Grace Church of Martha's Vineyard
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​First Sunday after Pentecost
Trinity Sunday
Spiritual Communion

​Grace Episcopal Church, Martha’s Vineyard
 
May 30, 2021


THE HOLY EUCHARIST RITE 2: SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
 
All music printed by permission in accordance with ONE LICENSE, License #A-734784.   Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with License #A-734784.
All rights reserved.

Prelude


Welcome & Announcements

Throughout the service, the people remain muted, but join in the responses in bold in the
​bulletin, voiced by Ann Palches.

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Celebrant     Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
People          And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.
 
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.

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Collect of the Day
 
Celebrant     The Lord be with you.
People          And also with you.
Celebrant     Let us pray.
 
Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity: Keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see you in your one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.
​

The Lessons
 
The First Reading:  Isaiah 6:1-8, read by Bernadine Prygrosky
 
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 Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

​Psalm 29, read by John Hickey
 
Ascribe to the Lord, you gods, *
        ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his Name; *
       worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
       the God of glory thunders; *
       the Lord is upon the mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice; *
       the voice of the Lord is a voice of splendor.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees; *
       the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, *
       and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord splits the flames of fire;
       the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; *
       the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe *
       and strips the forests bare.
And in the temple of the Lord *
       all are crying, "Glory!"
The Lord sits enthroned above the flood; *
       the Lord sits enthroned as King for evermore.
The Lord shall give strength to his people; *
       the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.

The Second Reading:  Romans 8:12-17, read by Ann Palches
 
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 Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

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The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John (3:1-17)

People    Glory to you, Lord Christ
​
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 Gospel of the Lord.

People    Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Homily                                The Rev. Stephen Harding

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 Form IV 
In addition to your prayers during the service please click here to add a person to the Parish Prayer List.

Let us pray for the Church and for the world.

Grant, Almighty God, that all who confess your Name may be united in your truth, live together in your love, and reveal your glory in the world.

Silence

Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.

Guide the people of this land, and of all the nations, in the ways of justice and peace; that we may honor one another and serve the common good.

Silence

Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.

Give us all a reverence for the earth as your own creation, that we may use its resources rightly in the service of others and to your honor and glory.

Silence

Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.

Bless all whose lives are closely linked with ours, and grant that we may serve Christ in them, and love one another as he loves us.

Silence

Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.

Comfort and heal all those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit; give them courage and hope in their troubles, and bring them the joy of your salvation.

Silence

Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.

We commend to your mercy all who have died, that your will for them may be fulfilled; and we pray that we may share with all your saints in your eternal kingdom.

Silence

Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer.

Silence

The Celebrant adds a concluding collect.

Celebrant        The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People             And also with you

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The Holy Communion
 
Eucharist Prayer A
 
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.

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.

For with your co-eternal Son and Holy Spirit, you are one God, one Lord, in Trinity of Persons and in Unity of Being; and we celebrate the one and equal glory of you, O Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
 
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:

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Then the Celebrant continues
​

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:

Celebrant and People

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

The Celebrant continues

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 him, and with him, and in him, 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;
People          Therefore let us keep the feast.  Alleluia.
 
Celebrant      Behold the Lamb of God.  Behold Him who takes away the sins of the world.
Celebrant and People
 
In union, O Lord with the faithful at every altar of Your Church, where the Holy Eucharist is now being celebrated, we desire to offer You praise and thanksgiving.  We present to you our souls and bodies with the earnest wish that we may always be united to you.  And since we can not now receive you sacramentally, we beseech you to come spiritually into our hearts. We unite ourselves to you, and embrace you with all the affections of our souls. Let nothing ever separate you from us. May we live and die in your love. Amen.

Celebrant  

Let us spend a few moments reflecting on the fact that God so loved each one of us that God sent God's Only-Begotten Son into the world for all of us.

[Silence is kept]
​

The Post Communion Prayer

Let us pray.
 
Celebrant and People
 
Almighty and ever-living 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 members 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.
 
Blessing
 
Dismissal
 
Leader          Let us go forth in the name of Christ. Alleluia, Alleluia.
People          Thanks be to God. Alleluia, Alleluia.

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Postlude

Sunday Prayers
 
Michael, our Presiding Bishop;  Alan and Gayle, our Bishops
The Very Reverend Amy McCreath & the Cathedral Congregation of St. Paul
The Manna Community
The Cape & Islands Deanery
 
Joe, our President, Kamala, our Vice President
 The Members of Congress; Charlie our Governor, and our elected officials
Pray for Our Country
 
The Campers, Counselors, and Staff of Camp Jabberwocky
The People of Pine Ridge
Carla, in thanksgiving for her First Communion

Barbara
Christine & Richard
Don & Joan
Gary
Gretchen and the Tucker – Underwood – Wharton Family
The Haynes Family
Jan
Janice
Jeff
Julie
Kathy & Tom
Kate
Lester & Betsy
Mary
Mike & Sarah
Deborah, Chris, Gunnar; Bill & Marcia; Valerie and all their family
Paul
Ralph
Rick
Rich
Susie
Suzanne Goldstein
Tara
Wes
 
All Staff of the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital
Our Vineyard EMS, Fire, and Police Departments
All the Members of the New York City Fire Department
 
We pray for all those who are sick with Covid-19; all those who are dying from it; all who have survived it; those who have died from it; their families; and all who are caring for them
Those who by virtue of their work are putting themselves at risk
Those staying home and practicing social distancing
All those involved in the vaccination effort
 
Those working to address racial injustice

Those who have died:  Gail, Everett, Eric, Joyce, Teri, Laura, Mary Hill Tucker
All those Members of our Armed Forces who have given their lives in the service of our Nation.
All those killed because of oppression, gun violence, hatred or
the color of their skin

ASSISTING IN OUR WORSHIP
 
Rector:  The Rev. Stephen Harding
Associate Priests:  The Rev. Sharon Eckhardt, The Rev. Dr. Storm Swain
Master of Ceremony: The Rev. Dr. Storm Swain
Parish Administrator: Maureen O’Malley
Videographer & Curator: Karen Huff
Music Director:  Wesley Nagy
Cellist: Jan Hyer
Singers:  Elizabeth Bates, Rev. Sharon, Eckhardt, Rev. Stephen Harding,
John Hickey, Grace O'Malley, Ann Palches
Readers: John Hickey, Ann Palches, Bernadine Prygrosky
Respondent on behalf of Grace Church: Ann Palches
  • WELCOME
    • Contact Us
  • Leadership
  • Annual Report 2023
  • Online Sunday Services at Grace
    • The Fifth Sunday After the Epiphany February 5, 2023
    • Fourth Sunday After the Epiphany January 29, 2023
    • Sung Compline
    • Third Sunday after the Epiphany January 22, 2023
    • The Second Sunday after the Epiphany, January 15, 2023
  • Church and Faith
    • Our Three-Year Plan
    • Weddings
    • Mission of Grace and Who We Are
    • History of Grace Church
  • Climate Change
  • Photographs
  • Liturgies to Say at Home
    • Spiritual Communion
    • Morning Prayer
    • Daily Devotions
    • Noonday Prayer
    • Evening Prayer
    • Compline for nightly use
    • The Angelus
    • BCP Services
  • Community Suppers and More
    • Community Suppers
    • Summer Lobster Rolls
  • Playground
  • The Tisbury Connection