The Third Sunday of Easter
Sunday, May 1, at 10:00 am
The form for this service can also be found in The Book of Common Prayer, page 355. Spoken responses are in bold typeface.
Prelude: “The Blessed Christ is Risen Today” J. S. Bach
The Entrance Rite
Hymn 417: “This is the feast of victory for our God”
Antiphon: This is the feast of victory for our God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
1. Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain,
whose blood set us free to be people of God. Antiphon
2. Power, riches, wisdom, and strength, and honor,
blessing, and glory are his. Antiphon
3. Sing with all the people of God,
and join in the hymn of all creation. Antiphon
4. Blessing, honor, glory, and might
be to God and the Lamb for ever. Amen. Antiphon
5. For the Lamb who was slain
has begun his reign. Alleluia! Antiphon
Opening Acclamation
Priest ✠ Alleluia. Christ is risen.
People The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.
Gloria: “Glory to God in the highest”
The Collect of the Day
Priest The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Priest Let us pray.
O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Liturgy of the Word
First Lesson: Acts 9:1-20
Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” [The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”]
Reader The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Psalm 30
1 I will exalt you, O Lord,
because you have lifted me up *
and have not let my enemies triumph over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried out to you, *
and you restored me to health.
3 You brought me up, O Lord, from the dead; *
you restored my life as I was going down to the grave.
4 Sing to the Lord, you servants of his; *
give thanks for the remembrance of his holiness.
5 For his wrath endures but the twinkling of an eye, *
his favor for a lifetime.
6 Weeping may spend the night, *
but joy comes in the morning.
7 While I felt secure, I said,
“I shall never be disturbed. *
You, Lord, with your favor, made me as strong as the mountains.”
8 Then you hid your face, *
and I was filled with fear.
9 I cried to you, O Lord; *
I pleaded with the Lord, saying,
10 “What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the Pit? *
will the dust praise you or declare your faithfulness?
11 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me; *
O Lord, be my helper.”
12 You have turned my wailing into dancing; *
you have put off my sack-cloth and clothed me with joy.
13 Therefore my heart sings to you without ceasing; *
O Lord my God, I will give you thanks for ever.
Second Lesson: Revelation 5:11-14
I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, singing with full voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing, “To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the elders fell down and worshiped.
Reader The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Hymn 492: “Sing, ye faithful, sing with gladness”
1. Sing, ye faithful, sing with gladness,
wake your noblest, sweetest strain,
with the praises of your Savior
let his house resound again;
him let all your music honor,
and your songs exalt his reign.
2. Sing how he came forth from heaven,
bowed himself to Bethlehem’s cave,
stooped to wear the servant’s vesture,
bore the pain, the cross, the grave,
passed within the gates of darkness,
thence his banished ones to save.
3. So, he tasted death for mortals,
he, of humankind the head,
sinless one, among the sinful,
Prince of life, among the dead;
thus he wrought the full redemption,
and the captor captive led.
4. Now on high, yet ever with us,
from his Father’s throne the Son
rules and guides the world he ransomed,
till the appointed work be done,
till he see, renewed and perfect,
all things gathered into one.
The Gospel: John 21:1-19
Priest The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to John.
People Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.
When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”
Priest The Gospel of the Lord.
People Praise to you, Lord Christ.
Alleluia
The choir sings the Alleluias, then all repeat them.
The Sermon
After the sermon, the choir sings a sentence of Scripture in response.
The Nicene Creed Said in unison
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 the People
The leader and people pray responsively
Father, we pray for your holy Catholic Church;
That we all may be one.
Grant that every member of the Church may truly and humbly serve you;
That your Name may be glorified by all people.
Remembering ___ : We pray for all bishops, priests, and deacons;
That they may be faithful ministers of your Word and Sacraments.
Remembering ___ : We pray for all who govern and hold authority in the nations of the world;
That there may be justice and peace on the earth.
Give us grace to do your will in all that we undertake;
That our works may find favor in your sight.
Remembering ___ : Have compassion on those who suffer from any grief or trouble;
That they may be delivered from their distress.
Remembering ___ : Give to the departed eternal rest.
Let light perpetual shine upon them.
We praise you for your saints who have entered into joy;
May we also come to share in your heavenly kingdom.
Let us pray for our own needs and those of others.
Silence. The priest adds a concluding Collect.
Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your apostles, “Peace I give to you; my own peace I leave with you:” Regard not our sins, but the faith of your Church, and give to us the peace and unity of that heavenly City, where with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, now and for ever. Amen.
The Peace
Priest The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People And also with you.
