Second Sunday of Easter: "Peace Be With You" — John 20:19-31 | St. Peter's by-the-Sea

Fr. Craig: Well, good morning and welcome on this.

Fr. Craig: Absolutely beautiful.

Fr. Craig: Uh, first Sunday after Easter.

Fr. Craig: Um, not too many announcements.

Fr. Craig: Uh, really just two.

Fr. Craig: The first one being that, uh,

Fr. Craig: the Bible study on Wednesday at

Fr. Craig: noon by Zoom is, has completed

Fr. Craig: its travels through first and

Fr. Craig: second Samuel and is going to

Fr. Craig: begin looking at the letter to

Fr. Craig: the Hebrews.

Fr. Craig: So if you're interested in a short time to try out Bible

Fr. Craig: study, now is the time.

Fr. Craig: Let me know.

Fr. Craig: I'll put you on the email list.

Fr. Craig: Second announcement.

Fr. Craig: Uh, if you read the inet this week, April showers bring May

Fr. Craig: flowers and at the community market, personal hygiene pieces.

Fr. Craig: So the community market this month is asking people to focus

Fr. Craig: on personal hygiene items soap, shampoo, toothpaste, floss,

Fr. Craig: toothbrushes, things like that.

Fr. Craig: Things that are getting more and more expensive and with limited

Fr. Craig: incomes hard to get.

Fr. Craig: Those are the one.

Fr. Craig: Those are the items that we

Fr. Craig: rarely get from any of our

Fr. Craig: sources.

Fr. Craig: So if you have time to pick up

Fr. Craig: an extra shampoo or extra

Fr. Craig: package of soap, greatly

Fr. Craig: appreciated.

Fr. Craig: So those are my announcements at this time.

Fr. Craig: Let's take a moment of quiet as we prepare for worship.

Fr. Craig: Alleluia!

Fr. Craig: Christ is risen indeed!

Fr. Craig: Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known.

Fr. Craig: And from you no secrets are hid.

Fr. Craig: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of

Fr. Craig: your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily

Fr. Craig: magnify your holy name through Christ our Lord.

Fr. Craig: Amen.

Fr. Craig: And reading between the staves, let us say together.

Fr. Craig: Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth.

Fr. Craig: Lord God, heavenly King,

Fr. Craig: Almighty God and Father, we

Fr. Craig: worship you.

Fr. Craig: We give you thanks.

Fr. Craig: We praise you for your glory.

Fr. Craig: Lord Jesus Christ, only son of

Fr. Craig: the father, Lord God, Lamb of

Fr. Craig: God, you take away the sin of

Fr. Craig: the world.

Fr. Craig: Have mercy on us.

Fr. Craig: You are seated at the right hand of the father.

Fr. Craig: Receive our prayer.

Fr. Craig: For you alone are the Holy One.

Fr. Craig: You alone are the Lord.

Fr. Craig: You alone are the Most High,

Fr. Craig: Jesus Christ with the Holy

Fr. Craig: Spirit in the glory of God the

Fr. Craig: Father.

Fr. Craig: Amen.

Fr. Craig: The Lord be with you.

Fr. Craig: Let us pray.

Fr. Craig: Almighty and everlasting God,

Fr. Craig: who in the Paschal mystery

Fr. Craig: established the new covenant of

Fr. Craig: reconciliation.

Fr. Craig: Grant that all who have been

Fr. Craig: reborn into the fellowship of

Fr. Craig: Christ's body may show forth in

Fr. Craig: their lives what they profess by

Fr. Craig: their faith.

Fr. Craig: Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you

Fr. Craig: and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Fr. Craig: Amen.

Fr. Craig: Please be seated for the readings.

Speaker 2: A reading from the acts of the apostles.

Speaker 2: Peter, standing with the eleven,

Speaker 2: raised his voice and addressed

Speaker 2: the crowd.

Speaker 2: You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say.

Speaker 2: Jesus of Nazareth, a man

Speaker 2: attested to you by God with

Speaker 2: deeds of power, wonders, and

Speaker 2: signs that God did through him

Speaker 2: among you.

Speaker 2: As you yourselves know, this man handed over to you according to

Speaker 2: the definite plan and foreknowledge of God.

