Anglican Diocese of Toronto
155 Markham Road, Scarborough, ON M1M 3A1, (416) 261-4169
Self-guided worship: May 17th (Ante-communion IV)
Details for May 17th worship (Easter VI, Ante-communion IV)
All hymns are from Common Praise (CP) unless otherwise indicated, and all hymn videos are courtesy of our organist Sam Tak Ho. We also thank all our readers (Beverly Baird, Howard Cyrus, Isaac Luther) and Leonora Benjamin for reading the Prayers of the People. A big thank you to Pastor Pam, Rev. Roy Shepherd and Deacon Jacquie for officiating the service and to Bill Wilkins for his solo.
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Please download or print the Word document OR use the text on this page to follow along with the service.
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International Nurses Day is organised on 12 May to celebrate the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale (this year is her 200th). Each year, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) comes up with a theme to honour nurses. For 2020, the theme chosen is 'Nursing the world to health.' The World Health Organisation (WHO) highlighted that nurses are at the forefront of fighting epidemics and pandemics, stating that the COVID-19 is a reminder of the important role nurses play.
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In some areas of the UK and Europe, "You'll Never Walk Alone" became the anthem of support for medical staff, first responders, and those in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic. We begin our service today with a wonderful rendition of this song.
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Opening Message:
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If you love me, you will keep my word, and my Father will love you, and we will come to you.
John 14:23
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Opening Verse:
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Opening Hymn: O love, how deep! How broad! How high!, CP 628
O love, how deep! How broad! How high!
It fills the heart with ecstasy,
That God, the Son of God, should take
Our mortal form for mortals’ sake.
He sent no angel to our race
Of higher or of lower place,
But wore the robe of human frame
Himself, and to this lost world came.
For us he prayed, for us he taught,
For us his daily works he wrought,
By words and signs, and actions, thus
Still seeking not himself but us.
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Collect: (Rev. Pam Trondson)
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Celebrant
Alleluia! Christ is risen.
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People
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!
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Celebrant
May his grace and peace be with you.
People
May he fill our hearts with joy.
Celebrant
Almighty God,
All
to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hidden. 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.
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Celebrant Glory to God in the highest,
All
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
Merciful God, you have prepared for those who love you riches beyond imagination. Pour into our hearts such love toward you, that we, loving you above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. AMEN.
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A Reading from the Book of Acts: (Isaac Luther)
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Press the play button to start the audio recording (make sure your volume is turned on!).
Acts 17:22-31
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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.
Thanks be to God.
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Psalm 66:7-18 (Beverly Baird)
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Press the play button to start the audio recording (make sure your volume is turned on!).
Bless our God, you peoples; make the voice of his praise to be heard;
Who holds our souls in life, and will not allow our feet to slip.
For you, O God, have proved us; you have tried us just as silver is tried.
You brought us into the snare; you laid heavy burdens upon our backs.
You let enemies ride over our heads; we went through fire and water;
but you brought us out into a place of refreshment.
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.
I will offer you sacrifices of fat beasts with the smoke of rams; I will give you oxen and goats.
Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he has done for me.
I called out to him with my mouth, and his praise was on my tongue.
If I had found evil in my heart, the Lord would not have heard me;
But in truth God has heard me; he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God, who has not rejected my prayer, nor withheld his love from me.
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A Reading from the First Letter of Peter: (Howard Cyrus)
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1 Peter 3:13-22
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 defence 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.
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The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
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Hymn: God Will Take Care of You
Printed text for this hymn is provided by Christian Corporate Licensing International, under CCLI License #11017184, CCLI Song# 93645. Words and music: Public Domain, by Civilla Durfee Martin and Walter Stillman Martin.
Be not dismayed whate'er betide
God will take care of you
Beneath His wings of love abide
God will take care of you.
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Chorus:
God will take care of you
Through every day o'er all the way
He will take care of you
God will take care of you
Through days of toil when heart doth fail
God will take care of you
When dangers fierce your path assail
God will take care of you.
Chorus
No matter what may be the test
God will take care of you
Lean weary one upon His breast
God will take care of you.
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Chorus
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Gospel: John 14:15-27 (Read by Rev. Canon Jacquie Boutheon)
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Press the play button to start the audio recording (make sure your volume is turned on!).
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Deacon The Lord be with you.
People And also with you.
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Deacon The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
People Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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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." Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, ‘Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. ‘I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.
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Deacon The Gospel of Christ.
People Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Sermon: Rev. Pam Trondson
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Solo: Ubi Caritas et Amor, CP553 (solo Bill Wilkins)
Ubi caritas et amor,
Ubi caritas, Deus ibi est.
Live in charity and steadfast love;
live in charity, God will dwell with you.
