Blessed be the God of our salvation:

The Holy Eucharist

Who bears our burdens and forgives our sins.

Jesus said, “The first commandment is this: Hear, O Israel: God, our God, is one! Love the Most High God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

God of all mercy, we confess that we have sinned against you, opposing your will in our lives. We have denied your goodness in each other, in ourselves, and in the world you have created. We repent of the evil that enslaves us, the evil we have done, and the evil done on our behalf. Forgive, restore, and strengthen us through our Savior Jesus Christ, that we may abide in your love and serve only your will. Amen.

The Absolution

Trisagion (sung three times) Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One, Have mercy upon us.

The Collect of the Day

The Lessons

A Reading from the Book of Numbers (21:4-9)

From Mount Hor the Israelites set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. The people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.” Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.” So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people. Thanks be to God.

Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22, responsively by half verse

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, * and his mercy endures for ever.

Let all those whom the Lord has redeemed proclaim * that he redeemed them from the hand of the foe.

He gathered them out of the lands; *

from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.

Some were fools and took to rebellious ways; * they were afflicted because of their sins.

They abhorred all manner of food * and drew near to death’s door.

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, * and he delivered them from their distress.

He sent forth his word and healed them * and saved them from the grave.

Let them give thanks to the Lord for his mercy * and the wonders he does for his children.

Let them offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving * and tell of his acts with shouts of joy.

A Reading from the Letter to the Ephesians (2:1-10)

You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God–not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people. Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation    Bless the Lord, my soul, and bless God’s holy name.

Bless the Lord, my soul, who leads me into life.

The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John (3:14-21) Glory to you, O Christ.

Jesus said, “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”

The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ.

The Sermon     A period of silence follows the 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 and the Son, 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        Response: Hear our prayer.

The Peace and Announcements

The Holy Communion (Eucharistic Prayer C)

The Lord be with you. And also with you.

Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give God thanks and praise.

God of all power, Ruler of the Universe, you are worthy of glory and praise.

Glory to you for ever and ever.

At your command all things came to be: the vast expanse of interstellar space, galaxies, suns, the planets in their courses, and this fragile earth, our island home. By your will they were created and have their being.

From the primal elements you brought forth the human race,

and blessed us with memory, reason, and skill. You made us the rulers of creation.

But we turned against you, and betrayed your trust; and we turned against one another.

Have mercy, Lord, for we are sinners in your sight.

Again and again, you called us to return. Through prophets and sages you revealed your righteous Law. And in the fullness of time you sent your only Son, born of a woman,

to fulfill your Law, to open for us the way of freedom and peace. By his blood, he reconciled us. By his wounds, we are healed. And therefore we praise you, joining with the heavenly chorus,

with prophets, apostles, and martyrs, and with all those in every generation

who have looked to you in hope, to proclaim with them your glory, in their unending hymn:

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. And so, Father, we who have been redeemed by him, and made a new people by water and the Spirit, now bring before you these gifts. Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord. On the night he was betrayed he took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to his friends, 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, gave thanks, 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.’

Remembering now his work of redemption, and offering to you this sacrifice of thanksgiving,

We celebrate his death and resurrection, as we await the day of his coming.

Lord God of our Fathers: God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: Open our eyes to see your hand at work in the world about us. Deliver us from the presumption of coming to this Table for solace only, and not for strength; for pardon only, and not for renewal. Let the grace of this Holy Communion make us one body, one spirit in Christ, that we may worthily serve the world in his name. Risen Lord, be known to us in the breaking of the Bread.

Accept these prayers and praises, Father, through Jesus Christ our great High Priest, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, your Church gives honor, glory, and worship, from generation to generation. AMEN.

And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say:

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 Breaking of the Bread

We break this bread to share in the Body of Christ.

We who are many are one body, for we all share in the one bread.

The Gifts of God for the People of God. Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.

Communion Music What a Beautiful Name

Post-communion Prayer

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.

Prayer over the People

Closing Hymn What wondrous love is this

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul! What wondrous love is this, O my soul!

What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss to lay aside his crown for my soul, for my soul,

to lay aside his crown for my soul?

And when from death I’m free I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on, and when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on.

And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing and joyful be, and through eternity I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on,

and through eternity I’ll sing on.

The Dismissal

Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Grab a cup of coffee and join us for a parish conversation on Zoom at 11 am! We’ll watch a brief talk by Dr. Catherine Meeks inviting us to heal ourselves and our nation by being kind, loving through disagreement, resisting negative thinking, limiting our intake of news, and seeking inner peace and common ground.