Speaker 2: You crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law.

Speaker 2: But God raised him up, having freed him from death because it

Speaker 2: was impossible for him to be held in its power.

Speaker 2: For David says concerning him, I saw the Lord always before me,

Speaker 2: for he is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken.

Speaker 2: Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced.

Speaker 2: Moreover, my flesh will live in hope.

Speaker 2: For you will not abandon my soul

Speaker 2: to Hades, or let your Holy One

Speaker 2: experience corruption.

Speaker 2: You have made known to me the ways of life.

Speaker 2: You will make me full of gladness with your presence.

Speaker 2: Fellow Israelites, I may say to you confidently of our ancestor

Speaker 2: David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is within,

Speaker 2: is with us to this day.

Speaker 2: Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath

Speaker 2: to him that he would put one of his descendants on the throne.

Speaker 2: For seeing this, David spoke of

Speaker 2: the resurrection of the Messiah,

Speaker 2: saying, he was not abandoned to

Speaker 2: Hades, nor did his flesh

Speaker 2: experience corruption.

Speaker 2: This Jesus got this Jesus God raised up.

Speaker 2: And of that all of us are witnesses.

Speaker 2: The word of the Lord.

Speaker 3: Thanks be to God.

Speaker 2: Please join me in reading Psalm sixteen.

Speaker 2: Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you.

Speaker 2: I have said to.

Speaker 3: The Lord, you are my Lord, my good above all others.

Speaker 3: All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land, upon those

Speaker 3: who are noble among the people.

Speaker 3: But those who run after other

Speaker 3: gods shall have their troubles

Speaker 3: multiplied.

Speaker 3: They.

Speaker 3: Libations of blood I will not

Speaker 3: offer nor take the names of

Speaker 3: their God.

Speaker 2: Upon my lips.

Speaker 3: O Lord, you are my portion and my cup.

Speaker 3: It is you who uphold my lot.

Speaker 3: My boundaries enclose a pleasant land.

Speaker 3: Indeed I have a goodly heritage.

Speaker 3: I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel.

Speaker 3: My heart teaches me night after night.

Speaker 3: I have set the Lord always before me.

Speaker 3: Because he is at my right hand, and I shall not fall.

Speaker 3: My heart therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices.

Speaker 3: My body also.

Speaker 2: Shall rest and hope.

Speaker 2: For you will not abandon me to the grave, nor let your Holy One

Speaker 2: see the pit.

Speaker 2: You will show me the path of life.

Speaker 2: In your presence there is fullness of joy.

Speaker 3: And in your right hand.

Speaker 2: Are pleasures forevermore.

Speaker 2: A reading from the first letter of Peter.

Speaker 2: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Speaker 2: By his mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope

Speaker 2: through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and

Speaker 2: into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and

Speaker 2: unfading, kept in heaven for you who are being protected by the

Speaker 2: power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed

Speaker 2: in the last time.

Speaker 2: In this you rejoice, even if now

Speaker 2: for a little while you have had

Speaker 2: to suffer various trials so that

Speaker 2: the genuineness of your faith

Speaker 2: being more precious than gold,

Speaker 2: that, though perishable is

Speaker 2: tested by fire, may be found to

Speaker 2: result in praise and glory and

Speaker 2: honor when Jesus Christ is

Speaker 2: revealed.

Speaker 2: Although you have not seen him, you love him.

Speaker 2: And even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and

Speaker 2: rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy.

Speaker 2: For you are not, for you are

Speaker 2: receiving the outcome of your

Speaker 2: faith, the salvation of your

Speaker 2: souls.

Speaker 2: The word of the Lord.

Speaker 3: Thanks be to God.

Fr. Craig: The Holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.

Fr. Craig: Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Fr. Craig: When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and

Fr. Craig: the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked

Fr. Craig: for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said,

Fr. Craig: peace be with you.

Fr. Craig: After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side.

Fr. Craig: Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord Jesus again

Fr. Craig: said to them, peace be with you.

Fr. Craig: As the father has sent me, so I send you.

Fr. Craig: When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to

Fr. Craig: them, Receive the Holy Spirit.

Fr. Craig: If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them.

Fr. Craig: If you retain the sins of any, they are retained.

