In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Christ has risen.
Christ has risen indeed!
THE EXSULTET
Rejoice now, heavenly hosts and choirs of angels,
and let your trumpets shout Salvation
for the victory of our mighty King.
Rejoice and sing now, all the round earth,
bright with a glorious splendor,
for darkness has been vanquished by our eternal King.
Rejoice and be glad now, Mother Church,
and let your holy courts, in radiant light,
resound with the praises of your people.
We pray to God the Almighty
for the grace to sing the worthy praise of his great glory;
through Jesus Christ His Son our Lord,
who lives and reigns with Him,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
LITURGY OF THE WORD
O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
The First Lesson
Acts 1:6-14
When the apostles had come together, they asked Jesus, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.
The Response
Psalm 68:1-10, 33-36 Exsurgat Deus
1 Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered; *
let those who hate him flee before him.
2 Let them vanish like smoke when the wind drives it away; *
as the wax melts at the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3 But let the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; *
let them also be merry and joyful.
4 Sing to God, sing praises to his Name;
exalt him who rides upon the heavens; *
YAHWEH is his Name, rejoice before him!
5 Father of orphans, defender of widows, *
God in his holy habitation!
6 God gives the solitary a home and brings forth prisoners into freedom; *
but the rebels shall live in dry places.
7 O God, when you went forth before your people, *
when you marched through the wilderness,
8 The earth shook, and the skies poured down rain,
at the presence of God, the God of Sinai, *
at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9 You sent a gracious rain, O God, upon your inheritance; *
you refreshed the land when it was weary.
10 Your people found their home in it; *
in your goodness, O God, you have made provision for the poor.
33 Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth; *
sing praises to the Lord.
34 He rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens; *
he sends forth his voice, his mighty voice.
35 Ascribe power to God; *
his majesty is over Israel;
his strength is in the skies.
36 How wonderful is God in his holy places! *
the God of Israel giving strength and power to his people!
Blessed be God!
The Second Lesson
1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ's sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you.
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia
Give thanks to the Lord, who is good.
The love of the Lord knows no ending.
All in Israel say,
“God’s love has no end.”
2. The right hand of God raised me up.
The hand of the Lord has triumphed.
I shall never die,
I shall live, telling God’s deeds.
3. The stone which the builders rejected,
becomes the cornerstone chosen.
Praise the work of God
for this marvel in our eyes.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia
The Gospel
John 17:1-11
Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.
”I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.”
THE SERMON Fr. Nelson Gaetz
In New Testament times, when a Roman General or the Emperor won a victory on the battlefield, they held a great parade in Rome to honor him. People flocked to the streets to cheer and celebrate – yelling “glory!” Somewhere along the line, an interesting custom developed that was intended to set all the pomp and honor into a contrasting message. During the parade, a slave rode in the chariot with the general/emperor. Standing just behind him, he burned a length of flax and whispered in the ear of the one being praise “sic transit gloria mundi.” (So passes the glory of the world.) An important word for one with great power and fame. Life is short. Fame is fleeting. Use it wisely. Most often this was only a formality. Roman generals and emperors rarely believed it. They usually thought power was absolute and fame eternal.
Along came those bothersome Christians. Not only did they believe the message of “sic transit gloria mundi,” but they proposed that there was a glory that was absolute and eternal. It was to be found in Jesus. That gets me to the upper room and John’s gospel. Jesus washes the disciple’s feet and serves them. And goes on to die. What kind of strange “glory” is that? How is that powerful and eternal? One of the most popular things that people have been doing during the OVID 19 is adopting shelter dogs. Think with me about one in particular. She is a beautiful pure bred who was living in a “puppy mill.” Terribly abused, emaciated and terrified of men. Perhaps because her beauty shown through but more likely because she was so obviously in need of loving care, she was adopted. That was month ago and progress has been slow. She eats well and is now at her ideal weight. She is learning how to play with other dogs and even lets some men get close to her. In other words, a little love and care has done wonders. Wonders of transformation that power and force could not do. That’s the kind of “glory” the Gospels see in Jesus. “Glory” that lures people into God’s kingdom without conventional power or force.
By the way – that’s why there is a striking difference between John’s Gospel and the other three. If you have been meditating on the sections of John’s Gospel appointed for this Easter Season, I hope you noticed that there is no telling of the institution of the Lord’s Supper (Holy Communion, Eucharist) in John’s Gospel. Some say that’s because he did not need to:
His Gospel is written last, so late that most Christians knew the story so well from their weekly celebrations – see I Corinthians 10.
He has already made clear that Jesus is with us in the “Breaking of the Bread – see John 6 “I am the Bread of Life…” And the Road to Emmaus – see Luke 24.
I prefer to think it is because it’s so easy to forget what true, lasting glory is. Glory, as the world counts Glory is so tempting. So John opts to focus on those intimate examples of loving care. He does so in the hope that we’ll be:
Encouraged by it when life gets difficult. When worldly Glory seems to have triumphed. When we are tempted to forget the size and depth of God’s love for us. “God surely can’t be loving me.” “ Not now, not with what is going on in my life.” “Not with what I have done or not done.”
When we think we need to “go it alone.” When we forget the promised Holy Spirit that surrounds us and uplifts us. More about that next week.
So, my dear friends. My fellow believers in the glory of God. The Glory that the world does not know:
The Glory shown to us in sacrificial love.
The glory that endures unto eternal life…
Be of good cheer. Christ has overcome the glory of the world.
He is risen.
He is risen indeed.
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
Guard Your people, O Lord, and grant us unity of faith and singleness of heart as we come to You in prayer.
Brief silence
Lord, You have delivered the saints from fiery trial and raised up the martyr from the darkness of death to everlasting life. Give us courage, that we may give bold witness to the truth in our own day and proclaim Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, You have pledged to us Your Spirit and promised to supply Your Church with persons who preach and teach Your Word. We pray especially for Michael and DeDe, our Bishops, Nelson, our Rector, the Wardens and Vestry. Give us all ears to hear and hearts to believe Your Word. Raise up those who will serve Your Church in generations to come, that we may never be without the aid of those to serve us in Your name. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, You have power over all things and appoint an order on earth for the protection of the weak, the punishment of evildoers and the encouragement of virtue. Bless our president; our governor; and all who make, administer and judge our laws. Give them wisdom for the challenges of our times, and preserve them from self-serving concerns. Give us grace, that we may honor the gift of liberty and be good citizens and neighbors to all. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, You have compassion upon all who suffer. Give grace to the sick, to those with mental illness, to the dying in their last hours and to those who grieve. Hear us especially for those we name now in our hearts before You. Grant them patience in their afflictions, and deliver them according to Your gracious will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, You are the source of all wisdom and knowledge. Bless those who teach, those who learn and especially those who graduate this year. Be the hope of those whose plans have been disappointed, and grant that all graduates would find good employment. Guide them in the pursuit of Your Word and truth, to live honorable lives in worthy vocations, that in all things You may be glorified. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, You have richly supplied us with all things for this body and life. Give us grateful hearts, that we may receive Your gifts with thanksgiving and bring to You tithes and offerings. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, we rejoice in the Savior’s promise to guard the people who wear Your name by Baptism and faith. Until we are with You in Your presence forevermore, guard us against the devil who prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking those whom he might devour. Grant us the power to resist him and trust in You without fear; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
So now we pray with confidence to the Father the words our Lord Jesus taught us.
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.
AN EASTER BLESSING
The God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us perfect in every good work to do His will, working in us that which is well-pleasing in His sight; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among us, and remain with us always.
Alleluia. Christ is risen.
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.
Amen.
