In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Sprit.
Amen.
The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.
Lord Jesus, you are the light of the world.
Lord have mercy.
Christ Jesus, you are the redeemer of the world.
Christ have mercy.
Lord Jesus, knowing our sins you love us still.
Lord have mercy.
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.
A Hymn of Praise
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
Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
Old Testament Revelation 7:9-17
After this I, John, looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying,
"Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!" And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, singing,
"Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom
and thanksgiving and honor
and power and might
be to our God forever and ever! Amen."
Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?" I said to him, "Sir, you are the one that knows." Then he said to me, "These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
"For this reason they are before the throne of God,
and worship him day and night within his temple,
and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.
They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;
the sun will not strike them,
nor any scorching heat;
for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
Psalm 34:1-10,22 Benedicam Dominum
1 I will bless the Lord at all times; *
his praise shall ever be in my mouth.
2 I will glory in the Lord; *
let the humble hear and rejoice.
3 Proclaim with me the greatness of the Lord; *
let us exalt his Name together.
4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me *
and delivered me out of all my terror.
5 Look upon him and be radiant, *
and let not your faces be ashamed.
6 I called in my affliction and the Lord heard me *
and saved me from all my troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encompasses those who fear him, *
and he will deliver them.
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; *
happy are they who trust in him!
9 Fear the Lord, you that are his saints, *
for those who fear him lack nothing.
10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger, *
but those who seek the Lord lack nothing that is good.
22 The Lord ransoms the life of his servants, *
and none will be punished who trust in him.
The Epistle 1 John 3:1-3
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
The Gospel Matthew 5:1-12
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
"Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
The Sermon Fr. Nelson Gaetz
I shudder to think how many times I have preached on the Beatitudes. They roll around every year at All Saints. They can project a vision of God’s kingdom. They can inspire us by how many of the “saints of old” lived by them. They can challenge us to live better lives. They can drive us to our knees seeking forgiveness for how many times we fail to live up to them. Somewhere along the line I found some one wiser than me who suggested that these few words in Matthew’s Gospel are so moving because they can mean any and/or all of these interpretations. He suggested that we might plumb the depth of meaning by using them as a jumping off point for a time of reflection. And, yes, I know this is a LONG meditation. So, you might think of this as a meditation for the week. Start with two or three today and then set some time aside every day this week to reflect on one or two more.
Jesus went up the mountain, sat before the crowd, and began to speak. He spoke to disciples long ago and to us today. We are the crowd now. May we listen, learn, and do.
Observe a few minutes of silent reflection.
Richness and fullness in wealth, in knowledge, in spirit do not draw us to heaven. May we be filled with an emptiness and poverty that draws us ever closer to you. May we bring an end to emptiness and poverty that leaves any one isolated and without hope. Bless all with the kingdom of heaven. We are the crowd.
May we listen, learn, and do.
Observe a few minutes of silent reflection.
Clinging to existence we forget to live. Striving for long years we forsake years that are long. May we release memories we cling to. May we acknowledge our sadness and loss. You are with those who have died, be with all those who mourn, make us the instruments of your comfort. We are the crowd. May we listen, learn, and do.
Observe a few minutes of silent reflection.
Longing for power, surety and the status quo, we create systems of privilege, false normal, and stagnation. May we cease to seek privilege and instead long for the dignity of all. May we cease to seek surety and instead long for growth. May we give up stagnation and embrace humility. Make us see the common humanity of all who live on this earth. We are the crowd. May we listen, learn, and do.
Observe a few minutes of silent reflection.
Striving for satiation we surround ourselves with false comforts; in trying to be right we ignore the pain of others. Make us aware of the troubles and concerns around us, take away our security so that we might share that discomfort, bring us to hunger and thirst for righteousness so that everyone may be filled in truth. We are the crowd. May we listen, learn, and do.
Observe a few minutes of silent reflection.
Anger fills us with a need for vengeance and harsh justice; we seek to lessen our pain by inflicting pain upon others. May we acknowledge our anger but not be held by it. May we seek justice for the wrongs done against us but not be defined by them. Give us the gift to be merciful with ourselves and merciful with others so that all may receive mercy. We are the crowd. May we listen, learn, and do.
Observe a few minutes of silent reflection.
Refusing to look inward we carry emotional baggage, we leave parts of ourselves in shadow and darkness, we maintain ingrained habits and reactions. May we acknowledge our immaturity and a need to grow to more full and complete individuals. May we bring light into our inner darkness. Give us pure hearts oh God, so that we might see your face. We are the crowd. May we listen, learn, and do.
Observe a few minutes of silent reflection.
Destruction, not creation, becomes the all-too-easy answer for conflict. May we seek that which is the true opposite of war. May we recognize that creating cultures of peace is as much the cumulative action of our day-to-day lives as it is the acts of those in power. God grant that we might always strive for peace, that we might be called the children of God. We are the crowd. May we listen, learn, and do.
Observe a few minutes of silent reflection.
Limited as we are it is impossible to know and understand you fully. May we strive to discern when we are being persecuted for witnessing your truth and when we are being critiqued to know you more fully. May we never claim persecution in order to avoid necessary change. Grant that any adversity we face may bring us only closer to the truth of your kingdom. We are the crowd. May we listen, learn, and do.
Observe a few minutes of silent reflection.
Christians throughout the world seek to walk the path that Jesus set for us. May we never walk the easy path of complacency. May we ever seek to speak your truth. May we never stop on the account of social stigma. May we ever seek to die to the world and live in Christ Crucified. Grant that we will continue to walk the way of the prophets and saints of old. We are the crowd. May we listen, learn, and do.
Observe a few minutes of silent reflection.
Amen.
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.
THE PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
In communion with the holy ones of every time and place, let us pray for the church on earth, the stewardship of creation, and all in need.
A brief silence.
We bless you, God of glory, for the power of your Spirit working in the church. We pray for Michael and DeDe, our Bishops, and Nelson, our Rector, Gary and Barry, our Wardens, and the Vestry. Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Give us courage to serve you faithfully in our time, for the sake of the world you love. Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
We bless you for the abundant beauty of all that you have made. Guide us to restore and protect the living earth, that future generations may praise you with joy. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.
We bless you for the hope of peace on earth. Raise up leaders of integrity who will strive for justice and reconciliation among nations. Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
We bless you for your tender care for the poor, the hungry, and those who weep. Sustain the hope of refugees, exiles and prisoners, the wounded, the oppressed, and all who face danger and those for whom we pray Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.
We bless you for the saints of this congregation—past, present, and yet to come. Enlighten our hearts, so that we may minister in and beyond this place to the praise of your glory. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.
God of hope, keep us in fellowship with all your saints who have touched our lives and those most dear to us who now rest in you:
Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord:
And let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they and all the faithful departed, through your mercy, rest in peace.
Amen
So now we pray with confidence to the Father the words our Lord Jesus taught us:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by the 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 Closing Blessing
May God almighty bless and keep us, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
We go now in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Amen.