Fifth Sunday in the Season of Easter 2024, April 28
Welcome to The Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion, a welcoming and diverse community seeking to walk in the Way of Jesus and to reveal Christ’s reconciling love in our city, nation, and world.
Get Involved: If you fill out a “Let’s Get Connected Card” found in your pew, or at the Welcome Table by the door where you came in the church, we’d be glad to keep you up to date with all that’s happening at Holy Communion. Or, simply scan the QR code below to visit holycommunion.net where you can share your contact information, find a worship bulletin, read the latest news, and more.
Communion: “These are the gifts of God for the people of God.”
At Church of the Holy Communion, we believe that it is Christ himself who invites us to meet him in the bread and the cup. Though it is known by many names - Communion, Mass, Holy Eucharist, The Lord’s Supper, the Sacrament of the Altar - it is the means by which Christ’s real presence abides with us by faith. Therefore, all are welcome to receive. When it comes time for Communion, please follow the directions of the Greeters. The bread is offered to all, with gluten free wafers available, upon request from the minister. If you would like to receive the wine, you may either drink from the cup, or intinct (dip) the wafer in the wine. Likewise, it is acceptable to receive only the bread, if for personal or health reasons you prefer to not consume wine. Those not receiving Communion, may also come forward. Indicate to the minister that you do not wish to receive Communion by simply crossing your arms across your chest, and the minister will offer a prayer for God’s blessing in your life.
Kids are expected! We believe that kids are welcome to "act their age" and encouraged to fully participate in worship. Options for households with kids are the "Pray Ground" , the carpeted area in the front near the chapel, best for children ages 1 - 5. Nursery Care, off the lounge, is open from 9-12noon. Godly Play is offered downstairs beginning at 10am. They return to their caregivers at 11am in time for the Peace. If you need assistance finding any of these options, just ask a Greeter.
Accessibility: “Priority Seating” is provided for caretakers of those with mobility needs. Our entrances have auto-open buttons, and our elevator is ADA compliant. Both the downstairs restrooms and one of the upstairs restrooms are accessible. If you have any questions about signage, please ask an usher or one of the ministers.
Hearing Assistance: Hearing assistance devices are available from the welcome table. Just ask a Greeter.
Donations: We welcome donations to support the mission and ministry of Church of the Holy Communion. Monetary donations can be placed in the offering plate that will be passed during the service, put in the wooden offering box found at the Welcome Table, by scanning the QR code below, or by electronic donations set up through your bank or on the church website,
holycommunion.net. Thank you!
Alleluia!
Prelude
Welcome
Processional Hymn
Opening Acclamation Please rise in body or spirit
Alleluia! Christ is risen.
Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from your 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
Song of Praise At the 10:30 service, we will sing this together. Gloria S28
Please speak the lyrics at the 8:30 service. Robert Powell
Liturgy of Word SEE INSERT
The first part of the service is the Liturgy of the Word: we read and respond to appointed lessons from Scripture.
Collect of the Day
The Lord be with you
And also with you
Let us pray.
The Celebrant leads the congregation in the Collect.
The Lessons
We hear the stories of the experience of God from our spiritual ancestors. Following an ancient pattern originally from Jewish synagogue worship, readings follow a calendar shared by Christians around the world.
The First Lesson
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The Psalm
The psalm can be found in the weekly insert. At the 10:30 Service, please join in singing the refrain.
The Second Lesson
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The Holy Gospel Please remain standing
At the 10:30 service, the congregation is invited to sing the Alleluia before and after the Gospel reading.
Before the Gospel Reading
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
Glory to you, Lord Christ.
After the Gospel Reading
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
Sermon
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,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and became truly human.
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,
who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who 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
Please rise, or kneel, in body or in spirit.
Our Lord lives, for death has no dominion over him. And so we, God’s holy church, proclaim the resurrection, saying: Christ is risen! Amen, Alleluia!
Created in the image and likeness of God, we pray to see God’s image in one another. May our lives proclaim: Christ is risen! Amen, Alleluia!
Tested in our faith and strengthened by God’s love, we pray for open hearts, that we may live to proclaim: Christ is risen! Amen, Alleluia!
Joining with those who share in the passion of Christ through illness, famine, war, temptation, and trial, we pray for their courage and strength that those who suffer may proclaim: Christ is risen! Amen, Alleluia!
You are invited to add your own prayers, silently or aloud.
United in our hope that we and all who die may live again, we pray for family and friends who have died, proclaiming: Christ is risen! Amen, Alleluia!
The Celebrant adds a concluding Collect.
Amen.
The Peace Please rise in body or in spirit.
The peace of Christ be always with you.
And also with you.
We greet one another with a sign of God’s peace.
