Easter-6 (Yr A) May 14, 2023

Welcome to St. Mark’s!

On this Sunday of May, our parish gives thanks for God’s creation, mothers, and for those persons who have been nurturing to us. The children of our congregation invite you to place a flower in the wooden cross this morning and join us in singing the hymn below. During this event, please pray for those who have been given children; those who wanted to have children but were unable to, and those whose mothers were troubled and found their relationships to be difficult. Remember that Christ our Mother loves us all.

All things bright and beautiful,

all creatures great and small,

all things wise and wonderful,

the Lord God made them all.

1 Each little flower that opens,

each little bird that sings,

he made their glowing colors,

he made their tiny wings.

Refrain

2 The purple-headed mountain,

the river running by,

the sunset, and the morning

that brightens up the sky,

Refrain

3 The cold wind in the winter,

the pleasant summer sun,

the ripe fruits in the garden,

he made them every one.

Refrain

4 He gave us eyes to see them,

and lips that we might tell

how great is God Almighty,

who has made all things well.

Refrain

OPENING HYMN “The spacious firmament on high” Hymnal #409

1 The spacious firmament on high,

with all the blue eternal sky,

and spangled heavens, a shining frame,

their great Original proclaim.

The unwearied sun from day to day

does his Creator’s power display;

and publishes to every land

the work of an almighty hand.

2 Soon as the evening shades prevail,

the moon takes up the wondrous tale,

and nightly to the listening earth

repeats the story of her birth:

whilst all the stars that round her burn,

and all the planets in their turn,

confirm the tidings, as they roll

and spread the truth from pole to pole.

3 What though in solemn silence all

move round the dark terrestrial ball?

What though no real voice nor sound

amid their radiant orbs be found?

In reason’s ear they all rejoice,

and utter forth a glorious voice;

for ever singing as they shine,

“The hand that made us is divine.”

Celebrant Alleluia. Christ is risen.

People The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.

Celebrant Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you 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.

HYMN OF PRAISE “Canticle 13” Hymn #S236

1. Glory to you, Lord God of our Fathers;

you are worthy of praise; glory to you.

2. Glory to you for the radiance of your holy Name;

we will praise you and highly exalt you forever.

3. Glory to you in the splendor of your temple;

on the throne of your majesty, Glory to you.

4. Glory to you seated before the Cheribim;

we will praise you and highly exalt you forever.

5. Glory to you beholding the depths;

in the high vault of heaven. Glory to you.

6. Glory to you Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;

we will highly exalt you forever.

Celebrant The Lord be with you.

People And also with you

Celebrant Let us pray

O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Please be seated for the lessons.

First Lesson Acts 17:22-31 A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles

Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, “Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us. For ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said,

‘For we too are his offspring.’

Since we are God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

The Word of the Lord Response: Thanks be to God.

Psalm Psalm 66:7-18 Read responsively by whole verse.

7 Bless our God, you peoples; *
make the voice of his praise to be heard;

8 Who holds our souls in life, *
and will not allow our feet to slip.

9 For you, O God, have proved us; *
you have tried us just as silver is tried.

10 You brought us into the snare; *
you laid heavy burdens upon our backs.

11 You let enemies ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water; *
but you brought us out into a place of refreshment.

12 I will enter your house with burnt-offerings
and will pay you my vows, *
which I promised with my lips
and spoke with my mouth when I was in trouble.

13 I will offer you sacrifices of fat beasts
with the smoke of rams; *
I will give you oxen and goats.

14 Come and listen, all you who fear God, *
and I will tell you what he has done for me.

15 I called out to him with my mouth, *
and his praise was on my tongue.

16 If I had found evil in my heart, *
the Lord would not have heard me;

17 But in truth God has heard me; *
he has attended to the voice of my prayer.

18 Blessed be God, who has not rejected my prayer, *
nor withheld his love from me.

Epistle 1 Peter 3:13-22 A Reading from the First Letter of Peter

Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence.

Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will, than to suffer for doing evil. For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you– not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.

The Word of the Lord Response: Thanks be to God.

GRADUAL “Jesus crowned with all renown” Hymn #292

1 O Jesus, crowned with all renown,

since thou the earth hast trod,

thou reignest and by thee come down

henceforth the gifts of God.

Thine is the health and thine the wealth

that in our halls abound,

and thine the beauty and the joy

with which the years are crowned.

2 Lord, in their change, let frost and heat,

and winds and dews be given;

all fostering power, all influence sweet,

breathe from the bounteous heaven.

Attemper fair with gentle air

the sunshine and the rain,

that kindly earth with timely birth

may yield her fruits again:

3 that we may feed the poor aright,

and, gathering round thy throne,

here, in the holy angels’ sight,

repay thee of thine own:

That we may praise thee all our days,

and with the Father’s Name,

and with the Holy Spirit’s gifts,

the Savior’s love proclaim.