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Apostles' Creed: (Rev. Pam Trondson)
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Celebrant
Let us confess the faith of our baptism, as we say,
All
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
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Prayers of the People: (Leonora Benjamin)
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Press the play button to start the audio recording (make sure your volume is turned on!).
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, God has called us to follow in the way of His risen Son, and to care for those who are our companions not only with words of comfort, but with acts of love. Let us now offer our doubts and fears, our joys and concerns, our petitions and praise, to Him who has given us the Holy Spirit, saying: God of Easter, hear our prayer.
For your holy Church throughout the world, for those ordained to service remembering especially Linda, Andrew, Kevin, Pam, Roy and Jacquie, and for all who serve as leaders, that through their leadership your church may reflect the love that draws all people t0o you. God of Easter, hear our prayer.
For this parish family, that we may be filled with hope and remain confident in God’s love for us despite the hardships, confusion and conflicts of these days of quarantine. God of Easter, hear our prayer.
For leaders and decision makers throughout the world, particularly in those areas torn apart by war and strife, that they may seek to overcome the powers of fear, greed or vanity, that turn neighbour against neighbour and nation against nation, and that they may strive for peaceful solutions in the midst of complex problems and bring forth new fruits of peace and justice. God of Easter, hear our prayer.
For all who experience injustice, that God will raise up and heal those who are disrespected or treated unfairly, and bring forth the truth that will set them free. God of Easter, hear our prayer.
For all who are struggling economically, that God will calm their fears, guide them to resources that will sustain them, and enable them to be open to others who wish to help them. God of Easter, hear our prayer.
Strengthen and protect all researchers, medical professionals and all who work in our medical facilities, and for all those in our country who work in so many fields of life to defeat disease and promote harmony between humans and the created world. Bless them and keep them safe, strengthen them and guide them with your abundant goodness. God of Easter, hear our prayer.
For all who are ill, remembering especially those from among our parish family, and those who have asked for our prayers, that God's healing Spirit will ease their suffering, give them strength, and restore them to wholeness. God of Easter, hear our prayer.
God of All Creation, we commend to your eternal embrace all who have died and are now received into everlasting joy and glory in you, remembering especially those near and dear to us, that they may live forever with God in Christ. God of Easter, hear our prayer.
Holy God, open our hearts to your power moving around us and between us and within us, until your glory is revealed in our love of both friend and enemy, in communities transformed by justice and compassion, and in the healing of all that is broken. God of Easter, hear our prayer.
Blessed are you, O God of love, you have taught us that your commandment is fulfilled in loving you and our neighbour. Hear our prayers and let your Holy Spirit abide with us, that we may live in you and you may live in us, through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
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Confession & Absolution, Peace, Closing Quotation & Prayer, Benediction: (Rev. Roy Shepherd)
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Celebrant
Dear friends in Christ,
God is steadfast in love and infinite in mercy;
he welcomes sinners and invites them to his table.
Let us confess our sins, confident in God’s forgiveness.
Silence is kept.
Celebrant
Most merciful God,
All
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 neighbours 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 upon you,
pardon and deliver you from all your sins,
confirm and strengthen you in all goodness,
and keep you in eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
People
Amen.
Celebrant
And now, as our Saviour Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,
All
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, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Peace
Celebrant The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People And also with you.
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Closing quotation from 14th Century mystic Julian of Norwich:
God showed me a little thing, the size of a hazelnut in the palm of my hand, and it was as round as a ball. I looked on it and wondered, "What may this be?" And this is the answer that was given to me. "It is all that is made! It is the whole creation!" I was amazed that such a thing could last- why it did not crumble into nothing. "It lasts and ever shall, because God loves it. And so all things have their being in the love of God."
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Closing Prayer (Iona Abbey Worship Book, pp. 84-85)
O God of all creation who has come to us in Jesus, lead us in your way of love and fill us with your Spirit. Choose us to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to the captives, to bring sight to the blind and set free the oppressed. So shall your new creation come and your will be done.
The Benediction (Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian church, p.851):
The grace of Christ attend you, the love of God surround you, the Holy Spirit keep you, that you may live in faith, abound in hope, and grow in love, both now and forevermore.
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People: AMEN.
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Hymn: He's Got the Whole World in His Hands, LEVAS 217
He’s got the whole world in His hands. (4x)
He’s got you and me sister in His hands. (4x)
He’s got you and me brother in His hands. (4x)
He’s got the seven-year-old boy in His hands. (4x)
He’s got every one of us in His hands. (4x)
Printed text for this hymn is provided by Christian Corporate Licensing International, under CCLI License #11017184, CCLI Song# 33681. Words and music: Public Domain.
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Copyright © 2004 by the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada. All rights reserved. Reproduced under license from ABC Publishing, Anglican Book Centre, a ministry of the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada, from Anglican Liturgical Library. Further copying is prohibited.
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