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Our Mission 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.

Things are different right now. The pandemic means we are keeping things simple, short, and safe. We also now require vaccination, for those who are eligible. You must be free of COVID-related symptoms, close contact, and not have positive tests to attend. There are a few other ground rules. Read our full guidelines here.
Distancing: As much as we wish we could greet one another, out of love for our neighbor we have to stay distanced. Please maintain 6 or more feet from other households at all times. Consider sending a text, a message on Facebook, or even writing a letter or email to someone who could use some peace. A wave, a peace sign, or a “smize” (a smile with your eyes) will do.
Masks: If test positivity rates stay below 3%, masks will be optional for the vaccinated at services with singing. If transmission increases, we will re-institute the mask requirement. Please check with clergy or ushers, or listen for verbal announcements for more details. We thank you for respecting our guidelines and your neighbors in this transitional time.
Communion: All are welcome to receive. When it comes time, please maintain a distance of greater than 6 feet in a single file line up to the front. Please come to the communion minister on the side of the church where you are sitting. Make your way down the side aisle to return to your seat. Wine is not available at this time. If you would prefer not to receive, simply cross your arms across your chest and the minister will give you a blessing. Gluten free wafers are available, on request from the minister.
Donations: We welcome donations to support the work of Holy Communion, whether a payment on a pledge or simply an offering. You can also text GIVE to (833) 864-5384 or give any time on our website holycommunion.net/give
Wheelchair accessibility: Our entrances have auto-open buttons, and our elevator is ADA compliant. Both the downstairs restrooms and one of the upstairs restrooms are accessible.
Hearing Assistance: Hearing assistance devices are available from the welcome table. Just ask an usher.
Get Involved: If you begin by filling out a “Connect Card” at the Welcome Table or online, we’d be glad to keep you up to date with all that goes on here. You can also use the Connect Cards to update your information, request prayers, or to ask a question. Turn them in to the wooden offering box in the entryway. The Rector’s Pilgrimage class will start meeting soon, for new members.

The congregation is invited to say the words together in bold. If you are worshiping with us from home, to prepare for worship, you may want to place a candle or two in the place where you worship, to light during the opening prayer.

Welcome

A priest welcomes the congregation. If you are new to us, consider filling out our “get connected” form, let us get to know you better.

The Collect

The Presider leads ancient prayers that help frame our worship. You are invited to light a candle at home with us, as we light candles on the altar.

Blessed be our God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

Let us pray.

Look graciously on this your family for which our Savior Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and to suffer death upon the cross; and grant us to grow into the fullness of new life in Christ who now is alive and glorified with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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 globe.

A Reading from the book of the Prophet Isaiah Isaiah 52:13-53:12

Look, my servant will succeed. He will be exalted and lifted very high. Just as many were appalled by you, he too appeared disfigured, inhuman, his appearance unlike that of mortals. But he will astonish many nations. Kings will be silenced because of him, because they will see what they haven’t seen before; what they haven’t heard before, they will ponder. Who can believe what we have heard, and for whose sake has the Lord’s arm been revealed? He grew up like a young plant before us, like a root from dry ground. He possessed no splendid form for us to see, no desirable appearance. He was despised and avoided by others; a man who suffered, who knew sickness well. Like someone from whom people hid their faces, he was despised, and we didn’t think about him. It was certainly our sickness that he carried, and our sufferings that he bore, but we thought him afflicted, struck down by God and tormented. He was pierced because of our rebellions and crushed because of our crimes. He bore the punishment that made us whole; by his wounds we are healed. Like sheep we had all wandered away, each going its own way, but the Lord let fall on him all our crimes. He was oppressed and tormented, but didn’t open his mouth. Like a lamb being brought to slaughter, like a ewe silent before her shearers, he didn’t open his mouth. Due to an unjust ruling he was taken away, and his fate—who will think about it? He was eliminated from the land of the living, struck dead because of my people’s rebellion. His grave was among the wicked, his tomb with evildoers, though he had done no violence, and had spoken nothing false. But the Lord wanted to crush him and to make him suffer. If his life is offered as restitution, he will see his offspring; he will enjoy long life. The Lord’s plans will come to fruition through him. After his deep anguish he will see light, and he will be satisfied. Through his knowledge, the righteous one, my servant, will make many righteous, and will bear their guilt. Therefore, I will give him a share with the great, and he will divide the spoil with the strong, in return for exposing his life to death and being numbered with rebels, though he carried the sin of many and pleaded on behalf of those who rebelled.