Fr. Craig: But Thomas, who was called the twin, one of the twelve, was not

Fr. Craig: with them when Jesus came.

Fr. Craig: So the other disciples told him, we have seen the Lord.

Fr. Craig: But he said to them, unless I see the mark of the nails in his

Fr. Craig: hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in

Fr. Craig: his side, I will not believe.

Fr. Craig: A week later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas

Fr. Craig: was with them.

Fr. Craig: Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them

Fr. Craig: and said, peace be with you.

Fr. Craig: Then he said to Thomas, put your finger here and see my hands.

Fr. Craig: Reach out your hand and put it in my side.

Fr. Craig: Do not doubt but believe.

Fr. Craig: Thomas answered him, my Lord and my God.

Fr. Craig: Jesus said to him, have you

Fr. Craig: believed because you have seen

Fr. Craig: me?

Fr. Craig: Blessed are those who have not

Fr. Craig: seen and yet have come to

Fr. Craig: believe.

Fr. Craig: Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his

Fr. Craig: disciples, which are not written in this book, but these are

Fr. Craig: written so that you may come out to believe that Jesus is the

Fr. Craig: Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may

Fr. Craig: have life in his name.

Fr. Craig: The gospel of the Lord.

Fr. Craig: Praise to you, Lord Christ, in

Fr. Craig: the name of God, father, Son and

Fr. Craig: Holy Spirit.

Fr. Craig: Amen.

Fr. Craig: Please be seated.

Fr. Craig: I'm going to tell you, lifting that gold covered gospel book

Fr. Craig: weighs a ton.

Fr. Craig: I think my biceps and triceps

Fr. Craig: are going to get a workout

Fr. Craig: today.

Fr. Craig: Anyway, last week during my homily, I said kind of the

Fr. Craig: phrase from the Gospel of Matthew on Easter Sunday is

Fr. Craig: don't be afraid.

Fr. Craig: Today's phrase from the Gospel of John is peace be with you.

Fr. Craig: We heard it at least three

Fr. Craig: times, all from Jesus to the

Fr. Craig: disciples.

Fr. Craig: Now, context for today's reading.

Fr. Craig: If you didn't quite pick it up from how it started, is.

Fr. Craig: We're kind of at the end of the day on Easter Sunday.

Fr. Craig: This isn't three weeks later.

Fr. Craig: Six weeks later or anything like that.

Fr. Craig: This is the Sunday after the crucifixion.

Fr. Craig: The disciples were assuming, are

Fr. Craig: aware from the women that Jesus

Fr. Craig: has risen, but they are still

Fr. Craig: holed up in that upper room

Fr. Craig: where the Last Supper took

Fr. Craig: place, because they are afraid

Fr. Craig: and they have every reason to be

Fr. Craig: afraid, mostly because their

Fr. Craig: concern is the authorities are

Fr. Craig: going to come and get them, and

Fr. Craig: they're going to have the same

Fr. Craig: fate that Jesus had on the

Fr. Craig: previous Fridays.

Fr. Craig: So their fear is real.

Fr. Craig: Their reason for being together

Fr. Craig: is a combination of kind of

Fr. Craig: misery.

Fr. Craig: Loves company.

Fr. Craig: They're afraid.

Fr. Craig: They're grieving.

Fr. Craig: And there's one other piece in there that we don't talk about,

Fr. Craig: which is, I think on some level, those eleven men are ashamed.

Fr. Craig: Why should they be ashamed?

Fr. Craig: Because those who were the most ardent of followers.

Fr. Craig: During Jesus's worst moments were nowhere to be found.

Fr. Craig: The women were found in the

Fr. Craig: Gospels at the foot of the

Fr. Craig: cross.

Fr. Craig: I would like to hypothesize that that's why they got to be the

Fr. Craig: first ones to find out about the resurrection, because they hung

Fr. Craig: in there to the bitter end.

Fr. Craig: But the apostles were nowhere to be found in the crucifixion.

Fr. Craig: The only one that we truly know of after the Garden of Eden or

Fr. Craig: Garden of Gethsemane.

Fr. Craig: Excuse me.

Fr. Craig: Wrong garden.

Fr. Craig: It's not a good morning, let me tell you.

