Hybrid Church Sixth Sunday of Easter May 14, 2023;Presider: The Rev. Deborah van der Goes

Hybrid Church Sixth Sunday of Easter May 14, 2023 

Presider: The Rev. Deborah van der Goes 

Musician: Dorothy Dittrich 

We acknowledge these lands upon which we worship are the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation. 

Whoever you are and wherever you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here! 

Welcome & Announcements 

Whether you are gathering in person, on zoom or worshipping at home with the bulletin, welcome! We are one community, one in the body of Christ.  

Centering & Stillness 

One: We follow sound into silence and there we meet God (bell)  

(silence) 

Introit 

“In God we live and move and have our being”                         (Acts 17;28) 

The Paschal Candle is Lit (dialogue sung 3x)

One: The Light of Christ  All: Thanks be to God!  

Greeting 

One:  The grace of Christ Jesus, the love of God,    and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 

All:  And also with you One:  Alleluia, Christ is Risen All:    Christ is Risen indeed! 

Hymn:  All Who Hunger        VU #460 
1All who hunger, gather gladly; holy manna is our bread. 

Come from wilderness and wandering. 

Here, in truth, we will be fed. You that yearn for days of fullness, all around us is our food.    

[Refrain] Taste and see the grace eternal. Taste and see that God is good. 

2All who hunger, never strangers; seeker, be a welcome guest. 

Come from restlessness and roaming. 

Here, in joy, we keep the feast. We that once were lost and scattered in communion's love have stood.   [Refrain] 

3All who hunger, sing together; Jesus Christ is living bread. 

Come from loneliness and longing. Here, in peace, we have been led.

Blest are those who from this table 

live their lives in gratitude.  

[Refrain]                                       

 Opening Prayer        (the Collect) 

One: Merciful God, you have prepared for those who love you riches    beyond imagination.  Pour into our hearts such love toward you,   that we, loving you above all things, may obtain your promises,  which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. All:  Amen 

The Service of Word
                                                 

Reader: By the gift of your Spirit, calm and quiet our souls that we may hear your Word today and be lifted up to walk with you. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen 

First Reading: Acts 17:22-31 (NRSV)                          Reader: Mona Smart

Now all the Athenians and the foreigners living there would spend their time in nothing but telling or hearing something new. Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, ‘Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, “To an unknown god.” What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us. For “In him we live and move and have our being”; as even some of your own poets have said, “For we too are his offspring.” Since we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.’ 

Psalm 66:8-20  Reader: Mona Smart 

Bless our God, O peoples,    let the sound of his praise be heard, who has kept us among the living,    and has not let our feet slip. For you, O God, have tested us;    you have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net;    you laid burdens on our backs; you let people ride over our heads;    we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a spacious place. 

I will come into your house with burnt-offerings;    I will pay you my vows, those that my lips uttered    and my mouth promised when I was in trouble. I will offer to you burnt-offerings of fatlings,    with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams; I will make an offering of bulls and goats. 

Selah 

Come and hear, all you who fear God,    and I will tell what he has done for me. I cried aloud to him,    and he was extolled with my tongue. If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,    the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened;    he has given heed to the words of my prayer. 

Blessed be God, 

   because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me.                                                             

Hymn: O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing                             VU #326 
1O for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer's praise,

the glories of my God and king,

the triumphs of God's grace. 

2Jesus! the name that charms our fears,

that bids our sorrows cease;

'tis music in the sinner's ears, 

'tis life and health and peace.                                                         4 

3He speaks, and listening to his voice,

new life the dead receive,

the mournful broken hearts rejoice,

the humble poor believe. 

4Hear him, you deaf, you voiceless ones,

your tongues again employ;

you blind, behold your Saviour comes,

and leap, you lame, for joy! 

5My gracious Master and my God,

assist me to proclaim,

to spread through all the earth abroad

the honours of your name. 

Gospel Reading         Reader: Shelagh Huston

As is your custom, please stand or sit for the reading of the gospel.  

Reader: God be with you.   

All:  And also with you 

Reader:  The Good News of Jesus the Christ according to John All:   Glory to you, Christ Jesus. 

John 14:15-21 (NRSV) 
‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. 

‘I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.’             

        Reader: This is the Gospel of Christ.    

         All:      Praise be to Jesus Christ        

Reflection:  Resurrection 

Silent Reflection 

Hymn: In Christ there is No East or West                            VU #606 
1In Christ there is no east or west, in him no south or north, but one great family of love throughout the whole wide earth. 

2In him shall true hearts everywhere their high communion find; his service is the golden cord close binding humankind. 

3Join hands, then, peoples of the faith, whate'er your race may be; all children of the living God are surely kin to me. 

4In Christ now meet both east and west, in him meet south and north: all Christ-like souls are one in him throughout the whole wide earth. 

Creed           (from Creating Uncommon Worship by Richard Giles adapted DvdG)

Let us affirm our faith . . .                

