The Holy Eucharist: Liturgy of the Word
5th Sunday of Easter (Year B) May 2, 2021
Watch the Livestream at www.Facebook.com/StMattSav/Live/
Sunday, May 2, 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 #212: Awake, Arise, Lift Up Your Voice
[Verses 1-3, 5]
1. Awake, arise, lift up your voice,
let Easter music swell;
rejoice in Christ, again rejoice,
and on his praises dwell.
2. Oh, with what gladness and surprise
the saints their Savior greet;
nor will they trust their ears and eyes
but by his hands and feet,
3. those hands of liberal love indeed
in infinite degree,
those feet still free to move and bleed
for millions and for me.
5. O Dead arise! O Friendless stand
by seraphim adored!
O Solitude again command
your host from heaven restored!
Words: Christopher Smart, alt., Public Domain.
Music: Richmond, melody Thomas Haweis; adapt. Samuel Webbe, 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:
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 (8:26-40)
An angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a wilderness road.) So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to this chariot and join it.” So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” He replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this:
“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth.
In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.”
The eunuch asked Philip, “About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?” He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God
Psalm 22:24-30
[BCP, p. 612]
Read responsively by half-verse (at the asterisk).
24 My praise is of him in the great assembly; * I will perform my vows in the presence of those who worship him.
25 The poor shall eat and be satisfied, and those who seek the Lord shall praise him: * "May your heart live for ever!"
26 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, * and all the families of the nations shall bow before him.
27 For kingship belongs to the Lord; * he rules over the nations.
28 To him alone all who sleep in the earth bow down in worship; * all who go down to the dust fall before him.
29 My soul shall live for him; my descendants shall serve him; * they shall be known as the Lord's for ever.
30 They shall come and make known to a people yet unborn * the saving deeds that he has done.
A Reading from the First Letter of St. John (4:7-21)
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.
By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.
God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because he first loved us. Those who say, "I love God," and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ According to St. John (15:1-8)
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Jesus said to his disciples, ”I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
The Sermon
“Just As You Are” by Fr. Guillermo A. Arboleda
"Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us” (1 John 4:7-12).
God is love. God has always been love. God loves us first. That’s the Good News at its core. That the Maker of the Universe, of all that is, seen and unseen, is love. Love is at the center of everything. Love is the driving force of all existence. Love wins.
And that means that God loves you. You are beloved. You aren’t loved if you do the right thing or if you say the right thing or if you think the right thing. Your belovedness has nothing to do with you at all. You don’t need to prove or earn that love. From the moment God brought you into being, before you can even remember, your relationship was one of love. God loved you from before you were even a thought in your parents’ minds because God can do nothing but love us. God is love.
And that means you are loved just as you are. Seriously, just as you are. The way you feel right now, the way you look right now, even after whatever you did or said this morning or last night or last year or when you were a child. You are beloved just as you are.
We spend a lot of time in church talking about how important it is to love God and love one another -- rightly so because Jesus prioritizes those two kinds of love. But remember all of what Jesus said: “The first [commandment] is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31). Jesus wants us to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves. That’s tough to do if we struggle to love ourselves and accept God’s love for us.
I know I can be a perfectionist and be harshly critical of myself. I am often very keenly aware of all my flaws and faults. I find it really difficult to forgive myself for the mistakes I make or the ways that I don’t live up to my own (unrealistic) expectations. That internal pressure likely comes from external sources. The critical voice in my head comes from the critical voices I heard as a child from people I respected. For better or worse, I treat myself the way I was treated.
And I don’t think that’s just a personal problem. We live in a culture that puts a lot of pressure on us to succeed, to achieve, to win. And when we inevitably fail, our society can be pretty brutal in criticizing and shaming people for our mistakes. All of those cultural and societal pressures to be perfect are multiplied if you’re a person of color, if you’re Black, if you’re a woman, if you’re gay, and especially if you’re some combination of those identities. And so we who live and breathe in this hypercritical and hyper-judgmental air, end up learning to treat ourselves that way, just like we treat others that way.
But the Good News of Jesus Christ is that God doesn’t treat us like that. God is not a cruel authority figure waiting to pounce on us when we mess up and shame us for it. It’s not that God doesn’t care about sin, evil, or injustice. But God has the ability to see and understand our sin, to want something better for us without condemning us. God can love us fully and completely just as we are. God loves me better than I can love me. God loves you more completely than you love you. Part of why we gather together in church is to encourage each other to believe that that is true. We are a community of support, reminding one another that God really does love you just as you are. It’s hard to accept, but it’s true, and we’re gonna help you feel it by loving you too.