Welcome and Announcements
Please be seated for a few brief announcements.
On the first Sunday of the month, those celebrating birthdays that month, are invited to come forward for a special Birthday Prayer.
Offertory Anthem
At the 10:30 service, a musical offering is presented by the choir or soloist.
Offertory Hymn This Little Light of Mine
At the 10:30 service, please rise in body or in spirit and sing as the ushers bring forward our offerings.
The Liturgy of the Table
The second part of the liturgy moves to the Table. As we remember Jesus’ last supper with his disciples, we gather in a way Christians have done since earliest times. At Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion, all are welcome at the Communion Table.
The Eucharistic Prayer
The Celebrant and people may chant
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you,
Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth.
Here a Proper Preface is sung or said by the Celebrant.
Therefore, we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the
company of heaven, who forever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:
Holy and gracious God: 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 maker and of all.
Jesus 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 Savior 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 Jesus 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:
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
We celebrate the memorial of our redemption, Almighty God, in
this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Recalling Christ’s 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 Christ. 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 Jesus Christ our Savior. By Christ, and
with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor
and glory is yours, Almighty God, now and forever.
Lord’s Prayer
Pray in the language of your heart.
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
Padre nuestro que estás en el cielo,
santificado sea tu Nombre, venga tu reino, hágase tu voluntad, en la
tierra como en el cielo. Danos hoy nuestro pan de cada día. Perdona nuestras ofensas, como también nosotros perdonamos a los que nos ofenden. No nos dejes caer en tentación y líbranos del mal. Porque tuyo es el reino, tuyo es el poder, y tuya es la gloria, ahora y por siempre. Amén
The Breaking of the Bread
Alleluia, Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
Therefore, let us keep the feast. Alleluia.
Communion Hymns
The congregation is invited to join in the singing of communion hymns
Post Communion Prayer
Please rise in body or in spirit.
Let us pray
Almighty and everliving God,
we thank you for feeding us with the spiritual food
of the most precious Body and Blood
of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ;
and for assuring us in these holy mysteries
that we are living members of the Body of Christ,
and heirs of your eternal kingdom.
And now, send us out
to do the work you have given us to do,
to love and serve you
as faithful witnesses of Christ our Savior.
To him, to you, and to the Holy Spirit,
be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
The Blessing
The Wisdom of God the Love of God
and the Grace of God strengthen you
to be Christ’s hands and heart in this world,
in the name of the Holy Trinity. Amen.
(source: Celtic)
Dismissal
Alleluia, alleluia! Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia!
Recessional Hymn
Postlude
Insert:
Fifth Sunday of Easter, April 28
Music sung at 10:30 service
Prelude
Processional Hymn: We Know that Christ is Raised and Dies No More H296
Psalm: Psalm 22: 24-30
Sequence Hymn: Caribbean Hallelujah
Offertory Anthem: Ubi Caritas by Maurice Duruflé
Offertory Hymn: This Little Light of Mine L221
Communion Hymns: Come, My Way, My Truth, My Life H487
Like the Murmur of the Dove's Song H513
Recessional Hymn: Good Christians All, Rejoice and Sing (1-3, 5) H205
Postlude
The Collect
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.
Lesson 1: Acts 8:26-40
An angel from the Lord spoke to Philip, “At noon, take the road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.) So he did. Meanwhile, an Ethiopian man was on his way home from Jerusalem, where he had come to worship. He was a eunuch and an official responsible for the entire treasury of Candace. (Candace is the title given to the Ethiopian queen.) He was reading the prophet Isaiah while sitting in his carriage. The Spirit told Philip, “Approach this carriage and stay with it.”
Running up to the carriage, Philip heard the man reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you really understand what you are reading?”
The man replied, “Without someone to guide me, how could I?” Then he invited Philip to climb up and sit with him. This was the passage of scripture he was reading:
Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent
so he didn’t open his mouth.
In his humiliation justice was taken away from him.
Who can tell the story of his descendants
because his life was taken from the earth?
The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, about whom does the prophet say this? Is he talking about himself or someone else?” Starting with that passage, Philip proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him. As they went down the road, they came to some water.
The eunuch said, “Look! Water! What would keep me from being baptized?” He ordered that the carriage halt. Both Philip and the eunuch went down to the water, where Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Lord’s Spirit suddenly took Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. Philip found himself in Azotus. He traveled through that area, preaching the good news in all the cities until he reached Caesarea.
Psalm 22 Spoken at 8:00 a.m. service
Lesson 2: 1 John 4:7-21
Dear friends, let’s love each other, because love is from God, and everyone who loves is born from God and knows God. The person who doesn’t love does not know God, because God is love. This is how the love of God is revealed to us: God has sent his only Son into the world so that we can live through him. This is love: it is not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son as the sacrifice that deals with our sins.
