First Sunday after Pentecost: Trinity Sunday May 26, 2024 11:00 a.m.
We welcome you to Christ Church Cathedral. Since 1839, this Christian community has gathered for worship. To learn more about the ministries we share in this place, you are invited to fill in one of the welcome cards found in the pew rack. We are glad you are here!
The Cathedral is equipped with a hearing loop for assisted listening via telecoil.
The Holy Eucharist: Rite One
The Rev. Canon Luz Montes Celebrant
The Liturgy is found in The Book of Common Prayer (BCP). Hymns and service music (S) are in The Hymnal 1982.
Opening Voluntary Prelude (from Prélude, Fugue et Variation) César Franck (1822–1890)
Choral Introit Tone VII
V. Blessed be the Holy Trinity, and the undivided Unity: R. We will praise and glorify him, because he hath showed his mercy upon us.
Hymn 362 Nicaea
The Word of God
Celebrant Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. BCP page 323 People And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.
The Collect for Purity and the Summary page 323
Gloria in Excelsis S 204 Old Scottish Chant
The Collect of the Day
Celebrant The Lord be with you. People And with thy spirit. Celebrant Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God, who hast given unto us thy servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of the Divine Majesty to worship the Unity: We beseech thee that thou wouldest keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see thee in thy one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit livest and reignest, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The First Reading Isaiah 6:1–8
Reader The Word of the Lord. People Thanks be to God.
Psalm 29
Simplified Anglican chant
Ascribe to the L ORD, you / gods, * ascribe to the L ORD glory and / strength. Ascribe to the L ORD the glory due his / Name; * worship the L ORD in the beauty of / holiness. The voice of the L ORD is upon the waters; the God of glory / thunders; * the L ORD is upon the mighty / waters. The voice of the L ORD is a powerful / voice; * the voice of the L ORD is a voice of / splendor. The voice of the L ORD breaks the / cedar trees; * the L ORD breaks the cedars of / Lebanon; He makes Lebanon skip like a / calf, * and Mount Hermon like a young wild / ox. The voice of the L ORD splits the flames of fire; the voice of the L ORD shakes the / wilderness; * the L ORD shakes the wilderness of / Kadesh. The voice of the L ORD makes the oak trees / writhe * and strips the forests / bare. And in the temple of the / L ORD * all are crying, / “Glory!”
The L ORD sits enthroned above the / flood; * the L ORD sits enthroned as King for ever/more.
2nd half of chant
The L ORD shall give strength to his / people; * the L ORD shall give his people the blessing of / peace.
The Second Reading Romans 8:12–17
Reader The Word of the Lord. People Thanks be to God.
Hymn 371 Moscow
Alleluia Tone II
V. Alleluia. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; R. To God who is, and who was, and who is to come. Alleluia.
The Holy Gospel John 3:1–17
Priest The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John. People Glory be to thee, O Lord.
After the Gospel reading, the Priest says
The Gospel of the Lord. People Praise be to thee, O Christ.
The Sermon
The Rev. Canon Bradley Varnell
The Nicene Creed page 326
The Prayers of the People Form VI, page 392
The Confession page 393
The Peace
Celebrant The peace of the Lord be always with you. People And with thy spirit.
The People greet one another in the name of the Lord, after which the people are seated for brief announcements.
The Holy Communion
Offerings of alms and bread and wine are received.
At the Offertory
Anthem
Dmitry S. Bortnyansky (1751–1825)
Like a choir of angels solemn gathering through the air. Bring we to our heavenly Father, life bestowing, trice sacred song and prayer. Far from our hearts on this blessed day do we drive each earthly care away. Like a King of All shall we raise Thee wafer, unseen by angel ranks, consecrated wafer. Hallelujah! — para. 6th century Orthodox Liturgy
The Great Thanksgiving Eucharistic Prayer II, page 340
Sursum Corda S 112
Sanctus and Benedictus S 114 Healey Willan (1880–1968)
The People kneel as able.
The Eucharistic Prayer continues page 341
Fraction Anthem
Celebrant Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us; People Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.
Agnus Dei S 158
Healey Willan
The sacrament of Holy Communion has been precious to Christians for 2,000 years. It is a way in which many sense the reality of God’s forgiveness, our union with God and each other, and the eternal life to which we belong. Please know that you do not have to be an Episcopalian to receive Communion. To receive, you may kneel or stand at the altar rail. Receive the Bread in the palm of your hand and the Wine either by drinking from the cup or by intinction, touching the Bread to the Wine. Gluten-free Bread is available; simply ask at the altar rail. If you need Communion brought to you in the pew, please tell an usher.
At the Administration
Anthem Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893)
Blessed angel spirits offer praise undying, Ever crying Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth. Saints and martyrs praise thy Name, Trinity life-giving, Earth-borne sorrow leaving before thy throne, Ever crying Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth.
Father omnipotent, mighty in glory, Christ thy Son, our Saviour, who died that we might live, Holy Spirit, mystic dove, dwelling with us evermore, We praise thee, we praise thee, Blessed Trinity.
With the Angels’ sacred hymn, all thy might proclaiming, With the mystic cherubim in songs of praise we join, Holy, Holy, Holy, join we all in songs of praise, In songs of praise for ever; Hallelujah, Lord God of Sabaoth.
—W.G. Rothery (1858–1930)
Prayer after Communion page 339
The Blessing
Hymn 400 (omitting * stanzas) Lasst uns erfreuen
The Dismissal
Celebrant Let us go forth into the world, rejoicing in the power of the Spirit. People Thanks be to God.
Closing Voluntary
Trumpet Voluntary John Stanley (1712–1786)
Cathedral tours highlighting the lore of the building, its windows, its woodwork and more are given by a guide each Sunday following the 11 o’clock service. Look for the guide under the crucifixion window at the rear of the nave.
Readings this Week from the Revised Common Lectionary
The Old Testament Isaiah 6:1–8
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”
The Epistle Romans 8:12–17
So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh — for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ — if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
The Gospel John 3:1–17
There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And 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.
The Book of Remembrance
This week we remember David Howard Miller.
The Beauty of Flowers
The flowers on the Cathedral Altar are given to the glory of God in honor and remembrance of all who have given their lives, in times of war or peacekeeping, in service to the United States Armed Forces. The flowers on the floor vases are given to the glory of God in honor of all who have given their lives, in times of war or peacekeeping, in service to the United States Armed Forces.
Pursuant to Section 30.06, Penal Code (trespass by license holder with a concealed handgun), a person licensed under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code (handgun licensing law), may not enter this property with a concealed handgun. Pursuant to Section 30.07, Penal Code (trespass by license holder with an openly carried handgun), a person licensed under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code (handgun licensing law), may not enter this property with a handgun that is carried openly. Please be advised that our services are livestreamed to Vimeo and Facebook. Your participation in the service serves as your consent to the broadcast of your image and voice and to the broadcast of the image and voice of your participating minor children.