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Psalm 22: 1-11
All sing the refrain after the choir, and where indicated

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
and are so far from my cry
and from the words of my distress?
O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not answer;
by night as well, but I find no rest. **Refrain**
Yet you are the Holy One,
enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
Our forefathers put their trust in you;
they trusted, and you delivered them.
They cried out to you and were delivered;
they trusted in you and were not put to shame. Refrain
But as for me, I am a worm and no man,
scorned by all and despised by the people.
All who see me laugh me to scorn;
they curl their lips and wag their heads, saying,
“He trusted in the LORD; let him deliver him;
let him rescue him, if he delights in him.” **Refrain**

A Reading from the book of the Hebrews Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9

Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.

The Word of the Lord.

The Passion Gospel Luke 23:1-49

The congregation is invited to remain seated for the beginning of the Passion Gospel. Please join in saying the words of the crowd, in bold, aloud.
At the mention of “Golgotha,” please rise in body or in spirit.

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.

Glory to you, Lord Christ.

The whole assembly got up and led Jesus to Pilate and began to accuse him. They said, “We have found this man misleading our people, opposing the payment of taxes to Caesar, and claiming that he is the Christ, a king.” Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “That’s what you say.” Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no legal basis for action against this man.” But they objected strenuously, saying, “He agitates the people with his teaching throughout Judea—starting from Galilee all the way here.” Hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. When he learned that Jesus was from Herod’s district, Pilate sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. Herod was very glad to see Jesus, for he had heard about Jesus and had wanted to see him for quite some time. He was hoping to see Jesus perform some sign. Herod questioned Jesus at length, but Jesus didn’t respond to him. The chief priests and the legal experts were there, fiercely accusing Jesus. Herod and his soldiers treated Jesus with contempt. Herod mocked him by dressing Jesus in elegant clothes and sent him back to Pilate. Pilate and Herod became friends with each other that day. Before this, they had been enemies. Then Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people. He said to them, “You brought this man before me as one who was misleading the people. I have questioned him in your presence and found nothing in this man’s conduct that provides a legal basis for the charges you have brought against him. Neither did Herod, because Herod returned him to us. He’s done nothing that deserves death. Therefore, I’ll have him whipped, then let him go.” But with one voice they shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us.” (Barabbas had been thrown into prison because of a riot that had occurred in the city, and for murder.) Pilate addressed them again because he wanted to release Jesus. They kept shouting out,

“Crucify him! Crucify him!”

For the third time, Pilate said to them, “Why? What wrong has he done? I’ve found no legal basis for the death penalty in his case. Therefore, I will have him whipped, then let him go.” But they were adamant, shouting their demand that Jesus be crucified. Their voices won out. Pilate issued his decision to grant their request. He released the one they asked for, who had been thrown into prison because of a riot and murder. But he handed Jesus over to their will.

As they led Jesus away, they grabbed Simon, a man from Cyrene, who was coming in from the countryside. They put the cross on his back and made him carry it behind Jesus. A huge crowd of people followed Jesus, including women, who were mourning and wailing for him. Jesus turned to the women and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t cry for me. Rather, cry for yourselves and your children. The time will come when they will say, ‘Happy are those who are unable to become pregnant, the wombs that never gave birth, and the breasts that never nursed a child.’ Then they will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ If they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?” They also led two other criminals to be executed with Jesus. When they arrived at the place called Golgotha, The Skull, they crucified him, along with the criminals, one on his right and the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.” They drew lots as a way of dividing up his clothing.