Fr. Craig: At the Garden of Gethsemane, we

Fr. Craig: really hear about Peter and his

Fr. Craig: denial of Jesus during the

Fr. Craig: trial.

Fr. Craig: Ultimate betrayal.

Fr. Craig: So when Jesus comes through the locked door, which, quite

Fr. Craig: frankly, would freak me out because we talk about the

Fr. Craig: resurrected body, he could eat, but he could go through doors.

Fr. Craig: Kind of.

Fr. Craig: No one's quite figured that one out yet.

Fr. Craig: I can imagine what the fear was

Fr. Craig: replacing all the fear of the

Fr. Craig: authorities.

Fr. Craig: Jesus is here.

Fr. Craig: Kind of feels like it's a ghost.

Fr. Craig: We're not sure.

Fr. Craig: And so Jesus begins to allay

Fr. Craig: their fears with peace be with

Fr. Craig: you.

Fr. Craig: But that line goes even deeper as he extends his hand and his

Fr. Craig: side to those who fail to believe what he had told them.

Fr. Craig: Because in doing so, not only is he offering them peace, but he

Fr. Craig: is offering them forgiveness.

Fr. Craig: One of the podcasts I listened

Fr. Craig: to in preparation is called Same

Fr. Craig: Old Song, and the two Episcopal

Fr. Craig: priests that presented every

Fr. Craig: week.

Fr. Craig: We're talking about this very moment.

Fr. Craig: They said, if I was Jacob Christ, I would turn around.

Fr. Craig: I'm not sure.

Fr. Craig: I would say peace be with you is I would be angry, frustrated

Fr. Craig: that they had let him down.

Fr. Craig: But Jesus offers peace in that

Fr. Craig: moment and he offers

Fr. Craig: forgiveness.

Fr. Craig: He understood and accepted their frail humanity that could not

Fr. Craig: sustain itself in the horrors of the moments of Good Friday.

Fr. Craig: And just like from his words on the cross as he looked out, and

Fr. Craig: the total betrayal of humanity towards God with the words,

Fr. Craig: forgive them, for they know not what they do.

Fr. Craig: Jesus enters that upper room not just to allay their grief.

Fr. Craig: But to offer them the peace that forgiveness brings with it.

Fr. Craig: A true peace, not one that is constrained by some sort of

Fr. Craig: contract, but a true deep peace that comes with the willingness

Fr. Craig: and the ability to fully forgive and be forgiven.

Fr. Craig: I think that's a lesson for all of us, I know.

Fr. Craig: As I've said to you before, one of the hardest things for me is

Fr. Craig: to let go of things, to offer peace, to offer full forgiveness

Fr. Craig: because it just eats at you and ruminates in you.

Fr. Craig: And part of offering forgiveness

Fr. Craig: is the ability to let go of

Fr. Craig: something.

Fr. Craig: Forgiveness really isn't designed, as we say, to.

Fr. Craig: It's not about the other person,

Fr. Craig: it's about the other person not

Fr. Craig: being able to have space in your

Fr. Craig: head.

Fr. Craig: And true forgiveness comes when

Fr. Craig: we're able to let go of whatever

Fr. Craig: that offense may be or feel as

Fr. Craig: if, and allow us perhaps to

Fr. Craig: enter into some form of

Fr. Craig: conversation.

Fr. Craig: The only way that we get to peace between warring sides is

Fr. Craig: by one side being vulnerable in the way that Jesus was

Fr. Craig: vulnerable to the disciples on that evening, instead of being

Fr. Craig: angry and cross, which he had every right to be.

Fr. Craig: He starts by saying, peace be with you.

Fr. Craig: And offering that deep, rich bit.

Fr. Craig: As the rabbi would tell you, the peace that he's offering is

Fr. Craig: shalom, which is again, a very deep, realistic peace.

Fr. Craig: It is only when one side or the

Fr. Craig: other is willing to go there and

Fr. Craig: be vulnerable, that we are able

Fr. Craig: to begin the process of

Fr. Craig: reconciliation.

Fr. Craig: And as I look out at this world today, I look at this country, I

Fr. Craig: look at the wars that we are seeing going on around us, It

Fr. Craig: seems that we're more about being right than we are about

Fr. Craig: actually being in relationship.