Gospel John 14:15-21

Deacon: The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John

People: Glory to you Lord Christ.

Jesus said, ”If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

”I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”

The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you Lord Christ

SERMON The Rev. Cricket Park

THE 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:

by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virginn

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 celebration continues with the Prayers of the People. Please keep silence between the petitions until you are invited to add your own intentions.

I ask your prayers for God’s people throughout the world; for Wayne, Ken, Nedi, and Wendell, our bishops; for this gathering; and for all ministers and people.

Pray for the Church.

I ask your prayers for peace; for goodwill among nations; and for the well-being of all people.

Pray for justice and peace.

I ask your prayers for the poor, the sick, the hungry, the oppressed and those in

prison.

Pray for those in any need or trouble.

I ask your prayers for all who seek God, or a deeper knowledge of God.

Pray that they may find and be found by God.

I ask your prayers for the departed.

Pray for those who have died.

I ask your prayers and thanksgivings for (please add your own petitions)

Praise God for those in every generation in whom Christ has been honored. Pray that we may have grace to glorify Christ in our own day.

Celebrant: Hasten, O Father, the coming of your kingdom; and grant that we your servants, who now live by faith, may with joy behold your Son at his coming in glorious majesty; even Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.

THE PEACE

Celebrant: The Peace of the Lord be always with you.

Response: And also with you.

Please greet one another with a sign of peace.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

OFFERTORY ANTHEM For the Fruit of All Creation by Hal H Hopson sung by Laura Leach.

OFFERTORY/Presentation of Gifts

The Celebrant will invite the congregation to participate in the offering with a sentence of scripture. As the ushers bring the gifts to the altar, please sing the following:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise God all creatures here below;

Praise God above ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

THE HOLY COMMUNION

Celebrant The Lord be with you.

People And also with you.

Celebrant Lift up your hearts.

People We lift them to the Lord.

Celebrant Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

People It is right to give him thanks and praise.

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:

Celebrant and People

As our Savior Christ has taught us, we now pray,

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.

SANCTUS HYMN S128

All: 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.

The people stand or kneel. Then the Celebrant continues

We give thanks to you, O God, for the goodness and love which you have made known to us in creation; in the calling of Israel to be your people; in your Word spoken through the prophets; and above all in the Word made flesh, Jesus, your Son. For in these last days you sent him to be incarnate from the Virgin Mary, to be the Savior and Redeemer of the world.

In him, you have delivered us from evil, and made us worthy to stand before you. In him, you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life.

On the night before he died for us, 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, according to his command, O Father,

Celebrant and People

We remember his death,
We proclaim his resurrection,
We await his coming in glory;

The Celebrant continues

And we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, O Lord of all; presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and this wine.

We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts that they may be the Sacrament of the Body of Christ and his Blood of the new Covenant.

Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable through him, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

In the fullness of time, put all things in subjection under your Christ, and bring us to
that heavenly country where, with all your saints, we may enter the everlasting heritage of your sons and daughters; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the firstborn of all
creation, the head of the Church, and the author of our salvation.

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 forever. AMEN.

As our Savior Christ has taught us, we now pray,

THE FRACTION The Breaking of the Bread Anthem Be known to us, Lord Jesus Hymn #875

Be known to us Lord Jesus in the breaking of the bread

The bread which we break alleluia is the communion of the body of Christ

Be known to us Lord Jesus in the breaking of the bread

One body are we alleluia for though many we share one bread

Be known to us Lord Jesus in the breaking of the bread

(The disciples knew the Lord Jesus in the breaking of the bread.)

INVITATION TO COMMUNION:

Celebrant The Gifts of God for the People of God.

COMMUNION HYMN “Bread of Heaven on thee we feed” Hymnal #323

1 Bread of heaven, on thee we feed,

for thy Flesh is meat indeed;

ever may our souls be fed

with this true and living Bread;

day by day with strength supplied,

through the life of him who died.

2 Vine of heaven, thy Blood supplies

this blest cup of sacrifice;

Lord, thy wounds our healing give,

to thy cross we look and live:

Jesus, may we ever be

grafted, rooted, built in thee.

POST COMMUNION PRAYER

Celebrant 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 mem-

bers of the Body of your Son, and heirs of your eternal kingdom.

And now, Father, send us out to do the work you have given us to do, to love

and serve you as faithful witnesses of Christ our Lord . To him, to you, and to

the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

THE BLESSING

RECESSIONAL HYMN “As those of old their first fruits brought” Hymn #705

1 As those of old their first fruits brought

of vineyard, flock, and field

to God, the giver of all good,

the source of bounteous yield;

so we today our first fruits bring,

the wealth of this good land,

of farm and market, shop and home,

of mind, and heart, and hand.

