The Fifth Sunday in Lent

Join us as we celebrate the Holy Eucharist on the Fifth Sunday in Lent. The service will be live via Zoom and live streamed to YouTube. It will be available to watch on demand on the event page and YouTube at the end of the service.

Christ Episcopal Church Online
The Fifth Sunday in Lent
March 21st, 2021

Prelude   “Voluntary on Songs 22 & 4 by Orlando Gibbons”   John Hebden Schaffner

Opening Hymn   “In the cross of Christ I glory”    Hymnal 441  v. 1, 2, 3

1 In the cross of Christ I glory, 

towering o’er the wrecks of time;

all the light of sacred story

  gathers round its head sublime.

2 When the woes of life o’er take me,

hopes deceive, and fears annoy,

never shall the cross forsake me: 

lo, it glows with peace and joy.

3 When the sin of bliss is beaming,

  light and love upon my way,

from the cross the radiance screaming 

adds new luster to the day.

Opening Sentences

Celebrant: Bless the Lord who forgiveth all our sins.

People: His mercy endureth for ever.

Decalogue   

Cantors: B. Snyder & S. MacLennan

God spake these words, and said:

I am the Lord thy God who brought thee out of the land of

Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have none

other gods but me.

Lord have mercy upon us,
and incline our hearts to keep this law.

Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven image, nor the

likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth

beneath, or in the water under the earth; thou shalt not bow

down to them, nor worship them.

Lord have mercy upon us,
and incline our hearts to keep this law.

Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain.

Lord have mercy upon us,
and incline our hearts to keep this law.

Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day.

Lord have mercy upon us,
and incline our hearts to keep this law.

Honor thy father and thy mother.

Lord have mercy upon us,
and incline our hearts to keep this law.

Thou shalt do no murder.

Lord have mercy upon us,
and incline our hearts to keep this law.

Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Lord have mercy upon us,
and incline our hearts to keep this law.

Thou shalt not steal.

Lord have mercy upon us,
and incline our hearts to keep this law.

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

Lord have mercy upon us,
and incline our hearts to keep this law.

Thou shalt not covet.

Lord have mercy upon us,
and write all these thy laws in our hearts, we beseech thee.

Celebrant:

Hear what our Lord Jesus saith: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with

all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great

commandment. And the second is like unto it: Thou shalt

love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments

hang all the Law and the Prophets. 

Confession

Deacon: 

Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.

All: 

Almighty and most merciful father,

we have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep,

we have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts,

we have offended against thy holy laws,

we have left undone those things which we ought to have done,

and we have done those things which we ought not to have done.

But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us,

spare thou those who confess their faults,

restore thou those who are penitent,

according to thy promises declared unto mankind

in Christ Jesus our Lord;

and grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake,

that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life,

to the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.

Absolution

The Almighty and merciful Lord grant you absolution and

remission of all your sins, true repentance, amendment of

life, and the grace and consolation of his Holy Spirit. Amen.

Kyrie

Lord have mercy upon us.

Christ have mercy upon us.

Lord have mercy upon us.

Collect of the Day

Celebrant: The Lord be with You.

People: And with thy Spirit

Celebrant: Let us pray.

O Almighty God, who alone canst order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men: Grant unto thy people that they may love the thing which thou commandest, and desire that which thou dost promise; that so, among the sundry and manifold changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

First Reading: Jeremiah 31:31-34                                                           Reader: D. Crocker

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.

Psalm 51:1-13

1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your loving-kindness; *

in your great compassion blot out my offenses.

2 Wash me through and through from my wickedness *

and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions, *

and my sin is ever before me.

4 Against you only have I sinned *

and done what is evil in your sight.

5 And so you are justified when you speak *

and upright in your judgment.

6 Indeed, I have been wicked from my birth, *

a sinner from my mother’s womb.

7 For behold, you look for truth deep within me, *

and will make me understand wisdom secretly.

8 Purge me from my sin, and I shall be pure; *

wash me, and I shall be clean indeed.

9 Make me hear of joy and gladness, *

that the body you have broken may rejoice.

10 Hide your face from my sins *

and blot out all my iniquities.

11 Create in me a clean heart, O God, *

and renew a right spirit within me.

12 Cast me not away from your presence *

and take not your holy Spirit from me.

13 Give me the joy of your saving help again *

and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.