We believe and trust in God our Creator.  

We believe and trust in Jesus the Christ.  

We believe and trust in the Holy Spirit.  

We believe and trust in the Three in One. 

Prayers of the People   Paddy Waymark         

One: God of Clarity,                                                          

All:  Hear Our Prayer     

The Peace
Passing of the Peace 

One:  The peace of Christ be with you!  

All:   And also with you! 

You are invited to turn to those directly around you and share Christ’s peace. Those on zoom, please unmute and share with one another. 

The Service of Holy Eucharist
(Using the Eucharistic Prayer written for the Diocese of Islands and Inlets)  

Offering Invitation 

Presider: Let us now gather our offerings.             (while music is played) 

Doxology (sung as offerings brought forward)                        CP #669 

Praise God the Source of life and birth, Praise God the Word, who came to earth. Praise God the Spirit, holy flame. All Glory, honour to God’s name. 

Offering Prayer           

Presider: God of glory,  

People:   accept all we offer you this day,,  

Presider:  Bring us to that eternal city of love and light, People:   where Christ is King we ask this in Jesus Name. Amen                                                                                           

Presider: God is here People:  The Spirit is with us. 

Presider: Lift up your hearts and minds. 

People:  We lift them to God. 

Presider: Let us give thanks to God the Creator. 

People:   It is right to give our thanks and praise. 

Presider: It is indeed right that we should praise you, God of love, our source and our fulfillment, or you create all things and in you we live and move and have our being.   

Your wonder is manifest in land and sea and sky.  

You made us in your image. And even though we turn from you, again and again you call us to yourself, and in every age, promise liberation. As a mother gathers her children, you embraced a people as your own, to nurture them in the way of compassionate love. You sent Jesus among us, incarnate of the Holy Spirit and born of Mary. Jesus revealed your love for all Creation, and showed us the way of reconciliation. Having lived among us - Jesus suffered the cross, died, and in rising again became the firstborn of the renewed family.                                          

 And so as we gather around your table, 

With saints of every age and your beloved creation we raise our voices and sing: 

Sanctus MV #203

O holy, holy, holy God, O God of time and space. 

All earth and sea and sky above bear witness to your grace. 

Hosanna in the highest heaven, creation sings your praise. 

And blessed is the One who comes and bears your name always! 

To you be glory, almighty God, because on the night before he died, Jesus took bread, when he had given thanks, he broke it, gave it to his disciples, and said: Take, eat, this is my body which is given for you; do this to remember me. After supper he took the cup; when he had given thanks, he gave it to them and said: 

Drink this all of you. 

This is my blood of the new covenant, Poured out for you and for many; do this to remember me. 

Great is the mystery of faith. 

Memorial Acclamation       MV #204 

Sing Christ has died and Christ is risen, Christ will come again!  

Sing Christ has died and Christ is risen, Christ will come again! 

Presider: Recalling Christ’s death and resurrection, we ask you to accept this, our sacrifice of praise. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine that we may be fed with the body and blood of your Son.  When all of creation groans, unite us in Christ and give us your hope that we might be strengthened to do your work, as your body in the world.  Through Christ our Redeemer, in the power of the Spirit, all praise and glory be yours, Almighty God, now and forever. Amen. 

The Prayer of Jesus (sung)     VU #959 

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your Kin-dom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven.                  Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil for the kin-dom, the power and the glory are yours, now and forever. 

Presider: The One who defeated death and injustice is now present in this bread. The One who offers our life promise and hope is now present in this wine.  

All:  Breaking into our lives and community,      We ask God for new life in Christ. 

Communion is Shared

Prayer after Communion 

Creator, you restored us to live by raising your Son from death.  May we who receive this sacrament always be strengthened to do your will, in the name of Jesus Christ the risen Lord.   

All:  Amen 

 

Hymn: All Things Bright and Beautiful     VU #291 
[Refrain:] 

All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, all things wise and wonderful: in love, God made them all. 

1Each little flower that opens, each little bird that sings, 

God made their glowing colours, 

God made their tiny wings: [Refrain] 

2The purple-headed mountain, the river running by, the sunset, and the morning that brightens up the sky: [Refrain] 

3The cold wind in the winter, the pleasant summer sun, 

the ripe fruits in the garden, 

God made them every one. [Refrain] 

4The rocky mountain splendour, the lone wolf's haunting call, the great lakes and the prairies, the forest in the fall; [Refrain] 

5God gave us eyes to see them, and lips that we might tell how great is God our maker, who has made all things well. [Refrain] 

Blessing 

Presider: Now God keep you in all your days. Christ shield you in all your ways. The Spirit bring you healing and peace. And God the Holy Trinity pour upon you blessing and light.  

All: Amen. 

Presider: Let us go now in peace to love and serve the Lord. 

All:  Thanks be to God! Alleluia    

 

Front Cover Image: Hands across the globe 

Truthseeker08, http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=57614