The ministers and the people greet one another in the name of the Lord, saying “He is risen!”
The Holy Communion
The Celebrant introduces the Offertory with a sentence of Scripture.
To give an offering, choose one of the following:
Text: message 73256 with the phrase saintpauls $X (insert an amount in place of X)
Check: mail your offering to St. Paul’s Church, 84 E Oakland Ave, Doylestown, PA 18901
During the Offertory an anthem is sung, and the Altar is prepared with the elements of Holy Communion.
The Offering is brought forward.
Offertory Anthem: “Christ the Lord is Risen Again” Philip Stopford
Christ the Lord is risen again,
Christ hath broken every chain.
Hark, the angels shout for joy,
singing evermore on high,
Alleluia!
He who gave for us his life,
who for us endured the strife,
is our Paschal Lamb today;
we too sing for joy, and say Alleluia!
He who bore all pain and loss
comfortless upon the cross,
lives in glory now on high,
pleads for us, and hears our cry: Alleluia!
Now he bids us tell abroad
how the lost may be restored,
how the penitent forgiven,
how we too may enter heaven. Alleluia!
Thou, our Paschal Lamb indeed,
Christ, today thy people feed;
take our sins and guilt away:
that we may all sing for ay,
Alleluia!
The Great Thanksgiving: Eucharistic Prayer A
The people stand and the priest says
Priest The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
Priest Lift up your hearts.
People We lift them to the Lord.
Priest Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People It is right to give him thanks and praise.
The priest continues
It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. But chiefly are we bound to praise you for the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; for he is the true Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed for us, and has taken away the sin of the world. By his death he has destroyed death, and by his rising to life again he has won for us everlasting life. Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:
Sanctus: “Holy, holy, holy Lord”
The priest continues
Holy and gracious Father: 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 Father of all.
He 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 Lord 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 he 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:
Priest and People
Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
The priest continues
We celebrate the memorial of our redemption, O Father, in this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Recalling his 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 him. 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 your Son Jesus Christ: By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.
And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
The Breaking of the Bread
The priest breaks the consecrated Bread. A period of silence is kept.
The Celebrant sings the Alleluias, then all repeat them.
Priest The Gifts of God for the People of God.
Spiritual Communion: Act of Reception
During Communion, you are invited to say the following prayer form for receiving Spiritual Communion. Know that the grace of God is made present in your heart, even though the Sacrament is not received with the mouth.
In union, blessed Jesus, with the faithful gathered at every altar of your Church where your blessed Body and Blood are offered this day, I long to offer you praise and thanksgiving, for creation and all the blessings of this life, for the redemption won for us by your life, death, and resurrection, for the means of grace and the hope of glory.
I believe that you are truly present in the Holy Sacrament, and, since I cannot at this time receive communion, I pray you to come into my heart. I unite myself with you and embrace you with all my heart, my soul, and my mind. Let nothing separate me from you; let me serve you in this life until, by your grace, I come to your glorious kingdom and unending peace. Amen.
Come Lord Jesus, and dwell in my heart in the fullness of your strength; be my wisdom and guide me in right pathways; conform my life and actions to the image of your holiness; and, in the power of your gracious might, rule over every hostile power that threatens or disturbs the growth of your kingdom, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
Communion Duet: Shelley Reed, Soprano & Melanie Moyer, Alto
“Weg der Liebe” Johannes Brahms
Hymn 306: “Come, risen Lord, and deign to be our guest”
1. Come, risen Lord, and deign to be our guest;
nay, let us be thy guests; the feast is thine;
thyself at thine own board make manifest
in thine own Sacrament of Bread and Wine.
2. We meet, as in that upper room they met;
thou at the table, blessing, yet dost stand:
“This is my Body”; so thou givest yet:
faith still receives the cup as from thy hand.
3. One body we, one Body who partake,
one Church united in communion blest;
one Name we bear, one Bread of life we break,
with all thy saints on earth and saints at rest.
4. One with each other, Lord, for one in thee,
who art one Savior and one living Head;
then open thou our eyes, that we may see;
be known to us in breaking of the Bread.
After Communion, the priest says
Let us pray.
Priest and People
Eternal God, heavenly Father, you have graciously accepted us as living members of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, and you have fed us with spiritual food in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood. Send us now into the world in peace, and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Welcome & Announcements
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.
Dismissal
Priest Let us go forth in the name of Christ. Alleluia, alleluia.
People Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.
