The Sixth Sunday of Easter

22nd May, 2022, 10.30am

To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints:
Grace to you, and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:7)

Presider & Preacher: The Rev. Canon Linda L. Grenz

Organ Prelude

Antonio Soler (1729-1783) – Keyboard Sonata in D Major
Stefano Vasselli, Organist

Words of Welcome from Canon Linda & Fr. Francisco

Processional Hymn

Christ for the world we sing
Moscow

All stand and sing

Christ for the world we sing!
The world to Christ we bring
with loving zeal;
the poor, and them that mourn,
the faint and overborne,
sin-sick and sorrow-worn,
whom Christ doth heal.

Christ for the world we sing!
The world to Christ we bring
with fervent prayer;
the wayward and the lost,
by restless passions tossed,
redeemed at countless cost
from dark despair.

Christ for the world we sing!
The world to Christ we bring
with one accord;
with us the work to share,
with us reproach to dare,
with us the cross to bear,
for Christ our Lord.

Christ for the world we sing!
The world to Christ we bring
with joyful song;
the new-born souls, whose days,
reclaimed from error’s ways,
inspired with hope and praise,
to Christ belong.

Samuel Wolcott (1813-1886)

Opening Acclamation

Presider: Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
People: The Lord is Risen indeed. Alleluia!

Presider: 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.

Gloria in Excelsis

All sing together; sung in Spanish

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

Presider: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Presider: Let us pray.

Presider: O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

All are seated for the readings and the psalm.

The First Reading: Acts 16:9-15

Reader: A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.

We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.” And she prevailed upon us.

Reader: The Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.

Psalm 67: Deus Misereatur

Sung in Anglican Chant

1 May God be merciful to / us and / bless us, *
show us the light of his / counte-/nance and / come to us.
2 Let your ways be / known u-/pon earth, *
your saving / health a-/mong all / nations.

3 Let the peoples / praise you, O / God; *
let / all the / peoples / praise you.
4 Let the nations be glad and / sing for / joy, *
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide all the / nations / upon / earth.

5 Let the peoples / praise you, O / God; *
let / all the / peoples / praise you.
6 The earth has brought / forth her / increase; *
may God, our / own God, / give us his / blessing.

7 May God / give us his / blessing, *
and may all the ends of the / earth / stand in / awe of him.

The Second Reading: Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5

Reader: A reading from the Revelation of John.

In the spirit the angel carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.

I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Its gates will never be shut by day– and there will be no night there. People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

Reader: The Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.

The Gospel Hymn

Like the murmur of the Dove’s song
Bridegroom

All stand and sing

Like the murmur of the dove’s song,
like the challenge of her flight,
like the vigor of the wind’s rush,
like the new flame’s eager might:
come, Holy Spirit, come.

To the members of Christ’s Body,
to the branches of the Vine,
to the Church in faith assembled,
to her midst as gift and sign:
come, Holy Spirit, come.

With the healing of division,
with the ceaseless voice of prayer,
with the power to love and witness,
with the peace beyond compare:
come, Holy Spirit, come.

Carl P. Daw, Jr. (b. 1944)

The Gospel: John 5:1-9

Presider: The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
People: Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay many invalids– blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.” Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk. Now that day was a sabbath.

Presider: The Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

The Sermon: The Rev. Canon Linda L. Grenz

All are seated

The Nicene Creed

All stand and say together

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

Stand or kneel for the Prayers as you are able.
In the pauses we invite you to add your own petitions, aloud or in silence.

Leader:

Sisters and brothers, do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. The God of peace has prepared for us such good things as surpass our understanding, so let us rejoice, saying, “Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.”

By the gift and power of the Holy Spirit, teach your Church to walk in the ways of Jesus. May the gospel be found in our minds, in our hearts, and on our lips.

Pause.