2 A world in need now summons us

to labor, love, and give;

to make our life an offering

to God that all may live;

the Church of Christ is calling us

to make the dream come true:

a world redeemed by Christ-like love;

all life in Christ made new.

3 With gratitude and humble trust

we bring our best to thee

to serve thy cause and share thy love

with all humanity.

O thou who gavest us thyself

in Jesus Christ thy Son,

help us to give ourselves each day

until life’s work is done.

DISMISSAL

The congregation is dismissed.

People Thanks be to God.

Please stay after service for our annual Parish Photograph. This is an important part of the preparation of our profile for the search process. We want you to be seen!

Ministers for May 14, 2023

Acolytes: Jackie Hoskinson and Will Day

Lay Readers: Don Nancarrow and Jim Rudd

Chalice Bearers: TJ Walch and Gary Welch

Tech/Facebook Live: TJ Walch and Gary Welch

Ushers: Carol Williamson and Jim Rudd

Counters: Janet Reuter and Gary Welch

Open/Close: Rudd/Rubino

Coffee Hour: TBA

Flowers are given in memory of John and Ruby Webster by all their children and grandchildren.

Ministers for May 21, 2023

Acolyte: Elizabeth Wagner-Weber

Lay Readers: Carol Williamson and Jackie Hoskinson

Chalice Bearers: Carol Williamson and Judy Rudd

Tech/Facebook Live: Gary Welch

Ushers: Carol Williamson and Tony Rubino

Counters: Tony Rubino and Mary-Anna Welch

Open/Close: Rudd/Wagner

Coffee Hour: TJ Walch and Carol Nancarrow—Ice Cream Social

Adult Formation: What Episcopalians Need to Know about the Prayer Book

We use bulletins on Sunday to make visitors feel more welcome and to help those who have vision or mobility issues worship more easily. The Book of Common Prayer is a theological gem that is largely unsued by those in the pews. Join Rev. Cricket over the next several weeks to learn about the treasure we call the “BCP”.

If you would like to continue doing Summer Sunday school, please let Cricket know. She can plan some multi-generational mornings that could be fun!

Baptism Anyone?

There are five days designated in the Book of Common Prayer as especially appropriate for baptisms. One of those days—Pentecost—is coming up on May 28th. If you have members of your family who wish to be baptized, please let Rev. Cricket know. The next opportunity will be in November on All Saints’ Sunday.

Celebrating our Sunday School Volunteers

May 21st is “Sunday School Recognition” at St. Mark’s. Please contact TJ Walch and Carol Nancarrow to help out with the activities. We want to show our teachers our biggest and best appreciation for their work with our young people.

Pentecost is May 28th!

It is also Memorial Day weekend. For the morning, please ignore the ‘white and blue’ and just wear red to church. We will remember those armed services members who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country. The Holy Spirit, however, will not be ignored. Will there be flames above our heads? Come and see!

Softball has begun!

Come cheer on the St. Mark’s team at Fairfield Ball Park, 627 N. Broad St., Fairborn, OH 45324. Dates and times are below in the Calendar.

Safe Church Training—Time to Renew

The Formation office asks that all priests and rectors works with staff, vestry members, treasurers, convention delegates, church staff, licensed and lay leadership, key holders, and children’s ministers/volunteers to be compliant with Safe Church and Anti-Racism training as soon as possible. Safe Church Training is done online through Praesidium. Go to diosohio.org/safe-church-training/ and create your account to be able to take the courses. Questions: email Emma Helms-Steinmetz (ehelms-steinmetz@diosohio.org )

Mark your Calendar:

May 14, Flowering of the Cross and Parish Photo;

May 16, Softball at Fairfield Park (vs. Gates of Praise) 7:15pm

May 20, Vestry Retreat

May 21, Sunday School Recognition

May 23, Softball at Fairfield Park (vs. Medway UMC) 8:30pm

May 25, Vestry Meeting 7:00pm

May 28, Pentecost and Memorial Day weekend

May 30, Softball at Fairfield Park (vs. Central Ave Church of Christ) 7:15pm

June 3, Dayton Pride Festival

June 4, Trinity Sunday

Julian of Norwich (1343– after 1416), also known as Juliana of Norwich, the Lady Julian, Dame Julian or Mother Julian, was an English mystic and anchoress of the Middle Ages. Her writings, now known as Revelations of Divine Love, are the earliest surviving English language works by a woman, although it is possible that some anonymous works may have had female authors. They are also the only surviving English language works by an anchoress.

Julian lived in the English city of Norwich, an important centre for commerce that also had a vibrant religious life.