Fr. Craig: And I see that in this country, in this community in which we

Fr. Craig: live, that it seems as if we've gotten more to a point about

Fr. Craig: being right on something than being in relationship, whether

Fr. Craig: it be in terms of our politics, whether it be in terms of what

Fr. Craig: we believe to be true or even how we think one another should

Fr. Craig: live their lives.

Fr. Craig: Oftentimes, what we find when

Fr. Craig: we're willing to let go of our

Fr. Craig: pride and be vulnerable to one

Fr. Craig: who we feel is wrong or has

Fr. Craig: wronged us, we allow ourselves

Fr. Craig: to enter into communication and

Fr. Craig: discover that we really want the

Fr. Craig: same things.

Fr. Craig: We're coming at it from a very different angle.

Fr. Craig: What I find so interesting about

Fr. Craig: the church throughout its

Fr. Craig: history is the one place that

Fr. Craig: teaches.

Fr. Craig: Peace has also been the institution that is about schism

Fr. Craig: and warfare among itself.

Fr. Craig: Within three hundred years of our existence as an institution,

Fr. Craig: this church, the Greater Church, was at war with itself as it was

Fr. Craig: hammering out the Nicene Creed.

Fr. Craig: And then we had factions between

Fr. Craig: Arius and say, I can't think of

Fr. Craig: the other person at this point,

Fr. Craig: two sides, and they're arguing

Fr. Craig: over the eternity of Jesus

Fr. Craig: coeternal with the father, or

Fr. Craig: was there a time when he was

Fr. Craig: not?

Fr. Craig: And the reason I bring that up

Fr. Craig: is because the argument was

Fr. Craig: about the word homoousios or

Fr. Craig: homoousios.

Fr. Craig: One meant fully eternal co-eternal with the father, the

Fr. Craig: other meant there was a time when Christ was not The letter

Fr. Craig: that separated them was an iota.

Fr. Craig: The first schism in the church was over an iota, one iota.

Fr. Craig: And as we look at the continued history of our church, we of the

Fr. Craig: church, we find this constant seasoning instead of it being

Fr. Craig: about peace and reconciliation.

Fr. Craig: It's been about one side versus the other.

Fr. Craig: And throughout my sixty three

Fr. Craig: years of life, I have seen the

Fr. Craig: institutional church divide and

Fr. Craig: divide and divide again over any

Fr. Craig: issue.

Fr. Craig: You pick it.

Fr. Craig: We have had division.

Fr. Craig: When I was ordained twenty

Fr. Craig: twenty five, almost twenty six

Fr. Craig: years ago.

Fr. Craig: Gene Robinson was consecrated bishop.

Fr. Craig: Over how people loved.

Fr. Craig: We divided.

Fr. Craig: And while I know we are on that

Fr. Craig: side of the aisle that stayed

Fr. Craig: with the Episcopal Church and

Fr. Craig: opened our hearts up to the LGBT

Fr. Craig: community fully.

Fr. Craig: There was still a war over who was allowed in and who was

Fr. Craig: allowed out, and churches separated and broke off.

Fr. Craig: It's amazing how even in the

Fr. Craig: church where the first words of

Fr. Craig: the risen Christ to his

Fr. Craig: disciples were, peace be with

Fr. Craig: you.

Fr. Craig: We are so willing to drop those

Fr. Craig: words and prefer to be right

Fr. Craig: over being a full and inclusive

Fr. Craig: community.

Fr. Craig: And so this day, I bring to each and every one of us as this

Fr. Craig: congregation, who, as those who've been with me for these

Fr. Craig: last ten years know, has been rife at times with conflict and

Fr. Craig: disruption is to offer us this thought and continued thought

Fr. Craig: that, as we say, that the center of our existence is the altar

Fr. Craig: and the cross.

Fr. Craig: The center of our ministry and relationship with each other is

Fr. Craig: to look for and fight for peace.

Fr. Craig: Community relationship.

Fr. Craig: In the same way, Christ walks

Fr. Craig: into the room with the disciples

Fr. Craig: and allays their fears when they

Fr. Craig: see him, not just because they

Fr. Craig: thought he was a ghost, but

Fr. Craig: because of how they had let him

Fr. Craig: down.