Dear friends, if God loved us this way, we also ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. If we love each other, God remains in us and his love is made perfect in us. This is how we know we remain in him and he remains in us, because he has given us a measure of his Spirit. We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the savior of the world. If any of us confess that Jesus is God’s Son, God remains in us and we remain in God. We have known and have believed the love that God has for us.
God is love, and those who remain in love remain in God and God remains in them. This is how love has been perfected in us, so that we can have confidence on the Judgment Day, because we are exactly the same as God is in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear expects punishment. The person who is afraid has not been made perfect in love. We love because God first loved us. Those who say, “I love God” and hate their brothers or sisters are liars. After all, those who don’t love their brothers or sisters whom they have seen can hardly love God whom they have not seen! This commandment we have from him: Those who claim to love God ought to love their brother and sister also.
The Gospel: John 15:1-8
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vineyard keeper. He removes any of my branches that don’t produce fruit, and he trims any branch that produces fruit so that it will produce even more fruit. You are already trimmed because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. A branch can’t produce fruit by itself, but must remain in the vine. Likewise, you can’t produce fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, then you will produce much fruit. Without me, you can’t do anything. If you don’t remain in me, you will be like a branch that is thrown out and dries up. Those branches are gathered up, thrown into a fire, and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified when you produce much fruit and in this way prove that you are my disciples.
Announcements
More information on upcoming events can be found at holycommunion.net/info
Farewell Mary & Bill Haggerty: Today, HoCo celebrates The Rev. Mary Haggerty and Bill Haggerty. Holy Communion sponsored Mary in Priesthood and Bill has given years of leadership to our community. Let us offer a true HoCo send-off prior to their new chapter in Chicago. Help us offer special prayer at both services. If you would like to donate to a cause dear to their hearts, please give to the Diocese of Missouri Gun Prevention Ministry.
To donate, use this link or QR code: https://secure.accessacs.com/access/oglogin.aspx?sn=96035&f=33
Adult Forum Series: Join Elizabeth Hines, Kellie McCoy, Denise Carpenter, and Maryanne Angliontgto as they lead the final meeting exploring Paul's letter to the Galatians discussion TODAY from 9-10 a.m.
Pentecost Sunday Readers: Are you multilingual? HoCo invites you to serve as a Reader during our Pentecost Sunday Service on May 19. Readers will simultaneously interpret a lesson from Acts in a different language to the congregation. Please email office@holycommunion.net if you are interested in sharing your voice!
Evaluation Sunday: Join The Committee Members on May 19 for a hot breakfast to discuss the past Adult Formation Series and the upcoming year.
Rite 13 Ceremony: Join us in celebration of Sherifa Olivia Bethune on May 5 at 10:30 a.m.! The journey from childhood to adulthood begins with adolescence, a time in which youth take on the gifts and challenges of physical maturity as they continue to learn and grow emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually. The Rite 13 ceremony celebrates the beginning of this journey, acknowledging their new status and responsibilities in the community and the world.
Graduate Sunday: Do you have a graduate in the house? Let’s celebrate their achievement with Q & A at the 9 a.m. Forum on May 12. Contact Elizabeth & Chester Hines for more information.
Laundry Love: Join us for the next Laundry Love ministry on May 21, 6pm-8pm at Classic Coin Laundromat on Balson Ave. Volunteer for a one-hour shift by signing up at the link on the Holy Communion website under the Laundry Love page or talk to Julie Farrar or Mary Duba. Love never ends and neither does laundry!
Summer Sundays: You are invited to attend, participate, or lead a Summer Sunday Lectionary group discussion Sundays in June, July, and August from 9-10 a.m. at Holy Communion. Please contact Chester Hines at chinesj@charter.net or 314-367-7332 for more information. The scripture schedule can be found at https://lectionarypage.net/.
Camp Phoenix: Camp Phoenix is the official summer camp of The Episcopal Diocese of Missouri. We welcome all students between the ages of 8 and 18 to attend. Join us August 4 - 9, 2024!
Participants
Preacher: The Reverend Julie Graham
Celebrant: The Reverend Earl Mahan
Deacon: The Reverend Chester Hines
Organist: Mary Chapman
Readers: Donna Baudendistel (8 am), Jordan Houry, G D Pushparaj (10:30 am)
Greeters: Earl Bonds (8 am), Colleen Haggerty, Bob Lowes (10:30 am)
Chalice Bearer: Janice Nihill
Crucifer: William Kelly
Announcements: Heidi Volkl
Intercessor: Rudy Nickens (8 am), Alisa Williams (10:30 am)
Producer: Tyler Schwartz