Postlude: “In our music God is glorified” Joshua Evanovich
Service Participants
Celebrant & Preacher: The Rev. Daniel T. Moore
Organist: W. Edward McCall
Eucharistic Minister: Christopher McCall
Acolyte: Madeleine Moore
Lector: Widgette Kelly
Ushers: Michael and Liam Kelly
Altar: Jacky Grande, Jean Rollo
Flowers: Audrey Jackson
A/V: Emery Kohut
Choir: George Achilles, Trudie Benton, Wendy Brumbaugh, John Capps, Carol Fox, Melanie Moyer, Shelley Reed, Robert Risch, Mike Roberts, Sue Roberts, Anne Shute, Jim Shute, Caitlin Stein, Marian Wentworth
Online giving is available through Realm E-Giving and PayPal. We thank you for your generous giving to St. Paul’s.
Grand Slam Breakfast
The Brotherhood of St. Andrew is cooking a full breakfast for the Parish today. We will offer scrambled eggs, egg casserole, sausage, hash browns, pancakes, cereal, fruit, coffee, tea, juice, milk and fellowship. This cafe is open from 9 am to noon. Take out boxes will be available. Please contact George Wiemann with any questions.
Spring Social: Friday, May 20. Save the Date!
Save the date for a church-wide spring social, to be held on the evening of Friday, May 20. Parishioners of all ages are invited to attend and enjoy food, fellowship, and fun with each other. If the weather is nice, this event will take place outside on the church grounds. Further details to follow!
SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE
Our next meeting is at 7:30 PM on May 10th, the usual 2nd Tuesday of every month. Join us on Zoom (login credentials can be found in the most recent Weekly E-Notes email). Contact chair Jim Massey with any questions. All are welcome!
Spring Gift Card Collection
Dear St. Paul’s members, The Outreach Committee is collecting supermarket or Visa and MasterCard cards for families in need at Doyle Elementary School. Please make the cards $25 or $50 so they can give them to families to buy what they need. Please leave them in the church office or with Mary Smith at church between services. Donations are due by May 20. Please contact Mary Smith with any questions.
FORWARD DAY BY DAY DEVOTIONALS FOR May-July
Forward Movement is a ministry of The Episcopal Church dedicated to forming adult Episcopalians in the faith. Forward Day by Day is one of its publications: a devotional booklet with brief meditations on a passage of Scripture appointed for each day. Paper copies for the three-month period of May-July are now available. To request one by mail, please email the parish administrator, Angela Stoots. You can also read these daily meditations online on the Forward Movement website.
COLLECTION FOR UKRAINE
On behalf of The UUARC, the organization that we are working with to aid the refugees of the Ukraine, to all of St. Paul’s, please accept this HUGE THANK YOU for your unbelievable generosity in the donations that have been received for the Ukraine. The response was, and continues to be, overwhelming. The incredible acts of kindness and caring are truly awe inspiring. So, once again Thank you. The donations will continue to be collected for the foreseeable future, as the need continues to be great. The UUARC prioritized medical supplies as the most critical items. Additionally, here is a link to Amazon for direct shipment to the name and address on the flyer. One last update, UUARC is working on a way to make monetary donations. I will provide that information when it is available.
Also, a big thank you to Sherrie and Chuck for transporting the donations from St. Paul’s to a local organizer…thank you for that incredible effort. Questions? Contact Mary Lou Parry, Outreach Committee Chair.
Cantus Novus presents Veritas: Free To Be
May 6 (Solebury), May 7 (Doylestown)
All of us, musicians and audiences alike, have suffered unimaginable losses since the beginning of 2020. We have just recently been able to hug loved ones, meet with friends, and make music together, but all with a measure of carefulness that is new to us. The liberation within our grasp is akin to escaping from an interminable darkness, and yet we know that many in our midst and around the world have not arrived at this happy juncture.
So in celebration and thanksgiving but aware of the challenges that still lie ahead, our theme for this season is Veritas, who, in Roman mythology is the goddess of Truth.
The concert features Craig Hella Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shepard with orchestra and percussion and includes other musical celebrations of freedom and peace from the Renaissance through the 21st century.
● Friday, May 6, 8:00PM, Trinity Episcopal Church, 6587 Upper York Road, Solebury,
● Saturday, May 7, 8:00PM, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 84 E. Oakland Ave., Doylestown
Online tickets are available now or you may purchase directly from any of our singers. Our current covid protocols, which are subject to change based on changing public health conditions, include some limitation of seating capacity and masks for audience and singers. Please call us at 215-968-3414 if you have any questions, or visit our website.
ALTAR FLOWERS
Today’s flowers are given to the glory of God, and in loving memory of Sara Folkes by her children.
