Fr. Guillermo A. Arboleda
- May 15, 2022
- 22 min read

Sunday Worship for May 15, 2022

The Holy Eucharist

The 5th Sunday of Easter (Year C)

May 15, 2022

Watch the Livestream at www.Facebook.com/StMattSav/Live/

Sunday, May 15, at 9:30 a.m. (or anytime afterward)

The Holy Eucharist: Rite II

The Word of God

Hymn #432: O Praise Ye The Lord

[Verses 1-4]

1 O praise ye the Lord! Praise him in the height;

rejoice in his word, ye angels of light;

ye heavens, adore him by whom ye were made,

and worship before him, in brightness arrayed.

2 O praise ye the Lord! Praise him upon earth,

in tuneful accord, all ye of new birth;

praise him who hath brought you his grace from above,

praise him who hath taught you to sing of his love.

3 O praise ye the Lord! All things that give sound;

each jubilant chord re-echo around;

loud organs, his glory forth tell in deep tone,

and sweet harp, the story of what he hath done.

4 O praise ye the Lord! Thanksgiving and song

to him be outpoured all ages along!

For love in creation, for heaven restored,

for grace of salvation, O praise ye the Lord!

Words: Henry Williams Baker, alt., based on Psalms 148 and 150, Public Domain. Music: Laudate Dominum, Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, Public Domain. Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #94300. All rights reserved.

The Opening Acclamation

[BCP, p. 355]

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!

A 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.

Hymn S-280: Glory to God

[See also BCP, p. 356]

Glory to God in the highest,

and peace to his people on earth.

Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father,

we worship you, we give you thanks,

we praise you for your glory.

Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,

Lord God, Lamb of God,

you take away the sin of the world:

have mercy on us;

you are seated at the right hand of the Father:

receive our prayer.

For you alone are the Holy One,

you alone are the Lord,

you alone are the Most High,

Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,

in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

The Collect of the Day

[BCP, p. 357, 225]

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Let us pray:

Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A Reading from the Book of Acts (11:1-18)

Now the apostles and the believers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also accepted the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, saying, "Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?" Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying, "I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners; and it came close to me. As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. I also heard a voice saying to me, `Get up, Peter; kill and eat.' But I replied, `By no means, Lord; for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.' But a second time the voice answered from heaven, `What God has made clean, you must not call profane.' This happened three times; then everything was pulled up again to heaven. At that very moment three men, sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were. The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man's house. He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, `Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter; he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be saved.' And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, `John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?" When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God, saying, "Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life."

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Psalm 148

[BCP, p. 805]

Read responsively by half-verse (at the asterisk).

1 Hallelujah! Praise the Lord from the heavens; * praise him in the heights.

2 Praise him, all you angels of his; * praise him, all his host.

3 Praise him, sun and moon; * praise him, all you shining stars.

4 Praise him, heaven of heavens, * and you waters above the heavens.

5 Let them praise the Name of the Lord; * for he commanded, and they were created.

6 He made them stand fast for ever and ever; * he gave them a law which shall not pass away.

7 Praise the Lord from the earth, * you sea-monsters and all deeps;

8 Fire and hail, snow and fog, * tempestuous wind, doing his will;

9 Mountains and all hills, * fruit trees and all cedars;

10 Wild beasts and all cattle, * creeping things and winged birds;

11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, * princes and all rulers of the world;

12 Young men and maidens, * old and young together.

13 Let them praise the Name of the Lord, * for his Name only is exalted, his splendor is over earth and heaven.

14 He has raised up strength for his people and praise for all his loyal servants, * the children of Israel, a people who are near him. Hallelujah!

A Reading from the Revelation to St. John the Divine (21:1-6)

I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

"See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away."

And the one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true." Then he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life."

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

The People stand, as they are able, for the reading of the Gospel.

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ According to St. John (13:31-35)

Glory to you, Lord Christ.

At the last supper, when Judas had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.' I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Christ.

The Sermon

"What God Has Made Clean" by the Rev. Guillermo A. Arboleda

Two weeks ago, I preached about a conversion that St. Peter experienced after the resurrection. That wasn’t a conversion in the ordinary sense. It wasn’t the moment he left his job as a fisherman to become a full-time follower of Jesus (Matthew 4:18-20). It wasn’t the moment he got baptized. It wasn’t the moment he professed that Jesus is “the Messiah, the Son of the Living God” (Matt 16:16). Instead, it was the moment he apologized for denying Jesus three times (after he was arrested and before he was crucifed). After the Resurrection, Peter had to come face to face with his failure and seek Jesus’ forgiveness. He needed God’s healing in order to answer the call to serve God’s people and lead the Church. He needed to convert.

Now, we find Peter in the middle of the Book of Acts, probably a few years after Christ died, rose again, and ascended into heaven. Some time has passed since his dramatic Initial Sermon on the Day of Pentecost. Peter has stood before threatening tribunals of people who wanted to beat, arrest, and even kill him. Peter has preached the Gospel and started church communities. He has been living into the call God placed on his life so many years earlier. He has responded to the invitation to forgiveness and conversion that Jesus placed before him on the shores of Galilee as they ate breakfast together after the Resurrection. On the surface, Peter looks like he has it all figured out.

