To support prayer at home, we will distribute this order of service. Many thanks to the Rev. Stephen Muncie and the parish of St. Mary and St. Jude for sharing this resource with us.
Worship at Home: Fourth Sunday of Easter Good Shepherd Sunday & Mother's Day
The Greeting
Alleluia. Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.
Alleluia. Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us; * therefore let us keep the feast, Not with old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, * but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Alleluia. Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; * death no longer has dominion over him.
The death that he died, he died to sin, once for all; * but the life he lives, he lives to God. So also consider yourselves dead to sin, * and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Alleluia. Christ has been raised from the dead, * the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since by a man came death, * by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, * so in Christ shall all be made alive. Alleluia.
The Lessons
A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles
Acts 9:36-43 Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, "Please come to us without delay." So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, "Tabitha, get up." Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner.
The Response
Psalm 23 Dominus regit me
1 The Lord is my shepherd; * I shall not be in want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures * and leads me beside still waters. 3 He revives my soul * and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake. 4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil; * for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; * you have anointed my head with oil, and my cup is running over. 6 Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, * and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
A Reading from the New Testament
Revelation 7:9-17 I 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."
A Reading from the Gospel
John 10:22-30 At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." Jesus answered, "I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father's hand. The Father and I are one."
The Apostles' Creed I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth; I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Prayers Prayers are offered for the whole world; for those we love; for the sick and the suffering; for those working to respond to the pandemic, especially all health care workers, physicians, nurses, emergency responders and support staff, and for scientists, researchers, and leaders of governments; for the poor, the homeless, and the uninsured; for the dying and the dead; for those who mourn; and for our communities, friends, and neighbors, and for other prayer concerns.
The Lord's Prayer 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.
The Collect of the Day O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Prayers of the People
Holy God, you have called us to follow in the way of your Risen Son, and to care for those who are our companions, not only with words of comfort but with acts of love. Now hear us as we pray for the church and the world, saying, Hear us, Risen Christ.
For the Church: that we may hear the voice of Jesus, our Good Shepherd, and follow where he leads; in your mercy… Hear us, Risen Christ.
For people of other faiths, and all who seek the truth: that together we may witness to God's loving-kindness in the world; in your mercy… Hear us, Risen Christ.
For all who shepherd us; for Michael, our Presiding Bishop; for Thomas, our bishop; and for all ministers and people: that together we may support and care for all; in your mercy… Hear us, Risen Christ.
For the parishes of Mount Desert Island: that we may offer our gifts and talents unselfishly in the service of others; in your mercy… Hear us, Risen Christ.
For an end to warfare, violence, and terrorism; for peace in Ukraine; and for refugees and those who welcome them: that God will lead the human family toward the promise of peace; in your mercy… Hear us, Risen Christ.
For healing of the divisions in the human family: that God will heal the wounds of racism and ethnic discrimination and lead us to respect the dignity of every human being; in your mercy... Hear us, Risen Christ.
For the poor, the hungry, and the homeless; for the abandoned, the addicted, and the abused: that we may care for them in your Name; in your mercy… Hear us, Risen Christ.
For all mothers and for all those who have been like a mother to us: that God will bless and strengthen them and inspire us to greater love by their witness of love and care; in your mercy... Hear us, Risen Christ.
For Mother Earth: that God will move our hearts to a greater awareness of the fragility of nature and deepen our commitment to preserve the environment for the future; in your mercy... Hear us, Risen Christ.
For those the Church has injured or offended, and for those we find it hardest to love: that God will deepen our compassion; in your mercy… Hear us, Risen Christ.
For the sick and the suffering, for the lonely and the forgotten, and for those we now remember:
At St. Mary and St. Jude we pray for Skye Brickley, Katrina Carter, R.V. Fulk, and Robert Mitchell.
At Church of Our Father we pray for those in our prayer list.
At St. Andrew & St. John we pray for Katharine Thompson, Dean Henry, Bill Merrill, Mary Ann Mahoney, Liz, Elizabeth Ward, Bunny Watts, Anne Wetzel, Paul Haertel, Chuck Bradshaw, Ted Bromage, Jean Storace, Spencer Ervin, Geoff Schuller, Doris McCorison, Gail Leland, Michael Shook, Joyce and Jim Risser, Loretta Schmidt, Theresa Mitchell, Fred & Dollis Sprague, Sara Winchenbach, Richard Ramsdell, Dorothy & Jim Clunan, Bill & Barbara Loveland.
At St. Saviour's Parish we pray for Bill Scott, Gregory Berube, Connie Brush, Yolanda Ferrari, Cheryl Kolodziej, Julie Grindle, Geoff Schuller, Eleanor Raynes, Howard Brush, John Stewart, Ruth Westphal, Gretchen Westphal, Lucy Triplett, Gail Leland, Christopher Lebida, Christopher Walls, Linda Carman, Mary Smith, John Fibiger, Ray McDonald, Emily O'Connor, Sarah Cleaves, Nicholas, Janet Flood, Rachel, Mimi, Charlie, Sarah B., Dickie, Alex, Penny Ayer, Arletta Sullivan, and Anne Cleaves.
I now invite you to offer your own prayers for those in any need or trouble…(silence)….; in your mercy… Hear us, Risen Christ.
For all who have died; today we remember our mothers who have died: that they may dwell in the house of the Lord forever; in your mercy… Hear us, Risen Christ.
In thanksgiving for our daily blessings; in gratitude for our family members and friends; and in thanksgiving for the presence of our visitors and guests today; in your mercy… Hear us, Risen Christ.
Concluding Collects God of comfort and compassion, through Jesus, your Son, you lead us to the water of life and table of your bounty. May we who have received the tender love of our Good Shepherd be strengthened by your grace to care for your flock. Amen.
Creator of the universe, you made the world in beauty, and restore all things in glory through the victory of Jesus Christ. We pray that, wherever your image is still disfigured by poverty, sickness, selfishness, war and greed, the new creation in Jesus Christ may appear in justice, love, and peace, to the glory of your name. Amen.
For Those We Love Almighty God, we entrust all who are dear to us to thy never-failing care and love, for this life and the life to come, knowing that thou art doing for them better things than we can desire or pray for; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The 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 you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you, and remain with you always. Amen.
Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia. Alleluia. Thanks be to God. Alleluia. Alleluia. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:14
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The MDI Episcopal Partnership
St. Andrew's and St. John's PO Box 767 Southwest Harbor, ME 04679 GPS Location: 315 Main Street, Southwest Harbor, Maine
St. Saviour's Parish office is staffed Tuesday from 10 am to 1 pm. At other times please call or email the office, and we will respond to your message soon.
The sanctuary and parish hall of all churches are accessible.
For pastoral emergencies, please contact the Rev. Holly Hoffmann directly at 207-244-8144.
