8:45 A.M. and 11:15 A.M.

The Fourth Sunday of Easter: Year B

The Holy Eucharist in Social Distance for the Common Good

The Very Reverend Samuel G. Candler, Celebrant

The Reverend John William Harkins III, Ph.D., Preacher

Grace and peace to you! We are the Body of Christ, connected spiritually and emotionally, and visually, even when we cannot gather together in person. Prepared in social distance for the common good, this liturgy honors the patterns of our tradition and is intended to facilitate our continued common prayer, as we share spiritual communion.

Voluntary

Prelude on “Brother James’s Air”

Searle Wright (1918-2004)

The Welcome from the Dean

THE WORD OF GOD

The Opening Hymn: 417

music: Festival Canticle, Richard Hillert (1923-2010) words: Revelation 5:12-13; adapt. John W. Arthur (1902-1980)

The Opening Acclamation

Celebrant: Alleluia. Christ is risen.

All: The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.

The Collect for Purity

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.

The Gloria in excelsis

S 278, William Mathias

The Collect of the Day: Fourth Sunday of Easter

Celebrant: The Lord be with you.

All: And also with you.

Celebrant: Let us pray.

O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Epistle: 1 John 3:16-24

Lector: A Reading from The First Letter of John.

We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.

How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?

Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.

And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.

Lector: The Word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

The Gradual: Psalm 23

Anglican chant: C. Hylton Stewart BCP, p. 476

The Lord is my shepherd; * therefore can I lack nothing. He shall feed me in a green pasture, * and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort. He shall convert my soul, * and bring me forth in the paths of righteousness for his Name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; * for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff comfort me. Thou shalt prepare a table before me in the presence of them that trouble me; * thou hast anointed my head with oil, and my cup shall be full. Surely thy loving-kindness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; * and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

The Sequence: Hymn 664

music: Resignation, American folk melody words: Isaac Watts (1674-1748); para. of Psalm 23

The Holy Gospel: John 10:11-18

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

All: Glory to you, Lord Christ.

Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

Gospeler: The Gospel of the Lord.

All: Praise to you, Lord Christ.

The Sermon: The Rev. Dr. Bill Harkins

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 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

We offer the concerns of our lives, with the congregation responding, “Hear our prayer.” Join us today and throughout the week in praying for all of those on our parish prayer list, found after “Parish Notices.”

Intercessor: We pray for the church throughout the world. Within the Anglican Communion of Churches, we pray today for The Anglican Church in Japan. Within the Episcopal Church, we pray for the Diocese of Atlanta; Robert our Bishop; and all ministers, lay and ordained. Within this Cathedral parish, we pray for our ministry of the day: The Baptism Guild. We pray for the newly baptized: Jackson Ian Crocker, Declan Luke Graves, Carver Elizabeth Harris, Sawyer Wen Harris, Thomas Walker Harris Risen Lord, All: Hear our prayer. Intercessor: We pray for the world and its leaders, that the forces of darkness and violence may be overcome by peace and justice. We pray for Joe, our President; for the Congress and the Courts; for Brian, our Governor; and for Keisha, our Mayor. We pray for those serving their country and for their families and communities. Risen Lord, All: Hear our prayer. Intercessor: We pray for the sick, the suffering, and those who are persecuted for their faith, that the Risen Christ may visit them with healing power, restoring their strength. Risen Lord, All: Hear our prayer. Intercessor: We pray for all who have died, that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom. Risen Lord, All: Hear our prayer. Intercessor: We give thanks for the many blessings of this life. Risen Lord, All: Hear our prayer. Intercessor: We pray for all those on our prayer list, including those with new or immediate concerns: Cornelia Bird, The Darmon Family, Marg Denny, Elizabeth James Earnest Let us pray, either silently or aloud, for our own needs and those of others. Risen Lord, All: Hear our prayer. Celebrant: Almighty and eternal God, ruler of all things in heaven and earth: Mercifully accept the prayers of your people, and strengthen us to do your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Peace

The Celebrant says: The peace of the Lord be always with you.

All: And also with you.

