Topic: St. Matthew's Coffee Hour
Time: April 25, 2021 10:30 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Meeting ID: 825 7251 1175
Passcode: SEE e-NEWSLETTER
Dial by your location: +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 825 7251 1175
Passcode: SEE e-NEWSLETTER
E. T/W/Th Evening Prayer via Zoom: On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, Fr. Arboleda invites you to pray Evening Prayer with him over Zoom. The video will continue to stream to Facebook Live at 5:00 PM. Please join the Zoom call by 4:50 PM. Otherwise, watch the prayer service as you have been on Facebook Live.
During Easter, we will continue to use the Evening Prayer liturgy from Enriching Our Worship 1, an Episcopal worship resource that includes new prayers from more parts of the Bible, an emphasis on non-gendered language for God, and featuring more feminine perspectives both ancient and modern.
For security purposes, below is the Meeting ID only; please check your St. Matthew's e-Newsletter for the password (or email FrGAA@StMattSav.org to request it).
Topic: Zoom Evening Prayer
Time: 05:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
Join Zoom Meeting: See e-Newsletter
Meeting ID: 991 8577 8541
Passcode: See e-Newsletter
Dial by your location: +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C)
Meeting ID: 991 8577 8541
Passcode: See e-Newsletter
F. “Trip Around the World” Quilt Raffle: The Quilter's Guild, through St. Matthew's ECW, is raffling a "Trip Around the World" Quilt to benefit St. Matthew's Building Renovation Fund. This fund supports major extra-budgetary building improvement projects, such as painting, replacing the sound system, replacing the oven in Toomer-Walker Hall, etc.
This beautiful, jewel-toned quilt measures 103"x90" and will fit a queen-sized bed. This machine-stitched quilt in tones of deep violet amethyst, blue sapphire, green emerald, blue topaz, and green peridot will enhance any bedroom.
The winner will be announced on September 30, 2021. Winners do not need to be present to win. In addition to the grand prize of the "Trip Around the World '' quilt, there will be interim raffles of seasonal quilt-type projects for no additional ticket purchase. Interim winners will still be eligible for the grand prize.
The next interim drawing will be announced at Virtual Coffee Hour at 10:30 AM on April 25.
Tickets are $15 each. Please make donations in $15 increments. Tickets may be purchased by:
Mailing a check to St. Matthew's with "Quilt Raffle" in the memo line; OR
Expect your raffle tickets to be returned to you by mail or email within 5-7 business days of receipt. Direct any questions to office@stmattsav.org.
The Offertory
[BCP, p. 377]
Giving to St. Matthew's: We know that many people are feeling the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis. The church is feeling it too. We still need your support to pay our staff, pay our bills, and provide for these online live streams. 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
Text “stmattsav” to 73256 to make a secure online donation through your phone.
NOTE: Donations made online (#2 or #3) through Realm incur a processing fee of about 2.5%. Please consider adding an additional 2.5% to your online gift to cover these costs.
“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; see BCP, p. 377]
Give online at: https://onrealm.org/StMattSav/-/give/now
LEV #110: You Hear the Lambs a-Cryin'
[Verses 1-3]
REFRAIN:
You hear the lambs a-cryin’,
hear the lambs a-cryin’,
hear the lambs a-cryin’
O Shepherd, feed my sheep.
1 My Savior spoke these words so sweet,
O Shepherd, feed my sheep.
sayin’ Peter, if you love me, feed my sheep.”
O Shepherd, feed my sheep. [Refrain]
2 O Lord, I love thee, thou dost know;
O Shepherd, feed my sheep.
O give me grace to love thee more.
O Shepherd, feed my sheep. [Refrain]
3 O wasn’t that an awful shame?
O Shepherd, feed my sheep.
He hung three hours in mortal pain.
O Shepherd, feed my sheep. [Refrain]
Words: Traditional, Public Domain.
Music: Negro Spiritual, Public Domain; harm. Verolga Nix © 1981 Abingdon.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #25734. All rights reserved.
The Lord’s Prayer
[BCP, p. 364]
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 Easter Blessing
[The Book of Occasional Services 2018, p. 13]
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 you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you, and remain with you always. Amen.
The Dismissal
[BCP, p. 366]
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thanks be to God! Alleluia! Alleluia!
The Parish Prayer List
Prayer List: Martha Avery, Donald Bayness, Ronald Bayness, Zavier Bradley, Myrtle Brow-Hollis, Jacquelyn Bryant, Christine Brown, Genella Chamberlain, Taylor Blue Clemons, Annie Colbert, Ana Columna, Lazola Cope, Alice Dailey, Beryl Dandy, Mark Dashiell, Brittany Dawson, Roland Dixon, Eduardo Espinosa, Imani Ferguson, Ruby Fernandez, Harry Frazier, Colin Gentle, Yvonne Gentle, Charles Gordon, Amanda Green, Jocelyn Bryant Harden, Loretta Harmond, Marva Harris, MJ Harris, Enoch Henderson, Charles E. Hines, Kenneth Howard, Terri Howard, Dale Hundley, Jared Hundley, Tracy Hundley, Janice C. Jackson, Milinda James, Alvin Jenkins, Dana Jenkins, David Jones, Frances T. Jones, Lori Jones, Robert L. Jones, Sr., Whitney Kennedy, Leonard Law, Jr., Ralph Lovett, Ryan Lovett, Tammie Lovett, Marcus Marzen, Joan Maty, Craig Maxwell, Sada Maxwell, Altheria Maynard, Carmelita Maynard, Barbara McCary, Bette Milledge, Hollie Moultrie, Patricia Murry, Russell Nails, Dorothy Neal, Jabbaar Newton, Jameel Newton, Glenzy Payne, Robert Payne, Willie Mae Robinson, Paul Rockwell, Helen Scroggins, Dison Washington Slaughter, James Small, Gwendolyn Smith, Courtney Watts Vista, Ed Vista, Willie Stephens, Lori Ward, Gertrude Washington, and Noel Wheeler
Birthdays: Ja'wana Baker-Pennamon (4/25) and Taylor Blue (4/30)
Wedding Anniversaries: N/A
Recent Deaths: Raleigh Bryant (12/18), Mary Carolyn Singleton Curly (sister to Dr. Janice Vaughn)
May the souls of all the departed rest in peace; and may light perpetual shine upon them. Amen.
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.
Image Credit: