Prelude
“Beautiful Savior, King of Creation”
Don Freudenburg
(Please stand)
The Word of God
(BCP p. 355)
Celebrant Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
People And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever.
Amen.
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.
Gloria
(BCP p.356)
Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Collect of the Day
Celebrant The Lord be with you.
People And also with you
Celebrant Let us pray.
Lord Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; for, as you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
(Please be seated)
A Reading from the Book of Exodus 12:1-14
The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb for each family, a lamb for each household. If a household is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join its closest neighbor in obtaining one; the lamb shall be divided in proportion to the number of people who eat of it. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a year-old male; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembled congregation of Israel shall slaughter it at twilight. They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. They shall eat the lamb that same night; they shall eat it roasted over the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted over the fire, with its head, legs, and inner organs. You shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the passover of the Lord. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance.
The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Psalm 149
(The Lector and the Congregation
pray responsively)
1 Hallelujah!
Sing to the Lord a new song; *
sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful.
2 Let Israel rejoice in his Maker; *
let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
3 Let them praise his Name in the dance; *
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
4 For the Lord takes pleasure in his people *
and adorns the poor with victory.
5 Let the faithful rejoice in triumph; *
let them be joyful on their beds.
6 Let the praises of God be in their throat *
and a two-edged sword in their hand;
7 To wreak vengeance on the nations *
and punishment on the peoples;
8 To bind their kings in chains *
and their nobles with links of iron;
9 To inflict on them the judgment decreed; *
this is glory for all his faithful people.
Hallelujah!
A Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans 13:8-14
Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet”; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
(Please stand)
Deacon The Holy Gospel of
Our Lord Jesus Christ
according to Matthew 18:15-20
People Glory to you, Lord Christ.
Jesus said, “If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
People Praise to you, Lord Christ.
(Please be seated)
The Sermon
The Rev. Dr. John Agbaje
Today’s sermon is titled Reconciliation.
Reconciliation means finding wholeness with God, with others and with creation itself.
Living our lives by following the example of Jesus Christ’s how reconciliation begins.
Reconciliation is as old as the world. When God created Adam and Eve, God put them in a garden and informed them they could eat of any of the trees in the garden except one. Later Adam and Eve succumbed to the Serpent’s temptation, and they ate the fruit from the tree God warned them not to eat.
Adam and Eve’s sin is called the “first fall.” Ever since the time that Adam and Eve sinned, God has tried to reclaim human beings to their original sinless form. God sent judges, kings, and prophets, but human beings still did not change. God decided to reconcile the world back to himself by sending His only begotten Son. And what did human beings do to Jesus? We killed Him! Yet, God still loves us.
All of us here have been offended by friends, coworkers, spouses, or even our children before. It probably hurts that many of us decide that they’d rather not talk to the person who offended them anymore. Christ is reminding us to reconcile with those people. We are all called to the ministry of reconciliation, we are called to work towards reconciliation so that our relationships may be whole again.
This is the goal among people involved in a conflict.
Christ exemplified what reconciliation is by coming down from Heaven to live like us. He later willingly shed His Blood on the Cross, not only to atone for our sins, but also so that we may be reconciled back to God.
I remember preaching on forgiveness or as I like to call it, “Let go and let God,” one Sunday in Portsmouth, VA. The following Sunday a Parishioner came to tell me that after service that Sunday she went to Walmart, and she saw someone who she had been holding a grudge against for so long.
She said this person was in line next to her to pay. This parishioner told me that when she saw this person, she was angry again because she remembered that she was still mad at her. And all of a sudden, the person waved to this parishioner who just heard me preach on forgiveness, reconciliation and how to “let go and let God.” The parishioner said that even though she did not want to respond to the person who waved at her, she remembered what she heard in Church and went to her and gave her a hug. Since that time, they became friends again.
Reconciliation is not easy. It takes all we’ve got and it takes prayer. However, when whatever caused the rift has been resolved the people come back together as if their relationships had never been broken. This is what true reconciliation is.
Human beings are the ones who disobeyed God. Christ’s death and resurrection satisfied God’s demand to make things right between us and Him. Through our faith and prayer, the dispute between us and God is resolved. (Context Summary Romans 5:1-11)
As we talk about reconciliation today, we are to remember that our reconciliation through Christ comes with a high prize.
St. Paul said to the Ephesians, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.” (Ephesians 4:26).
There is a line I learned long ago: All I know I learned in Kindergarten. When kids fight the teacher calls them to shake hands or to say I am sorry. That is where and when reconciliation begins for many of us.
Every time we are reconciled, we experience joy. The same is true in Church. When people refuse to reconcile they will not enjoy a good experience of fellowship or worship.
Allow me to end this sermon with the example from C. S. Lewis. He drew a picture of hell as a great city inhabited only at the outer edges. In the middle are rows of empty houses. C. S. Lewis said the reason for that is because the people who once lived in the houses in the middle of the City fought with their neighbors, then they moved to another house and they moved again, living the streets of their old neighbors. And that, C. S. Lewis said how hell has gotten so large.
Everyone chose avoidance instead of honest communication or fierce confrontation when it came to their relationships. This is a figurative way of resolving conflicts at homes or in Churches.
As wonderful as reconciliation is, it is very difficult because of our ego. Christ is asking us to reconcile so that there will not be gaps among us.
Thank God for the power of the Holy Spirit in us who make reconciliation possible. Our call is to exemplify reconciliation to other people so that our world will be filled with people who make peace.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Amen.
(BCP p. 358)
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
worshipped 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.
Prayers of the People
In the Anglican cycle of prayer, we pray for the Anglican Church of Southern Africa.
In the Diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for Christ Church in Springfield, Mary Magdalene in Maineville, and Trinity in Columbus.
In our Parish cycle of prayer, we pray for Paul and Carol Sharp; George Snyder; and Mary Sones.
Form I
(BCP p. 383)
With all our heart and with all our mind, let us pray to the Lord, saying, “Lord, have mercy.”
For the peace of the world, for the welfare of the holy Church of God, and for the unity of all peoples, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For our Bishop, and for all the clergy and people, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For our President, for the leaders of the nations, and for all in authority, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For this city for every city and community, and for those who live in them, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the good earth which God has given us, and for the wisdom and will to conserve it, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For those on St. Mark’s Prayer List (N); for others for whom we wish to pray; for the aged and infirm, for the widowed and orphans, and for the sick and the suffering, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For the poor and the oppressed, for the unemployed and the destitute, for prisoners and captives, and for all who remember and care for them, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For all who have died in the hope of the resurrection, and for all the departed, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For deliverance from all danger, violence, oppression, and degradation, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
That we may end our lives in faith and hope, without suffering and without reproach, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
In the communion of St Mark and of all the saints, let us commend ourselves, and one another, and all our life, to Christ our God.
To thee, O Lord our God.
Silence
Celebrant Lord, hear the prayers of your people; and what we have asked faithfully, grant that we may obtain effectually, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Confession of Sin
(BCP p. 360)
Deacon Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
Silence may be kept.
Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.
Celebrant Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life.
People Amen.
(Please be seated)
Offertory
(BCP p. 377)
The Offering is brought to the Altar
Celebrant Let us with gladness present the offerings and oblations of our life and labor to the Lord.
The Lord’s Prayer
Celebrant 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 for ever. Amen.
The General Thanksgiving
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made.
We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.
A Prayer over the Gifts Received
for the Children of CARE House
Lord Jesus, who took the children into your arms and embraced them with your love, receive these gifts for the children of CARE House. Through the power of your Spirit, may these offerings and the offering of all our ministries to them, bring them comfort and healing. May they come to know and feel in their hearts and in their souls the fullness of life and of love given to all of us by our one God and Father. In your holy name we pray. Amen.
Birthdays and Anniversaries
Blessing
The Peace
Celebrant The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People And also with you.
Announcements
Dismissal
The congregation is dismissed.
People Thanks be to God.
Postlude
“Christ is Made the Sure Foundation”
John Stallsmith
For today’s announcements, click HERE.
———–
St. Mark’s Vestry
Senior Warden: Gary Welch
Junior Warden: Katherine Wagner
Treasurer: Don Nancarrow
Secretary: Dave Reuter
Vestry Members:
Carol Nancarrow, Tracey Swartz
Jen Bonifas, Susan Kendall
Kendall Rubino, Jenna Walch
St. Mark’s Staff
Transitional Priest in Charge The Rev. Dr. John Agbaje
Parish Administrator Katherine Wagner
Music Director Donna Larsen
Sexton Douglas Plummer
Look for us…
On the web: www.StMarksDayton.org
Facebook: St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Dayton, Ohio
Instagram: stmarksdayton
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