But he doesn’t. In Acts 10, Peter gets smacked upside the head by the Holy Spirit. He is forced once again to confront his sins and prejudices. The story happens in Acts 10, and the author decided that it was so important that he needed to record Peter re-telling the story to the Church leaders in Jerusalem in Acts 11, so you just heard it.

Peter is in Joppa (after raising Tabitha from the dead -- last week’s reading from Acts). He is praying there and has a vision of a large sheet lowering from the sky with all kinds of animals, reptiles, and birds on it. These are all animals that Jewish people are forbidden to eat in their culture and religion. The Law in Leviticus and Deuteronomy (books in the Bible) call these animals unclean, unsuitable for God’s people to eat. So when a voice from heaven tells Peter to kill and eat these animals, he thinks it’s a temptation to sin. He rejects it. But the heavenly voice replies, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane” (Acts 11:9).

As soon as Peter wakes up from the trance, the he has to apply the vision. Messengers come from Caesarea to bring him to the house of a faithful Gentile named Cornelius. Cornelius was a non-Jew, uncircumcised, didn’t follow the cultural and religious customs around food, and (most offensively) he was an officer in the Roman Army, the occupying force that held the Jewish people captive in their own land. But God has reminded him not to pre-judge, not to label people as good or evil, in or out, based on these superficial markers. And as he spoke to Cornelius and his family about Jesus, the Holy Spirit fell upon them and filled them, just like the Spirit fell on Jewish believers like Peter and the other apostles. He concludes, “If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?" (Acts 11:17). And this story convinced the other Jewish believers that God was working in a new way.

Why is this story so important? Why does it show up twice? And why are we reading it now, so many centuries later? Well, for one, it’s about how we, Gentiles, are welcomed into the church. This incident leads to the Church separating Christian faith from Judean and Galilean Jewish cultural practices. It showed that God does not value one culture over another, or one ethnicity over another. It shows that God has made all humanity clean. All of us equal bearers of Image of God. It shows that unity across difference is possible.

And maybe more importantly, this story reminds us that people can change. We can unlearn our prejudices. We can unlearn the hate and repulsion that keeps us apart from one another. We can learn to love and appreciate people even as we acknowledge, respect, and honor our differences. Peter didn’t force Cornelius to act like him, eat like him, or even pray like him. He learned to trust that God can act in surprising ways. God can go where we least expect to find God, to people we least expect to show us God.

That happened in this other conversion story in Acts. But it keeps happening. It seems like every time we put up another barrier between us and them, God steps in to remove it. Whenever we get too comfortable thinking that we’re the good guys and they are bad (whoever they are), God humbles us. God reminds us they are “made clean” and we must not call them profane (Acts 11:9). Black and Hispanic and Native American and Asian and White people are all made clean. People with US citizenship and people without documents are all made clean. Gay, straight, transgender, and cisgender people are all made clean. People who get abortions and those fight for access to reproductive healthcare are made clean. Even our neighbors who don’t worship Jesus or those who don’t worship at all -- God made them clean. The stigmas we attach to those categories are human judgments, not divine ones.

That doesn’t mean that our differences don’t matter. It doesn’t mean they aren’t real. We can disagree, but we must always treat people with respect. As we promise in the Baptismal Covenant, we will “strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being … with God’s help” (BCP, 305). The mystery of God is that Christ is found “in all persons,” everyone we meet (BCP, 305). As soon as we start to dismiss someone or deny their dignity, Jesus reminds us that they are made clean. Who am I or anybody else to hinder God? Conversion from our prejudices and judgments is a lifelong process, if we are open to God’s voice in our lives. May God convert me and convert us -- just as God converted Peter -- again and again and again. Amen.

Choir Selection: Make Me An Example

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

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 Ronnie Taylor (5/15), Zariyah Cope (5/17), Farah Taylor (5/17), Marilyn Jones (5/20), and Altheria Maynard (5/20) on their birthdays; for Donald & Marilyn Jones (5/20) and Timothy & Cheryl Rhett (5/20) on their wedding anniversaries; and for Whitney Robinson’s graduation from Georgia Southern University. 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 our clergy and our bishops, for the many lay people who serve the church and serve the world through the church, and for those gather 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.

Risen Lord,

Hear our Prayer.

Let us pray for those who are sick, those who suffer, those who struggle, especially those on our Parish Prayer List: Martha Avery, Mary Bonaparte, Christine Brown, Jacqueline Bryant, Lazola Cope, Aaron Duplechien Jr., Angie Glover, Annie Bell Greer, Loretta Harmond, Marva Harris, Whitney Kennedy, Sada Maxwell, Bette Milledge, Helen Scroggins, and Paulette Sibert; that the hope born of Easter 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; bring them by your resurrecting power into the place of eternal joy and light... especially Craig Maxwell…

Special intentions are offered silently or aloud.