Fr. Craig: He doesn't bring it up, but merely says, peace be with you.

Fr. Craig: May we each week, even with

Fr. Craig: those whom we are angry with,

Fr. Craig: those whom we do not agree with,

Fr. Craig: seek peace and community with

Fr. Craig: each other and make that our

Fr. Craig: goal throughout this Easter

Fr. Craig: season.

Fr. Craig: Amen.

Fr. Craig: I invite you to please stand and

Fr. Craig: join me in affirming our faith

Fr. Craig: with the words of the Nicene

Fr. Craig: Creed.

Fr. Craig: We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of

Fr. Craig: heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.

Fr. Craig: We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,

Fr. Craig: eternally begotten of the father, God from God, light from

Fr. Craig: light, true God from true God.

Fr. Craig: Begotten, not made of one being with the father.

Fr. Craig: Through him all things were made for us and for our salvation.

Fr. Craig: He came down from heaven by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Fr. Craig: He became incarnate from the Virgin Mary and was made man.

Fr. Craig: For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate.

Fr. Craig: He suffered death and was buried.

Fr. Craig: On the third day he rose again

Fr. Craig: in accordance with the

Fr. Craig: scriptures.

Fr. Craig: He ascended into heaven and is

Fr. Craig: seated at the right hand of the

Fr. Craig: father.

Fr. Craig: He will come again in glory to

Fr. Craig: judge the living and the dead,

Fr. Craig: and his kingdom will have no

Fr. Craig: end.

Fr. Craig: We believe in the Holy Spirit,

Fr. Craig: the Lord, the giver of life, who

Fr. Craig: proceeds from the father and the

Fr. Craig: son.

Fr. Craig: With the father and the son.

Fr. Craig: He is worshiped and glorified.

Fr. Craig: He has spoken through the prophets.

Fr. Craig: We believe in one holy, Catholic and apostolic church.

Fr. Craig: We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

Fr. Craig: We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the

Fr. Craig: world to come.

Fr. Craig: Amen.

Speaker 4: In peace we pray to you, Lord God, for all people in their

Speaker 4: daily life and work.

Fr. Craig: For our families, friends and

Fr. Craig: neighbors, and for those who are

Fr. Craig: alone.

Speaker 4: For this community, the nation and the world.

Fr. Craig: All who work for justice, freedom and peace.

Speaker 4: For the just and proper use of your creation.

Fr. Craig: For the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.

Speaker 4: For all who are in danger, sorrow, or any kind of trouble.

Fr. Craig: For those who minister to the

Fr. Craig: sick, the friendless and the

Fr. Craig: needy.

Speaker 4: For the peace and unity of the Church of God.

Fr. Craig: For all who proclaim the gospel and all who seek the truth.

Speaker 4: For Sean, our presiding Bishop, Nicholas our bishop, and for all

Speaker 4: bishops and other ministers.

Fr. Craig: All who serve God in His Church.

Speaker 4: For the special needs and concerns of this congregation.

Speaker 4: And our parish cycle of prayer.

Speaker 4: We pray for Brian Bannan, Betsy

Speaker 4: and Bill Barber and Richard and

Speaker 4: Robin Beaupre.

Speaker 4: In our diocesan cycle of prayer,

Speaker 4: we pray for the Episcopal

Speaker 4: Church.

Speaker 4: Women.

Speaker 4: Hear us, Lord.

Fr. Craig: For your mercy is great.

Speaker 4: We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life.

Speaker 4: We will exalt you, our oh God, our King.

Fr. Craig: And praise your name forever and ever.

Speaker 4: We pray for all who have died, especially Mary M Worrell and

Speaker 4: Mary Ertz, for whom the flowers on the altar are given, and for

Speaker 4: Jean garish that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom.

Speaker 4: Lord, let your loving kindness be upon them.

Fr. Craig: Who put their trust in you.

Fr. Craig: As I offer the closing collect, I ask you again to pray for

Fr. Craig: peace throughout this world.

Fr. Craig: O Lord our God, accept the

Fr. Craig: fervent prayers of your people

Fr. Craig: in the multitude of your

Fr. Craig: mercies.

Fr. Craig: Look with compassion upon us,

Fr. Craig: and all who turn to you for

Fr. Craig: help.