The Parish Notices

Those for whom prayers have been requested:

For Immediate Needs: Cornelia Bird, The Darmon Family, Marg Denny, Elizabeth James Earnest

Long Term Prayers: R. Huntley Allen, Penny Barnett, Edgar & Judith Beach, Perry Benton, Virginia Bicksler, Heather Clark, Sharon Crews, Lynne D’Huyvetter, Terry Dornbush, Sarah duBignon, Deborah Ellington, Dan Elson, Jane Jones, Louise Kan, Lisa Krysiak, Sandy Land, Carol McDonald, Glenn Miller, Ashley Minear, Royce Mitchell, Laura Moore, Susan Myers, Charlie Neal, Linus Nickel, Marion Palmore, Beth Pitzer, Joann Lewis Pobst, Garry Pryor, Rowland Radford, Rubye & Wayne Reid, Lorraine Reynolds, Agnes Elizabeth Robertson, Louis “Skip” Schueddig, Leticia Justo Serrano, Linda Stallcup, Julie Sutton, Tommy Truesdale, Ron Wallace, Faye Van Winkle

For Family & Friends: Bettina Bass, Bella Bond, David Bond, Kerrigan Casey, Andrew Clark, Vickie & Bob Coffman, Marie Corrigan, Ava Corroon, Apryl Roberts Cox, David Elmore, Carleton Fuller, Patricia Plummer Glowatsky, Robert Hoder, Cadel Ingraham, Stephen Jones, Robin Kemp, Grace Lawson, Pete Livezey, Lauren Makhlouf, Pat Martin, Marge Massey, Michelle Maxwell, Katie McRae, Betsy Moore, Mary Nelson, Steven Norman, Bella Emerson Plummer, Francis Powers, Courtney Rosenthal, Carol Russell, James Sands, Pansy & Mitch Simonds, Cindy Snell, Paul Sturtz, Caroline Southerland, Tina Susco, Yvonne Tate, Family of Steven Taylor, Pierson Thames, Jeffrey Thomas, Wayne Thurman, Olive Toy, Roger Traylor, Whit A. Wright, Hollis Youngner

THE HOLY COMMUNION

The Offertory

At the time of the Offertory, you may offer whatever you have to God. Each of us has something to offer, and every one of those offerings is accepted by God. In a few minutes, when the celebrant prays the Eucharistic Prayer, God blesses all those offerings, wherever they are today. If you would like to make a financial offering to the ministry of the Cathedral, you may do so by visiting: cathedralATL.org/contribute.

The Offertory Anthem

music: Gerre Hancock (1934-2012), A Song to the Lamb words: Revelation 4:11, 5:9-10, 13

Splendor and honor and kingly power are yours by right, O Lord our God, for you created everything that is and by your will they were created, and have their being. Splendor and honor and kingly power are yours by right, O Lord our God, And yours by right, O Lamb that was slain, for with your Blood you have redeemed for God, from every family, language, people and nation, a kingdom of priests to serve our God. And so, to him who sits upon the throne, and to Christ the Lamb, be worship and praise, dominion and splendor, for ever and for evermore. Alleluia!

The Great Thanksgiving

Eucharistic Prayer A, The Book of Common Prayer (BCP), p. 361

Celebrant: The Lord be with you.

All: And also with you.

Celebrant: Lift up your hearts.

All: We lift them to the Lord.

Celebrant: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

All: It is right to give God thanks and praise.

Celebrant: 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:

The Sanctus and Benedictus

S 128, William Mathias

Celebrant: 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:

All: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

Celebrant: 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 Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, 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 Lord’s Prayer

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

Celebrant: Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;

All: Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.

The Communion

During these next moments of meditation, wherever you are, please receive whatever gifts God makes available to you, in whatever form God makes available to you. We share spiritual communion today.

The Meditation Music: Hymn 645

music: St. Columba, Irish melody words: Henry Williams Baker (1821-1877); para. of Psalm 23

The Postcommunion Prayer

Celebrant: Let us pray.

All: 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.

The Blessing

The Closing Hymn: 210

music: Ellacombe, from Gesangbuch…der Herzogl. Wirtembergischen katholischen Hofkapella, 1784, alt; adapt. Katholisches Gesangbuch, 1863; harm. William Henry Monk (1823-1889) words: John of Damascus (8th cent.), trans. John Mason Neale (1818-1866), alt.

The Dismissal

Deacon: Let us go forth in the name of Christ. Alleluia! Alleluia!

All: Thanks be to God. Alleluia! Alleluia!

Voluntary

Gloria (from L’homme armé Organ Mass)

Margaret Vardell Sandresky (b. 1921)

All music is reprinted by permission under ONE LICENSE (license number A-717455). Music from The Hymnal 1982 © Church Publishing, Inc., unless noted otherwise below: Hymn 210 descant by permission of Oxford University Press. Hymn 417 words & music reprinted from Lutheran Book of Worship, © 1978, by permission of Augsburg Publishing House on behalf of the publishers and copyright holders. Hymn S-128 by permission of Oxford University Press. Hymn S-278 by permission of Oxford University Press.