It is out of that sense of belovedness, knowing and accepting that God loves me for me, just as I am, that we can truly love one another. That’s what St. John is getting at in this part of his letter. Love one another because God loves you. God loves you enough that the Son of God lived and died and rose again to forgive our sins. God so desires reconciliation and connection with us, that God is willing to give self-sacrificially. God loves without us deserving it, just as we are.
If you let that love of God sink in, if you connect with the God who is love, then of course love will overflow. When you feel God’s love for you, you’ll see that God loves everyone else that much too. You’ll be less harsh and judgmental of yourself, and hopefully become less harsh and judgmental of others.
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry puts it this way: “To love your neighbor is to relate to them as someone made in the image of God. And it is to relate to yourself as someone made in the image of God. It’s God, up, down, and all around, and god is love. The ability to love yourself is intimately related to your capacity to love others. The challenge is creating a life that allows you to fulfill both needs” (Curry, Love Is The Way, 96). That’s a major part of our calling as a church: to remind each other that God is love. No matter how down I get on myself, somebody else is there to be God’s voice, picking me up and helping me when I can’t help myself.
Of course, that is harder to do from afar during this strange pandemic. But we are finding ways to provide those spaces of love, comfort and support. In this church, I have seen how powerful it is when an old friend who knows you well, who knows the good and the bad, reminds you of how precious and loved you are. I’ve seen the tears of joy. That’s a big reason why we’re here, and those moments of encouragement and support didn’t go away when we moved to Facebook and Zoom. They just took on different forms. They take a little bit more individual initiative. It’s hard to be vulnerable with people in general, and harder still when you’re fumbling with a computer, phone, or tablet. But God is there in our discomfort, and God’s love is just as powerful.
So please avail yourself of our times of worship, fellowship, education, and service. If not here, find a place of nurture and love because we all need it. These are spaces where God’s Spirit continues to show up in powerful ways. God loves you just as you are. Once we start to believe that, nothing can stop us from loving the world. 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 #121: Baptized in Water, Sealed By the Spirit
[Verses 1-3]
1 Baptized in water,
Sealed by the Spirit,
Cleansed by the blood of Christ our King:
Heirs of salvation,
Trusting His promise,
Faithfully now God's praise we sing.
2 Baptized in water,
Sealed by the Spirit,
Dead in the tomb with Christ our King:
One with His rising,
freed and forgiven,
Thankfully now God's praise we sing.
3 Baptized in water, Sealed by the Spirit, Marked with the sign of Christ our King: Born of one Father, We are His children, Joyfully now God's praise we sing.
Words: Michael Saward © 1982, The Jubilate Group (admin. Hope Publishing Company).
Music: Eugene Hancock © 1992 Eugene Hancock.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #00017. 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 Craig J. Gordon (5/7), Wanda Grandbury (5/7), and Antonio Blake (5/8) on their birthdays; For Fr. Guillermo Arboleda & Rev. Kelly Steele (5/3) 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: 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 Baynes, Ronald Baynes, 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, 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). 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 Chapters 6-7 by May 5.
Bishop Logue will moderate a Zoom session on Tuesday, May 18 at 6:00pm where we will discuss the Presiding Bishop's book Love Is the Way: Holding on to Hope in Troubling Times. We will also have time for questions live from those in attendance and will put a video of the event online after for those who can not attend.
B. 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.
C. New Bookkeeper Hired: St. Matthew's Rector and Vestry are proud to announce that we have hired a new Bookkeeper: Patricia "Pat" Lanchester. Ms. Lanchester has work experience in a variety of fields including computer programming, web design, fashion design, and church accounting. We are very excited to have her join our financial team. She will begin her work on May 3. She may be reached at Bookkeeper@StMattSav.org.
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 #62: In Christ There Is No East or West
[Verses 1-4]
1 In Christ there is no East or West,
in Him no South or North,
but one great fellowship of love
throughout the whole wide earth.
2 In Him shall true hearts ev'rywhere
their high communion find;
his service is the golden cord
close binding human-kind.
3 Join hands, disciples of the faith,
whate'er your race may be.
Who serves my Father as a son
is surely kin to me.
4 In Christ now meet both East and West,
in Him meet South and North;
all Christly souls are one in Him
throughout the whole wide earth.
Words: Galatians 3:28; adapt. John Oxenham, © 1989 American Tract Society.
Music: McKee, Negro Spiritual, adapt. Harry T. Burleigh, Public Domain.
Reprinted with permission under ONE LICENSE #84249. 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 Baynes, Ronald Baynes, 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: Craig J. Gordon (5/7), Wanda Grandbury (5/7), and Antonio Blake (5/8)
Wedding Anniversaries: Fr. Guillermo Arboleda & Rev. Kelly Steele (5/3)
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.
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