Fr. Craig: For you are gracious, oh lover of souls.

Fr. Craig: And to you we give glory, father, son, and Holy Spirit,

Fr. Craig: now and forever.

Fr. Craig: Amen.

Fr. Craig: Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

Fr. Craig: Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you

Fr. Craig: in thought, word and deed, by what we have done and by what we

Fr. Craig: have left undone.

Fr. Craig: We have not loved you with our whole heart.

Fr. Craig: We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.

Fr. Craig: We are truly sorry and we humbly

Fr. Craig: repent for the sake of your Son,

Fr. Craig: Jesus Christ.

Fr. Craig: Have mercy on us and forgive us that we may delight in your will

Fr. Craig: and walk in your ways to the glory of your name.

Fr. Craig: Amen.

Fr. Craig: Almighty God, have mercy on you.

Fr. Craig: Forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Fr. Craig: strengthen you in all goodness and by the power of the Holy

Fr. Craig: Spirit keep you in eternal life.

Fr. Craig: Amen.

Fr. Craig: Please be seated.

Fr. Craig: And I invite those who have weddings or wedding

Fr. Craig: anniversaries or birthdays during the month of April to

Fr. Craig: please come forward.

Fr. Craig: Birthday, birthday, birthday, birthday.

Fr. Craig: Okay, that makes it easy.

Speaker 5: Don't marry those.

Fr. Craig: In my old book, the page was already popped right open.

Fr. Craig: But yes, the Lord be with you.

Fr. Craig: Let us pray.

Fr. Craig: Watch over your children, oh Lord, as their days increase.

Fr. Craig: Bless and guide them wherever they may be.

Fr. Craig: Strengthen them when they stand.

Fr. Craig: Comfort them when discouraged or sorrowful.

Fr. Craig: Raise them up when they fall.

Fr. Craig: And in their hearts.

Fr. Craig: May your peace which passes all understanding abide all the days

Fr. Craig: of their lives.

Fr. Craig: Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Fr. Craig: Amen.

Fr. Craig: And the peace of the Lord be always with you.

Speaker 3: And with you.

Fr. Craig: Let us greet one another with a sign of Christ's love for us.

Fr. Craig: Walk in love as Christ loved us and gave himself for us an

Fr. Craig: offering and sacrifice to God.

Fr. Craig: All things come from you, oh

Fr. Craig: Lord, and of your own have we

Fr. Craig: given you.

Fr. Craig: Amen.

Fr. Craig: The Lord be with you.

Fr. Craig: Lift up your hearts.

Fr. Craig: We lift them to the Lord.

Fr. Craig: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

Fr. Craig: It is right to give him thanks and praise.

Fr. Craig: It is right and a good and joyful thing always and

Fr. Craig: everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, creator of

Fr. Craig: heaven and earth.

Fr. Craig: But chiefly are we bound to praise you for the glorious

Fr. Craig: resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Fr. Craig: For he is the true Paschal Lamb

Fr. Craig: who was sacrificed for us and

Fr. Craig: has taken away the sin of the

Fr. Craig: world.

Fr. Craig: By his death he has destroyed

Fr. Craig: death, and by his rising to life

Fr. Craig: again he has won for us

Fr. Craig: everlasting life.

Fr. Craig: Therefore, we praise you, joining our voices with angels

Fr. Craig: and archangels, and with all the company of heaven who forever

Fr. Craig: sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your name.

Fr. Craig: Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might.

Fr. Craig: Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Fr. Craig: Hosanna in the highest.

Fr. Craig: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Fr. Craig: Hosanna in the highest.

Fr. Craig: Holy and gracious father, in

Fr. Craig: your infinite love you made us

Fr. Craig: for yourself.

Fr. Craig: And when we had fallen into sin and become subject to evil and

Fr. Craig: death, you in your mercy sent Jesus Christ, your only and

Fr. Craig: eternal son, to share our human nature, to live and die as one

Fr. Craig: of us, to reconcile us to you, the God and Father of all.

Fr. Craig: He stretched out his arms upon

Fr. Craig: the cross and offered himself in

Fr. Craig: obedience to your will, a

Fr. Craig: perfect sacrifice for the whole

Fr. Craig: world.