Second Reading: Hebrews 5:5-10                                                            Reader: D. Crocker

Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.” In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

Sequence Hymn    “When I survey the wondrous cross”     Hymnal 474  v. 1 & 2

1 When I survey the wondrous cross 

where the young Prince of Glory died,

my richest gain I count but loss,

and pour contempt on all my pride.

2 Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,

save in the cross of Christ my God:

all the vain things that charm me most,

I sacrifice them to his blood.

The Gospel: John 12:20-33                                                      The Rev. Deacon Kay Drebert

Deacon: The Holy Gospel of our Savior Jesus Christ according to John.

People: Glory be to thee O Lord.

Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor. “Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.

Deacon: The Gospel of the Lord.

People: Praise be to thee, O Christ.

Homily                                                                                                     Mr. John Endress

The Nicene Creed

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.

Prayers of the People

Let us pray for the whole state of Christ’s Church and the world.

Almighty and everliving God, who in thy holy Word hast taught us to make prayers, and supplications, and to give thanks for all men: Receive these our prayers which we offer unto thy divine Majesty, beseeching thee to inspire continually the Universal Church with the spirit of truth, unity, and concord; and grant that all those who do confess thy holy Name may agree in the truth of thy holy Word, and live in unity and godly love.

Give grace, O heavenly Father, to all bishops and other ministers especially Justin, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Michael, Presiding Bishop, DeDe our Bishop, Elizabeth, our Rector, Jim, our Priest, Kay, our Deacon, and all who are baptized in Christ, that they may, both by their life and doctrine, set forth thy true and lively Word, and rightly and duly administer thy holy Sacraments. And to all thy people give thy heavenly grace, and especially to this congregation here present; that, with meek heart and due reverence, they may hear and receive thy holy Word, truly serving thee in holiness and righteousness all the days of their life.

We beseech thee also so to rule the hearts of those who bear the authority of government in this and every land especially  Joe, our President, Andrew, our Governor, Jason, our County Executive, Rich, our Mayor and all our elected officials, that they may be led to wise decisions and right actions for the welfare and peace of the world. Open, O Lord, the eyes of all people to behold thy gracious hand in all thy works, that, rejoicing in thy whole creation, they may honor thee with their substance, and be faithful stewards of thy bounty.

And we most humbly beseech thee, of thy goodness, O Lord, to comfort and succor Connor, Connie, Gabriella, George, Joan, Joell, Millie, Rose, Father Jim & his family, and all those who in this transitory life, are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity.

And we also bless thy holy Name for all thy servants departed this life in thy faith and fear, beseeching thee to grant them continual growth in thy love and service; and to grant us grace so to follow the good examples of all thy saints, that with them we may be partakers of thy heavenly kingdom.

Grant these our prayers, O Father, for Jesus Christ’s sake,

our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.

The Offertory   “Wondrous Love”   arr. Arlen Clarke
Sung by B.Snyder

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul,

what wondrous love is this, O my soul!

What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss

to lay aside his crown for my soul, for my soul,

to lay aside his crown for my soul.

To God and to the Lamb I will sing, I will sing, 

to God and to the Lamb I will sing.

To God and to the Lamb who is the great I AM,

while millions join the theme I will sing, I will sing

while millions join the theme I will sing, I will sing.

And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on,

and when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on;

and when from death I’m free, I’ll sing and joyful be,

and through eternity I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on,

and through eternity I’ll sing on.

The Peace

Celebrant: The peace of the Lord be always with you.

People: And with thy Spirit.

The Lord’s Prayer

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 Communion Prayer 

In union, O Lord, with the faithful at every altar of your Church where the Holy Eucharist is and has been celebrated, we desire to offer you praise and thanksgiving. We present to you our souls and bodies with the earnest wish that we may always be united to you, and since we cannot now receive you sacramentally in the Bread and the Wine, we ask you to come spiritually into our hearts. We unite ourselves with you, and embrace you with all the love of our souls. Let nothing ever separate you from us. May we live in you, and may you live in us, both in this life and in the life to come. Amen.

The Blessing

Closing Hymn   “Will you come and follow me”   WLP 757 v. 1, 2, 3

1 Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?

Will you go where you don’t know and never be the same?

Will you let my love be shown?  Will you let my Name be known?

Will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?

2 Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?

Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?

Will you risk the hostile scare should your life attract or scare?

Will you let me answer prayer in your and your in me?

3 Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?

Will you set the prisoner free and never be the same?

Will you kiss the leper clean, and do such as this unseen?

           And admit to what I mean in you and you in me?

Dismissal