Risen Lord,

Hear our Prayer.

The celebrant adds a concluding collect.

O God, who by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light: Grant that we, who have been raised with him, may abide in his presence and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be dominion and praise for ever and ever. Amen.

The Peace

[EOW1, p. 56]

The peace of Christ be always with you.

And also with you.

Parish Announcements

A. Craig J. Maxwell (1960-2022): Craig J. Maxwell passed away peacefully in his home on May 9, 2022. The Maxwell family expresses gratitude for the outpouring of prayer and kindness. The family will not accept any visitors or food donations out of an abundance of caution due to COVID-19. Cards and/or expressions of kindness may be sent to Mrs. Deidra Williams Maxwell. (Mrs. Maxwell's address and phone number are included in St. Matthew's e-Newsletter, but not published on the blog for her privacy).

Funeral arrangements are still pending, but you can learn the latest by checking with Campbell and Sons Funeral Home: https://www.campbellandsonsfuneralhome.com/obituary/craig-maxwell

B. JUST Nehemiah Action Report: Justice Unites Savannah Together (JUST) held its 2nd Annual Nehemiah Action (and 1st ever in-person) on Monday, May 2, 2022 at the Johnny Mercer Theatre. Almost 400 people from over 20 different congregations (17 from St. Matthew's) attended to demonstrate to our public officials that we care about solving injustices in our community.

Through JUST's public negotiations, City Manager Jay Mulder committed to include at least $2 million in the 2023 City Budget for Savannah's Affordable Housing Trust Fund and to allocate a higher percentage of those funds to people earning less than the area median income. Then, Chatham County District Attorney Shalena Cook Jones committed to seek additional funds for the Early Intervention Program and develop a plan for a central criminal database for our County. In both cases, our work isn't finished. JUST will continue to meet with these and other officials to ensure that they follow through on their commitments.

The next major JUST event is the Annual Celebration Picnic on June 13 from 6:00-8:00 PM at a location to be announced soon.

C. Home Repair Service Projects on June 25: The Savannah Convocation of the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia is organizing a service project in collaboration with The City of Savannah's Housing and Neighborhood Services Department. The Home Assistance Repair Program For Homeowners provides necessary repairs to low income homeowners to maintain the safety and decency of homes in our City. Materials and supervision are provided by the City, but most of the labor is provided by volunteers like you! Please join us for this way to give back to our City.

We will hold a service day on Saturday, June 25, 2022. The work day will begin at 8:00 AM and end at 4:00 PM. Lunch will be provided. We are gathering volunteers from all the Episcopal parishes in and around Savannah. We will assign people to teams of 8-10 volunteers per house that needs repair. You will find out your work location and volunteer team 1-2 weeks before your work date.

Please register at https://forms.gle/d7gR6qAbUEbRmThcA on or before May 31, 2022.

D. EYCS Scholarship Applications due May 31: The Diocese of Georgia offers scholarships to college students through Episcopal Youth & Children's Services (EYCS). Applicants must be active members of a parish in the Diocese of Georgia, 22 years of age or younger, and enrolled in undergraduate education in the 2022-2023 school year. Applications are due May 31, 2022. Learn more and apply online here: http://eycs.georgiaepiscopal.org/?page_id=11.

E. Coffee Hour Sign Up & New COVID Guidelines: St. Matthew’s Vestry agreed to update its In-Person COVID-19 Safety Guidelines on March 31, 2022. To summarize, when the CDC indicates that Chatham County has a Low or Medium “COVID-19 Community Level,” the Vestry will allow light refreshments to be served at public indoor events, provided that people continue to wear masks whenever they are not eating or drinking. When Chatham County has a High COVID-19 level, food and drink will not be allowed. Chatham County currently has a Low COVID-19 level. You can read the guidance in all its detail here: https://www.stmattsav.org/post/new-covid-19-safety-guidelines-spring-2022.

The Vestry invites individuals and families to serve light refreshments after worship on Sundays in-person. Please sign up for upcoming dates using the poster near the kitchen in Toomer-Walker Hall.

F. Book of Sermons: Della Jones and Sandra Mitchell are looking for parishioners interested in serving on a committee to compile sermons and identify artwork for a book of Fr. Guillermo Arboleda’s sermons. This proposed book project would become a historical document for St. Matthew's and may be sold in the future at a modest price to raise funds for the parish.

If you are interested in serving on this committee, please contact either Della Jones or Sandra Mitchell. The first meeting will be held during the week following Easter. Date and time to be determined.

G. T/W/Th Evening Prayer: On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, St. Matthew's invites you to pray Evening Prayer over Zoom. The video will continue to stream to Facebook Live at 5:00 PM. Please join the Zoom call by 4:55 PM. Otherwise, watch the prayer service as you have been on Facebook Live.

Evening Prayer videos will be on hiatus the week of May 15, while Fr. A is away for continuing education.

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

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.

“On this day the Lord has acted; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” [Psalm 118:24]

Give online at: https://onrealm.org/StMattSav/-/give/now