Fr. Craig: On the night he was handed over to suffering and death, our Lord

Fr. Craig: Jesus Christ took bread.

Fr. Craig: And when he had given thanks to

Fr. Craig: you, he broke it and gave it to

Fr. Craig: his disciples and said, take,

Fr. Craig: eat.

Fr. Craig: This is my body which is given for you.

Fr. Craig: Do this for the remembrance of me.

Fr. Craig: After supper he took the cup of wine, and when he had given

Fr. Craig: thanks, he gave it to them and said, drink this, all of you.

Fr. Craig: This is my blood of the new

Fr. Craig: Covenant, which is shed for you

Fr. Craig: and for many for the forgiveness

Fr. Craig: of sins.

Fr. Craig: Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me.

Fr. Craig: Therefore, we proclaim the mystery of faith.

Fr. Craig: Christ has died.

Fr. Craig: Christ is risen.

Fr. Craig: Christ will come again.

Fr. Craig: We celebrate the memorial of our redemption.

Fr. Craig: Oh father, in this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving,

Fr. Craig: recalling his death, resurrection, and ascension, we

Fr. Craig: offer you these gifts.

Fr. Craig: Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people,

Fr. Craig: the body and blood of your son, the holy food and drink of new

Fr. Craig: and unending life in him.

Fr. Craig: Sanctify us also, that we may faithfully receive this holy

Fr. Craig: sacrament and serve you in unity, constancy, and peace.

Fr. Craig: At the last day.

Fr. Craig: Bring us with all your saints

Fr. Craig: into the joy of your eternal

Fr. Craig: kingdom.

Fr. Craig: All this we ask through your Son Jesus Christ, by him and with

Fr. Craig: him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit.

Fr. Craig: All honor and glory is yours,

Fr. Craig: Almighty father, now and

Fr. Craig: forever.

Fr. Craig: Amen.

Fr. Craig: And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to

Fr. Craig: say, Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Fr. Craig: Thy kingdom come, thy will be

Fr. Craig: done, on earth as it is in

Fr. Craig: heaven.

Fr. Craig: Give us this day our daily bread.

Fr. Craig: And forgive us our trespasses,

Fr. Craig: as we forgive those who trespass

Fr. Craig: against us.

Fr. Craig: And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Fr. Craig: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,

Fr. Craig: forever and ever.

Fr. Craig: Amen.

Fr. Craig: Alleluia.

Fr. Craig: Christ, our Passover is sacrificed for us.

Fr. Craig: Therefore let us keep the feast.

Fr. Craig: Hallelujah!

Fr. Craig: The gifts of God for the people of God.

Fr. Craig: Take them in remembrance that

Fr. Craig: Christ died for you and feed on

Fr. Craig: him in your hearts by faith with

Fr. Craig: thanksgiving.

Fr. Craig: Let us pray.

Fr. Craig: Almighty and ever living God, we thank you for feeding us with

Fr. Craig: the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood of your

Fr. Craig: son, our Savior Jesus Christ.

Fr. Craig: And for assuring us in these

Fr. Craig: holy mysteries that we are

Fr. Craig: living members of the body of

Fr. Craig: your son and heirs of your

Fr. Craig: eternal kingdom.

Fr. Craig: And now, father, send us out to

Fr. Craig: do the work you have given us to

Fr. Craig: do, to love and serve you as

Fr. Craig: faithful witnesses of Christ our

Fr. Craig: Lord, to him, to you, and to the

Fr. Craig: Holy Spirit.

Fr. Craig: Be honor and glory now and forever.

Fr. Craig: Amen.

Fr. Craig: May the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our

Fr. Craig: Lord Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through

Fr. Craig: the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in

Fr. Craig: every good work to do his will, working in you that which is

Fr. Craig: well pleasing in his sight.

Fr. Craig: And the blessing of God Almighty, the father, the son,

Fr. Craig: and the Holy Spirit be among you and remain with you always.

Fr. Craig: Amen.

Fr. Craig: Let us go forth into the world,

Fr. Craig: rejoicing in the power of the

Fr. Craig: spirit.

Fr. Craig: Alleluia, Alleluia.

Fr. Craig: Thanks be to God.

Fr. Craig: Alleluia, Alleluia.