St. John’s Episcopal Church
Helena, Arkansas
Fifth Sunday of Easter
May 15, 2022
THE HOLY EUCHARIST RITE TWO
ENTRANCE RITE, Eucharistic Prayer A
The Word of God
“BCP” indicated the red Book of Common Prayer
“S” numbers refer to the front of the blue Hymnal
Entrance Hymn When Christ was lifted from the earth (H 603)
OPENING ACCLAMATION (BCP 355)
The people standing, the Celebrant says
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Celebrant |
Alleluia. Christ is risen. |
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People |
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia. |
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 (S-280)
The following is sung, all standing
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.
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Celebrant |
The Lord be with you. |
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People |
And also with you. |
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Celebrant |
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.
THE LESSONS
First Reading Acts 11:1-18
The people sit.
A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
1Now the apostles and the believers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also accepted the word of God. 2So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, 3saying, “Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?” 4Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying, 5“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. 6As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. 7I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8But I replied, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ 9But a second time the voice answered from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, you must not call profane.’ 10This happened three times; then everything was pulled up again to heaven. 11At that very moment three men, sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were. 12The 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. 13He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter; 14he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be saved.’ 15And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning. 16And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17If 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?” 18When 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.”
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Reader |
The Word of the Lord. |
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People |
Thanks be to God. |
Psalm Psalm 148
Remain seated and read responsively by whole verse.
1Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord from the heavens; *
praise him in the heights.
2Praise him, all you angels of his; *
praise him, all his host.
3Praise him, sun and moon; *
praise him, all you shining stars.
4Praise him, heaven of heavens, *
and you waters above the heavens.
5Let them praise the Name of the Lord; *
for he commanded, and they were created.
6He made them stand fast for ever and ever; *
he gave them a law which shall not pass away.
7Praise the Lord from the earth, *
you sea-monsters and all deeps;
8Fire and hail, snow and fog, *
tempestuous wind, doing his will;
9Mountains and all hills, *
fruit trees and all cedars;
10Wild beasts and all cattle, *
creeping things and wingèd birds;
11Kings of the earth and all peoples, *
princes and all rulers of the world;
12Young men and maidens, *
old and young together.
13Let them praise the Name of the Lord, *
for his Name only is exalted,
his splendor is over earth and heaven.
14He 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!
Second Reading Revelation 21:1-6
The people sit.
A Reading from the Revelation of John.
1I 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. 2And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; 4he 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.” 5And 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.” 6Then 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.”
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Reader |
The Word of the Lord. |
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People |
Thanks be to God. |
Sequence Hymn That Easter day with joy was bright (H 193)
All stand.
Gospel John 13:31-35
All stand.
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Priest |
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John. |
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People |
Glory to you, Lord Christ. |
31[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.32If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33Little 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.’ 34I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
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Priest |
The Gospel of the Lord. |
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People |
Praise to you, Lord Christ. |
The Sermon Rev. Teresa Cantrell
The Creed (BCP 358)
All stand.
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 Form VI (BCP 392)
People may stand or kneel.
Father, we pray for your holy catholic Church;
That we all may be one.
Grant that every member of the Church may truly and humbly serve you;
That your Name may be glorified by all people
.
We pray for all bishops, priests, and deacons;
That they may be faithful ministers of your Word and Sacraments.
We pray for all who govern and hold authority in the nations of the world. We pray especially for the people of Ukraine and their refugees in other countries;
That there may be justice and peace on the earth.
Give us grace to do your will in all that we undertake;
That our works may find favor in your sight.
Have compassion on those who suffer from any grief or trouble; especially those who are alone, afraid, and for those who are sick.
That they may be delivered from their distress.
Give to the departed eternal rest;
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
We praise you for your saints who have entered into joy;
May we also come to share in your heavenly kingdom.
ALL PRAY
O God, who has blessed and sustained this parish through the years; we ask that you continue to lead us, stretch us, and direct us, in our search for a new rector. Raise for us we pray, a priest and pastor who will boldly proclaim, your Gospel, faithfully administer your sacraments, and serve your people with love and compassion, that we may continue to grow in the likeness of Christ and be a beacon of love and hope to our community and the world. To the glory of your holy Name. Amen.
Let us pray for our own needs and those of others.
Silence
The People may add their own petitions.
The Celebrant adds a concluding Collect.
Lord, hear the prayers of thy people; and what we have asked faithfully, grant that we may obtain effectually, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Confession of Sin (BCP 359)
The Celebrant says
Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Silence may be kept.
Minister and People
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.
The Priest
Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.
The Peace
All stand.
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Celebrant |
The peace of the Lord be always with you. |
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People |
And also with you. |
Then the Ministers and the People may greet one another in the name of the Lord.
Announcements and birthday and anniversary blessings.
The Holy Communion
Offertory Sentence
Offertory music
Doxology
The Great Thanksgiving (BCP 361)
The People remain standing.
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Celebrant |
The Lord be with you. |
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People |
And also with you. |
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Celebrant |
Lift up your hearts. |
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People |
We lift them to the Lord. |
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Celebrant |
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. |
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People |
It is right to give him thanks and praise. |
Facing the Holy Table, the Celebrant proceeds
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
But chiefly are we bound to praise you for the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; for he is the true Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed for us, and has taken away the sin of the world. By his death he has destroyed death, and by his rising to life again he has won for us everlasting life.
Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:
Sanctus Holy, holy, holy (S-125)
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
PRAYER OF CONSECRATION (BCP 362)
The People stand or kneel.
The Celebrant continues
Holy and gracious Father: In your infinite love you made us for yourself; and, when we had fallen into sin and become subject to evil and death, you, in your mercy, sent Jesus Christ, your only and eternal Son, to share our human nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to you, the God and Father of all.
He stretched out his arms upon the cross, and offered himself in obedience to your will, a perfect sacrifice for the whole world.
On the night he was handed over to suffering and death, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, “Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.”
After supper he took the cup of wine; and 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, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.”
Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith:
Celebrant and People
Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
The Celebrant continues
We celebrate the memorial of our redemption, O Father, in this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Recalling his death, resurrection, and ascension, we offer you these gifts.
Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of your Son, the holy food and drink of new and unending life in him. Sanctify us also that we may faithfully receive this holy Sacrament, and serve you in unity, constancy, and peace; and at the last day bring us with all your saints into the joy of your eternal kingdom.
All this we ask through your Son Jesus Christ. By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.
The Lord’s Prayer (BCP 363)
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
People and Celebrant
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,
forever and ever. Amen.
The Breaking of the Bread
Fraction Christ our Passover (S-154)
Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.
The Celebrant
The Gifts of God for the People of God. Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.
The Bread and the Cup are given to the communicants. The wine may be received in three ways: from the common cup, by intinction (dipping the wafer carefully into the wine), and spiritually by crossing your arms over one’s chest.
Communion Music
Post-Communion Prayer (BCP 365)
After Communion, the Celebrant says
Let us pray.
Celebrant and People
Eternal God, heavenly Father,
you have graciously accepted us as living members
of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ,
and you have fed us with spiritual food
in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood.
Send us now into the world in peace,
and grant us strength and courage
to love and serve you
with gladness and singleness of heart;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Blessing
Post-Communion Hymn In Christ there is no East or West (H 529)
Dismissal
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Celebrant |
Let us go forth in the name of Christ. Alleluia, alleluia. |
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People |
Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia. |
A Note on Today’s Readings
The Fifth Sunday of Easter—Year C
Welcome to our parish as we begin the fifth week of celebrating the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Each Sunday in the fifty days between Easter and Pentecost, we explore the implications of Jesus’ dying and rising for our lives.
Today we hear from John’s Gospel some of the Lord’s words on the night before his death. The Lord tells his friends that he is going away and gives them his final instructions, “the new commandment” to love one another as he loves us.
This Sunday’s reading from the book of Revelation is a vision of the final consummation of God’s Kingdom as the new Jerusalem. The redeemed rejoice, for God dwells with them and does away forever with death and grief and weeping.
Today’s reading from Acts traces further the extension of the proclamation of Christ’s resurrection. Peter describes to the leaders of the church in Jerusalem the astounding discovery that God’s call is not only to Jews but to the Gentiles as well, as he tells of the conversion and baptism of Cornelius, the first Gentile Christian.
It is in our relationship of union with Christ in baptism and communion that his love for us is revealed. Our liturgy here equips us to carry out our larger liturgy, our work as God’s people, in loving others through ministry, service, and prayer. In that way, the work of extending God’s kingdom will continue to spread in and through us, the Body of the Risen Christ, as we follow his command to love others as he loves us.
From The Rite Light: Reflections on the Sunday Readings and Seasons of the Church Year. Copyright © 2007 by Michael W. Merriman. Church Publishing Incorporated, New York
Welcome to St. John’s. We are so glad you are here to worship with us today.
Please keep the following in your prayers: Debra Richardson, Kathy Sullivan, Courtney Turner, Kathleen Gibson, Cole Jefferies, Carol Spencer, Bonnie & Charles Rowland, Jo Liddy, Janet Juengel, Jim Howe, Cliff Clark, Sylvia Ross, Linda Dowling, Susan Taylor, Abigail Grace Fox, Sarah Jones, and Bill Duke.
St. John’s continues to support the Angels of Grace and the Anchor Mission ministries.
Grace Food Pantry: plastic bags go in the labeled container in the narthex.
Thank you for your donations. They are all greatly appreciated and needed.
Vestry will meet 5:30 pm Monday, May 16, in the undercroft.
Contact info:
Email: rector@saintjohnshelena.org
St. John’s Church Office:
Phone: 870-338-8115
Email: office@saintjohnshelena.org
Mailing address: P.O. Box 770, Helena, AR 72342
Street address: 625 Pecan St., Helena, Arkansas
The Most Rev. Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury
The Most Rev. Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church
The Rt. Reverend Larry R. Benfield, Bishop of Arkansas
Rev. Teresa Cantrell
The Vestry of St. John’s Church, Helena
Allison Biederman, Senior Warden (2022)
Ed Pat Wright, Junior Warden (2023)
Brooke Tappan, Clerk (2023), Tap Jennings (2023)
Mark Rogers (2022), Susan Carter (2022)
West Hornor (2024), Ned Pillow (2024)
Walter Morris, Treasurer
Pianist –Dagmar Bergan
Organist – Dr. Gabriel Statom
Lay Eucharist Minister & Acolyte – Ben Pittman
Altar Guild – Nancy Hornor
Ushers – Jack Hornor & Tap Jennings
Facebook Live – Nancy Hornor
The flowers on the altar are given to the glory of God
and in thanksgiving for
Teresa Cantrell and her family as our supply priest.
Given by Ned & Jill Pillow