The people were standing around watching, but the leaders sneered at him, saying, “He saved others. Let him save himself if he really is the Christ sent from God, the chosen one.” The soldiers also mocked him. They came up to him, offering him sour wine and saying, “If you really are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” Above his head was a notice of the formal charge against him. It read “This is the king of the Jews.” One of the criminals hanging next to Jesus insulted him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”

Responding, the other criminal spoke harshly to him, “Don’t you fear God, seeing that you’ve also been sentenced to die? We are rightly condemned, for we are receiving the appropriate sentence for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus replied, “I assure you that today you will be with me in paradise.” It was now about noon, and darkness covered the whole earth until about three o’clock, while the sun stopped shining. Then the curtain in the sanctuary tore down the middle. Crying out in a loud voice, Jesus said, “Father, into your hands I entrust my life.” After he said this, he breathed for the last time. When the centurion saw what happened, he praised God, saying, “It’s really true: this man was righteous.” All the crowds who had come together to see this event returned to their homes beating their chests after seeing what had happened. And everyone who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance observing these things.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Christ.

The Sermon:

Please be seated, at the invitation of the preacher.

The Rev. Luke Jernagan

The Solemn Intercession

Let us pray for the one holy catholic and apostolic Church of Christ throughout the world
for its unity in witness and service,
for all bishops and other ministers,
and the people whom they serve,
for Deon, our bishop, and all the people of this diocese,
for all Christians in this community,
for those about to be baptized particularly Juliana Waring,
that God will confirm the Church in faith, increase it in love, and preserve it in peace.

Silence

Faithful and compassionate God, your Spirit guides the Church and makes it holy; hear the prayers we offer, that in the particular ministry to which you have called us, we may serve you faithfully, through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

Silence

Let us pray for all nations and peoples of the earth, and for those in authority among them:
for Joe Biden, the President and for the government of this country,
for Terry Crow, our mayor and those who serve with him on the council,
for all who serve the common good, that by God’s help they may seek justice and truth, that all might live in peace and harmony.

Silence

Faithful and compassionate God, kindle, we pray, in every heart the true love of peace, and guide with your wisdom those in authority, that justice, peace, and freedom may increase, until the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

Let us pray for all who suffer:
for the hungry and the homeless,
the deprived and the oppressed,
for the sick, the wounded,
for those in loneliness and in fear,
for those in confusion, doubt, and despair,
for the sorrowful and bereaved,
for prisoners, and all at the point of death,
that God’s love will comfort and sustain them, and that we may be stirred up to minister to them.

Silence

Faithful and compassionate God, the comfort of all who sorrow, the strength of all who suffer, hear the cry of all who call on you in any trouble, grant them the joy of receiving your help in their need, and give us, we pray, the strength to serve them, through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

Let us pray for all who do not believe the gospel of Christ:
for those who have never heard the message of salvation,
for those who have lost their faith,
for those who are indifferent to Christ,
for those who actively oppose Christ by word or deed,
and persecute Christ’s disciples,
for those who in the name of Christ have persecuted others,
that God will open their hearts to the truth, and lead them to faith and obedience.

Silence

Faithful and compassionate God, you create and love all the peoples of the earth; may your good news be so lived and proclaimed, that all are brought home to your presence, through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

Let us commit ourselves to God, and pray for the grace of a holy life, that with all who have died in the peace of Christ, and with those whose faith is known to God alone, we may enter the fullness of life in the joy of Christ’s resurrection.

Silence

God, our refuge and strength, accept the fervent prayers of your people, and bring to fulfillment your plan for all creation, through Jesus Christ your Firstborn, who is alive with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Meditation on the Cross of Jesus
A wooden cross is brought into the church in silence.

Behold the cross, on which hung the Savior of the world.

Come let us worship.

My people, what wrong have I done you? How have I offended you? Answer me! Through baptism, I led you from slavery to freedom, but you led your savior to the cross.
Holy God, holy and merciful, holy and just, have mercy upon us.

I led you through the wilderness. I fed you with the bread of life, the manna from heaven, but you lead your savior to the cross.