In 1373, aged 30 and so seriously ill she thought she was on her deathbed, Julian received a series of visions or shewings of the Passion of Christ. She recovered from her illness and wrote two versions of her experiences, the earlier one being completed soon after her recovery—a much longer version, today known as the Long Text, was written many years later.

Julian lived in permanent seclusion as an anchoress in her cell, which was attached to St Julian’s Church, Norwich. As an anchoress living in the heart of an urban environment, Julian would not have been entirely secluded. She would have enjoyed the financial support of the more prosperous members of the local community, as well as the general affection of the population. She would have in turn provided prayers and given advice to visitors, serving as an example of devout holiness.

A characteristic element of Julian’s mystical theology was her equating divine love with motherly love, a theme found in the Biblical prophets, as in Isaiah 49:15. According to Julian, God is both our mother and our father. As the medievalist Caroline Walker Bynum shows, this idea was also developed by Bernard of Clairvaux and others from the 12th century onward. Bynum regards the medieval notion of Jesus as a mother as being a metaphor rather than a literal belief. In her fourteenth revelation, Julian writes of the Trinity in domestic terms, comparing Jesus to a mother who is wise, loving and merciful. Author Frances Beer asserted that Julian believed that the maternal aspect of Christ was literal and not metaphoric: Christ is not like a mother, he is literally the mother. Julian emphasised this by explaining how the bond between mother and child is the only earthly relationship that comes close to the relationship a person can have with Jesus. She used metaphors when writing about Jesus in relation to ideas about conceiving, giving birth, weaning and upbringing.

Julian wrote, “For I saw no wrath except on man’s side, and He forgives that in us, for wrath is nothing else but a perversity and an opposition to peace and to love.” She wrote that God sees us as perfect and waits for the day when human souls mature so that evil and sin will no longer hinder us, and that “God is nearer to us than our own soul”. This theme is repeated throughout her work: “Jesus answered with these words, saying: ‘All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.’ … This was said so tenderly, without blame of any kind toward me or anybody else.”

In March 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the experiences of Julian and other anchorites were cited in advice for people around the world newly discovering self-isolation. Ramirez was quoted by BBC News, saying that “Julian was living in the wake of the Black Death, and around her repeated plagues were re-decimating an already depleted population. I think she was self-isolating. The other anchorites would have understood that by removing themselves from life this would not only give them a chance of preserving their own life but also of finding calm and quiet and focus in a chaotic world.” From Wikipedia

Dayton-area Episcopal churches will march in the Pride Parade and host a booth at Dayton’s Pride Festival on June 3rd and we need your help! We’re setting up our booth at 10am on Courthouse Square; we have volunteer shifts of one hour beginning at noon and ending at 4pm. We also need lots of folks marching in the parade, which starts at Cooper Park, winds through Downtown Dayton, ending at Courthouse Square. At 4:30pm we can use some willing hands to teardown and clean up our booth. If you’re interested in volunteering at the booth or marching in the parade with us, contact Katherine Wagner or use the QR code in the bulletin.

St. Mark’s is a parish in the Diocese of Southern Ohio, which is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The diocese is currently in a search for its next Bishop.

Vestry

Libby Nicholson, Senior Warden

Kendall Rubino, Junior Warden

Fred Berta

Jackie Hoskinson

Patricia Tallman

Elizabeth Wagner-Weber

Jenna Walch

Don Nancarrow, Treasurer

Dave Reuter, Recorder

Interim Rector

Rev. Cricket Park st_marks@ameritech.net;

Office Hours by appointment. 937-256-1082

———————————

Our Mission Statement:

“We gather for worship, education and mutual support;

welcome all people; and serve the community in God’s name”.

A prayer for St. Mark’s in a time of transition

O Lord, Father of life and change, of new and old: You gifted us with abilities to speak and listen, to hear and decide, to choose and know. We thank you for teaching us how to used these abilities, though we must at times remember to combine them with patience. Remind us to speak with kindness, to listen to understand, to hear all voices, to decide on what is just and true, to choose the path of peace, and to know we are not alone. Be with us in this time of transition, that it is as effective as it is unsettling, as comforting as it is confusing. And never leave our side on the journey ahead, as we strive for an unknown destination. In the name of your Son Jesus, who walks alongside us, we pray. Amen.

(written by Elizabeth Wagner-Weber)

The Rev. Cricket Park, Interim Priest-in-Charge

st_marks@ameritech.net

Libby Nicholson – Senior Warden; Kendall Rubino – Junior Warden,

wardens@stmarksdayton.org

Donna Larsen, Music Director/Organist,

musicdirector@stmarksdayton.org

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church

456 Woodman Drive

Dayton, OH 45431

Email: st_marks@ameritech.net

Office Phone: 937-256-1082